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12 Free Things to Do in Washington DC: Museums & More

Zoella27 Oct 2026

Washington is one of the few big cities where the headline attractions cost nothing to enter. The Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery of Art, the National Archives, and the memorials on the National Mall are all free, and so are tours of the Capitol.

This list is for visitors who want the best free things to do in Washington, DC without wading through ticket pages. It covers 12 sights, with the passes, reservations, and opening days you need for each.

Free Things to Do in Washington DC

#	Sight	What to know
1	National Gallery of Art	Always free, no tickets, open daily
2	National Museum of American History	Free, open Friday to Tuesday as listed
3	National Museum of African American History and Culture	Free, timed passes required
4	National Archives	Free, optional $1 timed entry
5	US Capitol tour	Free, reserve online
6	Library of Congress	Free, timed-entry ticket required
7	Washington Monument	Free, $1 fee to reserve ahead
8	Lincoln Memorial	Free, Mall open 24 hours
9	Vietnam Veterans and Korean War Veterans Memorials	Free, open 24 hours
10	Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jefferson memorials	Free, open 24 hours
11	National WWII Memorial	Free, open 24 hours
12	Smithsonian's National Zoo	Free, entry passes required

Free Museums and Archives

If you're looking for things to do in Washington, DC, for free on a rainy day, start here. Most of these sit within a short walk of each other, so you can combine two or three in one day.

1. National Gallery of Art

The Gallery's website says admission is always free, with no passes or tickets for galleries, exhibitions, or guided tours. It's open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on December 25 and January 1. The page lists the same hours for the whole museum, but it doesn't give separate hours for the West Building, East Building, or Sculpture Garden, so check the current schedule if you're aiming for the garden. One West Building entrance, on 7th Street, is closed until further notice, so use another entrance.

2. National Museum of American History

All Smithsonian museums are free. As listed in October 2026, the National Museum of American History is open Friday through Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Opening days vary between Smithsonian museums, so check the hours page before you go. All Smithsonian museums are closed on December 25.

3. National Museum of African American History and Culture

This museum is free, but it requires timed passes, which you reserve online ahead of your visit. It's listed as open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Book the pass first, then build the rest of the day around it.

4. National Archives

Entry is free. Timed-entry tickets cost $1 and are optional but worth getting, because waits can exceed an hour without one during holidays and peak months. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The permanent exhibit The American Story is part of the visit.

5. US Capitol Tour

Tours are free and cover the Crypt, the Rotunda, and National Statuary Hall. They don't include the House and Senate Galleries. Reserve online through the Capitol Visitor Center, which is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The last tour starts at 3:20 p.m. Tours in Mandarin and Spanish are available.

6. Library of Congress

Entry to the Thomas Jefferson Building is free, but you need a free timed-entry ticket. You can reserve up to 30 days ahead, and same-day tickets are released online daily at 9 a.m. ET. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Thursday hours running until 8 p.m. It's closed Sundays, Mondays, and select federal holidays.

Library of Congress

Free five-minute walkthroughs of the Main Reading Room run Tuesday through Friday, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 2 to 3 p.m., plus Thursday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. A limited number of tickets are handed out first-come, first-served in the Great Hall starting 10 minutes before each session. The Library page gives two different last-entry times, so arrive well before closing. Guided tours for groups are not currently offered.

Free Monuments and Memorials on the National Mall

These are the free things to see and do in Washington, DC that need no ticket at all. The National Mall is open 24 hours a day and runs from the foot of the Capitol to the Potomac River. The memorials are quieter in the early evening and morning, so I'd save them for dusk and keep museums for daytime.

7. Washington Monument

The obelisk honors George Washington and is the world's tallest freestanding stone structure. Admission is free, but reservations carry a non-refundable $1 service charge per ticket. Everyone ages 2 and up needs a ticket. Tickets are released daily at 10 a.m., up to 30 days before the tour date, on Recreation.gov, and they often sell out right away. Free same-day walk-up tickets are handed out at the Washington Monument Lodge on 15th Street from 8:45 a.m., in limited supply.

The monument closes one day in the first week of most months for maintenance. The remaining 2026 closures are November 11, November 26, and December 25, and bad weather such as high winds can close it too.

8. Lincoln Memorial

A neoclassical monument to the 16th president, with a 19-foot statue overlooking the Reflecting Pool. The memorial itself is free. The Lincoln Memorial Undercroft requires a timed-entry pass from Recreation.gov.

9. Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Korean War Veterans Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors service members who fought, died, or went missing, and visitors often leave letters and photos. A short walk away, the Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1995 and has 19 statues of soldiers on patrol and a wall of more than 2,400 photos.

10. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and Thomas Jefferson Memorial

The King Memorial was dedicated in 2011 and is inspired by a line from his "I Have a Dream" speech. The Jefferson Memorial is a domed, columned monument modeled on the Roman Pantheon, with a bronze statue of Jefferson inside. Together they make a good evening walk.

11. National WWII Memorial

Opened in April 2004, this is one of the most visited sites on the Mall. Like the other memorials, it's free and open around the clock.

Fun Free Things to Do in Washington DC with Kids

12. Smithsonian's National Zoo

Zoo admission is free for everyone, but all guests, including infants, need entry passes, which you reserve on the Zoo's Entry Passes page. The grounds are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with last entry at 3 p.m., and the animal buildings are open 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Zoo's visit page doesn't list days of the week, so confirm them first. Parking has a daily fee, but the page I checked didn't list the amount. The Zoo's page also noted that the Great Ape House was closed for maintenance that day, so check which exhibits are open.

I'd rank this among the most fun free things to do in Washington, DC for families, since it works for a morning when children have had enough of marble halls.

A Free Tour Worth Requesting: The White House

White House tours are free, but the National Park Service doesn't issue tickets. International visitors request a tour through their embassy, and US citizens go through their Member of Congress. The NPS page gives two windows: at least three weeks ahead, and up to three months ahead with a minimum of 21 days. Self-guided tours are generally offered Tuesday through Saturday and can be canceled at the last minute, so call the 24-hour visitors office line at 202-456-7041 before you go.

Final Thoughts

You can spend several days in Washington and barely pay at the door. Reserve the timed passes first, check opening days, and give the memorials a quiet evening. These 12 stops cover free things to do in Washington, DC, across museums, monuments, and a family-friendly zoo, and there's more than enough to fill a long weekend.

FAQ

What are the best free things to do in Washington, DC?

The National Gallery of Art, the National Archives, the Smithsonian museums, the Capitol tour, and the Mall memorials are the main ones. All are free, though some need a timed pass or reservation.

Are the Smithsonian museums really free?

Yes. All Smithsonian museums are free. The National Museum of African American History and Culture requires free timed passes.

Do I need tickets for free attractions in Washington, DC?

Some, yes. The Library of Congress, the Zoo, and the African American History and Culture Museum need free timed passes. The Washington Monument charges a $1 fee to reserve ahead. The National Gallery of Art and the Mall memorials need no ticket.