Best of Washington 2026: Things to Do in DC

Best Hidden-Gem Tour

The Secret Civil War Fort

An astounding number of forts—68—protected the nation’s capital during the Civil War. That’s but one tidbit revealed on this 90-minute tour offered by Slate Political Gabfest host David Plotz. Most of the forts are long gone, though their legacies survive through neighborhood and park names, and Plotz explores the site of Fort DeRussy, “one of the least known, yet most consequential, battles of the Civil War.” He spins a vivid tale of DC in wartime and why the mound of ground in Rock Creek Park mattered. Tickets ($40 for ages 16 and up) are on Eventbrite.

Best Tiny Attraction

Dinosaur Pocket Park

Created by a local boy and his mother, the prehistoric pocket park is home to dozens of toy dinosaurs. Take one as a memento or leave one behind for a neighbor. Located just a mile from the spot where real dinosaur bones were found, the minuscule park is part of the “Sidewalk Joy” movement, a grassroots effort to bring joy to spaces near paths.

Best Oversize Attraction

Giant Gumball Machine at the Riggs

One of the city’s fanciest hotels is also one of the most whimsical. Hidden among the chandeliers and marble columns is a giant gumball machine that holds 70,000 to 75,000 free multicolor gumballs. A bowl nearby holds tokens to dispense the treats. Continue to play with scale at the nearby Museum of Illusions.

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Best Playgrounds

Beauvoir Playground

This play area has a zipline, one of only a handful in the city, plus wooden towers with rope walkways and “Slide Hill.” The playground is open to the public weeknights and weekends.

Fields at RFK

For a thrill, go down a slide as Metro trains whiz nearby. When you’re done, find the trail leading to Kingman and Heritage islands, pedestrian-only isles with more than 100 species of wildlife.

Walker Mill Regional Park

One of the coolest playgrounds is just out-side DC. This “Woodland Wonderland” comes with multiple slides, faux-woodstructures, a musical bridge, and animals carved into equipment for kids to find.

Georgetown Day School

One of the coolest playgrounds is just out-side DC. This “Woodland Wonderland” comes with multiple slides, faux-woodstructures, a musical bridge, and animals carved into equipment for kids to find.

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Best Exhibits for Kids

The People’s House

Not everyone can visit the White House, but you can sit at the President’s desk in the replica Oval Office across the street. Take a note from JFK’s kids and crawl through the desk’s trap door.

Go-Go Museum & Cafe

The museum honoring DC’s official music is one of the most interactive. Talk to holograms of legends such as “Big G,” sing on a little stage, and use a digital spray can to make street art.

Space for Earth

Dance in the digital rain in NASA’s East Lobby, where astronauts narrate a seven-minute immersive experience about what Earth looks like from space. Also in the East Lobby, touch a real moon rock and see a spacesuit.

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Best Walks

Best for Waterfall Views

Cunningham Falls State Park

Choose how you get to Maryland’s highest cascading waterfall: The Lower Trail is an easy half-mile stroll, while the three-quarter-mile Cliff Trail adds boulder scrambles and steep climbs.

Best Dog-Friendly Option

State Arboretum of Virginia

Pups can frolic off-leash through 172 acres of trees in Blandy Experimental Farm. A massive meadow has wildflowers for a sniffing expedition (leashes required within 200 feet of buildings).

Best City Oasis

Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens

Explore this living museum via the marsh boardwalk or rugged dirt paths. Come midsummer for lotus flowers, fall for migrating birds, and winter for peace and quiet. To extend the walk, hop onto the Anacostia River Trail.

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Best Way to Meet People Without Playing Kickball

Mahjong

A sports team was once the way to make connections in DC, but for those who’ve aged out of beer leagues—or the athletically disinclined—mahjong, the tile-based game from China, is gaining fans with its mix of strategy and socializing. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St., NW) and Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library (Cleveland Park) have Tuesday game play in the Hong Kong and American styles. The Green Room art space (Takoma Park) holds workshops for beginners; Sunday meetups at the Capital Jewish Museum (Penn Quarter) are a chance to put new skills into action. For a particularly chic setting, the Penn Quarter restaurant Lucky Danger (Penn Quarter) has a moody parlor dedicated to the game. You’ll find lessons twice a week and can reserve a table for your own gathering.

