Washington DC is a great place to visit and there's a lot to do. Although cities and visiting a lot of places can add up pretty quickly, here are ten places to visit for free. As a general rule, indoor location often have some kind of security check point and suggest not bringing in large bags or food. Some places won't even allow bottled water so make sure you know what is allowed ahead of time. All of these sites have a website with information about visiting. Happy exploring!!
National Mall memorials – There are a bunch of memorials and monuments on the National Mall: Lincoln Memorial, FDR Memorial, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Reflecting Pool. From the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial is just under a mile. In total the Mall is about two miles long. All monuments and memorials are free and open 24 hours a day. Although the sites are open all day, National Park Service rangers are only available from 9:30am to 10pm. These rangers can give you information, brochures and answer your questions. The memorials and monuments are on the west half of the mall, near the Potomac River.
Old Stone House – Old Stone House is in the Georgetown section of DC and is open from 11am to 6pm. The building is the oldest structure on its original foundation in DC and has served as a variety of businesses and personal housing, including clock shop, tavern, inn and even a car dealership. There is also a garden for visitors that is open during daylight hours.
National Zoo – Owned by the Smithsonian Institute, there are over 1,500 animals to spot at the zoo. The zoo is open from 8am to 7pm but some exhibits and buildings do not open until 9 or 10am. Be warned – the zoo is located on a hill and involves quite a bit of walking so wear good walking shoes. A fun bonus: although intended for school groups, the zoo website has printable sheets for kids do at the zoo, including scavenger hunts, found here. Pro tip – bring your own food! Zoo food is expensive but there are plenty of places to stop and have a picnic within the zoo.
Ford’s Theater – Home to one of the most famous assassinations of all time, Ford’s Theater in DC is actually comprised of four parts: the theater, the museum, the Peterson House (located across the street, where Lincoln died the morning after his assassination), and the center for education and leadership. Tickets are needed to enter but there are limited number of free tickets per day. The box office opens at 8:30 while the buildings open at 9am. The final tour group is allowed in at 4pm or 5pm depending on the site. Their website suggests about 30 minutes each for the theater and the museum and 15 minutes for the Peterson House.
National Archives – You've seen Nicholas Cage steal the Declaration of Independence here. Famous documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are located in the National Archives. Visitors can also look for their family’s immigration records. The Archives are open from 10am to 5:30pm. Their website suggests giving about one and a half hours to go through the museum section of the building.
Library of Congress – The Library of Congress has free tours in their Jefferson building. It is open from 8:30am – 4:30pm except for Sundays for researchers. Tours run at the bottom of every hour from 10:30am to 3:30pm Monday through Friday. Saturday tours run from 10:30am to 2:30pm, except 12:30. Be forewarned, the Library of Congress has airport-like security to get into the building, so give extra time to get through that line.
National Postal Museum – A lesser-known museum, the National Postal Museum is open from 10am to 5:30pm. There are all kinds of artifacts, including original mail planes. The postal museum is located close to the National Mall.
Capitol Building – The Capitol Building, located at the east end of the National Mall, offers free tours. Although the tours are free, it is very strongly suggested to reserve spots in advanced so that visitors are guaranteed a tour and do not have to wait around for hours. Tours run from 8:30am to 4:30pm and last about 90 minutes.
Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception – One of the holier places in DC, visitors can both pray at, attend service and tour here. There are six masses and five hours of confession every day. Tours are done at the top of each hour, except noon from 9am – 3pm. The Basilica is open from 9am to 5:30pm.
Smithsonian Institutes’ Museums – All are free and the main ones are open from 10am – 5:30pm. The big ones are the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of the American Indian and these are all on the east end of the National Mall. There are millions and millions of artifacts are owned by the Smithsonian but only an iota could ever be on display at one time. Exhibits change and visitors can look online to see what objects and exhibits are currently being shown to the public. The Smithsonian Castle showcases the history behind the Smithsonian Institute itself, as well as providing free Wi-Fi and a place for visitors to eat or cool down from the DC heat. There are metal detectors to walk through at entrances, however these are relatively fast and will not take much time out of your visit, especially if you do not bring bags.
