Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Over 16 million tourists visit DC every year. There is no such thing as off the beaten path anymore.
The best you can really hope for is less beaten paths. Anything away from the national mall will get fewer tourists. C&O canal (past Georgetown, that is), arboretum, dumbarton oaks, building museum, eastern market, national geographic explorer's hall.
Dreamworks, you can find a list of over 100 little-known fascinating local DC sights, by clicking here
Travel Forums, Discussion Boards for Talk and Chat - TripAdvisor
then click on "United States"
then click on "District of Columbia"
then in the DC search box type "Hidden Gems"
then click on the first link at top marked "DC's Hidden Gems for Tourists" to see the whole list of 126 suggested sights
Kind of depends what you're looking for. You want music venues? Interesting art galleries? Cutting-edge little theaters? Restaurants that only locals do? Nature getaways? Parks? Great views?
I'll just throw some out:
Embassy events can be interesting.
Great Falls on the Potomac River is definitely worth the view.
The W Hotel has a nice rooftop view overlooking the White House / Washington Monument.
Bohemian Caverns and Blues Alley are nice places to see a jazz / blues show.
Blackcat is pretty well known, but still has solid performances from offbeat bands.
Longview Art Gallery on 7th Street NW just north of the Convention Center has a nice vibe, as do Flashpoint and Hamilton.
Dupont Circle has a number of private art galleries
The Warehouse Theater behind The Passenger Bar (also on 7th) is a nice little raw venue that you'd never find.
The DC Arts Center (DCAC) in Adams Morgan sometimes has some good performances (hit or miss) in their back area.
Keegan Theatre on Church Street is solid.
Gibson on 14th and U NW has no sign but a reputation for good food
There's no shortage of great brunches on the weekend (the drag queen brunch at Perry's in Adams Morgan is a long-time favorite) but Asylum Bar around the corner has a surprisingly solid one with vegan options
There's a stretch of good Ethiopian food near 9th and U NW,
Some funky bars on H Street NE (as well as the Atlas Theater)
A good Thai restaurant (forget its name) in the basement of a rowhouse on Florida Ave. west of Rhode Island, NW.
The Frederick Douglass House and the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum in Anacostia, as well as a number of solid soul food joints.
Meridian Hill Park has a really nice Italian feel to it with a cascading waterfall and fountains.
the "Spanish Steps" at 22nd and S Streets NW - reminiscent of the ones in Rome Italy
Meridian Hill (Malcolm X) Park and gardens on 16th Street NW
the Clara Barton (Red Cross founder's) house tour at Glen Echo - the house is built in the shape of a ship
the Franciscan Monastery, replica of Catacombs and Bethlehem nativity grotto, in NE DC
the Temperance Fountain with giant bird statue, at 7th and Penn Ave NW - originally built 100 years ago as an ornate water drinking fountain by Mr. Cogsworth a Prohibitionist
the whimsical, giant bust statue of Albert Einstein, behind the Science building on Constitution Ave. - it was shown on the cover of last year's Washingtonian Magazine- it was sculpted in the same "rough texture" as the bust of JFK in the KenCen's great hall.
the "World's Largest Chair" in front of furniture store on M.L. King Ave, SE
the great view of the city from the Catholic Church grounds on Morris Road, SE
the "wave and seagulls" statue by the G.W. Parkway
the Patent Office museum in Alexandria --- the Drug Enforcement Agency museum in Arlington -- the Medical Museum at Walter Reed
the Torpedo Factory arts studio complex in Old Town Alexandria, across from the busy dock/ boardwalk
the funny and unusual "Awakening" sculpture at National Harbor, MD
Last edited by slowlane3; 04-18-2011 at 11:03 AM..
Some of the best times I've had in DC have been spent at museums and galleries that are off the Mall. The Kreeger, Phillips Collection (hardly "off the beaten path" but still attracts far more locals than tourists), Hillwood Museum, Dumbarton, Textile Museum, Anderson House, A-A Civil War Museum and Heurich Mansion are all worthwhile stops.
In northeast (a quadrant most tourists don't get to) the National Shrine, Franciscan Monastery and National Arboretum are well worth a visit.
For Reno Park near Tenleytown hosts a cool summer concert series with an indie rock/punk focus.
Glen Echo used to be a theme park, now it's an arts center replete with a Spanish ballroom and a working carousel. The glass blowing house always intrigues me.
A stroll along the towpath along Canal Road is a great way to kill a couple of hours on a nice day.
Congressional Cemetary, near Potomac Ave in southeast, is a truly fascinating place and home to a lot of famous dead Washingtonians.
And you should visit the SW fish wharf before some condo development eats it up.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
