What a great concert which made me cry! A great collaboration between Japanese and American…read moremilitary bands. There are free movie nights too;) Event price: Free~?! Interior: Great. Some traditional pictures. Theater room: Clean and small. Parking lot: Hmmmm... Gotta find private or street ones. Location: Fantastic! Everything is close here. The Army Navy club, Nordstrom rack, Paul,...

Lovely pictures of bonsai. A video tells you some interesting history about the greatest man to…read morepractice the art. A really cool lighted bamboo mini bridge was on display as well. Lighted with micro chips. Enjoyed my visit.

Heart this museum that use to be the Riggs National Bank built in 1899 and is also known as the…read morepresidents bank of which over half of the U.S. presidents use to bank. It's steps from the White House and U.S. Treasury. Heart the interactive museum that celebrates the successes of entrepreneurs and the opportunities, innovation and statements and videos of personal achievements. The museum has photos, original documents from the past history of the bank, and two original bank vaults. The tree of generations greets you as you enter the main floor and is interactive, so you and your family can post instantly your digital pic. I recommend this museum to everyone and you'll feel inspired & motivated after visiting this new museum.

I visited the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream last weekend with my husband, and it…read morewas interesting. So what is it? It's a new museum that opened in the fall of 2025, just steps from the White House and the U.S. Treasury. It touts itself as an interactive museum which highlights the successes of American capitalism, entrepreneurship, and financial and banking institutions. The museum's namesake is Michael Milken, who partly curated and controls the museum. Located in five historic buildings, rumor has it the museum cost $500 million. Exploring the museum, I was conflicted. I love museums, and I think you should keep an open mind and learn what you can everywhere, from anyone, for your whole life. I value curiosity and critical thinking above many other things. However, this is definitely a museum with a point of view, and it's probably good to know that going in. Michael Milken is an American financier mostly known for his role in the development of the market for high-yield bonds (junk bonds), leading to his reputation as the "Junk Bond King," and his conviction and sentence on felony charges for violating securities laws. He was sentenced to 10 years (he served 2) and fined $600 million. He was pardoned by President Trump in 2020 and is considered to be one of the wealthiest people in the world (with an estimated net worth of $6 billion). None of this is to say you can't enjoy or learn from or even love the Milken Center. I just think it's relevant information to know going in as the museum deals with American financial markets and capitalism. I certainly wouldn't recommend taking your most progressive or democratic socialist friends to this museum. The museum is free to visit, but you do need to make an reservation for a timed entry (I'm not sure why, because they were not busy at all on a Sunday afternoon when we visited). There is an add on experience (the Holodeck Experience) which has an associated cost of $15 per person. We probably spent an hour and a half at the museum. You can certainly see where they spent the alleged $500 million. It's shiny and new and has lots of interactive aspects and exhibits. If you're into historical artifacts, this is not the museum for you. (They did have an iron lung, and since I'd only ever seen one other, that was a pretty interesting artifact to see.) This museum is full of videos and holograms and signs (and some art as well) but light on artifacts for sure. We wandered around the museum, not really sure what the highlights were that we shouldn't miss (we ended up missing the hologram gallery that many other reviews mention). Most of the financial floors of the museum weren't of very much interest to me, although I could see how it would be interesting/educational for kids (for example, there was an interactive quiz where you choose how much a young person with their first job should save, spend on trips, etc., and then you see how well they're doing after a bit of time). The highlights of the museum for me were the building itself and the art. The Basil Kincaid quilts are massive and and jaw dropping where they hang over the Tree of Generations. And two art-related exhibits really caught my attention: "Celebrating 250 Years: A Journey Through America with Robert Freimark" (which showcased abstract prints the artist made, each representing one of the 50 states) and "Visualizing Impact" (an exhibit showcasing art made by young artists in grades 6-12 focus on unsung heroes in history). We also did the Holodeck Experience - the add on experience for $15 per person. From their website: "It's more than just a movie--it's an unforgettable multisensory adventure held in a unique 360-degree megapixel environment. You're invited to embark on a new journey in the Perpetual Story Machine by Moment Factory, a mind-bending fusion of technology and imagination. Dive into stories of perseverance, innovation, determination, and mentorship at the breathtaking Kenneth C. Griffin Holodeck Experience. Are you ready to take the leap?" That's vague, but it's a hard experience to describe. I actually think children might enjoy it more than adults, because we found it a little silly (especially the parts where you have to "help" the Machine before the more movie-like part begins). We were alone at the experience, so it there were two staff members for the two of us. I did learn about three very different and interesting American experiences, but ultimately I found it a bit cheesy. The Milken Center is free, so I encourage anyone with some spare time to check it out for themselves. But it's not the museum for me. Some of the smaller art exhibits caught my eye, but the majority of the museum felt a bit off to me. Maybe I'm just not into these newer "museums" without artifacts. More like immersive experiences with informational signs. I doubt I'll be back, but you might get more out of it or enjoy more than I did. Who knows?

