Arts & Culture
There's almost too much arts and culture to enjoy in Washington, DC. Here you’ll find the best museums in the world, a prolific performing arts scene and an international community reflected in the city’s restaurants, shops and attractions.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
DC's art scene thrives with theater, performing arts, exhibits and events.
On any given night, curtains are rising on upwards of 200 performances at theaters in and around the District. Here's a peek.
Get cultured in this three-day itinerary focused on DC's museums, theaters, restaurants and nightlife.
Find Places
Or browse neighborhood listings by the numbers
- Art Galleries(5 listings)
- Art Museums(18 listings)
- Dinner Theater(4 listings)
- Family-Friendly(68 listings)
- Music(8 listings)
- Performing Arts(30 listings)
- Theaters(33 listings)
- Ticketing Agencies(1 listing)
DC Travel Inspiration
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Pictured: DAR/Constitution Hall
Built in 1929 to house the Daughters of the American Revolution's annual convention, the imposing DAR/Constitution Hall is now Washington's largest concert hall.
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Pictured: Capital Fringe Festival performance
Since 2005, the Capital Fringe Festival has drawn more than 100 cutting-edge performing artists to theaters across DC.
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Pictured: The National Mall's "Screen on the Green"
A summertime tradition: Free flicks are shown on the National Mall as part of Screen on the Green on designated Monday evenings. Blankets and picnics are a must.
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Pictured: Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Each summer, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival turns the National Mall into a museum of living history, with storytelling, music, dance and craft, welcoming more than a million people.
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Pictured: Smithsonian Folklife Festival
For 10 days in summer, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival draws a million people to the Mall to experience storytelling, music, dance, cookery and craft.
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Pictured: Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery and School of Art is the oldest and largest privately funded cultural institution in D.C. Among its works are pieces by Edward Hopper and Andy Warhol.
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Pictured: Freer Gallery of Art's Peacock Room
The dining room of a British shipowner exquisitely decorated by James McNeill Whistler was purchased and reassembled by Charles Freer Lang to display ceramics. It is among the jewels at the Freer Gallery of Art.
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Pictured: Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The underbelly of the concrete "doughnut" shows off the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden's groovy side. The severity of the design was initially criticized, but it remains the biggest piece of abstract art in DC.
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Pictured: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Monumental pieces of art by the likes of Auguste Rodin and Roy Lichtenstein stud the Hirshhorn Museum's sculpture garden, one of two on the National Mall.
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Pictured: National Gallery of Art East Building
The East Building of the National Gallery of Art houses the modern and contemporary pieces in the mammoth collection. A mobile the size of a jet by Alexander Caulder hangs inside the atrium.
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Pictured: National Gallery of Art West Building
The collection at the National Gallery of Art has grown so large that it is displayed in two galleries, the neoclassical West Building and the modern East Building, plus a six-acre sculpture garden.
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Pictured: National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
Claus Oldenburg's monumental typewriter eraser leaves an indelible impression on visitors to the National Gallery of Art's six-acre sculpture garden. The fountain inside the garden is transformed into an ice-skating rink come winter.
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Pictured: Ford's theatre stage
View from the stage of Ford’s Theatre, following an 18-month renovation. - Photo by Maxwell MacKenzie
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Pictured: Ford's Theatre
Exterior view of Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site and the new Ford’s Theatre lobby. - Photo by Maxwell MacKenzie
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Pictured: Christmas Carol at Ford's Theatre
A Christmas Carol at historic Ford’s Theatre is a holiday tradition for many Washingtonians and visitors alike. The timeless Dickens tale follows the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge as he journeys through his life with the Ghosts of Past, Present and Future. - Photo by Maxwell MacKenzie
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Photo - Photo by Ann Gav
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Pictured: Folger Shakespeare Library
Where for art thou? Why at the Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeareana, as well as a museum, garden and painstakingly recreated Elizabethan theater.
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Pictured: Kennedy Center Hall of Nations
Flags of every country with which the U.S. has diplomatic relations hang in the Hall of Nations. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, 60-foot scaffolding was erected so workmen could add 12 new flags. - Photo by Carol Pratt
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Pictured: John F. Kennedy bust in the Kennedy Center foyer
The red carpet is eternally rolled out for performers and audiences at the nation's performing arts center. - Photo by Carol Pratt
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Pictured: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Known for its sweeping views of the Potomac River, Watergate and National Mall, the Kennedy Center's stern exterior belies a lively performance center boasting free daily concerts on the Millennium Stage at 6 p.m.
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Pictured: Arena Stage at Night
Founded in 1950, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater boasts three performance spaces. The result of a $121 million development project, the Center is second largest arts complex after the Kennedy Center.
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Pictured: Embassy Row
Washington is home to more than 160 embassies and consulates. More than 50 dot Embassy Row near Dupont Circle. Most of these open their doors to visitors every May during dedicated "Passport DC" weekends.
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Pictured: Folger Shakespeare Library
Adjacent to the Supreme Court and the U.S. Capitol, the Folger Shakespeare Library was a gift to the nation by Standard Oil president Henry Clay Folger who collected materials: books, prints, paintings, relating to the playwrite.
