Marvel at holiday lights decorating historic homes, ice skate in front of iconic landmarks, warm up with festive drinks and wander winter markets.
The nation's capital has landed on Condé Nast Traveler's "The Best Places to Go in the U.S. in 2025," the New York Times' top places to go around the world and TripAdvisor's top destinations in the U.S. Regardless of the season, you're bound to have an unforgettable experience.
Browse special discounts and packages, from luxurious experiences to budget-friendly options. After you’ve read through this list, make sure to check out our things to do during the week, must-hit weekend events and accessibility guides to monuments and museums on the National Mall.
Honor Black History Month in DC
Black history and culture are an essential part of DC’s identity, which means that there's an abundance of ways to celebrate Black History Month in the city. The nation’s capital is also full of year-round ways to honor the Black experience at museums and memorials. You can also stop by a Black-owned business or read up on the District's Black-owned restaurants and Black chefs.
Washington Capitals
Attend a Capitals, Wizards or Go-Go game
With the winter season comes incredible indoor sports action in the District. The NHL’s Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards play their exciting games inside Capital One Arena, while the Capital City Go-Go, part of the NBA’s developmental G-League, take to the court inside CareFirst Arena. Discounted tickets to select games for each team are available below.
Ice skate in DC
Lace up some skates and triple axel 'round the District at popular ice skating rinks at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden, Washington Harbour in Georgetown, Canal Park in Capitol Riverfront and The Wharf. Make sure to read our detailed breakdown of each spot.
The Washington, DC Auto Show – Final Day: Feb. 1
Cars have always held a special allure, captivating the American imagination from the early days of the Model T. Witness the evolution of the vehicle firsthand by attending the Washington, DC Auto Show, which takes place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Even if you don't consider yourself a devoted car enthusiast, there are still plenty of reasons to check out the city's largest annual indoor event.
Tickets
Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, Washington, DC 20001
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
The World to Come – Feb. 3 – March 1
As the world crumbles, Fanny, Barbara, Ruth and Hal try to carry on their daily routines inside the SeaBreeze Hebrew Home for the Aging. The quartet take on armored nurses, an ostrich, bewildering prophecies and their own weakening bodies. The epic tale demonstrates how friendship and community can hold strong even in the face of disaster.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Paranormal Activity – Through Feb. 7
Shakespeare knew how to deal out some scares, so don’t be surprised that DC’s outstanding local theatre company named after The Bard is staging a new tale from the world-renowned Paranormal Activity universe. James and Lou relocate from Chicago to London and … well, you’ll just need to see this chilling production for yourself to find out what happens.
Tickets
Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Through Feb. 8
The preeminent modern dance company visits the Warner Theatre with a program that celebrates the company’s illustrious history and aims to bring audiences together in joy. Enjoy some of Ailey’s most famous compositions as well as programming from artists around the world.
Tickets
Warner Theatre, 513 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
National Building Museum
Winter Skate Spectacular – Through Feb. 8
Don’t fret! The National Building Museum will bring back its indoor ice-skating rink this year. Sponsored by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District and Events DC, the Winter Skate Spectacular will offer daytime and after-hours skate sessions this year. Visitors can also enjoy The Wave, a 55-by-180-foot recycled aluminum space frame suspended in the Great Hall.
Tickets & More Information
National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
2025 James McLaughlin Staff Show – Through Feb. 8
Named after the gifted still-life painter who learned under the mentorship of museum founder Duncan Phillips, the James McLaughlin Staff Show proudly displays the work of The Phillips Collection’s own team. The voices behind the scenes are gorgeously brought to life in this annual tribute.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Through Feb. 8
The preeminent modern dance company visits the Warner Theatre with a program that celebrates the company’s illustrious history and aims to bring audiences together in joy. Enjoy some of Ailey’s most famous compositions as well as programming from artists around the world.
Tickets
Warner Theatre, 513 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
National Symphony Orchestra: Brahms x Radiohead – Feb. 10-11
Please note that the band Radiohead will not perform during this show. However, you are still in for a fascinating musical experience as elements of Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 and tracks from Radiohead’s legendary LP OK Computer are gloriously synthesized. Steven Hackman composed the innovative mash-up for a full orchestra and three solo vocalists.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
The National Theatre
Stereophonic – Feb. 10 – March 1
The most Tony Award-winning show of 2024. The most Tony Award-nominated play of all time. Stereophonic mines the agony and the ecstasy of creation as it zooms in on a music studio in 1976. Here, an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself suddenly on the cusp of breaking up — or breaking through to superstardom. Featuring original music by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, the play is "... a staggering, ingeniously entertaining achievement," according to The New York Times.
