Are you looking for some out-of-the-way educational places to visit in the nation’s capital? Whether visiting Washington, D.C. for the first time or coming back for a return visit, consider spending some of your time away from the National Mall and major tourist areas of town. If you are a resident of the area, it can also be good to know some less popular places to take visitors or to visit for yourself. Even if you are only considering a move to the area and are shopping the apartments or condos for sale Arlington VA or elsewhere in the DC area, now is a great time to start finding those favorite cultural and educational facilities that you may want to frequent later.
Washington National Cathedral
Visit one of the grandest gothic cathedrals in the country and the sixth largest in the world, right here in Washington, D.C. The Washington National Cathedral is an Episcopalian cathedral with regular services that anyone can attend as well as ticketed tours of the facility.
United States National Arboretum
The United States National Arboretum was established in 1927 and is over 450 acres in size. It’s a great place to get out and stretch your legs or enjoy some nature during your visit to the nation’s capital. With a variety of delightful gardens with names like the Youth Garden, Fern Valley, and Friendship Garden, there’s sure to be something here that will interest everyone in your party. For the youngest members of your group, the Agents of Discovery app can be installed on your phone. This detective-style game allows children to complete missions while learning more about the arboretum and the plants and animals that live there.
DAR Museum
The DAR Museum is a museum created and managed by the Daughters of the American Revolution. This free museum is open to the public and you can tour on your own or with an audio tour. The museum is focused on decorative arts throughout America’s history. Exhibits are arranged by location and era and each room will transport you into a specific time period. If you’re interested in a more educational experience docent-led tours are also available.
Ford’s Theater
This famous theater in Washington, D.C. is well-known as the location of President Lincoln’s assassination. Now designated as a national historic site, you can tour this building in several different ways. You can join a ranger program to learn more about the history of the building or follow along with a living history program. You can wander through the Ford’s Theater Museum on your own or rent an audio tour to enhance your visit. Don’t forget, the building is actually a functioning theater that still hosts performances for visitors. While tickets are expensive, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime visit.
Smithsonian National Zoo
A few miles north of the National Mall and the White House sits the Smithsonian National Zoo. This 163-acre park hosts 2 million visitors each year and is home to almost 1,800 animals. Besides the well-known exhibits, you can also watch daily animal demos. These daily scheduled events are located all over the zoo and allow you to observe animals while they are being fed and trained. They may also allow you to meet specific animals and their keepers. This is a great way to get more out of your zoo visit. Plan to spend several hours here if you want to see everything.
Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center opened in 1971 as a cultural center for both classic and contemporary performances, education, and support of the arts. As the country’s busiest performing arts center it often hosts around 2,000 events a year. You can visit to attend a performance such as a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra or the National Opera. You can also visit the center outside of performance times to take a free informative tour such as the tour of the main Kennedy Center building, the REACH tour, or the campus highlights tour.
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
If you need a way to get out in nature and out of the bustle of the city Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is a great place for that. This park is filled with ponds and other aquatic areas as well as a large number of wildlife such as frogs and turtles, It is also home to ancient lotus and lily plants. While this is a national park, you won’t be getting any strenuous hikes here as the longest trail is only a half mile long. If you are feeling more adventurous you can even canoe among the marshes.
Rock Creek Park
More than a natural getaway in the middle of the city, which it is, Rock Creek Park also offers historic and scientific sites. The main visitor center is the Rock Creek Park nature center which has information, a bookstore, and exhibits. There’s also a children’s discovery room and live animals such as snakes on display. There is a planetarium here, the only one in the National Park Service. You can even go horseback riding in the park by booking a trail ride on experienced horses which amble along several of the horse-friendly trails. If riding horses is not your style, maybe kayaking along the creek is more interesting to you. Kayaks are available for rent in the park. As for historic sites, Pierce Mill is located on the park grounds and is open for visitors during normal park hours. Other historic sites nearby include several civil war revolutionary war forts such as Fort Stevens where civil war reenactments are sometimes hosted.