Washington DC, a Capitol Idea

New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston are some of my favorite museum stops in the country, and I’m always excited to re-visit. America’s true Museum Mecca is Washington, D.C., as the 68 square mile district is home to 70 museums, most of which are FREE. Somehow it has taken me over 20 years to revisit. My last trip to Washington, D.C. was in 1999 on a cross-country Girl Scout trip the summer before I started high school. I absolutely loved touring the federal buildings and exploring historic sites, but I never got my fill of the museums. I kept trying to time my return trip for the famous Cherry Blossoms Festival, but after years of thwarted plans, I decided I just needed to go whether or not the monuments were draped in fragrant blooms. I finally landed a dreamy housesit for a sassy cat over Thanksgiving, and I promptly proceeded to tackle as many museums as humanly possible. I was visiting 3-5 Museums and monuments a day, and I still feel like I barely scratched the surface. I pulled together some highlights and a few suggestions for you. I hope you’ll visit DC soon, I can’t wait to come back.

My sweet dad insisted that DC was just a slight detour on his route from Michigan to Buffalo, New York. I’m not exactly Magellan, but I was grateful for the ride and the company. He also kindly took the scenic route to Richmond so I could visit another Degas Little Dancer at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. I got to explore an impressive Impressionist, Pop Art and Faberge collection, and thanked dad with some INCREDIBLE pizza at Belmont Pizzeria. Richmond is ADORABLE, and I’d be happy to come back and spend more time there as well.

I came to DC with two main goals: to visit Julia Child’s kitchen, donated in its entirety (save the floors) to the National Museum of American History, and to see the original and only Degas “Little Dancer Aged 14” ever exhibited by the artist. I wanted to visit as many free museums as possible, but I knew there were some paid experiences I wasn’t going to want to miss either. My first day in town only left a few hours for exploration, but I made the most of them and banged out my two top priority free museum stops. I had to move quickly, but Julia’s kitchen was everything that I wanted it to be. I had just stood outside her old house in Cambridge, and after binging Julia on HBO Max, and rewatching Julie and Julia in memory of Julia Powell, it just felt right to be standing in the familiar hallowed halls.

I was a little disappointed that the Entertainment Wing was closed for renovations. Being an old Sony employee, I’m a huge fan of the old “His Master’s Voice” painting which is what inspired the Nipper the Dog RCA logo. It was such a tease seeing the massive Nipper stained glass window behind barriers for the closure. The retrospective on technology and the evolution of tech and the way the world works was pretty stellar. Luckily I had just managed to see a pair of Dorothy’s ruby slippers at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, but the Smithsonian’s should be back on view in the new Entertainment Wing in the new year. The Museum of American History truly does have something for everyone, so you can divide and conquer it well.

