This was my first time attending the Library of Congress National Book Festival, and it was an…read moreunforgettable experience! The book festival had books from every imaginable genre for adults and kids from all 50 states! There's something for everyone including, a lively, interactive storytime area with comfy beanbags where professional storytellers captivated young readers. Outside the books, there were exciting activities like coloring, collage-making, bracelet crafting, and more! I was thrilled to see a table from WAMU 88.5! I was overjoyed to spot 1A host Jenn White leading a discussion with authors. CYTHIA AREVO from WICKED was here and shared insights about her book, along with several other talented authors. As for food, next year will have a large breakfast and skip the pricey food and drink. Although I didn't stay all day, I spent three hours exploring the exhibits and attended two engaging speaking events. Best of all, this amazing event is free! Simply register in advance.

Horrible experience. Waited three hours for Martin Scorsese event. They never emptied the leftover…read morepeople from the event before, so even though we were 600+ people from the lady with the sign 'event line ends here' we never gained entry. There are so many common sense ways to prevent hundreds of people from needlessly waiting -for no reason for hours - clear the stragglers from the last event, inform the line of where the actual event line ends hours before. Just a disaster and a waste of time for hundreds.

Its all about the Monet, Monet, Monet…read more... I've always enjoyed the works of Impressionist Claude Monet, and here you get to experience his works projected on floor to ceiling screens. There's a short section with informational panels about his life and his process (TL:DR- LOL). Unexpectedly, there is also a section that recreates his studio and his garden at Giverny. (Note: I visited his house several years ago and obvs they have taken liberties here). Enough about this, what about the immersive experience? If you've attended the Van Gogh experience, I think that was superior. Maybe it's Monet's artwork, but projected like this, it's not as interesting. Maybe it has to do with the proportions, but it's a lot more impressive when there are just a few large paintings than several. And the music quite frankly was putting us to sleep. However, it is quite interesting when he revisits the same location and repaints it over the years. And of course the water lilies are gorgeous. The abrupt ending with caricatures of (famous?) people was a strange choice to end this experience. The projection area is set up nicely with chairs, benches and bean bags and everywhere you sit is a good spot for viewing. Just settle in and get comfortable. Optionsl to purchase a VR experience. The gift shop is tasteful and has lots to choose from. When is the Klimt show, I'm still waiting.

If you went to the Van Gogh exhibit, you should know what to expect: A room with information on the…read moreartist's life, information on his painting style, and lots of reproductions of his art. This exhibit was different from the Van Gogh in some respects. The first room we entered a Victorian-like parlor with furniture and artwork. From there, you go into a garden with hanging flowers and blue and green lights. From there, you go into the main room with the artist's works animated in a half-hour loop. There are bean bag cushions on the floor and numerous sling chairs on which to sit. From there you go into the last area, where you can select a drawing based on the artist's paintings and color it in. (The crayons were clearly left over from the Van Gogh exhibit and needed something to make the points finer.) Unlike the prior exhibit, there was as scanner we used to take a picture and display it on a screen. You can also pay extra to do a VR experience, but as my boyfriend and I didn't care for it the last time we went, we skipped it for this exhibit. Feel free to take as many pictures as you want; just don't use your flash or disturb other people at the exhibit. Although I didn't like the Monet exhibit as much as Van Gogh (maybe because I like Van Gogh's oeuvre better), it's still worth a visit and a nice experience. I hope to see this type of exhibit with more artists.

Absolute garbage…read more 90% of it is A.I. pictures and footage. The rest is stuff like "they had teacups back then. Here is a teacup that resembles the teacup that might have been on the ship." Literally just ask Grok or Claude or whatever to tell you what the Titanic was like. That's what the people who run this "exhibition" did.

I love love loveddd my early morning solo date here!…read more This location was so perfect - with a parking garage next to the entrance, this place is great to get to and from with no problem. Stepping inside and getting your tickets digitally checked was easy, and the director gave you the option of using their provided headsets or using your own phone and downloading the audio. I myself, wanted to use my own headphones/device at first (covid tingz) - but quickly realized, the audio ran about an hour and a half, and I needed my battery this day. But yes - this exhibition was so fun. So informative. You really feel as if you are back on the boat when you see, AND FEEL the artifacts. Solo date, group, etc., this place is great to go to!

