3 Day Weekend: American History on the National Mall
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Many tourists come to Washington, DC to learn about early American history. There is so much to see across the city but for this long weekend itinerary, we’ll focus on the museums and sights near the National Mall. This is very packed, but we’re here to see the highlights, and we’ve only got a few days! Usually, I’d only recommend 2 museums per day plus an evening activity, but I’ve stacked this itinerary so you can realistically do all of these attractions in about 2 and a half days. Feel free to remove or add in anything based on time and interest.
For this post, I am assuming a couple of things:
- You are taking Amtrak or Metro into the city on a Friday morning and leaving on Sunday evening. If you are flying, I would recommend flying into DCA and taking the Metro downtown.
- It’s your first or second trip to DC, and you are focused on visiting major museums on or near the National Mall.
- You are staying in DC or in the suburbs near a Metro line.
Friday Afternoon
Starting Metro Stop: Union Station (Red) – can be accessed by Amtrak or Metro
Postal Museum
The Postal Museum is one of the most underrated Smithsonian museums. It’s near Union Station so it’s a bit of a trek from the other museums on the National Mall. Visitors may also think that it’s just a stamp collection, but it is so much more. I am always surprised but the beautiful American storytelling this museum can showcase through stamps alone. You can see the evolution of stamp design throughout American History, how communication and information evolved as the mail system did, and the history of the Postal Service.
Evening Monument Tour
In the evening, catch the monuments with a monument tour. The National Mall is safe for walking at dusks you can do this tour on foot. However, a bus tour will give you some additional history without all the extra walking. A few options to consider:
- DC Monuments and Memorials Night Tour: This 3-hour minibus tour takes you past many of the monuments on the National Mall and includes a guide to explain the history.
- Washington, DC by Moonlight Electric Cart Tour: This intimate 3-hour tour goes near the National Mall and the Tidal Basin. The cart seats 7 people and includes a guide.
- Washington DC Monuments by Moonlight Tour by Trolley: This popular 2.5-hour tour takes you near Capitol Hill, the National Mall, and the Tidal Basin. The trolley is open air so dress for the weather!
Saturday
Capitol Tour
Starting Metro Stop: Capitol South (Orange, Blue, Silver)
Reserve a Capitol tour early in the day before the rest of the museums open to make the most of the day. Tours are free and start at 8:30 am Monday to Saturday. (They are closed on Sunday, so if you are here for the weekend, don’t miss a Saturday tour.) The tour is about 1 hour and you’ll see the Crypt, Rotunda, and National Statuary Hall.
The Capitol grounds are massive and gorgeous. Leave a little extra time for photos in the front and the back. I’ve visited many times, but the grandeur of the view from the back gets me every time. Take some photos and a moment to reflect quietly. If you visit between Thanksgiving and the New Year, look out of the Capitol Tree on the front lawn.
Note that security is more strict at the Capitol than at most museums. Bags must be under 18″ wide x 14″ high x 8.5″ deep. Unopened, packaged food is allowed. (I usually have packaged candy for medical reasons and have never had an issue.) No liquids are allowed, but you can bring an empty water bottle to fill inside the building.
Lunch
The cafes in the Capitol and the Museum of the American Indiana are two of the most beloved cafes. If you want to try both, grab a snack at one and lunch at the other. If your Capitol Tour is early enough, you may not be ready for a full lunch, but snacks are available. Food trucks are also parked on the National Mall, but I generally tell people to avoid them. They vary in terms of quality and can be very overpriced.
Museum of the American Indian
After your Capitol Tour, head across the street to the Museum of the American Indiana. This beautiful building was designed to look like a wind-sculpted rock formation, making it stand out from the other museums. If you are short on time, don’t miss the Americans exhibit highlighting the often misunderstood stories of Pocahontas, the Trail of Tears, and the Battle of Little Bighorn. The Return to a Native Place: Algonquian Peoples of the Chesapeake exhibit highlights the stories of the Native People local to the DC areas.
Air and Space Museum
This stop is optional because it doesn’t directly follow the theme of American history for the weekend. However, it is worth noting that the Air and Space Museum has an exhibit celebrating the Wright Brothers. The Destination Moon exhibit also explores the impact the moon landing had on the world in the context of everything else happening in the 1960s, including the Civil Rights Movement, the JFK assassination, and the impact of pop culture music.