Of all the Smithsonian/Free museums, The National Gallery of Art was my absolute favorite. The NGA was started by the Mellon family, of Carnegie Mellon fame. The Degas Dancer I visited at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art was also donated by the Mellons, and I was enchanted by the photo of Paul admiring the Little Dancer. I’ve done some basic research on the family and their contributions, but I’m dying to do a deep dive. Can you imagine personally being responsible for bringing that kind of beauty to the masses? They donated over 900 pieces of art to the museum, including 50 of Degas’ wax sculptures. There are 4 iterations of Marie, the Little Dancer, at the NGA: the original wax sculpture, the only one Degas ever showed in his lifetime and the basis of all 28 replicas, the plaster cast of that sculpture, and two nude studies. You can see Degas’ finger prints in the wax, catch a peak at the human hair wig, and x-rays of the body show that her frame is made up of paintbrushes and various studio odds and ends. It was INCREDIBLE to see. I really only had time to visit the Dancer and run through the impressionist wing, but their permanent collection of Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Cassatt, and the general architecture of the building are worth a visit alone. The sculpture garden next door had some old familiar friends. I was thrilled to find a beautiful Chagall Mosaic hidden in a corner of the garden by the cafe. The Modern Art Building is also worthy of a few hours of your time. It took me two tries to find the Matisse that I was looking for, but there were lots of O’Keefes and even some of her husband’s photographs on display. Between the modern wing and the National Portrait Gallery, I found a new love for Hopper paintings. Nighthawks is wonderful, but the seascape here and the brighter urban scenes I discovered were much more my speed. I especially enjoyed the Sargent & Spain and Vermeer’s Secrets temporary exhibits. The timing of everything was serendipitous. My recent trip to Boston gave me a newfound appreciation of John Singer Sargent.The Clark Museum, Isabella Stewart Gardner, and Harvard Museums contributed greatly to the exhibit, and the feature on his murals at the Boston Public Library were a were even more special with some personal experience context. The use of science and technology to uncover some secrets of Vermeer’s work was a wonderful surprise I won’t spoil here. This exhibit requires checking into a virtual queue when you arrive at the museum using a QR code, and you might wait up to an hour, but it is easily spent wandering the other galleries. There are several different architectural styles in the various buildings of the NGA. I really enjoyed the modern light exhibit on the moving walkway between the buildings, but the IM Pei designed courtyard took me by surprise. Compared to his pyramids at the Louvre, ours look a little puny. I loved this museum so much, I visited on four separate occasions this trip, and discovered something new and wonderful every single time.

The National Portrait Gallery keeps later hours than the other museums, and it is near Chinatown and some other excellent dining/nightlife options- so I’d save that as an end of the day museum stop. It’s MASSIVE, so plan on at least 3 hours to comfortably check out the three different museums/buildings in the complex. There were more Hoppers and Okeefe’s, but the real jewel is the Presidential Portrait Gallery. I was able to catch the Obama Portraits at the Brooklyn Museum last summer, but it was really nice to not need a timed ticket to fight a wall of people to see them. The hall honoring exemplary Americans was a lovely surprise. I was so tickled to see Dr. Fauci and Chef Jose Andres honored here. My favorite piece in the entire complex was the Degas portrait of Mary Cassatt, but I was completely enamored with the beautiful courtyard, the stunning ballroom, and I could have happily wandered the charming Christmas market out front for several more hours.

I’m not one to seek out Modern Art Museums, though a trip to NYC’s Moma to see Starry Night or to San Francisco’s are always welcome. The Hirshhorn Museum of Contemporary/Modern art is pretty special. The building is under renovation, but I loved the work printed on the safety screens. Several of the pieces that I had hoped to see were not on view, but the must see here is the Kusama Infinity Rooms. Tickets are released at noon for the next day’s time slots. They are free, but you need to set an alarm to make your reservation, you don’t want to miss it. There are lockers so you can enter the infinity rooms unencumbered. I recommend snagging the last time slots on a weekday. I was able to talk my way into an extra spin through the rainbow lantern room, and I had the pumpkin all to myself. Kusama’s work brings such joy and delight to the masses, I promise it’s not just my devotion to the dots.

The Renwick Gallery, right across from the OEB/White House was a surprise hit for me. The neon installation under a Chihuly chandelier took the cake, but the ephemeral string sculpture with evolving light was equally enchanting. It’s free, ticketless, and an excellent quick stop between other sites near the National Mall.

My sister and I made a field a trip to the Natural History Museum in Chicago, and decided they are not really our thing. I’m good for an hour or two max, and then I’m ready to see something else. It’s probably been 25 years since I visited New York’s and about the same since seeing the Smithsonian’s. The gem and mineral wing are incredibly well done, so I made a little Hope Diamond pilgrimage just before they closed one night. My previous visit to the Hope Diamond involved a massive crowd, a lot of pushing and my mom and I feeling claustrophobic and scared. This time, I pretty much had the entire gallery to myself. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Did you know that Harry Winston cut the Hope Diamond? It’s incredible, but you’ll be awed by their entire colorful collection.

