Washington National Cathedral © Jason Dixson Photography
From venues with views to scenic waterfronts and new hotel rooftops, elevate your meetings and events at outstanding venues.
Surrounded by gardens, the soaring Gothic Washington National Cathedral stands high above the city and boasts a glorious reception space for up to 1,500 and banquet seating for 1,000 guests. Be inspired by the world’s largest book collection at the Library of Congress, where dramatic vaulted marble event spaces like the showstopping 1890s Great Hall can accommodate 450 for a seated dinner and up to 1,200 for a reception. The Mumford and Montpelier rooms offer intimate areas for up to 200 standing guests. Beginning with Grover Cleveland, the National Building Museum has hosted presidential inaugural balls since 1885. Its grand Great Hall with massive Corinthian columns has the capacity for large-scale stage setups—film, video, music and lighting—and can accommodate up to 2,000 guests for a most memorable event.
City Cruises
Impress attendees with expansive views of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers at The Watergate Hotel’s Top of the Gate (overlooking the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Art and Georgetown) and the Cambria Hotel Washington DC in Capitol Riverfront where the rooftop event space includes a bird’s-eye view of the U.S. Capitol. The Roof Terrace Restaurant at the Kennedy Center has floor-to-ceiling glass windows and views of the Lincoln Memorial; the outdoor terrace rooftop enchants with fountains, willow trees and expansive views. Sitting at the edge of the Anacostia River directly across from National Park, HQO, a LEED Platinum-certified venue, features a modern facade made of undulating glass and three stories of indoor/outdoor spaces. The Wharf, a newly developed waterfront, offers a variety of exciting venues, from the modern, naturally lit ballroom at the InterContinental Washington DC to the glass-enclosed Dockmaster Building at the end of District Pier. La Vie features an industrial, coastal vibe restaurant overlooking The Wharf with indoor and outdoor event spaces. Take your meeting to the Potomac River with City Cruises, offering a range of ships equipped with event space and all-inclusive packages.
Apolitical and great fun, the International Spy Museum combines espionage secrets and a spy mission experience with a state-of-the-art venue and a variety of spaces. The ballroom accommodates up to 700 guests and features extraordinary views while the top-floor glass-enclosed terrace offers both indoor and outdoor space. With its iconic sightline, the Vue at the Hotel Washington is flooded with natural light and stellar backdrop of the city. You can’t beat the views of the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument from the Potomac View Terrace at the American Pharmacists Association, one of the only private venues on the National Mall. The Top of the Hay at the historic Hay Adams hotel is an enviable indoor/outdoor space to capture Instagrammable photos with the White House and monuments in the background. Hi-Lawn, Union Market’s urban green-turf rooftop space arranged with picnic tables, colorful umbrellas and a shipping container bar, accommodates up to 1,000 standing guests in DC’s lively NoMa neighborhood. The fun, laid-back rooftop features 360-degree city views, seasonally-changing fare from Chef Beauchamp, creative draft and juice box cocktails, hosted picnics, lawn games and outdoor music. All of Union Market’s restaurants and shopping stalls are located two flights of stairs below.
Highlight DC’s Black history and culture by hosting an event on U Street or in Shaw, where historic Lincoln Theatre and Howard Theatre have been thriving since the Jazz Age. The newly restored Ludwig Mies van der Rohe-designed Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library with artwork by DC artists including Alma Thomas, features the Great Hall for seated dinners, an auditorium and a rooftop event space. Dock 5, an exposed brick warehouse in Union Market, is perfect for intimate gatherings or large receptions. Both the Center Field Plaza and Terra Club are two great outdoor meeting areas with capacity for between 840-1,700 guests at Nationals Park, home of DC’s major league baseball. The high-definition LED video board is a dynamic way to display signage.
Swingers
Add a mini golf experience to your next meeting at the Puttery, a 19,000-square-foot entertainment center with three themed courses in Penn Quarter. Puttery offers several event spaces that can accommodate small gatherings of 10 guests to a venue buyout for up to 400. CitySwing, an indoor golf experience founded by BIPOC ex-Tesla executive Tari Cash, features golf simulator suites with lessons and catered team-building activities. Swingers brings the indoor fun with undulating golf courses, clubhouses, cocktail bars and gourmet food vendors at their locations in Dupont Circle and Navy Yard. For a live performance combined with flexible stage presentations, the Anthem at the Wharf can’t be beat for large-scale gatherings. Or make your own music at Wok and Roll Karaoke in Chinatown with private event space for up to 40 guests and Live K Karaoke, with 15 private rooms and Japanese barbecue at the Wharf. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s 163-acre campus in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park offers multiple unique venues in its tropical forest Amazonia, new Bird Aviary, LEED Certified elephant hall, Lion-Tiger Hill and more. With capacity for 50 to 1,000+, your flock will enjoy hanging with the animals at your next corporate or social event.
The Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard by Pixelme Studio2
Impress and inspire attendees with a social gathering and large events at a museum featuring world-class art and captivating exhibits. Options range from the glass-canopied Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, one of DC’s most magnificent event spaces connected to the National Portrait and the American Art museums, to the elegant Renwick Gallery located steps from the White House to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the nation’s largest destination devoted to showcasing the African American story. Reopening in the fall after a multimillion-dollar renovation, the Great Hall of the National Museum of Women in the Arts dazzles during events with its marble reception area and grand ballroom adorned with three crystal chandeliers. Dedicated to the love of language, DC’s new Planet Word features multiple event space including the Great Hall with floor-to-ceiling windows and a 5,000-LED globe that serves as a chandelier. The Mansard Room seats 144 for dinner and the outdoor courtyard hosts receptions for up to 278 guests. The contemporary Rubell Museum DC, located in a former historical Black public school in Southwest DC listed in the National Register of Historic Places, features Gallery 1 event space with floor-to-ceiling arched windows and modern artwork with accommodations for 200 people.
Dumbarton House © The Knot
For small but memorable events, bespoke hidden gems abound in Washington, DC. They include the inviting 120-capacity Foxhall Ballroom filled with natural light in the Dupont Circle Hotel and the charming carriage house and courtyard of the historic Decatur House across from the White House. At the Federal style estate, Dumbarton House in Georgetown, attendees can begin with a seated dinner in the elegant Belle Vue Room followed by dancing under the stars in the outdoor courtyard.
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