The Air and Space Museums require timed tickets, but they are usually flexible on entry time within the hour.
The Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum
The Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum are located in Gallery Place. They are both open later than the other Smithsonian museums so you can end your day here. The Portrait Gallery is home to all of the Presidential portraits, which you can walk through starting with George Washington or the most recent president. The presidents are also loosely grouped by era so you can follow their stories within the historical context of the time.
While I’d normally put the American Art Museum on an art-focused itinerary, it is worth a stop while you’re here. A courtyard connects the museums and are easy to visit together. Notable history-focused art at the American Art Museum include The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture and Isaac Julien: Lessons of the Hour - Frederick Douglass.
The Portrait Gallery is about a 20-minute walk from the Air and Space Museum. The Archives Metro station is about a 10-minute and you can ride one stop to Gallery Place-Chinatown.
Dinner
There are dozens of great restaurants near the Portrait Gallery including Zaytinya by Jose Andres, The Smith, Succotash, Moon Rabbit, and Fig and Olive. Urban Roost and Dirty Habit also have great cocktails. This area has easy access to the Metro Center station (Red, Orange, Blue, Silver) and Gallery Place-Chinatown (Green, Yellow) so you can get to other great dining areas like The Wharf, U Street, and Navy Yard.
Sunday
Starting Metro Stop: Smithsonian (Orange, Blue, Silver)
Monument Walking Tour
If you want to squeeze in a daytime tour of the monuments, get up before the museums open and do a lap around the reflecting pool. Take the Metro to the Smithsonian stop and head toward the Washington Monument. You’ll see the World War II Memorial and the reflecting pool nearby. Walk to the loop to see the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial. This walk takes about an hour, and you can read a more detailed blog post here. When you are back at the Washington Monument, you’ll be near the Museums of African American History and Culture.
The Smithsonian Metro stop is a good starting point whether you start with the walking tour or the Museum of African American History and Culture.
Museum of African American History and Culture
After the loop around the reflecting pool, you’ll be near the Museum of African American History and Culture. Enter a beautiful lobby and head downstairs by elevator for three floors of pre-Civil War History through the Civil Rights Movement. The layout of these floors guides you seamlessly through exhibits, so give yourself at least 2 hours to take in the full story. It is not as easy to visit exhibits individually as in other museums, but immersing yourself in the full history is the point. After taking in the lower floors, head upstairs to see tributes to pop culture including music, visual art, sports, and theater. Make sure to stop by the Contemplative Court before you leave for quiet reflection. The falling water is very powerful after taking in the exhibits. You can easily spend a full half day here, but keep an eye on the time to see the other recommended stops. This museum is also a good place to grab lunch before continuing your day.
Timed tickets (free) are required for this museum. They are released on a 30-day rolling schedule and same day at 8:15 am.
Museum of American History
Next, walk to the Museum of American History for exhibits like American Democracy, America on the Move, Food: Transforming America’s Table, The First Ladies, and even the flag that inspired the National Anthem. Exhibits are interactive and easy to pop in and out of, so you can prioritize what looks most interesting to you if you are short on time. If you have children under 6, Wegmans Wonderplace is a special learning area in the museum just for them. It is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.
The National Archives
End the day at the National Archives which is about a 10-minute walk from the Museum of American History. If you need a snack, stop at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden on your way to the Archives. The Pavillion cafe offers flatbread, soup, salads, and sandwiches until 4:00 pm.
The National Archives is home to all of America’s important documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. There are also exhibits where you can learn the history of the documents. This is a smaller space because the main focus is seeing the documents. You can spend 2 hours reading all of the exhibit information, but if you are short on time, you can head straight to the documents.
To minimize wait times, you can get timed tickets for the National Archives, but they are not required. There is a limit on the number of people allowed inside at one time, so sometimes a line will form for people without tickets. I’d recommend getting tickets just in case – especially if you visit during the summer or cherry blossom season from late March to mid-April. If you visit during the week or during the off-season, it is less likely that there will be a line to get in.
Dinner
If you have time for dinner, walk up 7th Street to eat at restaurants like Oyamel, Rasika, Hill Country BBQ, or Luke’s Lobster. If you are headed elsewhere in the city, the closest Metro stop is Archives (Green and Yellow). If you need to Union Station, you can transfer to the Red Line at Gallery Place-Chinatown.