Washington D.C.: A Guide to America’s Nerdiest City

For Museum Nerds:

National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI)

This museum’s galleries share the culture and history of indigenous people in the United States and beyond through its permanent and temporary exhibitions. The Nation to Nation exhibit does a particularly effective job of documenting the history of treaty-making and breaking that led to the colonization and displacement of Native American people from their ancestral homelands.

Tip: It can be difficult to find a decent meal (or any meal) near the National Mall, so if you happen to be in or around the NMAI and your stomach is growling, you should consider eating at the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe (scheduled to re-open in late spring 2024.)

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Fondly nicknamed “the Blacksonian,” this 10-floor behemoth of a museum covers African-American history and culture from every angle. It's a little overwhelming--especially if you're limited to one day--but it does a very thorough job of documenting Black people’s struggle for freedom in the United States as well as their pursuit of joy and healing through cultural expression.

Tip: Free timed entry passes are required for a visit. If you don't want to spend all day in the museum, reserve passes for two different days. If you’re hungry, try the soul food-inspired Sweet Home Café inside the museum.

National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery explores the intersection of art and American history. It’s probably most popular for its presidential portraits (which received a boost in attention when the unusually colorful portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama were added), but there is a near-constant flow of smaller, rotating exhibits that make this museum worth popping into for an hour or two. It’s attached to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, so art lovers could spend all day in this building if they felt inclined.

For the Bird & Plant Lovers:

Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens

This National Park Service property is far off the beaten path even for locals, but lovers of lily pads, lotus flowers, and birdwatching will enjoy a stroll through this loop of gravel paths and boardwalks on the city’s outskirts. It’s a quiet park most of the year, but crowds swell in the summer during the annual Lotus & Water Lily Festival. If you want to see 500-year-old lotuses in full bloom, time your trip accordingly.

US National Arboretum

While perhaps most known for the Insta worthy installation of National Capitol Columns, this 445-acre park is heaven for plant and tree lovers and those who just want some space away from the crowds.

(Nerdy) Night Life:

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Whether you’re in the mood for a Broadway-style musical, a concert by an independent singer-songwriter, an improv comedy show, a dance performance, or a symphony the Kennedy Center likely has something on their calendar to suit your tastes. And even if they don’t, it’s worth visiting to take in the modern architecture and the view of the city and Potomac River from the Rooftop Terrace.

Tip: You can enjoy a free performance on the Millennium Stage and/or the REACH nearly every day of the week.

Busboys and Poets

For a more down-to-earth evening activity check out the events calendar of Busboys and Poets. Named as an homage to Harlem Renaissance poet, Langston Hughes, who once worked as a busboy, this local chain of restaurant/bookstore/community gathering spaces hosts a robust series of author readings, open mic nights, and politically inspired community dialogues that advance their mission to promote connection and inspire social change and is a great way to immerse yourself in local DC life.

Monuments at Night

Is it a trip to DC if you don’t spend at least one evening viewing the monuments all lit up? You can take a long stroll on foot or join a night bike or trolley tour.

Day Trips

Great Falls National Park

Great Falls is less than 40 minutes away from DC, but feels like a different world. It's where the Potomac River turns into a roaring phenom spilling over multiple layers of steep rock and into Mather Gorge. Hikers enjoy scrambling over the rocky trails on the Maryland and Virginia sides of the gorge, rock climbers hang from its cliffs, and adventurous kayakers happily risk their lives fighting the whitewater below. You can access Great Falls from McLean, Virginia or Potomac, MD. (I enjoy both, but the most epic views are arguably on the Virginia side.)

Food:

La Cosecha (NoMa)

La Cosecha is a market and food hall that celebrates Latin American culture & flavors. They have dining options for every price point, from $4.50 tacos at Las Gemelas to Michelin Star dining at El Cielo.

Lapis: an Afghan Bistro (Adams Morgan)

I used to live in the Adams Morgan neighborhood and a flavorful dinner or brunch at Lapis was a guaranteed way to satisfy friends and visitors. People rave about their cocktails, soups, grilled meats, vegetable dishes, and rice pudding (basically everything on their menu.) Despite having two floors of seating and a patio, the restaurant is often packed so unless you’re there as soon as it opens, reservations are recommended.

Milk & Honey (at The Wharf or H Street)

This restaurant serves New Orleans-themed brunch all day every day. They started with one location and now they have eight all over the DC-MD-VA area so they must be doing something right. I personally loved the blackened salmon and grits.

Succotash (Penn Quarter)

Created by James Beard Award-winning chef Edward Lee, Succotash’s menus offer southern dishes with an Asian accent. Just steps away from the National Portrait Gallery. They have happy hour every day of the week.

Union Market (NoMa)

Part of the ever-growing number of food markets that have popped up in major cities throughout the U.S., Union Market is a great place to go if you need to please a variety of palates and dietary restrictions. Eateries in Union Market come and go, but those that have stood the test of time include Bidwell, Buffalo & Bergen, Cucina al Volo, DC Dosa, and the DC Fishwife.

Dessert:

Pitango Gelato (Adams Morgan or Penn Quarter)

While I’m sad they got rid of their gelato happy hour, their scratch-made, Italian-style gelato and sorbets still taste as good as they ever did with a rotation of seasonal and local flavors mixed with year-round options. The Adams Morgan location is next door to Lapis.

Wine & Cocktails:

The Green Zone (Adams Morgan)

A pop-up turned brick-and-mortar bar serving craft cocktails with Middle Eastern-inspired craft cocktails and snacks accompanied by reggae music. They have seasonal and year-round cocktail offerings made with admirable attention to detail.

Grand Cata (NoMa)

Located inside La Cosecha food hall, Grand Cata specializes in Latin American wines by the glass or flights of your choosing.