Cultural Tourism DC Calendar
The first-ever collaboration between acclaimed contemporary artist Shepard Fairey and the estate of legendary photographer Jim Marshall. In it, Fairey interprets Marshall’s iconic photography from the 1960’s, including images of Johnny Cash, Cesar Chavez, and Fannie Lee Chaney, with five new works, vividly depicting the humanity behind some of our country’s enduring social justice issues: Voting Rights, Mass Incarceration, Workers’ Rights, Gun Culture, and Two Americas. The art of American Civics gives a face to these issues to cultivate dialogue and encourage vigorous solutions to problems that have divided the country and eroded the core of the American ideals.
We are proud to offer our newest, affordable sightseeing option – AUDIO TOURS. Can’t make one of our guided tours? Well, we have recorded some of our best tour guides giving their tours and put them on a GPS enabled app. We’ve also included downloadable PDF maps of each walk, so that you don’t need to have GPS maps running with the app (save your battery).
- Download our free app on (iTunes) or (Android)
- Download any audio tour (Free – $1.99/each)
- Enjoy the tour
Even if you don’t download any tours, you will still have access to valuable information on sightseeing, eating and playing in the Washington, D.C.
Available Tours:
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Historic Georgetown
- Georgetown University
We are proud to offer our newest, affordable sightseeing option – AUDIO TOURS. Can’t make one of our guided tours? Well, we have recorded some of our best tour guides giving their tours and put them on a GPS enabled app. We’ve also included downloadable PDF maps of each walk so that you don’t need to have GPS maps running with the app (save your battery).
- Download our free app on (iTunes) or (Android)
- Download any audio tour (Free – $1.99/each)
- Enjoy the tour
Even if you don’t download any tours, you will still have access to valuable information on sightseeing, eating and playing in Washington, D.C.
Available Tours:
- The National Mall
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Historic Georgetown
- Georgetown University
The First World War remade the world geopolitically and transformed how societies engage and relate to military conflict.
Artistic expression during the war contributed to this transformation. Before World War I, war art largely depicted heroic military leaders and romanticized battles, done long after the fact, far from the battlefield. The First World War marked a turning point with the appearance of artwork intended to capture the moment in a realistic way, by first-hand participants.
This exhibition examines this form of artistic expression from two complementary perspectives. One is professional artists who were recruited by the U.S. Army, serving in the AEF. They were the first true combat artists. The other is soldiers who created artwork. Their self-expression in the form of stone carvings in underground shelters, hidden away for a century, has been brought to light for the first time through the stunning photographs of photographer, artist, and explorer, Jeff Gusky. Together, these soldier works of art shed light on World War I in a compelling and very human way.
A collaboration between the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and National Museum of American History.
Silhouettes—cut paper profiles—were a hugely popular and democratic form of portraiture in the 19th century, offering virtually instantaneous likenesses of everyone from presidents to those who were enslaved. The exhibition “Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now” explores this relatively unstudied art form by examining its rich historical roots and considering its forceful contemporary presence. The show features works from the Portrait Gallery’s extensive collection of silhouettes, such as those by Auguste Edouart, who captured the likenesses of such notable figures as John Quincy Adams and Lydia Maria Child, and at the same time, the exhibition reveals how contemporary artists are reimagining silhouettes in bold and unforgettable ways.
Breaking News: Alexander Hamilton
Drawing on historical newspapers from the collection of Antonia M. Chambers, this exhibition highlights important life events and accomplishments of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, who played a role in bringing the U.S. capital to Washington, D.C. Organized in cooperation with the Albert H. Small Center for National Capital Area Studies.
Museum and Shop Hours
Monday: 11 AM–5 PM
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday–Thursday: 11 AM–7 PM
Friday: 11 AM–5 PM
Saturday: 10 AM–5 PM
Sunday: 1–5 PM
Closed on university holidays
Admission
$8 suggested donation for non-members. Free for museum members, children, and current GW students, faculty, and staff.
There are many other bus tours currently running. Be sure to read our comparison post on Washington, D.C. bus tours to help you navigate all the different bus tour options available to you, from open-top double-deckers to small group sprinter vans, from day trips to night tours. We cover it all and provide you with the insight necessary to choose what is best for you.
DC World Reggae Festival comes to the Festival Grounds at RFK for the first time in 2018. This event will feature live performances, vendors, food trucks and more for people of all ages.
The event, which grew from four years of ‘Caribbean Live’ at The Howard Theatre in Washington, DC will feature Shabba Ranks, Chronixx, Kes the Band, Toots and The Maytals, Rupee, Raging Fyah, Jah Works and Ras Slick
Hosted by Top Tier Management Group and Pumpstation Entertainment, the DC World Reggae Festival caters not only to Jamaican natives but extends to Caribbean, African and Urban audiences. The Caribbean cultured event aims to promote diversity and unity through music among the relatable diasporas. The event’s debut theme; ‘The Wise Men’ covers the topics of love, unity, spiritual rejuvenation, and health awareness. The chosen acts are all representations of the set theme. Set to commence at midday and end at 11:00pm.
Have limited time, but lots of interest? Take a 60-minute First Amendment Guided Highlights Tour of the Newseum and explore the very best of our exhibits and collections. Buy your tour tickets at the Newseum admissions desk on the day of your visit at least 10 minutes before the start of the tour.
60-minute guided tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be purchased on the day of visit.
Tour Start Times
10:00 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
No Tours
Nov. 22, 2018
Dec. 25, 2018
Note: An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter will be available for the 1:30 p.m. tour on the first Saturday of every month.
Jun 16 – Sep 23, 2018
For Fun House tickets at the National Building Museum. Tickets are timed and include one hour in Fun Houseand access to all other Museum exhibitions.
Tickets for August will be released July 13.
On display JULY 4-SEPTEMBER 3, 2018
Free: National Building Museum Members; join today.
$16: Adult
$13: Youth (ages 3-17), Student with ID, Senior (ages 60+), AARP Member with ID
$10: Blue Star (ages 3+; limit 6 per family with military ID)
After you purchase your tickets, look out for a confirmation email.
Monday–Saturday, 10 am–5 pm
Sunday, 11 am–5 pm
The Building Zone closes at 4 pm
Heavy Metal—Women to Watch 2018 on through September 16, 2018
Heavy Metal, the fifth installment in NMWA’s Women to Watch exhibition series, showcases contemporary artists working in metal. The exhibition series is presented every two to three years and is a dynamic collaboration between the museum and participating outreach committees. The 20 committees participating in Women to Watch 2018 worked with curators in their respective regions to create shortlists of artists working with metal. From this list, NMWA curators selected the artists whose work is on view in Heavy Metal.
“JOURNEY TO YUKI’S WORLD”
Japanese Artist Yuki Hiyama
Opening Reception – Saturday, August 4, 3 – 4:30 pm
Music by The Governor’s School for the Arts, Orchestra Department Artist in Attendance. Open to Public.
Enter the world of Japanese artist Yuki Hiyama. Due to a brain injury at birth, Yuki is able to communicate only through her raw, gestural abstractions.
A percentage of the sale proceeds will go to the YUKIEN SCHOOL for children with disabilities in Hiroshima, Japan. To learn more about the artist please visit her website at www.yukiartusa.com
Mark Bradford’s new work at the Hirshhorn spans roughly 400 linear feet inside the cutting-edge Smithsonian museum. Pickett’s Charge is a series of eight abstract paintings that depict the final charge of the Battle of Gettysburg, commonly noted as the most important battle of the Civil War. The result is a thought-provoking rumination on how we interpret history and the complexities of war. Bradford’s installation will also suggest issues faced by the American people today.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free admission