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Pictured: Kennedy Center Concert Hall
The Concert Hall is largest performance space in the Kennedy Center, with more than 2,400 seats. Annual events hosted here include the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Awards. - Photo by Scott Suchman
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Pictured: Duke Ellington Mural
The Duke Ellington Mural on the historic True Reformer Building in the U Street neighborhood pays tribute to the city's contributions to the jazz age and in particular U Street's - once known as 'Black Broadways' - contributions. - Photo by G Byron Peck
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Pictured: Chinatown's Friendship Arch
DC's Chinatown is marked by the Friendship Arch at 7th and H Streets, the largest single span archway of its kind in the world. - Photo by M.V. Jantzen
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Pictured: Toulouse-Latrec Mural
18th Street in Adams Morgan is home to a number of colorful murals, including this portrait of cabaret singer Aristide Bruant by Parisian artist Toulouse Latrec. The mural was painted from a photo by the restaurant''s original owner. - Photo by William Geiger
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Pictured: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Housed in a historic building in Penn Quarter, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum are home to thousands of art works, including the only complete collection of presidential portraits outside The White House
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Pictured: The Madam Mural
Presiding over one of the bawdiest clubs in Adam's Morgan. "The Madam" with her 13-foot breasts and siren red hair rests above cleverly named nighclub Madam's Organ.
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Pictured: Arena Stage exterior
For 60 years, Arena stage has been devoted to American theater. With the opening of the glittering Mead Center for American Theater, Arena Stage has become a national center for the arts, attracting big-name actors and eager audiences. - Photo by Nic Lehoux
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Pictured: Shakespeare Theatre Company
Shakespeare Theatre Company's Harman Center for the Arts in Penn Quarter hosts classic Shakespeare plays and cutting-edge classics in the making. - Photo by Chris Gieckel
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Pictured: Marilyn Monroe mural
Presiding over Connecticut Avenue in Woodley Park, the Marilyn Monroe mural is a favorite among residents.
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Pictured: Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery
Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery - Photo by Foster and Partners, Nigel Young
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Pictured: The Phillips Collection
Founded by Duncan Phillips in 1921, The Phillips Collection in the Dupont Circle neighborhood is America's first museum of modern art.
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Pictured: Phillips Collection
Children especially love Gene Davis's colorful painting at the Phillips Collection, where admission to its permanent collection is free Tuesdays through Fridays.
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Pictured: Duke Ellington Mural on U Street's True Reformer Building
Photo - Photo by G Byron Peck
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Pictured: The Lincoln Theater
Kathryn Smith
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Pictured: Folger Shakespeare Library
The Folger Shakespeare Library holds the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare materials. Admission to the Folger’s exhibit hall is free of charge.
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Pictured: Arena Stage
Photo
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Pictured: Freer & Sackler Gallery
The Freer & Sackler Gallery features ancient and contemporary art from Asia, including luxury metalwork from Iran and ceramics from China dating back to the 10th century.
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Pictured: Septime Webre's The Nutcracker at Warner Theatre
Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker at the historic Warner Theatre is set in 18th century DC with “George Washington” as the heroic Nutcracker, waltzing cherry blossoms mingling with dancing sugar plums and sets featuring DC skylines. - Photo by
Brianne Bland
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Pictured: Hansel and Gretel at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The Kennedy Center starts a new holiday tradition with this year's debut of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. The family friendly production from the Washington National Opera features a candy-colored stage and familiar story. - Photo by Karin Cooper
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Pictured: Dance Place
Dance Place is a hub for dance activity in the District. The center puts on dance performances every weekend, from local, regional and international dance companies. Workshops and classes are also offered. - Photo by Enoch Chan
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Trip Ideas
DC is home to myriad live music venues. On any given night, catch jazz, house music, rock and go-go.
Get to know the vibrant neighborhood that thrives in the shadow of the Capitol dome.
Washington, DC sets the stage for a thriving performing arts and theater scene.
Home to dozens of museums and galleries (many of them free), DC has an exhibit for every art lover.
Music rules in this artsy neighborhood with a rich African-American heritage.
Soak up the nation's history at two crucial libraries, a historic train station and the U.S. Capitol itself.
The annual DC Jazz Festival, June 5-16, features more than 125 live performances throughout DC.
Presented by Cultural Tourism DC, this annual event celebrates the international side of DC.
Monumental discoveries don't just happen on the Mall.
Located next to the water, Georgetown is where to find quaint row houses, shops and restaurants.
A cosmopolitan neighborhood with great bars and boutiques, Dupont Circle is DC's GLBT neighborhood.
If you love the arts, dig music and like to chat up local artists, follow this creative itinerary.
Discover African American contributions to the rich local history and culture of Washington, DC.
Make time for these insider picks in GLBT Washington, DC's neighborhoods.
Celebrate global culture with these fun Washington, DC festivals.
Attend special events at DC's embassies and travel around the world.
Follow this insiders' tour and dive into the diverse neighborhoods of Washington, DC.
Washington, DC's summer festivals celebrate everything from food to film.
Brookland is home to Civil War-era landmarks, quiet residential streets and picturesque places.
Many museums and theaters in Washington, DC offer a taste of African American culture.
Discover the cultural side of Washington, DC, in its museums, theaters, restaurants and nightlife.
See the cherry blossom trees in bloom and celebrate spring with exhibitions and live entertainment.
A hot three-day itinerary designed to hit up DC's coolest summertime spots.