Tickets
The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Nine Inch Nails – Feb. 11
Spearheaded by Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails is one of the most innovative musical projects of the last 40 years. Across multiple multi-platinum studio albums and his work as a composer, Reznor has pushed the boundaries of an array of genres, from rock to metal to electronic to ambient to classical and beyond. Capital One Arena hosts Nine Inch Nails for one night only.
8 p.m. | Tickets
Capital One Arena, 601 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
American Ballet Theatre: The Winter's Tale – Feb. 11-15
Tony Award–winning director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon interprets one of The Bard’s classics through emotional dance compositions and immersive set design. The Winter’s Tale is packed with jealousy, romance, redemption and ruminations on the passage of time.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Shakespeare Theatre Company
On Beckett – Feb. 11 – March 15
Bill Irwin is both a Tony Award-winning actor and a master clown. When he steps on the stage at Klein Theatre, he’ll explore both the comedy and tragedy of the essential work of Nobel Prize winner Samuell Beckett. The one-man show features physical and verbal comedy that makes Beckett’s writings accessible to all.
Tickets
Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
National Gallery of Art
National Gallery Nights – Feb. 12
Make the National Gallery of Art’s East Building your after-hours escape with the return of National Gallery Nights. The exhibit The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art (one of the largest displays of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in North American history) inspires an immersive evening featuring the sounds of the didgeridoo, the chance to create your own fiber art and exploration of the Roof Terrace to take in masterpieces under DC’s night sky.
6-9 p.m. | Free Admission | Registration Required
National Gallery of Art East Building, 4th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20565
Love Songs of the 15th Century – Feb. 13-15
Take a journey back to 15th-century France and Burgundy, an age of knights and noble ladies, through the most popular love songs of the time as performed by the Folger Consort. The concert offers multiple compositions rendered from a woman’s perspective, including the final surviving musical setting of a ballad written by poet Christine de Pisan, author of the early feminist utopia, The Book of the City of Ladies.
Tickets
Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Nick Cave: Mammoth – Feb. 13 – Jan. 3, 2027
Internationally renowned artist Nick Cave uses surrealism, real-life experiences, raw materials and an unceasing creative intensity to create works that speak to race, gender, identity and history in America. This new installation at the Smithsonian American Art Museum explores the entanglement of land and race in the national consciousness.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Star Power: Photographs from Hollywood’s Golden Age by George Hurrell (A Sequel) – Opens Feb. 13
Hollywood’s premiere photographer during the onset of the studio system, George Hurrell set the template for how to capture the brightest stars of the cinematic universe. As MGM’s in-house portraitist and in his own studio, Hurrell used lighting expertise and the sharpest of eyes to create glamorous images of Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and many, many more. The National Portrait Gallery displays many of these Golden Era photographs in the second installation to feature Hurrell’s dazzling work.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001
Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic – Feb. 14-16
Founded in 2007, this 1,000+ team USA Volleyball seeding tournament held in the nation's capital champions youth sports and athletes.
More Info
Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW, Washington, DC 20001
National Gallery of Art
Mary Cassatt: An American in Paris – Feb. 14 – Aug. 30
The National Gallery of Art presents the vibrant work of Mary Cassatt across three galleries. The museum’s impressionist collection served as the source for this in-depth examination of how Cassatt went about creating her radically modern pieces. Roughly 40 paintings, drawings and prints will be on display.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
National Gallery of Art, 6th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection – Through Feb. 15
The Phillips Collection presents both well-known and understudied artists in a dynamic new exhibit meant to examine the complexity of American art as the country turns 250 years old. Visitors can experience how artists have depicted landscapes, cultures, stories and people from the early 20th century to the present.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Celebrate Presidents' Day and Washington's Birthday – Feb. 17
Whether you know it as our first president's birthday or a day to celebrate them all, the nation's capital presents unique ways to engage with the history and legacy of U.S. leaders. Go on an architecture-focused excursion with DC Design Tours, plan a day of presidential experiences, explore DC's monuments and memorials, indulge in presidential dining or retreat to George Washington's Mount Vernon for free.
Celebrate Mardi Gras in DC – Feb. 17
Go all-out in the District. Each year, Mardi Gras at The Wharf brings the energy with a parade (featuring stilt walkers, jugglers, the Mardi Gras king and queen, floats and lots more), a dance party with live music and a fireworks spectacular.
