African American Civil War Museum
Things to do the week of Nov. 10-13, 2025
DC is Open. We've gathered up 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
African American Civil War Museum Reopening
Celebrate the grand reopening of the African American Civil War Museum (which is supported by the African American Civil War Memorial) with two days of events. The DC institution will debut its new home (part of the redevelopment of the Grimke School) with a dedication of its new Lincoln statue (depicting the 16th President signing the Emancipation Proclamation), a trail march, a public ribbon-cutting, a happy hour, a Reading of the Names and more.
More Information | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Experience Art Ave
Don’t miss this free outdoor art gallery from Golden Triangle BID, featuring 13 stunning, large-scale sculptures and window artworks by acclaimed artists, just steps from the White House. Discover interactive elements during the day or visit in the evening to see the artworks colorfully illuminated.
Free to Access | More Info
800 Connecticut Avenue – 1050 Connecticut Avenue NW, including Farragut Square
Tuesday
Honor those who served this Veterans Day
Many of the monuments and memorials in the nation’s capital honor service members, shedding light on the immense sacrifices that the U.S. Armed Forces have made to protect this country. Any time of year, but especially on Veterans Day, choose from a collection of monuments, memorials and special programming to celebrate and honor those who served.
Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection
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
Shakespeare Theatre Company
The Wild Duck
Henrik Ibsen’s timeless drama comes to Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre for a special fall engagement guided by Artistic Director Simon Godwin. A wealthy businessman’s son aims to destroy his friend’s life while a young girl tries to protect an innocent creature from the ugly truth of the world.
Tickets
Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Wednesday
Tawny Chatmon: Sanctuaries of Truth, Dissolution of Lies
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
Ambe J. Photography
Fremont Ave.
A daring production at Arena Stage pits three generations of Black men against each other in a game of Spades. At the center is the family’s matriarch, who’s equal parts beloved and feared. Raw and emotional, what begins as a night at the card table turns into a powerful reckoning with masculinity, identity and family secrets.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
ho ho ho ha ha ha
Julia Masli’s award-winning show that changes literally every night returns to Woolly Mammoth Theatre with a special festive edition. The audience’s problems are invited to the stage and wow, does Masli have some surprising and hilarious solutions. Prepare to see a production unlike any you’ve ever seen.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Geese
There’s something about Geese’s music that scrapes the sky, so it’s fitting that the four-piece outfit hail from The Big Apple. Singer Cameron Winter is a withering chameleon, able to conform his voice around any melody or rapturous noise his outstanding band can conjure. With their third LP universally acclaimed, expect Geese to play some new tunes during what promises to be an epic set at 9:30 Club.
7 p.m. | Tickets
9:30 Club, 815 V Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Warner Theatre
Samara Joy
Five Grammys before the age of 26. It’s hard to imagine, but it’s reality when it comes to Samara Joy. With two wins each for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Jazz Performance as well as one for Bets New Artist, the mega-talented singer has already one of her generation’s most acclaimed performers. Don’t miss your chance to see her at Warner Theatre.
8 p.m. | Tickets
Warner Theatre, 513 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Thursday
Folger Shakespeare Library
Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking Storytelling in the Regency Era
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
Rik Freeman: Wade in the Waters
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
Signature Theatre Company
Fiddler on the Roof
The welcoming environs of Signature Theatre are the perfect setting for a beautiful staging of this iconic musical. Fiddler on the Roof concerns Jewish milkman Tevye and his community in Czarist Russia as they deal with rising anti-Semitism and a world quickly changing around them. Legendary songs include “Sunrise, Sunset” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker”.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Lizzie the Musical
Keegan Theatre unleashes a punk-rock musical that uncovers the fascinating legend of Lizzie Borden. An all-female rock score supports a reinterpretation of an infamous 1892 axe murder in a show that blends gothic horror, riot grrrl vibes and plenty of thrills. Unapologetic and bold, expect Lizzie to rattle the walls this fall.
Tickets
Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
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