Washington Monument

Things To Do Near Washington Monument

Choose a clear day, and ride the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument, where you can see for about 30 miles. The elevator slows on the way down so that you can see some of the commemorative stones inside it. Many different locations are honored with a stone, including Alaska, Idaho, Chicago, Hawaii, and North Dakota. Other stones commemorate particular groups, like the Addisonian Literary Society and Two Disciples of Daguerre, and many of the stones are reminders of Masonic groups. 

Hiking Trails

• Theodore Roosevelt Island Outer Loop Trail

  The Theodore Roosevelt Island Outer Loop trail starts by crossing the footbridge across the Potomac River. Then, it runs along the outer edge of the island over boardwalks in swampy areas and along dirt trails in locations unlikely to stay wet until it returns to its starting point. This trail is easy to access via public transportation, or there’s a large parking lot where you can park your RV. 

  Location

  Near Key Bridge, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Washington, D.C.

  Length

  1.8 miles

  Intensity

  Easy

• National Abortorium Hike

  Park in the Meadow Road parking lot, and head south through the Bonsai Garden. View the Capitol Columns from the meadow before reaching the Azalea Garden. Turn west, and climb the staircase to go through the woods. Follow the trail along Azalea Road back to your starting point. 

  Location

  Meadow Road Parking Lot, National Abortorium, 3501 New York Avenue Northeast, Washington, D.C.

  Length

  8.2 miles

  Intensity

  Moderate

• Downtown Heritage Trail Center

  Start this trail at 7th Street and Washington Avenue. It runs by early American sites, including the Old Central Market, which housed the Missing Soldiers Office started by Clara Barton and Ford’s Theater. You can also see newer establishments like the Verizon Center. 

  Location

  1250 H Street NW Washington, D.C.

  Length

  0.75 miles

  Intensity

  Easy

Sightseeing

• Lincoln Memorial

  Architect Henry Bacon modeled the Lincoln Memorial after Greece’s Parthenon because he felt that a man who spent his life defending democracy should have a memorial causing people to recall democracy’s birthplace. Thirty-six fluted columns surround the monument with each one symbolizing a state in the Union when Lincoln was president. On the attic frieze are the names of the 48 states that were part of the Union when officials dedicated it on May 30, 1922. 

  Location

  2 Lincoln Memorial Circle Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20002

• Jefferson Pier Stone

  Just to the east of the Washington Monument is the Jefferson Pier Stone. Before the prime meridian at Greenwich was established, Thomas Jefferson, while serving as Secretary of State, suggested that the prime median run through Washington, D.C. To choose the exact spot, he lined up the White House’s front door with the Capitol rotunda and marked the exact location with a wooden post. When Jefferson became president, he had the wooden post replaced with a stone, but workers smashed that stone in 1872, so they placed a permanent stone at the site in 1877. 

  Location

  17th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20002

• German American Friendship Garden

  Just a little way north of the Washington Monument is the German American Friendship Garden. This garden features plants native to Germany and the United States. Gardeners originally installed it in 1983 to celebrate 300 years of successful trading between the United States and Germany. 

  Location

  1600 Constitution Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20006

Museums

• National Museum of African American History and Culture

  Just a short distance northeast of Washington Monument is the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The building contains 10 stories with five of them being below ground. Over 3,500 items are on permanent display. Visitors can see exhibits from the 19th and 20th centuries, including items found on a sunken slave ship. 

  Location

  1400 Constitution Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20560

• Smithsonian National Museum of American History

  Just a block east of the National Museum of African American History and Culture is the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. You can see such important items as the original copy of the “Star-Spangled Banner.” This building consists of four floors, with each level dedicated to a specific aspect of American history. Food is celebrated on the lowest floor, transportation on the next floor, American ideals on the third floor, and military history on the top floor. 

  Location

  1300 Constitution Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20560

Nearby Shops and Restaurants

• Washington Monument Lodge

  Find books describing George Washington’s life at the Washington Monument Lodge. It also sells patriotic jewelry. If you have children along, consider getting them a new puzzle or toy. 

  Location

  15th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20024

• Hana Japanese Market

  Select from a wide assortment of Japanese foods, like Asabi, shiitake mushrooms, pickled plums, purple yams, udon, pocky sticks, and dried seaweed, at this small grocery store. While most of the food is inspired by Japan, you can also select Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai groceries. 

  Location

  2004 17th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20009

• Stars and Stripes Café

  Chefs utilize fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create hamburgers, pizza, barbecue, and sandwiches at Stars and Stripes Café within the Smithsonian Museum of American History. This restaurant has a very casual vibe. 

  Location

  1300 Constitution Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20560

• Sweet Home Café

  The Sweet Home Café within the National Museum of African American History and Culture contains foods from the North, the South, the Creole Coast, and the Western Range to represent the African American food experience. Chefs have spent many hours researching traditional recipes and preparing them with the best ingredients, and their hard work shows in creations like buttermilk fried chicken, braised rabbit, fried apples, and catfish po’boys. 

  Location

  Southern, American

How To Get To Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is an easy walk from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Follow Raoul Wallenberg Place Southwest north to Independence Avenue Southwest. After crossing the street both ways, you will see a path going to the northwest. Follow it until you reach the monument. 

Address

2 15th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20024

Fee: Entry fee $0

There is an incredible number of things to do within a five-block region of the Washington Monument. Consider visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum before heading to the Washington Monument. Then, travel north to see the German American Friendship Garden before heading east to see the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Smithsonian Museum of American History that sets behind it. Extend your stay in Washington, D.C., as long as possible by bringing your RV because you will not want to rush through seeing these attractions. If you do not have an RV, rent one on RVshare.com.