Celebrate Lunar New Year in the District – Begins Feb. 17
Locations all over the city ring in the Year of the Snake with colorful celebrations, including performances, educational talks, special tours and hands-on activities. Be sure to check out the festive Downtown Parade, events at the Smithsonian's free National Museum of Asian Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum and more.
More Info
NMWA Nights – Feb. 18
The National Museum of Women in the Arts’ popular evening series can include anything from a museum-wide scavenger hunt that uncovers new narratives within the art on view to dueling DJs in the Great Hall. Two drink tickets are included with admission with additional food and beverages available for purchase.
5:30 - 8 p.m. | Tickets
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
Rik Freeman: Wade in the Waters – Through Feb. 19
DC artist Rik Freeman’s work is showcased in-depth at this free exhibition displayed at Phillips@THEARC. For more than three decades, Freeman has engaged history, community, resilience and joy in his work. Wade in the Waters zooms in on waterways – from the beaches of Bahia to the Anacostia River – and how they connect to the diaspora over generations.
Wednesday & Thursday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
Phillips@THEARC, 1801 Mississippi Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20020
Duel in The District – Feb. 21
You won't want to miss this matchup between reigning ACC Men’s Basketball Champion Duke and reigning Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Champion Michigan at Capital One Arena. The event marks the return of both teams to the arena, following Duke’s appearance in the 2024 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament and Michigan’s conference title win during the 2017 Big 10 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Sign up for early presale access
Capital One Arena, 601 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Keegan Theatre
John Doe – Through Feb. 22
Zia is anti-social; in fact, she suffers from anthropophobia, the literal fear of people. Then there’s Doe, who is totally cool with watching people but is actually dead. And of course, only Zia can see him! She might (gasp) have to even interact with some people in order to help Doe figure out his forgotten life. Keegan Theatre’s Boiler Room Series commissioned this world premiere.
Tickets
Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Studio Theatre
Octet – Through Feb. 22
How does an a cappella chamber musical featuring eight people who have stashed away their phones while trapped in a church basement sound? Octet at Studio Theare will be just that, as total strangers battle their digital dependency and make attempts at true connection through the power of their voices. Escape your screen with this theater-in-the-round performance.
Tickets
Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
The Anthem
Jim Gaffigan – Feb. 26-28
Rigorous in his dedication to the bit, Jim Gaffigan has mastered his role as America’s goofiest everyman. His unique blend of sarcasm, self-deprecation and social commentary has made him a household name when it comes to stand-up comedy. The Anthem hosts the celebrated artist across a weekend of shows.
Tickets
The Anthem, 901 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Peaches – Feb. 27
Back in 2000, one of the most in-your-face artists of the century debuted with The Teaches of Peaches. The feminist icon has been educating ever since, across four more trendsetting albums, collaborations with Yoko Ono, Daft Punk and Iggy Pop and through her work as a producer, director and performance artist. Expect a head-spinning show at the 9:30 Club.
8 p.m. | Tickets
9:30 Club, 815 V Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Tawny Chatmon: Sanctuaries of Truth, Dissolution of Lies – Through March 8
The photography-based work of Tawny Chatmon receives a glorious tribute at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The exhibition will debut pieces from Chatmon’s latest series, which also incorporate audio narrative, embroidery, film and assemblage. Selections from Chatmon’s acclaimed previous work will also be on display.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
Arena Stage
Chez Joey – Through March 15
Prepare for a blockbuster at Arena Stage as Chez Joey lands at the historic playhouse. Co-directed by Tony Award-winning choreographer Savion Glover and actor, director and producer Tony Goldwyn, the set-in-1940s-Chicago show includes a Rodgers and Hart score as well as a spellbinding tale of a singer caught between a rich baroness and an ambitious chorus girl on his way to the top (he hopes).
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution – Through March 21
The Library of Congress brings together letters, ledgers, diaries, maps, drawings and other artifacts to illuminate the similarities and differences between two iconic figures of the Revolutionary War: George Washington and King George III. Although the two never met, visitors can envision where they would clash and where they would compromise in this stirring exhibit that features items from a wide range of collections, including the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle, London’s Science Museum and George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Hours | Free Admission
Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540
Photo by Ruth Orkin
Ruth Orkin: Women on the Move – Through March 29
The National Museum of Women in the Arts displays 21 vintage photos by Ruth Orkin. The collection documents women’s lives in the mid-20th century across images of European tourists, Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps members, Hollywood celebrities, Broadway stars and women at work in classrooms, parks and neighborhoods.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
The Phillips Collection
peter campus: there somewhere – Through May 3
The Phillips Collection showcases one of the leading figures in new media art with there somewhere. peter campus’ breakthrough videos from the early 1970s are displayed alongside four new, serene landscape works, which the artist has named “the phillips quartets”.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
National Children's Museum
The Pigeon Comes to Washington, DC! A Mo Willems Exhibit – Through May 10
The National Children’s Museum tips its cap to Mo Willems with a special exhibit that features a phone booth that makes you sound like the famous Piggie, a hot-dog-launching catapult, a fashion runway, art inspired by popular Willems characters and much, much more, all in the Visiting Exhibit Hall.