I’m a big fan of art, shiny things, pretty buildings, and books. All the books! You get a little bit of all the good stuff at The Library of Congress with a free timed entry ticket. The lines get long, so arrive early for your time slot. Be sure to check out the tremendous Legacy of George & Ira Gershwin exhibit. Did you know BOTH brothers were painters? Their self portraits and various artifacts were very cool to see. Be careful, you’ll be singing their songs the rest of the day, but that’s no hardship. Marvin Hamlish’s EGOT is also commemorated here. You can see his Emmy, Grammies, Oscar, and Tony awards on display in the hall outside the Gershwins. The building is spectacular, especially the research library you can only view from a second story viewing platform. You’ll recognize it from National Treasure, and you’ll need a free timed ticket to visit the National Archives to complete the set. You aren’t allowed to take any photos inside- but seeing the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, and various exhibits on other historical documents really drive home the gravity of where you are standing.

While still free, the Air and Space Museum requires a timed entry ticket. Options were severely limited while I was in town. I finally landed a time slot, the museum was absolutely packed, and several galleries were closed for renovations. I was overwhelmed by screaming kids and harried families, so I abbreviated my visit and ducked out quickly. I really enjoyed the Wright Brothers and Destination Moon exhibits. There is a LOT to see and learn, but only if you can get up to the artifacts and read the placards without tripping over tantruming tots. ;)

The National Museum of African American History & Culture is new to the National Mall, and timed tickets are required for entry. I was told to be prepared to spend a LOT of time here, but nothing could have prepared me for how much there really is to see and learn.This museum is 6 stories of dense exhibits that will make you feel ALL of the emotions. I spent 4 hours on my last day in DC, but I would highly recommend doing at least two half day visits to this museum. Unfortunately I was there with several school field trips, and all the kids were fighting to complete their worksheets/scavenger hunts. So it was a bit chaotic and made it hard to get to everything, but I enjoyed myself immensely. Again, my recent trip to Boston came in handy at this museum because there were lots of callbacks to the things I learned on the Freedom Trail Tour. The sports/music/film/tv rooms were obviously my favorites, but there were some REALLY moving artifacts and experiences in this museum. It is incredibly well done and I highly recommend it, but find a way to take your time and really enjoy it.

DC isn’t really place where I’d automatically think to send architecture nerds, but there really are some wonderful examples of several of my favorite styles around town. The Presidential Inaugural Ball takes place at the National Building Museum, which is a total gem for nerds like me. Sometimes I like to start in a museum’s gift shop, because the postcard section is a primer for their prized pieces that you should keep an eye out for. DONT DO THAT HERE. This gift shop is a special Disneyland for design nerds, and I could have spent a mint and a whole day in there. The photography exhibit kept me particularly engrossed.The whole museum was filled with photos, models, replicas, and references to many of the buildings that I’ve sought out on my travels, and I learned about a few more that I immediately added to my google map wishlist. You need to purchase tickets for this one, but you should also be able to just walk right in and pay your $10 to visit.

The Capitol is another (free) tougher ticket to snag. The architecture here is stunning, and I walked around with my mouth wide open while admiring the details. It’s not a museum, but a working home for two branches of government- so what you see on your tour largely depends on what is in session/happening that day. Both the House and Congress were on recess for Thanksgiving, but we had a very informative and interesting tour through the rotunda, sculpture room, and ground floor. Thanks to the insanity on 1/6, security is particularly tight here. Leave a lot of time before your tour to navigate the check in process. If you get through everything quickly, they’ll put you on an earlier tour.

The Society of the Cincinnati is headquartered in the Anderson Mansion, and is a masterpiece of a show house. It’s free to tour (on the 15 minute of every hour from 10:15-3:15.) They have temporary exhibits, incredible artifacts, and the history of the society is pretty interesting too. George Washington and Alexander Hamilton were both presidents of the Cincinnati, and the Ohio city is named after them. It’s not a MUST SEE when you are in town, but I’d highly recommend a stroll around Embassy Row, popping into the house for a tour, and then finding some food in Dupont Circle if you have the time.

