Once you’ve hit all the museums and the monuments and memorials that peak your interest, there are still a seemingly endless array of other things for history buffs to do in DC, which is brimming with historic significance at every turn. Here are just 10 of the highlights.
Ford’s Theatre
This historic spot doubles as a theater and a museum commemorating the place where President Lincoln was shot in 1865. In addition to nightly performances (Sister Act is on stage until May 17, and then The American Five begins in September), the spot offers daytime visits and tours.
511 Tenth St., NW, 202-347-4833; fords.org. Metro station: Metro center. $3.50 a person.
Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site
This museum and site within a 45-acre Alexandria park explores Civil War topics and provides “a window to engage with the history of a Union fort and a post-Civil War African American community,” with exhibits, preserved and reproduced structures, and programming.
4301 West Braddock Rd., Alexandria, 703-746-4848; alexandriava.gov/FortWard. Metro station: Visitors can take a bus from the Pentagon station. Free, with a suggested donation of $3.
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
Visitors can access Frederick Douglass’s home at Cedar Hill, where the abolitionist and orator spent his last 17 years, with guided tours, which are offered up to nine times a day. Beyond the residence, a 19-minute film called “Fighter for Freedom: The Frederick Douglass Story” plays in the visitor’s center auditorium, and the grounds feature a garden, trees that date back to Douglass’s days at the property, and a small brick building called a “Growler.”
1411 W St., SE; 771-208-1499; nps.gov/frdo. Visitors can take a bus the 3/4 of a mile from the Anacostia station to the site. Free.
Gadsby’s Tavern
This Alexandria restaurant is one of the oldest dining venues in the Washington area; the tavern dates back to 1785, and the guest list has included such notable figures as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
138 N. Royal St., Alexandria; 703- 548-1288; gadsbystavernrestaurant.com.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Sitting among 500 acres of land along the Potomac River, George Washington’s former home includes a mansion, museum, gardens, a farm, a distillery—and even the tomb in which he’s buried. Note, at press time, preservation work currently limits access to some parts of the mansion—check the website to plan your visit in advance.
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Mount Vernon; 703-780-2000; mountvernon.org. Metro station: Visitors can take a bus from the Huntington Metro station. $28 for visitors age 12 and up; $15 for those ages 6-11; and free for children under 6.
President Lincoln’s Cottage
Tours of the home where the 16th president spent more than a quarter of his presidency begin every hour, on the hour, from 10 AM until 3 PM. Inside, exhibits explore the life and history of Lincoln, the home, and the city that surrounded them.
140 Rock Creek Church Rd., NW; lincolncottage.org. Metro station: Visitors can take a bus from the Georgia Avenue Petworth station right to the front gates. $15 for adults; $5 for children 6-12; free for children under 6.
Tudor Place Historic House & Garden
A federal-style mansion on five and a half acres in Georgetown, Tudor Place “preserves the stories of six generations of descendants of Martha Washington and the enslaved and free people who lived and worked” there for nearly two centuries. It’s home to more than 18,000 decorative objects and mementos, including a collection the family purchased as part of an estate sale from Mount Vernon.
1644 31st St., NW, 202-965-0400; tudorplace.org. Metro station: Visitors can take a bus from the Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom, or Rosslyn Metro stations. $10 for adults; $5 for students, seniors, and military; free for members and children under 5.
Washington National Cathedral
The nation’s second-largest cathedral has hosted the funerals of presidents and Washington VIPs. There are multiple services daily, but the cathedral also hosts concerts, organ recitals, lectures, and tours of its magnificent Gothic architectural elements, including stained-glass windows, carvings and metalwork, and a grotesque of Darth Vader on the northwest tower. Special reservation-only Tower Climbs are a rigorous trek, but offer spectacular views of the city.
Massachusetts and Wisconsin aves., NW; 202-537-6200; cathedral.org. Not Metro accessible. Indoor tours start at $50; walking the outdoor gardens and grounds is free.
The Pope-Leighey House
After having been relocated twice, this 1,200 square foot, Usonian-style Frank Lloyd Wright house is nestled on the same Alexandrian property as the historic Woodlawn mansion, which George Washington gifted to his nephew. Both offers seasonal tours Thursday through Monday—visitors can choose to tour both or either properties.
9000 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria; 703-780-4000; woodlawnpopeleighey.org. Metro station: Not metro accessible. Starting at $15 for adults; $7.50 for kids in grades k-12; $12 for seniors and active military, and free for kids under 5.
Woodrow Wilson House
A “time capsule from 1924,” this Georgian Revival-style mansion just off Embassy Row in the Kalorama neighborhood served as Wilson’s home from the time he left the White House until his death, just three years later. Former first lady Edith continued to live there for nearly 40 more years, and upon her passing in 1961, bequeathed the home—and much of the furnishings, artwork, and other belongings, in it—to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Visitors can tour the house and gardens, plus check out exhibits and events.
2340 S St., NW, 202-387-4062; woodrowwilsonhouse.org. Metro station: Dupont Circle. Guided tours—required to tour the inside of the home—are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Self-guided garden tours are $5 per person.
