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Explore the winter wonderland that is DC with free activities, can't-miss free attractions and much more.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Visit this incredible monument on MLK Day or at any other time throughout the winter. The four-acre crescent shaped site in West Potomac Park on the Tidal Basin was selected for the Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial. President Obama dedicated the memorial on Oct. 16, 2011. The two mountains represent the “Mountain of Despair” reaching for “Hope from Despair,” while the space in the middle symbolizes the distance between them. The memorial is one of the highlights of the National Mall.
The U.S. National Arboretum is full of treasures, from the Capitol Columns to the Bonsai & Penjing Museum to the seven-acre Gotelli Dwarf and Slow-Growing Conifer Collection. This collection is one of the most comprehensive in the world, with 1,400 specimens forming an oasis that is perfect for getting lost in, or simply admiring from the gazebo that overlooks the area. You will be amazed by the great variance and adaptability within the conifer family.
Touring the National Mall should top your list of must-do’s when you visit the District. Free monuments, memorials and museums are all around, including the famous Lincoln and Jefferson memorials and the popular National Museum of African American History and Culture. Walk next to the Reflecting Pool and you can hear American history in your footsteps, from the sacrifices made by soldiers to the powerful words of Martin Luther King, Jr.
DC’s National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall features recently refreshed galleries that include displays such as America by Air, Destination Moon, Early Flight and Nation of Speed. Timed passes are required. Visit the museum’s website for more information.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum features modern and contemporary galleries with notable pieces by Tiffany Chung, Jeffrey Gibson, Miguel Luciano, Kay WalkingStick, Alison Saar, Hank Willis Thomas and Carrie Mae Weems. Essential works from the collection are also spectacularly displayed, such as Nam June Paik’s Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii.
Located along a two-block area of 16th Street NW in Downtown DC, the famous mural features the words “Black Lives Matter” in 50-foot-tall letters, in yellow and all caps, as well as the flag of the District. The area is open to visitors at any time of the day, allowing for reflection on the words emblazoned on the street. Many visitors take photographs of the large yellow letters that stretch down one of the nation's most iconic streets.
Three acres of skylights illuminate the masterworks at the National Gallery of Art. On par with the world’s most important art museums, the National Gallery was established with a gift from Andrew Mellon in 1937. In this marble temple are invaluable works of art from every era, including the only Leonardo Da Vinci painting in the Americas, Ginerva de’ Benci. Make sure to visit the East Building, the museum's modern art wing designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei.
The free Season's Greenings celebration at the U.S. Botanic Garden is a beloved annual tradition in the nation's capital. The 2023 edition featured five G-gauge model trains circulating through oversized animal pollinators made from plant parts. Indoors, see thousands of poinsettias as well as 22 plant-based landmarks of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the National Gallery of Art's East Building. Throughout the Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Gardens, trees and shrubs feature string lights, festive evergreens and six large plant-based sculptures of pollinators.
