Things to do the week of Sept. 23-26, 2024
We've gathered up some things to do across the nation's capital, including museum exhibits, concerts, only-in-DC events and much more. Don't miss our things to do this weekend and things to do this month as well.
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Monday
Immerse yourself in history at The People’s House
A state-of-the-art White House Visitors Center opens to the public this fall. In partnership with the White House Historical Association, The People's House is free to access, with timed-entry passes and optional guided tours. Through cutting-edge, interactive models and full-scale replicas of iconic rooms like the Oval Office, visitors can learn about the history of the nation's most famous house, its inhabitants and those who have dedicated their careers to it. The National Park Service's current visitor center will remain open.
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily | Reserve
1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20006
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond
A new exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, will showcase the imprint of Asian Americans on the physical and cultural terrain of the nation's capital. Installed in a gallery that overlooks DC's Chinatown, the exhibition features examples of cultural products that feature Chinese, Korean and Japanese heritage and/or express coalitional Asian American and BIPOC identities. These include displays of artwork, material culture, images and other graphic material drawn from Smithsonian collections and shared by local lenders, including community members and repositories such as the DC History Center and the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University. A free celebration on Sept. 7 marks the exhibit's opening.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
An Epic of Kings: The Great Mongol Shahnama
One of the most celebrated medieval Persian manuscripts – considered the national epic of Iran as it covers the beginning of time through the 7th century – informs a new exhibit at the National Museum of Asian Art. The Great Mongol Shahnama (now dismantled) includes stories and illustrations; the exhibit offers a rare opportunity to view 25 folios from the manuscript alongside contemporaneous works from China, the Mediterranean and the Latin West.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560
Tuesday
Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay
In honor of one of the great fiber artists, the National Museum of the American Indian showcases 48 works by DY Begay. Across these dozens of tapestries, Begay explores her homeland and heritage through a divine sense of color, stirring innovation and sharp eye for design. Her pieces effectively illustrate a non-Western way of being to contemporary audiences.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of the American Indian, 4th Street & Independence Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
Clue
See the classic Hasbro board game come to life on stage at the Kennedy Center. Based on the 1985 feature film, this unrivaled and interactive whodunit is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Primary Trust
Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize and a highly acclaimed New York Times Critic’s Pick, Primary Trust makes its DC-area premiere thanks to Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va. Kenneth is a frequent patron of Wally’s Tiki Bar until a job loss prompts him to re-examine the past. Funny and emotional in equal measure, Primary Trust is not to be missed this fall.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Wednesday
Suchitra Mattai: Myth from Matter
The National Museum of Women in the Arts hosts the first solo exhibition in DC dedicated to the work of Suchitra Mattai, who explores themes of history, heritage and identity across her multidisciplinary work. The Indo-Caribbean artist examines mythology, personal narratives and colonial history through the lens of women and people of color, especially those from Southeast Asia. Visitors will see large-scale textile installations, paintings, collages and sculptures, as well as related pieces from Europe and Southeast Asia.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
Jeff Lynne’s ELO
Commonly known as Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne’s ELO remains one of rock music’s most beloved and boundary-pushing groups. Beginning in the early 1970s, ELO released a string of successful albums and singles that blended Beatles-like melodies with prog, classical, doo wop and even opera elements. Lynne’s crew of talented musicians can still rock on stage, as they will at Capital One Arena.
8 p.m. | Tickets
Capital One Arena, 601 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Sigur Rós
Hailing from Iceland, Sigur Rós creates soundscapes and musical reveries that resemble floating off into space, staring into the Grand Canyon or floating softly down river. Although they’re considered a “post-rock” group, Sigur Rós is more like a mood unto itself, incorporating classical elements and singer Jonsi’s falsetto vocals to create songs unlike any other. The Anthem will give their all-encompassing sound plenty of space to stretch out.
8:30 p.m. | Tickets
The Anthem, 901 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Mister Lincoln
Scott Bakula (pictured above) comes to the stage at Ford's Theatre to portray one of the most iconic men in history. Written by Herbert Mitgang and directed by José Carrasquillo, Mister Lincoln unpacks the sixteenth president's life and tenure in a witty one-man show. Learn about one of the most revered figures in U.S. history inside the theatre where he was fatally shot in 1865.
Tickets
Ford's Theatre, 511 10th St NW, Washington, DC 20004
Thursday
Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment
Discover the origins of one of the most important art movements in history thanks to a new exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. The museum is replicating a legendary exhibit from Paris in 1874 that helped bring about the dawn of Impressionism. In the display, you will be able to view beloved paintings by Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissaro and many more.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
National Gallery of Art, 6th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Comedy of Errors
One of Shakespeare’s earliest plays shows that The Bard knew how to make audiences chuckle as well as he knew how to make them cry. Hilarity ensues in a case of mistaken identities as Artistic Director Simon Godwin directs an uproarious affair that will add some rock ‘n’ roll to a humorously topsy-turvy family saga.
Tickets
Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Rapsody
One of the most acclaimed and successful hip-hop artists of the last decade, Rapsody has transcended the “female rapper” label to make some of the best music in the genre, period. The Roc Nation star just released her fourth LP, Please Don’t Cry, which contains some of her most inspiring and introspective work yet. Howard Theatre hosts the Grammy-nominated performer along with Niko Brim.
8 p.m. | Tickets
Howard Theatre, 620 T Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
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