I live in DC. This morning, the U.S. federal government shut down. My military friends went to work as usual. My federal employee friends went in to work to sign furlough paperwork. Battered by sequestration furloughs all summer long, they took yet another hit to their salary. Some of them are deemed essential personnel, meaning they are now working for free. Some are being turned loose on the streets. This sucks.
But hey - where there are lemons, make lemonade. (Or limoncello, if you’re attending one of the many government shutdown day-drinking parties my Facebook feed is telling me about.) And in that spirit, let’s recap the free or nearly-free things to do in the DC region this week. No longer tied to the office during daylight hours, but definitely on a budget, the furloughed can finally explore the city!
FREE
Visit Congress
The Capitol is affected by the shutdown like everything else – there are no official tours and the visitor center is closed. However, the House and Senate Galleries are open. Call ahead to your senator or representative, arrange to pick up a gallery pass (you’ll likely get a pass to each gallery), and enter the galleries via the Capitol Visitor Center. Prepare for long lines, be ready to leave your bags outside the gallery, and expect to be encouraged to leave after about 15 minutes. Sitting in the Gallery is rarely participatory, but you’ve already made your views known when you picked up the passes, right?
UPDATE: Given the shooting at the Capitol and the reduction in a lot of staffs, you MAY not be able to get passes to the galleries. Call ahead.
Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center complex is funded by the government, but its performances are funded by its patrons. The show will go on. The Millennium Stage, located at the north end of the foyer, hosts nightly free performances at 6 pm. Be forewarned: the building won’t open until an hour before showtime (the Millennium Stage is often the first scheduled show), and event parking at the Kennedy Center is $20. The free shuttle from the Foggy Bottom metro station will be in operation.
Monuments
The Park Service is closed, and there are barricades preventing you from accessing the monuments. But were you really going to admire the fountain at the WWII memorial at a distance of six inches? Take pictures from a little farther away.
WalkingTown DC Tours
Literally dozens of tours, available for free (though you need to reserve a spot online) and covering most of the neighborhoods in the District. This week only – the tours end the 6th, even if the shutdown lasts longer.
Art4All DC
A week-long arts festival in DC with over 200 events, almost all of which are sponsored by cultural organizations and thus free. Some events require reservations because of limited space.
DAR Museum (1776 D St NW)
Decorative arts and old quilts, often displayed in period rooms. Offers docent tours every half hour from 10-2:30 (9-4:30 on Saturday). Closed Sunday.
Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St SE)
The final resting place for (vice) presidents and citizens alike, this relatively unknown cemetery is open and continuing its docent-led tours on Saturday and its self-guided walking tours. Features J. Edgar Hoover and John Phillip Sousa.
Arlington National Cemetery
Open despite the shutdown, including the Welcome Center, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Park Service's tram service and the Arlington House, on the grounds of the cemetery, are closed.
Go for a run!
There are a ton of free running groups out there, and the local running store Pacers has them most mornings and evenings. Explore Alexandria, Arlington, Pentagon City, Logan Circle, Fairfax, or Silver Spring neighborhoods on foot. Other local businesses also have running groups, including Port City Brewing (Alexandria), which is running Lagers & Joggers next Monday, 7 pm.
Take advantage of free food!
Furloughed workers get a free burger at Z-Burger. Boom. The Washingtonian, NBC, and Popville have compiled more “Shutdown Specials.”
UPDATE: The Washington City Paper has compiled this flowchart of awesomeness for the young and hungry.
UPDATES:
Heurich House Museum (1307 New Hampshire Avenue NW)
Free for furloughed government employees with ID, $5 otherwise, reservations required for groups of 10 or more, and recommended for others. I like to call this the Hearst Castle of DC. This Victorian mansion was built by Christian Heurich, who owned the largest business in DC (besides the government) in the early 1900s. Said business was a brewery, located where the Kennedy Center now stands. Though you can no longer find a Heurich Brewing Co. beer (or even its successor, the Foggy Bottom label), the Museum still hosts occasional beer-themed events.
BONUS: Behind the mansion, there is a free gated public garden, open 11-3. Well-manicured, inhabited by squirrels and the occasional event, and fairly quiet due to the no-cell-phones rule.
