Katie
Los Angeles

Katie from Los Angeles asked

Best free things to do in Washington, DC?

I'm going to be in Washington, DC next month and will be on a pretty tight budget. I'm looking for the best free and inexpensive things to check out! I love the outdoors, art, museums, you name it. Thanks!

Washington, DC (District of Columbia)

16 Answers

answered by

Cristiane from Washington, DC

Hi Katie, glad to hear you are coming to the coolest city in America! The National Mall has many museums and land marks which are all free. I suggest that you look into Free Tours By Foot and choose one (or more) of the many free tours they offer - the night tour is particular interesting and very informative. If you enjoy live music, the National Gallery of Art has a "Jazz in the Garden" series with free live concerts on Friday (arrive early if you can). Also, the Millennium Stage at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosts free events everyday always at 6 pm. Another free option is the National Zoological Park (seeing the pandas is a must!). If you can, check out DC's most famous neighborhoods including Georgetown (Washington DC), Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan. To get around, I recommend walking or using bike share. Another option for transportation is the DC Circulator bus - very convenient and only costs $1. For a place to stay, Airbnb is a good choice if you want to save money and experience DC with the convenience of walking to attractions. I hope my suggestions help you plan your trip. Have a great time! Cristiane

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National Mall (attraction)
National Gallery of Art (attraction)
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (attraction)
National Zoological Park (attraction)
Georgetown (Washington DC) (neighborhood)
Dupont Circle (attraction)
Adams Morgan (attraction)

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answered by

Ruth from Washington, DC

There are a number of great things to do for free in DC. A fun one is there is Jazz in the Sculpture gardens in the National Gallery of Arton Friday evenings.

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answered by

Polly from Washington, DC

Check out the Smithsonian museums on the mall. They are all amazing and free.

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answered by

R from Fredericksburg

National Zoological Park

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answered by

Faheem from Washington, DC

If you are willing to cross the bridge from Georgetown into Rosslyn, the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) has free Thursday concerts and outdoor movies on Friday's in Freedom Park

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answered first by

Conor from Washington, DC

Hey Katie,

You're in luck - almost all of the Smithsonian Museums are free admission. Here's a link for more info: http://www.si.edu/Museums

Enjoy!

Conor

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answered by

Kathleen from Tampa

The whole Smithsonian and all public buildings are free!

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answered by

Denise

The National Portrait Gallery is a lesser known gem. The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial are awesome. If you want a great way to see the memorials, spring for a sunset bus tour. Enjoy my home town, one of the best cities in the world!

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National Portrait Gallery (attraction)
Thomas Jefferson Memorial (attraction)
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answered by

Esther

The majority of museums are free. Walkable city but plenty of public transport options.

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answered by

Lisa

Smithsonian

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answered by

Chris

All the Smithsonian Museums are free and there are 17 in DC.

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answered by

Mary

Smithsonian Museums

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answered by

Sonja from Hampton

Smithsonian (all of them)

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answered by

Farid from Hockessin (Delaware)

Walking in Georgetown neighborhood, with a lot of shops and restaurant.

Also strollong in the nearby Georgetown Waterfront Park.

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answered by

Gizeh

Washington DC is an incredible place with many free activities.
Go to Georgetown (Washington DC), walk its streets, M Street Northwest, there are many spots for photos, there is a lake you can walk it and get to the monuments, you cannot visit DC and not go to visit the monuments, 90% of the museums are free and super interesting, Dupont Circle, I'm excited about DC. I hope you enjoy it a lot because I lived there for about 2 years and there are always free things