Had a great time at the Summer Snow Globe!…read more The food was appropriate for the intended temperature: lobster bisque, chicken pot pie, butternut squash soup, and a number of passed hors d'oeuvres like crab cakes and shredded duck crostini. While the sun made it a bit toasty to justify eating soup in the beginning, I skittered over to the soup stations as soon as the sun went down and the chill set in. The drinks were great! They had a boozy snow cone station that kept my wife sipping away. I focused on the Mint Julep cocktail, which they wisely made with the crushed ice from the snow cones. They also planned very well, and I didn't have to hear them say they ran out of anything. A major issue that I would normally need to point out at events like this is that the bars are usually packed, making it unreasonable to wait so long for one drink. I can't say that here! I never had to wait for more than one person ahead of me to get their drink. It wasn't an overbooked event, and that's a big deal for someone who is used to attending packed events and feeling like a canned sardine. The music was what I'd describe as "snow globe chill". There weren't any recognizable songs, but it was sufficient for creating a cool ambiance, similar to a lounge vibe. The only feedback I'd give for their future events is that the live band was pretty loud (not sure they need to mic the drums in such an enclosed space), which resulted in guests stepping outside so they could hear each other. BUT, with picnic tables, a waterfront sunset, and two corn hole sets waiting for us outside, it actually worked to add some variety to the night. It was a great event, all around! It also convinced my wife and I to return for one of their upcoming snow globe events. What can I say? I've been frost-bitten!

I wanted to love this, and I certainly didn't hate it, but I'd say I only just "liked" it well…read moreenough. The pre-opening party itself was good due to the tasty drinks and delicious bites being passed around, but I don't think I would pay for this exact experience on my own. Not because I'm cheap, but because it's only just o-k. A few pros and a few cons: Pros: - Unique idea - Bathroom trailer was surprisingly sufficient - Aesthetically pleasing decor, especially the chandeliers and trees - Outdoor seating and cornhole Cons: - EXTREMELY loud music -- if you want to talk to anyone, no. That's not happening. - Awkward sort-of lounge arrangement - Mystery snow -- as the foam snow fell into my drink, I thought, "I hope I'm not drinking something moderately to really toxic now..." - More snow would be nice - The dome was surprisingly hot and humid, definitely warmer the promised 64* - It's sitting in a rather unattractive asphalt parking lot. Maybe some AstroTurf would help. There's nice looking seating, but it's so loud that I'm not sure who's going to be able to make use of it; I'd prefer either a quieter space with more seating or no/less seating and more high tops for standing guests. This venue is a perfect example of "Man! This has SO MUCH potential! If only a few changes were made..." I'm crossing my fingers that some of those changes will be made and then this unique little National Harbor gem will really shine!

We toured the Smithsonian Saturday and saw the room that housed the butterfly pavilion. It's soo…read moresmall. They have a lot of nerve calling it a pavilion. Nothing like other butterfly gardens we've been to. It's an extra charge as well.

Note that this is a paid exhibit inside the Smithsonian; it's not too bad though at $6 per ticket…read more What is there really to say about walking around a room of butterflies and having them land on you? It's magical and totally therapeutic if you've been feeling down. Everyone loves butterflies. I kind of wish they'd had more butterflies in there - like I'd been expecting it to be completely packed with them. But I guess that would increase the risk of stompage, which brings me to why I can't give five stars: there is a high chance you will witness someone step on, crush or otherwise injure a butterfly within minutes of being in the room. They warn you beforehand​ to be careful, but people are stupid and don't listen. Watching a beautiful butterfly struggle with a broken wing on the floor definitely killed the mood a bit. IF YOU'RE GOING TO COME HERE, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOURE DOING. It is for this reason that I wish they wouldn't let little kids in, but of course they're going to. Overall though, this was a really cool activity. The staff at the exhibit have a ton of respect for the butterflies and treat them very well. They check you on your way out to make sure you don't have any "hitchhikers," which judging by the amount of butterflies in the container by the door, must happen often. Oh, and the room is set to the temperature and humidity levels of a tropical rainforest, so avoid if you get overheated easily.

