Washington DC Official Visitors Guide - Washington DC Official Visitors Guide Fall/Winter 2026
The Arts & Culture Capital
2026-09-15 16:34:59
No city tells a story like DC. The District’s theaters, museums and music venues make it a goldmine for artistic brilliance.
SHOWTIME
WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY
Firmly situated at the cutting edge, expect stunning and offbeat productions, especially with new Artistic Director (and acclaimed playwright) Reggie D. White at the helm.
The Bard’s best work is paired alongside exciting new plays across the company’s two venues: Harman Hall and Klein Theatre (both in Penn Quarter).
A beacon for regional playhouses in the U.S., the Southwest mainstay was the first racially integrated theater in DC. Its diverse slate of shows continues to push boundaries.
Must-dos: See Measure for Measure (Sept. 22 – Oct. 25), a rarely produced Shakespearean comedy; attend a performance by the Folger Consort; visit the theater’s accompanying Shakespeare museum and see the First Folios.
The Tony Award-winning Come From Away makes a triumphant return from Sept. 10 – Oct. 18. Mark this one down, too: the annual staging of A Christmas Carol (Nov. 19 – Dec. 31).
Take your pick from a packed seasonal slate that includes Dirty Dancing (opens Sept. 29), Maybe Happy Ending (Oct. 6) and Hamilton (Dec. 16).
MUST-SEE EXHIBITS
THE AMERICAN STORY
Open now | National Archives
Artifacts include a 1823 stone engraving of the Declaration of Independence and George Washington's annotated copy of the Constitution.
THE ART OF AIR AND SPACE: INTERPRETATIONS OF FLIGHT
Open now | National Air and Space Museum
Take to the skies with pieces from the museum’s collection by Francisco Goya, Norman Rockwell and Annie Leibovitz.
AMERICAN ICON: THE U.S. FLAG IN ART
Open through Dec. 6 | National Gallery of Art
Encounter the U.S. flag’s representation through paintings, prints and photographs from the late-1800s onward.
ROUTED WEST: TWENTIETH CENTURY AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILTS IN CALIFORNIA
Sept. 18 – Jan. 17, 2027 | National Museum of Women in the Arts
Trace the flow of artful quilts by Black artists during the Second Great Migration across 80 pieces.
AVERY, GOTTLIEB, ROTHKO: BY THE SEA
Oct. 24 – Jan. 24, 2027 | The Phillips Collection
The friendship between artists Mark Rothko, Milton Avery and Adolph Gottlieb is explored through more than 70 works.
HANDWORK: CONTEMPORARY CRAFT
Opens Nov. 13 | Renwick Gallery
More than 100 objects showcase the importance of making things by hand and the relevance of craft in American culture.
MUSIC VENUES
Capacity: 6,000
What’s On: Popular artists and independents, stand-up comedians, live podcasts
Capacity: 1,200+
What’s On: Emerging stars, stand-up comedians, hip-hop, R&B, independent acts
Capacity: 1,800+
What’s On: Legacy acts, indie artists, stand-up comedians, live podcasts
Capacity: 1,225
What’s On: Stand-up comedians, live podcasts, legacy acts, independents
Capacity: 450
What’s On: Exciting independent acts across a range of genres
Capacity: 250
What’s On: Emerging and independent artists in an intimate setting
MORE MUSEUM EXPLORATION
ZENITH GALLERY: Contemporary art across a range of mediums available for sale
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN: Dive deep into Indigenous culture and art
RUBELL MUSEUM: Displays cutting-edge works from national and international artists inside a historic building
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY: Perfect place to visit to honor America’s 250th birthday
MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS: Bend your mind with more than 50 exhibits that cover science, math and psychology
http://washington.org/arts?utm_medium=eguide&utm_source=bluetoad&utm_campaign=DC2026
GO Deeper
EXPLORE DC’S MUSIC, MURALS, EXHIBITS AND SHOWS AT WASHINGTON.ORG/ARTS
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