I’m obsessed with Logan Circle and Dupont Circle. The townhomes are BEAUTIFUL, there are so many cute boutiques, and everything we ate in that neighborhood was delicious. I laughed so hard at the seasonal Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade at the Barbie Pond on Avenue Q, pretended it was summer at the Watermelon house, but fully embraced the fall fun with a slice of pumpkin Milkbar pie. Dim sum at Chiko was exceptional. Capitol Doner was so delicious, I had to go back for seconds on my last day in town.

An ideal day in DC to me would be to wander Embassy Row, tour the Anderson House, get lunch at Dupont Circle, check out a couple of the free galleries in the neighborhood (we enjoyed Studio Gallery, Gallery 2112, and IA&A at Hillyer) and then have your mind blown by the Phillips Collection. I had never heard of this museum until I googled “top DC museums” and saw that it had a big impressionist collection. It was well worth the $16 timed entry ticket. I went in hoping to see their famous Van Gogh, only to realize I had just seen it the week before on loan in Detroit. I had a very funny RomCom meetcute situation with a handsome stranger at the Renoir “Luncheon of the Boating Party” that I’ll remember forever. It might not have been love at first sight, but it was for my experience with Degas’ “Woman viewed from Behind.” It is thought to be of Mary Cassatt admiring works at the Louvre, and I was instantly enamored. She is also a part of the Paul Mellon collection, and the museum boasts a Mellon Gallery upstairs with a fantastic Lichtenstein and several other fun favorites.

They were closed for a holiday break, so I didn’t get to see it, but I’m hoping you can end your dreamy day at the Biergarten at the Heurich House Museum. The building looks spectacular, and they offer a wide variety of local craft beers.

An epic paid DC Day would be a visit to the National Cathedral, a field trip to the Kreeger Museum, and end with a walk around Georgetown. You’ll have to watch one of the best episodes of television ever made, The West Wing’s “Two Cathedrals” to prepare. We booked our tickets online in advance, and had just planned to do a self-guided tour, but we arrived just as a Highlights Tour was starting, and it was INCREDIBLE. Our guide was knowledgable, funny, and gave us a magical experience. There is SO much history and beauty here, you’ll want the help to appreciate it all. This specific site was picked out by George Washington, and the tower is the tallest point in DC. Check out Woodrow Wilson’s tomb, the stained glass window with the only privately owned moon rock (hand delivered by Buzz Aldrin) and we learned that from November-January one of the stained glass windows projects a rosy glow on the Christmas angel on the altar. I couldn’t get enough of the Children’s Chapel, and there was a beautiful display of global nativity scenes. I’d absolutely go back to do an art & architecture tour and/or the tower climb. The exterior doesn’t even begin to hint at the majesty of the interior. It’s fully worth the cost of admission, but if you don’t have time the carillon bells can be heard from miles around.

The Kreeger Museum is a slightly off the beaten path mansion with a suggested donation/entrance fee of $10. They have a wonderful collection of Monet, Picasso, a couple Van Gogh, Degas, an interesting contemporary art collection, and a beautiful sculpture garden. I was captivated by their Monets, and thought they were entirely worth the trip. I was able to fully enjoy this beautiful museum in about an hour, but I can see spending 2-3 hours to take advantage of the gorgeous grounds. It wasn’t a very long walk to a bus to Georgetown where I enjoyed strolling around the Christmassy streets and storefronts. Fans of The Exorcist should be sure the check out the iconic steps filmed for the vintage horror flick.