Hours & Admission
National Children’s Museum, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
National Museum of Asian Art
Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings – Through June 14
Japanese artists Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi and their different visualizations of water – each hypnotic and transfixing in their own way – form the basis of this new exhibit at the National Museum of Asian Art. Senju’s abstract approach and Bingy’s traditional methods along with each painter’s influences and ethos are examined in detail.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20004
Grandma Moses: A Good Day's Work – Through July 12
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, who was dubbed “Grandma Moses” by the press, lived through the American Civil War, two world wars and the civil rights era. In the 1940s, she emerged as a central figure thanks to her unique tapestries of American life. The Smithsonian American Art Museum introduces her essential work to new generations with an in-depth exhibit.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
National Museum of African American History and Culture
At the Vanguard – Through July 19
The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s new exhibit features more than 100 objects from the collections of five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Clark Atlanta, Florida A&M, Jackson State, Texas Southern, Tuskegee) in a stunning display of how these institutions have shaped American education and culture through innovation, ingenuity, resistance and activism.
Free Admission | Hours & Information
National Museum of African American History & Culture, 1400 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
Folger Shakespeare Library
Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era – Through Aug. 2
For the first time since 1805, 14 paintings from the renowned Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in London are on view together. Visit the Folger Shakespeare Library and capitalize on this rare chance to see the tremendous collection, which features depictions of scenes from the Bard’s plays as imagined by leading artists of the day.
Hours | Free Admission
Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today – Through Aug. 30
Drawing from more than 3,300 entries and contributions from 14 states, DC and Puerto Rico, the National Portrait Gallery displays 35 portraits by 36 artists. Curated by a panel of experts, the seventh triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition informs this showcase of emerging talent each year.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001
Photo by Kate Capshaw
Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees – Through Nov. 8
In honor of recent recipients of the Portrait of a Nation Award, the National Portrait Gallery showcases an exhibit dedicated to stunning work. The award elevates “extraordinary individuals who have made transformative contributions to the United States and its people.” This year’s group of honorees includes Jamie Dimon, business leader, by photographer Jason Alden; Temple Grandin, professor, inventor and groundbreaking researcher of animal science, by artist David Lenz; Joy Harjo, renowned poet, performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and 23rd U.S. poet laureate, by artist Joel Daniel Phillips; and Steven Spielberg, Academy Award-winning director, producer and writer, by artist Kate Capshaw.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001
Water's Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe – Through Jan. 1, 2027
The acclaimed Ho-Chunk artist receives his first major retrospective at the National Museum of the American Indian. Truman Lowe used willow branches, feathers and organic materials to create minimalist sculptures to evoke rivers, streams and waterfalls. The exhibit also features similarly distinctive drawings and paintings by Lowe.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of the American Indian, 4th Street & Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560
Big Things for Big Rooms – Through July 4, 2027
Explore the evolution of immersive, large-scale art from the late 1960s to today. The presentation of 10 artworks—five on view for the first time at the Hirshhorn—is drawn largely from the museum's collection. Organized in two parts, the exhibition offers a multisensorial investigation of how artists create installation works that expand the boundaries of an artwork and the role of the visitor.
Hours | Free Admission
Hirshhorn Museum, Independence Avenue & 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20560
National Museum of American History
How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories – Through Nov. 28, 2027
A new exhibit at the National Museum of American History, presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, explores California’s “Little Manila,” a community of Filipinos that thrived from the 1910s to the 1970s. Through more than 50 artifacts found in preserved steamer trunks (three of which are on display in the gallery), visitors can gain insight into what was once the largest population of Filipinos living outside of their home country.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
Fierce Flora: Tales of Survival and Demise – Ongoing
The U.S. Botanic Garden invites you to see the ferocious side of flora and fauna at its special new exhibit. Many plants have evolved defenses against infection, herbivores and their plant competition. The multisensory display will showcase this evolution and also pinpoint how these plants can be both harmful and helpful to humans.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20001
Places to Stay
Hotel Nell
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 today!
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