O Museum - O Street, Washington DC…read more I was a judicial fellow at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and arrived at the DOT office complex in L'Enfant Plaza, Washington, D.C., for my first day of orientation. It was early on Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, and while I had been in Washington many times in my work as an administrative law judge, this was my first time meeting my contacts at NHTSA. The world now recognizes the losses sustained on that day, in New York and at the Pentagon (and on United Airlines Flight 93), but at 8:30 in the morning at NHTSA's headquarters in D.C. our world was rapidly aging amidst the tragedy. My contact at NHTSA had family members he needed to get to, and he left me to my own devices. As transport systems turned into gridlock, I left the building intending to walk to my hotel in Georgetown. I had the day to explore. All the Smithsonian museums were locked down, as were most businesses. I had no agenda other than experiencing what D.C. was like during the turmoil of 9/11. I walked from L'Enfant Plaza to Dupont Circle, hoping to have lunch at my favorite restaurant, Johnny's Half Shell. In the process, in a long wandering exploration of the District, I happened upon O Street, not far from the Dupont Circle Metro station. During the walk I passed a string of brownstone residences on O Street between 20th and 21st Streets. While my memory has faded over time, I recall walking past curious bronze sculptures of the White Rabbit, Alice, the Mad Hatter, and the Cheshire Cat, ensconced in abundant greenery that seemed to fill the streetside frontages of four or five of the brownstones. Last week I found out that what I walked past that day 25 years ago was the O Museum in the Mansion, named after the mansion's street location. It's a venue that evokes a rich historical heritage that runs the spectrum from the lives of the rich and famous to the lives of courageous civil rights activists who created cultural change in our nation's capital. I learned the museum was opened in 1980 by its founder, H.H. Leonards Spero, and is housed in a mansion that now includes a boutique hotel with themed rooms. Their "Night at the Museum" tour offers an immersive overnight experience with extended access to the museum and its collection. Also known as The Secret Door Museum, there are over one hundred themed rooms, over eighty secret doors, and thousands of artifacts spanning art, music, sports, history, and American pop culture. I stopped by the display case that housed signed guitars from Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan and saw museum rooms packed with memorabilia from folk and jazz eras, and the early days of the Beatles. Nostalgia and history reign and the displays include important artifacts relating to the civil rights era in the United States, with prominent attention given to the inspired work of Rosa Parks and other civil rights mentors. The Museum features a bar, modern restrooms, an elevator, and secret doors throughout. Reservations are recommended, but I walked in without any wait (on a weekday in February 2026). Remarkably, most of the contents - probably counting in the thousands - are for sale. (So, we're on notice by the Museum's docents: if you break it, you buy it.) I found the Museum's staff to be friendly, well-informed, and exceptionally enthusiastic about their work. I learned there are limited-time themed events, such as the Secret Door Experience ($33), a Champagne Tour ($62.50), a Secret Portal Hunt & Tour ($45.95), a Secret Gardens of Asia celebrating cherry blossoms ($50), a Mother's Day Secret Door & Champagne Tour ($54.50), a Night at the Museum overnight package ($550.77) and a host of events celebrating the life and work of Rosa Parks and other civil rights leaders. This may well be one of the most curiosity-inspiring venues anywhere in the world. And good luck finding the secret doors!