Another fun pairing is the Spy Museum and a wander around the wharf. My mom is a huge fan of James Bond movies, and when she decided to join me and to do Thanksgiving with our cousins in Baltimore, the only thing I put on the list that we HAD to do together was check out the Spy Museum. It is incredibly well curated, interactive, inspiring, and fun! Every guest is given a secret mission, spy identity and dossier. There are stations throughout the museum to work on your challenges and complete your mission. Nearly every time slot was sold out all week, so I took the only spot we could get and it was a ZOO. We couldn’t access any of the many kiosks until the final room in the museum. It’s pretty expensive and very popular, but absolutely worth the stop. I learned a lot, was inspired and amazed by so much, and we had a wonderful time!

It’s just a quick stumble down the hill to the wharf, which was lively and filled with all kinds of food and fun. When I was growing up in San Diego, my mom would stop at the Fish Market and get us each a cup of chowder (Manhattan for her, New England for me) and we’d sit on the wharf and talk about my trip to see my dad. It was kind of fun continuing the tradition here since my dad had just dropped me off from my Michigan visit. We walked with our red and white soups and checked out the skating rink, several adorable trees, festive cheer, and we found the best oysters of life at the Rappahannock Oyster Bar.

One summer, my roommate had a college friend stay with us for an internship. Bernadette became a surrogate sister and I loved spending time with her. Somehow a decade passed before we were able to see each other again. We randomly happened to be in Sedona at the same time last spring, but I told her I would move DC up my wishlist so I could visit her again. We’re both big fans of The Office, and we had the most incredible time goofing off in The Office Experience. It’s by the same company that did The Friends Experience that I did (twice) in New York, and it was equally as well done. We had a blast re-enacting favorite moments of the show and engaging with the exhibits and paraphernalia.

Bernadette was also kind enough to take me to nearby Wheaton, Maryland. Much like my field trip to Wheaton, Illinois, it was a complete trip to see my name on the sides of buildings, benches, and billboards around town. I dont think any of you need to make a stop unless we share blood or a name, but I sure had a blast. It was even more fun spending time with Bernadette.

She wasn’t the only old friend I got to see while I was in town. Sweet Susan and I met on a beer and chocolate tour in Brussels several years ago. Turns out she spends part of the year just 2 turns away from my housesit. We met up for a fabulous french dinner and my beloved Levain Bakery cookies before she headed out of town to visit her family for Thanksgiving.Sanmeet and I met up at a brewery so I could meet his dog, Nugget, which was a much safer wildlife encounter than the one we had with moose at Denali National Park. I mentioned that my mom and I joined her cousins near Baltimore for a fantastic family gathering. I also finally got to experience my old friend, Joe’s Stone Crab, with her. The flagship location in Miami was a favorite stop for me when I was in town regularly on business. I’d always wanted to bring my mom, so imagine my shock when I walked past one when I got off the bus one day. Somehow the staff there always greets you like family, and it feels like sharing a meal with an old friend, even if you’re at a table for one. Mom and I had a great time! I even made it to Arlington to say goodbye to the man meant to marry my dear friend Laura.

Besides reunions with old friends, I made some wonderful new ones in town too. I absolutely adored my time in Washington DC. The cat I watched was persnickety and hilarious. He may be named Roy, but I’ll be thinking of him as Roy Kent for the rest of my days. His mom, Hannah, and I bonded so nicely. I can’t wait to come back and visit. Until then, I’ll be daydreaming about their magical museum mecca, and plotting a way to get back for the blossoms (and a visit to the TBD refurbished) National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Please note, if you plan to visit DC and the White House is high on your wishlist, you’ll need to reach out to your congress person 1-3 months in advance. Most museums and monuments can be visited with a timed entry ticket purchased the day before, some offer limited day of tickets, and there were a few I was able to just walk into. Security is pretty strict at most of the museums, so solo female travelers like me will need to leave their pepper spray or other personal safety devices at home. Mine got confiscated at Arlington National Cemetery of all places. The lighter you travel, the easier it is to breeze through the lines and keep moving. I don’t care when you go or what you do- but I sure hope you get there soon.