The cool thingabout finding;things;to do in WashingtonDC for free is thatit\’s easy….thereare lots of free things;to do. Thatcan makeWashingtonDC a gooddeal for the frugal traveler.
For starters,all of the Smithsonian Museums are free. Accordingto the Smithsonian web site,thereare 19 museumsand the NationalZoo.All by themselves, the museumsand the zoo could keep you going for several days.
Youcan\’t eat for free, but you can get a hotdogand a soda froma street vendor on the mallfor only a few dollars. The NationalParkServiceoperatesa few refreshment stands, locatedin the front of variousmemorialsand museums. There are museum cafestoo.Theyare a littlemoreexpensive,but they are convenientto eat in so you don\’t have to take a cab ride or metro to a restaurant.
Ifyou want to see tons of moneybut still see somethingin WashingtonDC for free, take a free tourof the Bureauof Engraving and Printing…. See stacksand stacksof money… theremustbe tons…and watchthem makeit.
Walk to the Willard InterContinentalHotel. It\’s a landmarkhotelhavingbeen on the WashingtonDC scene since 1850,and it\’s just two blocks fromthe White House. Sit in the lobby and checkout the bar. It was fromthe “wheeling and dealing” in the lobby of this hotelthatthe term “lobbyist” came intobeing.Manyhistoricevents;have taken placehere;one recentone was whenMartin Luther King,Jr. wrote his “I Have A Dream” speech while staying here.
It\’s easyto see historica;l;documentsin WashingtonDC for free… the originalDeclarationof Independence, the U.S.Constitutionand the Bill of Rightsare all free to see in the NationalArchives.
See the Library of Congress.An hourlongfree tourwill let you view the Main Reading Room withit\’s soaring dome, the marble columns, and circle of woodenreadingdesks.
VisitArlington NationalCemetery.See President JohnF. Kennedy\’s gravesiteand the Changingof the Guardceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Allsessions at the Supreme Courtbuildingare opento the public and are free. You can see the courtroom evenif the Justices aren\’t there.
President Lincoln was assassinated in Ford’sTheater. The NationalParkServiceoperatesa museum in the theater where you can see artifacts and lookintothe theater for free. If you want to see a playthere, you mustbuy a ticket.
You can see the JohnF. Kennedy Center for the PerformingArtsfor free. And an actual performancein WashingtonDC for free?Yes,everyday at 6 p.m. thereis a performanceor concert that\’s free to the public.
If you\’re intostampcollecting, or evenif you\’re not, visitthe NationalPostal Museum.
Getintothe neighborhoodsbeyond the Mall.There are free self-guided walkingtrails markedwithsigns to tell you about these historicareas.
TheNationalGeographicMuseum at Explorers Hallis a littlefurther out, but you can checkout free exhibitsthathighlightresearch the NationalGeographicSociety is sponsoring.
Thelist really does go on and on. Check monthly schedules to findout about free performances;and specialart exhibits. There are plenty of things;to see and do in WashingtonDC for free.