This is such a fun spot! Even though you have to pay for tickets, it's definitely worth it. You…read morewatch a short "orientation" video first. Then, you are free to roam the mansion for hours if you want, discovering secret doors as you wish. Everything displayed is available for purchase so you will have your pick of souvenirs. Accessible by metro, a quick walk from the Dupont Circle station. 10/10 would recommend!

This is such a DC hidden gem! I was walking around the area and needed a place to hunker down for a…read morelittle bit until my next meeting so decided to walk in to the cultural center. There's a library and an exhibit detailing Oman's rich history, which I learned so much about. The employee was super nice and even guided me through some of the exhibit. 10/10 would recommend!

Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center opened in 2014 to serve as a place that encourages Oman-USA mutual…read moreunderstanding. It's a beautiful building designed like a house of its size in Oman. It's open Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm to the public. Guests can walk through 1.5 rooms of learning about how people in Oman live as well as visit the large library. Throughout the building one can find brochures promoting Oman tourism. They also host events throughout the month as well as Arabic lessons, etc. The guy at the front desk was friendly and helpful.

Funny story - I was looking for kid-friendly ideas of things to do in DC and asked ChatGPT for…read moreideas. One of the responses was the Planet Word museum, which I never heard of. I looked it up and decided to try it! They recommend you get timed passes online ahead of time; it's free but they do recommend a donation. This museum is SO COOL! As someone who loves different languages and words I loved everything about this place! My kids loved all of the interactivity. There is a room with an interactive word wall and you can interact and answer and request more info on the history of certain words. For example, I learned that "ketchup" was named after a Chinese sauce even though they are not similar. There is also a magical library room where you can pick a book off the shelf and place it on a book holder and the book is read to you. There are also mirror shadow boxes that come to life if you read the inscription. Finally, the kids loved the karaoke room - you select a song and as you sing along you see the types of parts of speech at play in the song. Great experience, would for sure recommend and go back!

Planet Word is a fun pit stop geared mostly toward children, though adults will still find plenty…read moreto enjoy. The space feels very modern, with clean and well maintained exhibits throughout. I appreciated the free coat rack and lockers available to all visitors. One thing to note is that the stairs are unidirectional, so moving between floors requires walking across the entire level each time. We were advised to start on the third floor and work our way down. The third floor featured a massive globe surrounded by multilingual iPads. Each one offered different languages along with cultural and linguistic context. The video and audio quality stood out as especially clear. There was also an interactive show exploring the history and cultural influences behind everyday words. While museum shows can sometimes feel skippable, this one held attention for the full fifteen minutes with clever use of visuals, lighting, and a dynamic word driven backdrop. On the second floor, the free photobooth stood out as a highlight. Individuals or pairs pose based on randomly assigned words. The photo quality is not the best, but it still makes for a fun and memorable souvenir. There is also a sing along room where groups of children gather to perform songs. I had to laugh when Eminem came on, though I was genuinely impressed by how the lyrics were broken down and analyzed on screen. A small library space is also available, stocked mostly with children's books for casual reading. I also tried the Lexicon Lane experience, which cost forty dollars and is designed for groups of up to four. It is set up similarly to an escape room, but with a stronger focus on wordplay and language based puzzles. Since we were the first group of the day, we had full choice of the cases, while later groups had to pick from what remained. Each case offers a normal or expert level, though both were fairly challenging. Some puzzles rely heavily on familiarity with American idioms and cultural references, which could make them tougher for some players. That said, the staff were very accommodating and offered helpful nudges when groups got stuck. I would especially recommend this for puzzle lovers, as it is a unique add on and actually more affordable than a typical escape room. One of the standout aspects of Planet Word is the staff. They were consistently friendly, approachable, and clearly invested in making the experience enjoyable. Overall, it is a great museum to visit if you are looking to be entertained for an hour or so.

I am so glad that this theatre is still in operation…read more Also contains a first rate museum in the basement that includes the gun used to kill Lincoln and a pillow that still has dried blood on it So glad that I went!

