Entrance to the exhibit, Entertainment Nation
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
Washington, D.C.
By Katie McElveen
If it’s been a minute since you visited the nation’s capital, now is the time to head back. Thanks to a spate of recently opened exhibitions, installations, reopenings and special events, Washington, D.C., is buzzing with more than politics.
The allosaurus fossil displayed at the National Museum of Natural History
USNM V 4734, Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Mike Gaudaur
Comprising 21 museums, including the National Gallery of Art, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex. Free of charge, it’s where you’ll discover objects of wonder—one of the largest and most complete T. rex skeletons ever found (National Museum of Natural History), the original Star-Spangled Banner (National Museum of American History) and the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci on display in the United States (National Gallery of Art).
Objects like Prince's yellow cloud guitar can be seen on display at Entertainment Nation.
Don’t miss Entertainment Nation, a sprawling exhibition at the National Museum of American History that opened in 2022. The pop culture-focused show features more than 200 objects covering film, television, theater, sports and music. Look for Maya Angelou’s typewriter and a baseball signed by Babe Ruth, both included in the multimedia exhibition, which opens with a red-carpet entry and took curators more than five years to assemble.
Vibrant sunrise over the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
getty images
In 2025, look forward to the opening of a few of the final 12 galleries and renovations at the National Air and Space Museum. Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall and Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight, as well as the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater and the museum’s Jefferson Drive entrance on the National Mall, are said to be opening in the spring of next year. The remaining galleries and public spaces are slated to open in time for the museum’s 50th anniversary in July 2026 (and America’s 250th birthday!).
The novelty and excitement extend beyond the Smithsonian to other cultural stops, including the National Building Museum, which was completed in 1887. Today, you can wander through the grand, columned space or take in architecturally inspired displays. The newest long-term exhibition, “Building Stories,” which opened earlier this year, is an immersive exploration of the world of architecture, engineering, construction and design told through the pages of children’s books.
June sees the reopening of Capitol Hill’s Folger Shakespeare Library after a four-year, $80.5 million renovation. Its inaugural permanent exhibition will showcase the library’s 82-copy collection of Shakespeare’s First Folios, which were produced in 1623 and are considered the first published copies of the Bard’s works.
Rendering showcasing a moment from the choreographed multi-media program inside the 1:5 scale model of the White House
The White House Historical Association
This fall, the White House Visitor Center will launch “The People’s House: A White House Experience,” an interactive exhibition that will allow attendees to take a virtual tour of the Rose Garden, put themselves in the Oval Office and see what goes on during a state dinner. Technology is driving the experience, which shares all that unfolds behind the scenes of the Executive Mansion. Entry is free, but timed.
Mock up of "A Soldier's Journey" bronze sculpture
NPS.GOV
September sees the installation of the U.S. National WWI Memorial, which will honor 4.7 million servicemen and women with five scenes and 38 larger-than-life-size human figures. Entitled “A Soldier’s Journey,” the memorial will be located in Pershing Park in front of the Willard InterContinental Hotel.
These current exhibitions and coming-soon installations pair well with a guided vacation that includes the monuments for which Washington is known. Indeed, D.C. is an excellent starting point from which to travel to nearby states and get better acquainted with the nation’s history and the origins of the United States. Amtrak Vacations offers excellent rail packages that put train travel and visiting D.C. in the same itinerary.
La Cosecha Calle Latina at Union Market
UNION MARKET
If all that exploration has you hungry, you’re in the right place. Even before D.C. Chef Rob Rubba took home the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2023, the Capital City was shining brightly as a destination for foodies. Another boon to Washington’s culinary scene is Jose Andres, the chef behind World Central Kitchen, who not only owns and operates numerous restaurants in the city, including Michelin-starred Minibar, but also headquarters his dining empire in D.C. If you want to sample a variety of the city’s foodscape, visit historic Union Market. Here, dozens of food and drink sellers line the indoor space, and La Cosecha, a contemporary purveyor of Latin American goods, celebrates the culinary traditions and innovations of Hispanic culture across 20,000 square feet.
With a mouthwatering food scene trending and new attractions opening, now is the time to get reacquainted with America’s capital.
To book your tickets to attractions in Washington, D.C., visit AAA.com/Tickets.