Washington, D.C., District of ColumbiaFree
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Free in Washington, D.C.
Parks, beaches, views and sights that cost nothing.
18 places
The top 18
Places we've verified as free to visit, ranked by our own engine.
4.9· 26kLandmark · The West End1. World War II Memorial
National Mall memorial to the 16 million Americans who served in WWII, with 56 granite pillars around a plaza and fountain at the Reflecting Pool's east end.
4.9· 8.9kLandmark · The West End2. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
National Park Service memorial on the Tidal Basin with the Stone of Hope statue of Dr. King and a wall of quotations.
4.9· 5.7kLandmark · Rosslyn3. US Marine Corps War Memorial
Bronze Iwo Jima statue near Arlington National Cemetery, with views across the Potomac to the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Capitol.
4.9· 3.3kLandmark · The West End4. Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Black granite wall on the National Mall engraved with the names of over 58,000 U.S. service members dead or missing in Vietnam.
4.8· 140kPark · The Wharf5. National Mall
Landscaped national park between the Capitol and Lincoln Memorial, lined with Smithsonian museums and memorials including the Washington Monument.
4.8· 59kMuseum · Chinatown6. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian museum with dinosaur fossils, the Hope Diamond, a live butterfly pavilion, mummies and human evolution exhibits.
4.8· 54kLandmark · The West End7. Lincoln Memorial
Neoclassical memorial with a 19-foot seated marble Lincoln statue, overlooking the Reflecting Pool; lit at night.
4.8· 31kMuseum · Chinatown8. National Museum of African American History and Culture
Smithsonian museum on the National Mall covering African American history, culture and community, with galleries on slavery, segregation and music.
4.8· 23kPark · Capitol Hill9. US Capitol Grounds
Landscaped grounds around the U.S. Capitol; free guided building tours start at the Capitol Visitor Center, closed Sundays.
4.8· 21kGallery · Chinatown10. National Gallery of Art
National art museum with West and East Buildings and a sculpture garden on the National Mall; admission is free.
4.8· 19kGarden · Southwest Waterfront11. United States Botanic Garden
Glass conservatory with themed rooms, plus outdoor gardens and a butterfly garden by the Capitol; free entry.
4.8· 18kMuseum · The Wharf12. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
National museum and memorial documenting the Holocaust through a permanent exhibition, temporary shows and survivor testimony.
4.8· 14kGallery · Chinatown13. National Portrait Gallery
Smithsonian museum of portraits of influential Americans, including the presidential portraits, with a glass-roofed courtyard atrium.
4.8· 13kLandmark · The Wharf14. Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Domed neoclassical rotunda on the Tidal Basin with a statue of Thomas Jefferson; open 24 hours and lit at night, with a small basement museum.
4.8· 4.5kPark · Barnaby Woods15. Rock Creek Park
Large NPS urban park with forested hiking, biking and horseback trails, picnic areas, a nature center and planetarium.
4.8· 4.2kLandmark · Captains Row16. Old Town Alexandria Waterfront
Riverside promenade on the Potomac in Old Town Alexandria with parks, restaurants, shops, the Torpedo Factory and water taxi.
4.8· 3.9kMuseum · Chinatown17. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian museum of American art in the historic Old Patent Office Building, with a glass-roofed courtyard shared with the National Portrait Gallery.
4.8· 3.9kLandmark · Penrose18. Arlington National Cemetery
Military cemetery with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, JFK's eternal flame, Arlington House and the changing of the guard.
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Places checked on 4 November 2026. How we pick