Culture

There are sites throughout Washington, DC, that will give you a glimpse of how the wealthy may have lived their lives. With a number of theaters throughout the city, you can also have an opportunity to enjoy live symphony and opera performances.

Folger Shakespeare Library
(202) 544-4600
201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003

Hours and Admission 
10am-5pm Monday-Saturday
Noon-5pm Sunday. Closed
Closed Thanksgiving and December 25
No admission charged to visit building or exhibitions; evening performances and programs are ticketed events.

Located on Capitol Hill, the Folger Shakespeare Library is a world-class research center on everything Shakespeare. The building is also home to rare Renaissance books, manuscripts and art.

Hillwood Museum and Gardens
(202) 686-5807
4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

Hours and Admission
10am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday 
Closed Mondays, most federal holidays, and several weeks at the end of January 
Admission charged; reservations are recommended
Self-guided and docent tours available

Hillwood Museum and Gardens is the former 25-acre estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Heir to the Post cereal fortune. The estate features French and Russian art collections, as well as gardens maintained in the same manner as when Mrs. Post lived at the residence.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
(202) 416-8340 - Visitor Information Line
2700 F Street NW, Washington DC 20566

Hours and Admission
Tours 10am-5pm weekdays
10am-1pm weekends
No admission charged for tours; tickets required for most performances

Ballet, jazz, symphony, opera and theatre combine in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The center was established by an Act of Congress in 1958, its artistic mandate is to present a wide variety of classical and contemporary performances.

A free shuttle bus runs every 15 minutes from the Foggy Bottom Metro stop from 9 a.m. to 45 minutes after the final curtain closing each day.

National Gallery of Art
(202) 737-4215
6th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20565

Hours and Admission
10am-5pm, Monday-Saturday 
11am-6pm Sunday 
No admission charged

Priceless works of art adorn the walls of the National Gallery of Art, where you will find the only da Vinci painting on public display in the United States among many European masters.

The National Gallery of Art is one of the nation's premier art galleries with two halls--one devoted to classic painters, and the other with more modern works. The collection process began in 1937 with a gift collection from financier Andrew W. Mellon. In the West Building, you can find works from European artists like van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet and Rembrandt, along with the only da Vinci piece on public display in the U.S.

The East Building focuses on modern and contemporary works.

National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian)
(202) 633-1000
10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

Hours and Admission
10am-5:30pm
Closed December 25
No admission charged; special exhibits or programs may charge admission.

The National Museum of Natural History was one of the first Smithsonian Museums opened on the National Mall. It houses exhibits focused on the natural world and includes more than 126 million specimens.

Among the 18 halls dedicated to geology, dinosaurs, animal life, plants and insects and other subjects, you will find the Hope Diamond, a T-rex dinosaur display, an Egyptian mummy and Mammal Hall.

Warner Theatre
(202) 783-4000
513 13th Street, NW (between E and F), Washington, DC 20004

Admission and hours vary with performance events

Originally built as a 1920 movie theatre, the Warner Theatre now plays host to plays, musicals, dance and music performances.

Willard Inter-Continental Washington Hotel
1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

The Willard Inter-Continental Washington Hotel is an historic luxury hotel located just two blocks east of the White House. It has served as a gathering place for Presidents, politicians, governors and literary and cultural figures for more than 100 years. The term "lobbyist" is said to have been coined at this hotel.

Library of Congress Concert Series
(202) 707-5000
101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, DC

The Library of Congress offers a yearly concert series with classical, jazz, folk and ethnic musical performances from many acclaimed artists that have included YoYo Ma, Itzahk Perlman and many others. The performances are free of charge to the public, but require tickets for admission that may be reserved online for a nominal service charge. For a listing of this year's concerts and more information on obtaining tickets, please visit Concerts from the Library of Congress. That page also contains information of other free events (film screenings, lectures and others) offered by the Library of Congress that may be of interest to you.

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