What to do in DC?

March 23, 2005 6:42 PM

DC Filter: My flight leaves for home tomorrow (Thursday) at 4:15pm. I will wake up early in the morning and plan on setting out to enjoy the city for 4 or 5 hours. What should I do? Tours? Museums? Attractions? I am open to almost any suggestion, but realize that my options may be limited due to my limited time here.
posted by xorowo to travel & transportation (16 comments total)

Depends on what you like, of course! What's your favorite kind of food? What's your budget? Where are you staying? What mode of transportation are you using?

All the museums here are free, and a wander down the Mall is pretty much the archetypal DC experience. If the weather stays rainy, though, it's going to be hard to enjoy a stroll.

If it's nice enough, try the Vietnam Memorial. I love the Hirschorn museum too--if you like modern art, it's near enough to the Vietnam Memorial, small enough to feel manageable, and stocked with some great works. Some enjoy the new WWII memorial on the mall--it's interesting, but fairly traditional. Check out Lincoln or Jefferson if you're so predisposed, or pick one of the Smithsonian museums (Natural History, etc.). Enjoy!
posted by equipoise at 7:05 PM on March 23, 2005

Since the weather is a bit lousy, I'd highly recommend visiting a museum or two. My favorites are the Freer and Sackler galleries, the American History Museum, the Hirshhorn, and the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art. The Air and Space Museum will be crowded, most likely, as it is throughout the year, so be aware of that. You might also consider the US Botanic Garden and Conservatory near the Capitol. It'll probably be a nice contrast to the grey skies and wet streets.

If you just want to wander around, Dupont Circle has shopping and such, and if you walk up 18th Street north you'll hit Adams Morgan, which during the daytime is a bit dull but is neat just to look at.

Since you only have a few hours, you could easily spend it at a museum or two and having lunch. And if you've never been to DC before, and aren't sure if/when you'll return, I'd suggest that you do just that.
posted by armage at 7:05 PM on March 23, 2005

Oh, and if you're a Disney fan, check out the 75 Mickey statues at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. It's at Pennsylvania Avenue & 13th Street NW (Federal Triangle Metro).
posted by armage at 7:13 PM on March 23, 2005

Get a Peggy's Special or a Chicken Madness at Wisemiler's Deli on 36th St NW between N and Prospect for lunch. Yum.
posted by socratic at 7:24 PM on March 23, 2005

PS. You can then walk down 36th Street half a block, across Prospect (towards the river), and then trot down the world-(in)famous Exorcist Stairs. Be warned that walking back UP is a chore, so you might want to do this on your way down to M Street for some shopping (the Stairs end at M Street).
posted by socratic at 7:29 PM on March 23, 2005

If you're flight is out of Dulles, go to the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, just a mile down Route 28 from the airport. They have a Concorde, the original mock-up of the shuttle (the Enterprise), an SR-71 Blackbird, the Enola Gay, and lots of other neat stuff.

If you're flying out of National, there's good food at the Crystal City Restaurant.
posted by Wet Spot at 7:39 PM on March 23, 2005

The Freer Gallery is one of my favorites.
posted by extrabox at 7:44 PM on March 23, 2005

Piggyback question(s):

What are the general open hours for the museums?

Is there a day of the week they are all closed?

What are the best ways to get from hotel to museums/capitol/white house/etc?
posted by achmorrison at 8:38 PM on March 23, 2005

Just hanging out around the Mall area between the Capitol and the Washington Monument is enough to take up 4-5 hours. It's very easy to lose track of time while dealing with info overload in any of the Smithsonians.

If you plan to go into the always-crowded Air and Space Museum, here's a time-saving tip to avoid the long lines for security: go around to the back entrance on Independence Ave, opposite the building from the National Mall. The lines there are never as long.
posted by brownpau at 8:39 PM on March 23, 2005

To answer achmorrison's questions:

The museums are generally open everyday, from 10am to 5pm, maybe 5:30pm if you're lucky. Some sections may close earlier. Most of the museums are right on The National Mall fronting the Capitol, none more than a mile from the terraces.

Best way to get around is by Metro. The Red Line is your main artery: go to Farragut North for the White House, Union Station for the Capitol, or transfer to the Orange Line and go to Smithsonian Metro to come up right on The Mall.

If you're coming from Dulles, it's a pain to get to DC. You'll need to ride a Washington Flyer bus to the West Falls Church VA Metro station, from where you can take it into the city, a trip of about 45 minutes to an hour. DO NOT TAKE THE BLUE VANS. Their service is consistently poor, slow, and unfriendly.
posted by brownpau at 8:47 PM on March 23, 2005

The Crystal City Restaurant was charging $6 for mainstream domestic beers a dozen years ago. I tremble at the thought of what they charge now.
posted by NortonDC at 12:39 AM on March 24, 2005

These area all great suggestions. I am travelling around by Metro, need to leave the area by 2pm, have walked around DC once before (but didn't really go into anything), and will probably be back within a year with my wife, who will want to see museums and such. All that said, I am leaning towards a walk down the mall and just popping into whatever museum attracts me first. I am in town at a technology conference where someone mentioned a specific technology exhibit, but I cannot remember where they saw it. I may try to find that. I have also considered trying to get into a tour of the White House, FBI or something like that. I may just pop onto the Metro and see where it takes me.
posted by xorowo at 5:30 AM on March 24, 2005

There used to be some old holography museum just north of the Mall, but I can't remember where it is (if it's even still there). And sitting in Einstein's lap... there's reason to go to DC by itself! (Statute just north of the Vietnam memorial.)
posted by socratic at 6:35 AM on March 24, 2005

The National Archives on the Mall has a new permanent exhibit - the Public Vaults - that is supposed to be excellent. While you're there, of course, you can see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc.
posted by grateful at 7:05 AM on March 24, 2005

I just checked out the public vaults at the Archives last week and it was quite interesting. Most of it was about how the public uses the archives, and what sort of stuff they've got hanging around down there. If you're into that sort of stuff, I recommend it.

You can get a tour of the Capitol Building from your Representative or either of your Senators for free, if you so desire, but you usually have to call them in advance, so that's more of a suggestion for next time.

(Lots of DC MeFites! I never knew.)
posted by Inkoate at 7:47 AM on March 24, 2005

I recommend choosing ONE museum, and taking your time there, since you'll be back before too long. What are you most interested in? Art? The National Gallery has all the standard big guns. Space and airplanes? Air and Space museum, of course. Dinosaur bones and the Hope diamond? Natural History. History, including popular culture? American History. All these are along the Mall, so access is easy, but they are spaced pretty widely apart, and have TONS of stuff, so, really, you should choose one.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:17 AM on March 24, 2005