Guide to Downtown

Things to Do in Downtown

View Map
Hide Map

Washington D.C.’s downtown core covers an area near the White House in the northwest portion of the city. There are several museums, theaters and sports and a section of the area is historic and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Major cultural institutions including the National Aquarium, the National Portrait Gallery and theaters such as the National, the Warner, and the once infamous Ford’s Theater—where Abraham Lincoln was shot—are all here. For top-notch views of the city, the Old Post Office Pavilion’s Observation deck is the tallest building in the area. Many bars, cafes, and retail shops line the Gallery Place corridor on 7th Street. Verizon Center is a major sporting venue, presenting basketball, hockey, and other events. Farragut Square Park and Mount Vernon Square both offer pleasant green space, while the busy restaurants of Chinatown offer excellent cuisine and late hours.

Find Hotels in Washington DC

Book online and save up to 70%

Restaurant Reservations

Popular Things to Do in Downtown

Hotels

The Jefferson

1200 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20036

American Restaurants

The Hamilton

600 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005

Washington DC's newest destination for dining, music & entertainment is dedicated to celebrating the talent & passion of America's best artists.

Hotels

Hyatt Regency Washington Dc

400 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001

The Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill is located in the heart of a vibrant neighborhood, just steps from attractions like the Smithsonian, the National Mall and, of course, the U.S. Capitol.

Hotels

Phoenix Park Hotel

520 N Capitol St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Bars

Rasika

633 D St NW, Washington, DC 20004

This modern Indian restaurant –whose name means "flavors" in Sanskrit—features Tawa (griddle), Sigri (barbecue) and Tandoori dishes that excite the senses. The Penn Quarter favorite was conjured up by the team that brought us the Bombay Club Ardeo, Bardeo

Movies

DC Newseum

555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001

Welcome to the Newseum on Facebook! Like us and let us know your favorite thing about the Newseum.

Hotels

The Liaison Capitol Hill, An Affinia Hotel

415 New Jersey Ave Nw, Washington, DC 20001

American Restaurants

Capital Grille

601 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004

American. This Washington, DC steakhouse not only serves up huge, tender slabs of delicious beef, it invites you to explore the aging process that give this world famous Washington, DC restaurant its excellent meats. Check your cholestrol levels at the do

Add your business to WashingtonDC.com

Expand your profile and reach new customers. We make it easy for visitors to find your business on WashingtonDC.com.

Scenes from Downtown
Are You the Woman from That Leonard Cohen Song?Flight of EuropaHappy new yearMultiverseMultiverseThe VisitorDrei Schweinchen erwägen Fachwerk / Bowling Down the AlleyIsometric Lincoln MemorialWarner TheaterWashington DC ~ Lanier HeightsAutumn DisplayBuggervile USAThe Mighty DeadUS Capitol East Portico