Best Outdoor Party

The Bullpen

Live rock bands, hip-hop DJ sets, foam parties, and Beyoncé-themed jam sessions turn a day at the Bullpen into a full-on festival experience. Steps from Nationals Park, the open-air venue draws music-loving crowds for block parties and pregame celebrations. Whether you’re stopping by for frozen cocktails and hot dogs before a Nats game or planning to two-step with your besties, this lively spot is made for summer fun.

Best Excuse for a Staycation

The Watergate Hotel $250 Package

It can be challenging to justify a hotel stay in your hometown. But the Watergate’s semiquincentennial deal is good grounds for a weekend of relaxation at the spa and between luxurious sheets. Available through the end of the year, the package includes a room rate starting at $250, plus a $150 credit to be used at the hotel restaurants or on room service. A two-night stay is required.

Best Cannabis Trend

Lounges

Is DC the new Amsterdam? Probably not, but dispensaries around town are opening safe-consumption lounges—similar to Amsterdam’s weed “coffee shop” culture—where you can pick up a pre-roll, enjoy it onsite, and socialize away from alcohol. Book a time slot in Don Fuego’s atmospheric downtown lounge (Mt Vernon Square) , which sometimes hosts “tastings” of small-batch bud. In Adams Morgan, the Giggle Room at Blunt Sluts (Adams Morgan) hosts a vinyl listening club where you can vibe out with music, mocktails, and medicinal weed. But the largest addition to the scene is Higher Ground (Ivy City) , a 20,000-square-foot production facility, storefront, and consumption space in Ivy City. You’re welcome to light up in the lounge, cafe area, and patio of the former One Eight Distillery space, which also hosts wellness and artsy events.

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Best Reason to Exercise

Workouts With Puppies

Puppies & Yoga

Classes at three locations feature 45 minutes of puppy yoga and 30 minutes of playtime. Check Instagram four days before your class to see which breed it will feature, from dachshunds to golden retrievers.

Puppies and Pilates

Pups roam free during these weekend mat-Pilates sessions. The first 45 minutes of every class features a beginner-friendly workout, and the final half hour is all about unwinding with snuggles.

Lucky Pup Yoga

Find inspiration for your downward dog: An hourlong yoga class at this Adams Morgan studio includes time for photo ops and play breaks with adorable dogs from local rescues and breeders.

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Best Run Clubs

For Community

District Running Collective

This spirited Black-led run crew just turned 13. For cardio-seekers looking to make new friends or catch up with familiar faces, DRC gathers at Union Market for group runs Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.

For All Levels

Pacers Social Runs

Runners, joggers, and, yes, walkers can get moving at neighborhood runs across DC and Northern Virginia. Lace up for group workouts at local tracks or sweat through a three-to-six-mile route—or a beginner-friendly two-mile walk—starting at a Pacers Running store.

For Fun

Every Person Run Club

Good vibes are at the heart of this inclusive exercise community founded by Navy Yard neighbors in 2021. There are no pace groups—everyone runs together with route guides. After burning calories through Capitol Hill, downtown, Navy Yard, and beyond, enjoy post-run drinks and snacks.

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Best for Learning Something New

For Cooking

Skillette

At Skillette, instructors with résumés from top restaurants teach one-off classes ($250) on specific techniques and dishes—plating, butchery, and mother sauces, to name a few. The school is operating as a pop-up while preparing to open a Georgetown flagship later this year.

For Birding

Nature Forward

The outdoors group Nature Forward (formerly the Audubon Naturalist Society) organizes birding walks so popular that they often sell out. Naturalists lead bird-identification “field trips” for novice and midlevel birders at parks across the region. Registration starts at $46.

For Pottery

District Clay Center

Pottery classes are famous for their waitlists, but you can sample wheel throwing during intimate Friday and weekend workshops ($85) at District Clay Center. The full process takes longer than the two-and-a-half-hour class, so your souvenir is a new skill.

This article appears in the July 2026 issue of Washingtonian.