Things to do the week of June 30 – July 3, 2025
We've gathered up things to do across the nation's capital, including museum exhibits, concerts, only-in-DC events and much more. Don't miss our things to do this weekend and things to do this month as well.
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Monday
Little Beasts: Art, Wonder and the Natural World
Art and nature lovers young and old will be delighted by this new display at the National Gallery of Art. Across more than 70 paintings, prints and drawings, visitors can see how nature has inspired art since the dawn of European natural history in the 16th and 17th centuries. Specimens and taxidermy from the National Museum of Natural History will also be showcased along with a new film by artist Dario Robleto.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
National Gallery of Art, 6th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
LIVE! Concert Series on the Plaza
From salsa to strings, and blues to swing, Live! Concert Series on the Plaza features hot entertainment for the downtown DC community. Head to Wilson Plaza between 12 and 1 p.m. and take in free lunchtime performances showcasing the area's most talented entertainers.
12-1 p.m. | Free Admission | More Information
Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Summer Evenings at the U.S. National Arboretum
Thanks to the nonprofit Friends of the National Arboretum, the 451-acre park will stay open until 8 p.m. (three hours past regular closing time) giving visitors the chance to experience one of DC’s most picturesque destinations in a new light. This limited-time opportunity invites you to picnic, walk or bike after hours, catch golden-hour views of the Capitol Columns and enjoy special events throughout the summer.
More Info | Excludes June 7, 14 & 21
3501 New York Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002
Tuesday
The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution
The Library of Congress brings together letters, ledgers, diaries, maps, drawings and other artifacts to illuminate the similarities and differences between two iconic figures of the Revolutionary War: George Washington and King George III. Although the two never met, visitors can envision where they would clash and where they would compromise in this stirring exhibit that features items from a wide range of collections, including the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle, London’s Science Museum and George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Hours | Free Admission
Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540
Duel Reality
Shakespeare Theatre Company stages The Bard’s most beloved tale in a way you’ve never seen before. Duel Reality combines theatre, dance, circus acrobatics and stunts in pitting the two families of Romeo and Juliet against each other. You need to see Shakespeare told through acrobatics, trust us. The show is suitable for all ages.
Tickets
Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Les Misérables
Back in 1986, the Kennedy Center hosted the pre-Broadway run of what has become one of the most popular musicals of all time. And in the summer of 2025, Les Mis comes home. Seen by more than 130 million people worldwide, this brilliant new interpretation of the classic production tells an epic story of love, passion, redemption and survival set in 19th-century France.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Wednesday
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The free festival salutes different international cultures every year on the National Mall with craft exhibits, live music and cooking demos. The 2025 edition focuses on "Youth and the Future of Culture."
More Info | Free Admission
Vivian Browne: My Kind of Protest
The Phillips Collection uncovers previously unknown pieces and archival findings to showcase the depth of three decades of work by Vivian Browne. The exhibition features paintings, prints, works on paper and additional ephemera, highlighting Browne’s incredible career as an artist, activist, teacher and founder of one of the first women’s art cooperatives in Manhattan. Her approach to color and form continues to challenge concepts of figuration and abstraction.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 2000
You’ve Got A Friend: Women Pop Songwriters
Contemporary pop music features a staggering array of brilliant women who sing and write their own compositions. Signature Theatre Company celebrates icons like Adele, Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, Dolly Parton, Carole King, Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell with performances of their classic songs. The setlist will include “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “Rolling in the Deep,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “You’re So Vain” and “Cactus Tree,” among many others.
Tickets
Signature Theatre Company, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Thursday
Momentum Park(our)
The National Building Museum' summer installation transforms the Museum’s Great Hall into an immersive parkour environment. The family-friendly physical and educational journey takes visitors through elements of design, spatial awareness and movement. Developed in partnership with Mark Toorock, founder of American Parkour, the space allows for guests to navigate an obstacle landscape that challenges agility and invites new ways of engaging with the built environment.
Hours & Admission
National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Shahzia Sikander: The Last Post
The Smithsonian American Art Museum showcases a groundbreaking work that deeply examines the legacy of British colonialism in Asia. Shahzia Sikander’s signature approach is evident in the way The Last Post blends Indo-Persian miniature paintings with contemporary flavor: see the score by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Du Yun and the way images form and dissolve around the piece’s central figure.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical
If you’re full of fear and loathing, boy, does Signature Theatre have a show for you this summer. A rock musical about Hunter S. Thompson promises to be a raucous, bewildering immersion into Gonzo journalism, political anarchy and drug culture. The anticipated production is directed by Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Arena Stage
A Wrinkle in Time
With music and lyrics by Heather Christian, a book by Lauren Yee (the mind behind Cambodian Rock Band) and direction by Lee Sunday Evans, this highly anticipated production comes to Arena Stage next summer. Join main character Meg on an epic quest in an adventurous new musical adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's Newbery Medal-winning novel. Prepare for a spellbinding journey through space and time.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
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