National Air and Space Museum
Our end-of-the-week picks for Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2026
We've gathered up some fun things to do in DC this weekend. You can also read what else is going on during the week and throughout the month.
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Friday
At Home in Space
Discover the challenges and benefits of a permanent human presence in low Earth orbit. The knowledge gained from the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs informs where we go next and what we do there. If you’ve ever wondered how it might be possible that humans live and work in space, this immersive, highly interactive exhibit is for you. Space out and explore it during the Museum’s 50th anniversary year as it caps off a years-long renovation project.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission | Reserve Timed Passes
National Air and Space Museum, 650 Jefferson Drive SW, Washington, DC 20560
Folger Shakespeare Library
To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare
For centuries, Black women have claimed Shakespeare, reshaping his words to assert their humanity, creativity and power. To Hear Her Speak brings these voices into focus for the first time. Curated by Dr. Patricia Akhimie, Director of the Folger Institute, this landmark exhibition of nearly 100 objects highlights the ways in which Black women have engaged Shakespeare in performance and in writing and art. “Summer’s lease hath all too short a date,” but when fall rolls around, don’t miss this powerful exhibit.
Hours | Free Admission
Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
ARTECHOUSE
SUBMERGE
ARTECHOUSE DC resumes programming with SUBMERGE, which presents innovative digital art that utilizes technology for a wholly immersive experience. The exhibition is anchored by Beyond the Render, a 45-minute large-scale show created in collaboration with Render Network that brings together 13 artist teams — including Emmy winners Emily Yang and Maciej Kuciara — to transform the venue. A floor-to-ceiling projection canvas showcases a 280-degree, 18K-resolution digital world, a total reimagination of the possibilities of spatial storytelling.
Tickets (10% off most bookings)
ARTECHOUSE, 1238 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024
Signature Theatre
All the World’s A Stage
The story of a closeted math teacher and his mentorship of a student as they explore the classic play Angels in America is a humanistic tale sure to strike your soul at Signature Theatre. The two outsiders turn their small town on its head as a powerful score soundtracks this tribute to the power of teaching and expressing yourself.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Cider Week 2026
Dacha Beer Garden goes wild for its annual Cider Week, held just in time for Halloween and the real dawn of DC's cold weather. This year's menu includes Magner's Original Irish Cider, Lost Boy Wingman Raspberry Cider, Blake's El Chavo Mango Habanero Cider, Down East Cider Donut Cider, Potter's Craft Petite Cider and many others.
More Info
Dacha Beer Garden, 1600 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Saturday
Hirshhorn Museum
The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden Reopens
Art lovers, rejoice. The Hirshhorn's sculpture garden returns with double the amount of works on display, a widened entryway from the National Mall and an underground passageway from the museum, a new feature that adds a whole new element to the experience. No longer will visitors have to cross Jefferson Drive to take in the 60 monumental sculptures showcased in the garden. The west lawn will now serve as a rotating exhibition space, with three works by Yoshitomo Nara serving as the inaugural display.
More Information
Celebrate Halloween in DC
The nation's capital has a frightful amount of options for spook-tacular festivities. Themed parties, specialty cocktails, family arts and crafts and ghost tours are just a few of the ways to have spirited Halloween and Día de los Muertos celebrations in the District.
Trick-or-Treating at Mount Vernon
George Washington’s former estate welcomes the entire family to enjoy Halloween fun. Festivities include candy-collecting in special Mount Vernon treat bags, a costume parade, Halloween-themed Punch & Judy shows, an 18th-century baking demonstration, a straw bale selfie station, musical entertainment and much more.
2-5 p.m. | Tickets
George Washington's Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA 22121
Arena Stage
The Fruits of Our Labor – Final Weekend
Legendary DC dance company Step Afrika! honors America’s 250th anniversary with a new show set to premiere at Arena Stage. The Fruits of Our Labor uses percussion, stepping, moving visual imagery and a bold red, white and blue color palette to explore the American experience.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Fever Originals
Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience
This first-of-its-kind virtual reality adventure doesn't just show you the universe but places you inside of it. Created in collaboration between Fever Originals and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the experience takes visitors on a breathtaking journey through the cosmos, from dazzling galaxies to the edge of a black hole. Use code VISITDC26 for 5% off your purchase!
Tickets
Fever Hub Washington DC, 926 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Sunday
National Museum of Asian Art
Saodat Ismailova: Melted Into the Sun
The first major solo museum presentation in the U.S. by film and installation artist Saodat Ismailova highlights her ongoing interest in Central Asia’s traditions, oral histories and landscapes. A unique blend of images, sounds and textures, Ismailova’s work creates a space between dream and reality.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20004
The Phillips Collection
Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea
For three months this fall and winter, you can savor a lovely moment of summer. This exhibition will tell the story of the lifelong friendship between three towering figures in American art: Milton Avery (1885–1965), Adolph Gottlieb (1903–1974) and Mark Rothko (1903–1970). Approximately 90 works of art will highlight the inspiration they derived from summers in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on Cape Ann, and from each other. Many have never been on public view.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Arena Stage
Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?
A new docudrama that comes straight from off-Broadway immerses audiences in the fear and paranoia caused by McCarthyism. Tony Award-winning director Anna D. Shapiro drops you into the tension of the hearings held by the House Committee on Un-American Activities in the 1940s. Only original transcripts inform the play’s dialogue, which features the words of Arthur Miller, Lillian Helman, Paul Robeson and many other artists.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Measure for Measure – Final Weekend
Psalmayene 24, Helen Hayes Award winner, directs this rare staging of a Shakespeare comedy. The story of societal upheaval, which concerns a corrupt official and a young nun, will make the audience wonder whose voices are elevated and whose are silenced.
Tickets
Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Places to Stay
Need some inspiration for a place to stay in between events? Washington, DC is filled with a multitude of hotels to fit your needs. Whether you are looking for that specialty boutique hotel or booking at your favorite hotel brand, Washington, DC's booking engine has it all.
Find Your Stay
Do you know where you’ll be dining pre- or post-event? From pop-up restaurants to award-winning hot spots to laid-back food halls, our DC food guide is perfect for helping you plan a more memorable experience.
