Must Sees in Washington DC

[Judique]

We are going to DC in 6 weeks. From everything I have read it says to not go out at night. Are the monuments etc safe at night?

For the most part, yes. Tourism is a big part of the DC economy, so, if you stay in the touristy areas, you are fine. You will see homeless lying on the park benches and there are plenty of people willing to rob you, but in general you are in a safe environment when you visit the National monuments and walk the Mall area. When you are in the area of the White House or the Capitol you won't be able to look in any direction without seeing some sort of dc police, secret service, park police or security officer. Look on the building tops - someone will be walking around with a big gun....not sure which is more fearsome - the protection or the possible muggers!

That said - neighbourhoods change quickly in the district - one minute it's million dollar rowhouses - 2 streets later could be delapidated slums - so stick to the public sightseeing areas at night. It's not so long ago you could buy a 3 story federal style shell 2 blocks from the Capitol building for 10k.......

 

[disneybound31]

If you are able I would suggest a visit to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (Judicial Square stop on the Metro Red Line)...close to my heart because my brothers name is engraved on it as a police officer who gave his life in the line of duty. It is simple and beautiful and quiet.

Directly across the street is the National Building Museum...BEAUTIFUL and amazing on the inside- think Wilderness Lodge huge- with great, clean bathrooms (hard to find in DC!) and a very nice deli eatery. Open 9-5pm. Also has a great artsy gift shop inside, fountain, educational hands-on games for kids, etc...

A block away is the International Spy Museum. Very cool. The Green Turtle Pub is great to eat at nearby....

Something different to see for those of us who have done Smithsonian ALOT...

I second the suggestion to reserve a ticket to go up into the Washington Monument. Sells out very fast- check for your date now.

 

[ssawka]

We are going to DC in 6 weeks. From everything I have read it says to not go out at night. Are the monuments etc safe at night?

DC is fine at night, provided you stay in the touristy areas, basically anything west of the capital.

 

[Swimalie]

If you are able I would suggest a visit to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (Judicial Square stop on the Metro Red Line)...close to my heart because my brothers name is engraved on it as a police officer who gave his life in the line of duty. It is simple and beautiful and quiet.
.

I'm so sorry for your loss and I appreciate your brother's service. I met my husband while he was a police officer (I was a probation officer). Now he trains LE for the Treasury Dept so LE is still near and dear to my heart.

 

[Gigi22]

Gosh--nearly forgot--a must do is the Postal Museum, at the very end of the Mall, close to the train station. It is a bit off the beaten path, but is quite popular with children. The Museum has been made very interactive and appealing, and then you can go have lunch at one of the restaurants in the train station!

 

[kimmyann]

Hijacking from the saftey thread....Is the metro safe at night? We are going this Saturday & I was totally thrilled to see that starting Saturday on the weekends a couple of the museums are opened late, til 7:30pm. Awesome for us since we are just doing one day (doing things we missed in October), and have tickets for the monument. We are staying in Alexandria and would love to see some of the monuments after dark, but am kinda worried about the ride back.


SSAWKA, I just noticed your W. Disney quotes in your siggy. I just watched on cable the story of Walt Disney that explained his drive for what he created, it also had home movie clips & interviews with his daughters. I would suggest anyone planning a trip to watch it simply to give a new respect for what it is and why it is there. I've only been once & I wish I would have watched that program before I went. Now I need to go again.

 

[Green Tea]

Hijacking from the saftey thread....Is the metro safe at night? .

Yes, I find the Metro is great at any hour. No worries.

 

[Swimalie]

Hijacking from the saftey thread....Is the metro safe at night? We are going this Saturday & I was totally thrilled to see that starting Saturday on the weekends a couple of the museums are opened late, til 7:30pm. Awesome for us since we are just doing one day (doing things we missed in October), and have tickets for the monument. We are staying in Alexandria and would love to see some of the monuments after dark, but am kinda worried about the ride back.

Check this out http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2011/02/crime-surges-metro-system Just be careful and mindful of your surroundings.

 

[ssawka]

Hijacking from the saftey thread....Is the metro safe at night? We are going this Saturday & I was totally thrilled to see that starting Saturday on the weekends a couple of the museums are opened late, til 7:30pm. Awesome for us since we are just doing one day (doing things we missed in October), and have tickets for the monument. We are staying in Alexandria and would love to see some of the monuments after dark, but am kinda worried about the ride back.

As Green Tea already stated, the Metro is pretty safe at any time of the day, but you should still keep your guard up (as you should for any public transportation). There are the ocassional reports of theft, but they happen fairly infrequently given how many riders use the system on a daily basis. Also, note that the Metro gets extremely crowded if traveling during morning or evening rush hours.

SSAWKA, I just noticed your W. Disney quotes in your siggy. I just watched on cable the story of Walt Disney that explained his drive for what he created, it also had home movie clips & interviews with his daughters. I would suggest anyone planning a trip to watch it simply to give a new respect for what it is and why it is there. I've only been once & I wish I would have watched that program before I went. Now I need to go again.

I'm glad you like the quotes. I believe I have that movie. It was Walt's philosophy that made me such a big fan. I've always admired the fact that he built things just to see if he could without much regard to financial success, and always at the highest quality he could. I think our society has gotten away from things like that. Even at Disney! I still love going to anything Disney, but the company certaintly has changed. Anymore, they are quite comfortable giving up quality for profit, something Walt would have never allowed. Sometimes I wonder what Walt's reaction would be if he knew some of the shortcuts the company has taken in recent years?

 

[juliebean]

There is an after dark monument bus tour if you are in DC when it is cold or if you are concerned about safety after dark. I have always felt safe on the metro, but yes - be aware.

There is also a bus service offered by the local businesses that is called the circulator I believe. It is $1 each time you get on, but a much better deal if you want to do a tour or get to or from the monuments quicker. I think it was only April - October though. We priced out doing one of the trolley things and with six of us it was over $150. This was a quick, last minute trip and we just couldn't justify that much for bus rides for a day. I do wish we could have tried the circulator bus system instead.