The famous for theater has become more of a museum nowadays than an active theater, but it still…read moreholds some performances today. It's the historic theater that Lincoln was shot. There's plenty of memorabilia to Lincoln's life and life back then within the theater. It's a very cool historic site that is worth the ticket to admission! Being in the same room and looking up at the box that Lincoln sat in where he was assassinated was a very interesting and also somber experience !

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture was by far one of the BEST…read moremuseums visited in Washington, DC. This museum is powerful, emotional, educational, and beautifully curated from beginning to end. Every exhibit tells a story of resilience, culture, activism, achievement, style, music, sports, and the undeniable impact African Americans have had on shaping America. The exhibits were immersive and thought-provoking. From Black women's activism, fashion and identity, Muhammad Ali's legacy, music culture, and historical artifacts, every section leaves you reflecting long after you walk away. The museum does an incredible job balancing painful history with celebration, excellence, innovation, and pride. One thing visitors should absolutely know -- there are NO admission fees, which makes this experience even more remarkable considering the quality and depth of the museum. However, plan accordingly because this is NOT a quick walkthrough. Arrive with at least 3 hours available, honestly even longer if you enjoy reading exhibits and fully taking in the experience. There is so much history and information to absorb that rushing through would not do it justice. A must-visit museum for every generation. Informative, inspiring, emotional, and unforgettable.

The museum truly had a difficult task of covering 400 years of history. You start on the bottom…read morefloor and rise up to the top physically and metaphorically. I do appreciate the length and time they took to cover slavery. The galleries were more intimate and dark. It was you and the object regardless of how many people were around you. The focus was on the items and the stories. I didn't know the Netherlands were also involved. As a student of history I was surprised to learn there were other countries active and complicit in slavery. I had given myself two hours for the museum. At about a half hour till closing I skipped one floor and went to the top because the arts and entertainment are my jam. I had to see all the greats and it did not disappoint. But for this museum, you could spend a couple of days processing and reading. Because they never really account for the emotional and psychological toll this information has on people. The Emmett Till memorial probably struck me the hardest. One funny an interesting note, I was standing in the section with the statue of Thomas Jefferson when I looked down at my feet I noticed a shiny object. It was a nickel. Message from ancestors? I'm still trying to see what it means to me.

I must have visited this museum half a dozen times over the years, but each and every time, it…read morefeels so fresh...and always so awe-inspiring! It's been over a decade since we last visited...and it felt as if I visited it the first time. So many new additions, it seems? I was especially interested in seeing the parts of the museum featuring the Dinosaurs and the Human Evolution...as I recently saw series on Netflix and PBS. The exhibits on both were phenomenal. I won't go into too much details since everything has been written and then some by other Yelpers...but all I can say is that this should be part of each and every DC trip. It's definitely one of the more popular (bustling!) Smithsonian museums...and with good reason! It's truly a treat to see this and other amazing exhibits and art works at these Smithsonian museums...and all for free!

4.5 stars Great…read moremuseum with a lot to see. It's free and you don't have to reserve a ticket. I spent about 2-2.5 hours here one afternoon and still didn't get to see everything, so I came back the next day and it was still very fast paced. They have a lot of great specimens (including mummies) and some of my favorites like the Hope Diamond, all the gems, and the ocean critters. 2026 #13

I purposely visited recently (winter season) because entrance to the gardens is free, otherwise…read moreit's $15. The gardens are interesting even in the cold months. The couple most closely associated with this Georgetown estate, Mildred and Robert Bliss, clearly loved and thought deeply about this parcel of land when they owned it (1920/30's). Their efforts to preserve and share the space with the public are to be commended. It must have been quite something in its heyday. There's a lot of research that's supported here, as well as other activities. The website explains all that. It's a low-key sightseeing spot; quiet, contemplative.

Dumbarton Oaks is such a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of Georgetown. We enjoyed taking…read morephotos in the lovely gardens. I was disappointed that you can't go in the house, and the museum that is attached had nothing to do with the garden or the house.