This was Frederick Douglass's home at the end of his life. What he considered his true home is…read moreback in Rochester, which is why he's buried there. BUT this is one of the most intact historical homes/sites you can find (besides maybe the Truman house, which is 100 percent intact). Over 70 percent of the artifacts in the house are original to Douglass. The visitors center is small, not crazy impressive, but they do have a death mask of Douglass, which is poignant. The house is up on a high hill, the third highest hill in DC. The good news is, you have a pretty cool view of the capitol. The bad news is, you have to either climb a ton of steps or climb a long ramp to get there. So if you're mobility impaired, it might be tough. Tour is free, but you must reserve a spot. Ranger was super enthusiastic. We didn't learn Douglass's whole life story, but we learned a lot--where and how he was born, how he escaped enslavement to freedom, his relationship with his first wife (the relationship with his second wife is glossed over a little, but addressed). We learn of his work and political positions in Washington as well as some about his family life. I took my tour at 4 PM in later September. It's important to note that this house has MINIMAL electricity. Very few spots have lighting, so you have to rely on natural lighting. So by the time my group (which was small, like five people) entered at 4 PM, many of the rooms were growing dark. So plan accordingly. In working your way through the Washington DC history circuit, this is definitely a worthwhile, albeit a little out of the way, stop (like four miles outside city center, have to use a Lyft/uber/car). Tons of parking on site.

Be prepared to walk up some stairs. Make sure you get there on time because the tour starts on…read moretime. The tour guide was really good and really good at answering quotations. I was highly disappointed that we were not able to visit the gift shop. It closed 30 min early. We were told that the person needed to leave. But there were no other accommodations made for us or the other tour attendees.

First time attending 420 festival, I enjoyed music by action Bronson and my boy ludacris, I brought…read moretickets online, I heard people looking for tickets outside venue, because they were sold out, that happened to me last year, so I was prepared for this year. They could have done better with traffic, no officers directing traffic, so that was a nightmare getting into event, not to mention ncf, could have done a better job putting information on map what lot parking was going to be in, trying to find the lot to park in was hell , as well as parking was $20, overall I had a good experience, can't wait to see what headliners are for next year.

Small carnival located in parking lot 6 of RFK. $5 entry fee. No charge for parking, and there's…read moreplenty of it. Standard fair games. Standard carnival food like deep fried Oreos, corn dogs. They have an icee place which is nice, also a smoothie stand. A few rides, mostly for smaller children. This year there was one that went upside down like the pirate ship ride.

The BIGGEST feedback! Go all out! Buy your ball gown! Or even wear your old wedding dress,…read moreseriously really dress to the occasion. The men/woman ratio is 10/90, it's definitely a girls night out event. Although some men did rise to the occasion with their partners, I'd say leave your husband at home and spare him and your wallets. The event is in an area that you should definitely drive to. I wouldn't walk around this area as a woman, as one of the other review states. Also, not sure VIP is worth it. The only thing you get for VIP is a seat at the main event/attraction. The only issue is, the staff do not clear the VIP area out so you don't really get a clear view of the show. You also get to enter before the crowd but for us, we got there early like they advise so the line went quickly. The attraction begins at their store area and through a enchanting wisteria entrance. Great photo opportunity, have cameras ready. You walk in and see the first main room where again you can buy drinks, gifts, and accessories. Throughout this area you can take photos in different sections. There are snacks to buy, cookies and popcorn but no food. You definitely want to participate otherwise you're just a wall flower at the event and well it's an interactive show, have fun. For me, it was way too crowded. I did really enjoy the ambiance but the show was hard to watch. I literally saw it through bodies of people. It was fun. It was cool but I think I would have like to have paid just to see a full show and be seated. This interactive was neat but not sure it was worth the money. Could have lived a day without it. I dare not give less than 4 stars because it's unique but..... it's just so fast and quick. Music was awesome! Dressing up was cool! The art and actors were perfect but it's quick and crowded. At first I said, I need to come back dressed to the occasion but at the end I was saying, that was QUICK! Glad I didn't dress up. Kudos to the creators behind this, way to capitalize off the show. Hands down creative! If they did this again and made it a dinner experience that would cool or even just a play, think they'd get more people in a venue and at a better location. Worth a try for sure. Again, drive. Don't walk here or take a bus.

The idea of this interactive performance is epic. The decorations were magical. I had a great time…read morebut I can't give 5 stars because they fell short in a few areas. The first was making us get there a half hour early to stand outside. While we were standing there all that time they didn't announce the requirement to have a vaccination card, they waited until the doors opened so if you didn't have it ready you were asked to step out of line. The production is only 1.5 hours long so you feel rushed through it. Some of the staff were rude, and that's my only complaint. Other than that I will let the pictures and videos speak for themselves.