National Geographic Museum (1145 17th St NW)
Free for the furloughed with ID, $9 military/seniors/students, $11 adults. It's like a Museum of Natural History, but with lots of pictures of the world's people, too. And it has an IMAX (not free, but under $10). There are special events and exhibits several times each week. If you want to go on an "Inside the Geographic" tour with me sometime after the 16th, let me know.
$10 OR UNDER
National Building Museum (401 F St NW)
Not gonna lie – I thought this was part of the Smithsonian complex, which is sadly closed. Nope. It’s open! $8 for adults, $5 for youth/seniors/students with ID.
Corcoran Gallery of Art (500 17th St NW, at New York Ave)
$10 for adults, $8 for seniors/students with ID. The largest art collection outside the Smithsonian museums, focusing in American and European art. Closed on Monday and Tuesday.
I'll update this as I find more information!
But hey - where there are lemons, make lemonade. (Or limoncello, if you’re attending one of the many government shutdown day-drinking parties my Facebook feed is telling me about.) And in that spirit, let’s recap the free or nearly-free things to do in the DC region this week. No longer tied to the office during daylight hours, but definitely on a budget, the furloughed can finally explore the city!
FREE
Visit Congress
The Capitol is affected by the shutdown like everything else – there are no official tours and the visitor center is closed. However, the House and Senate Galleries are open. Call ahead to your senator or representative, arrange to pick up a gallery pass (you’ll likely get a pass to each gallery), and enter the galleries via the Capitol Visitor Center. Prepare for long lines, be ready to leave your bags outside the gallery, and expect to be encouraged to leave after about 15 minutes. Sitting in the Gallery is rarely participatory, but you’ve already made your views known when you picked up the passes, right?
UPDATE: Given the shooting at the Capitol and the reduction in a lot of staffs, you MAY not be able to get passes to the galleries. Call ahead.
Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center complex is funded by the government, but its performances are funded by its patrons. The show will go on. The Millennium Stage, located at the north end of the foyer, hosts nightly free performances at 6 pm. Be forewarned: the building won’t open until an hour before showtime (the Millennium Stage is often the first scheduled show), and event parking at the Kennedy Center is $20. The free shuttle from the Foggy Bottom metro station will be in operation.
Monuments
The Park Service is closed, and there are barricades preventing you from accessing the monuments. But were you really going to admire the fountain at the WWII memorial at a distance of six inches? Take pictures from a little farther away.
WalkingTown DC Tours
Literally dozens of tours, available for free (though you need to reserve a spot online) and covering most of the neighborhoods in the District. This week only – the tours end the 6th, even if the shutdown lasts longer.
Art4All DC
A week-long arts festival in DC with over 200 events, almost all of which are sponsored by cultural organizations and thus free. Some events require reservations because of limited space.
DAR Museum (1776 D St NW)
Decorative arts and old quilts, often displayed in period rooms. Offers docent tours every half hour from 10-2:30 (9-4:30 on Saturday). Closed Sunday.
Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St SE)
The final resting place for (vice) presidents and citizens alike, this relatively unknown cemetery is open and continuing its docent-led tours on Saturday and its self-guided walking tours. Features J. Edgar Hoover and John Phillip Sousa.
Arlington National Cemetery
Open despite the shutdown, including the Welcome Center, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Park Service's tram service and the Arlington House, on the grounds of the cemetery, are closed.
Go for a run!
There are a ton of free running groups out there, and the local running store Pacers has them most mornings and evenings. Explore Alexandria, Arlington, Pentagon City, Logan Circle, Fairfax, or Silver Spring neighborhoods on foot. Other local businesses also have running groups, including Port City Brewing (Alexandria), which is running Lagers & Joggers next Monday, 7 pm.
Take advantage of free food!
Furloughed workers get a free burger at Z-Burger. Boom. The Washingtonian, NBC, and Popville have compiled more “Shutdown Specials.”
UPDATE: The Washington City Paper has compiled this flowchart of awesomeness for the young and hungry.
UPDATES:
Heurich House Museum (1307 New Hampshire Avenue NW)
Free for furloughed government employees with ID, $5 otherwise, reservations required for groups of 10 or more, and recommended for others. I like to call this the Hearst Castle of DC. This Victorian mansion was built by Christian Heurich, who owned the largest business in DC (besides the government) in the early 1900s. Said business was a brewery, located where the Kennedy Center now stands. Though you can no longer find a Heurich Brewing Co. beer (or even its successor, the Foggy Bottom label), the Museum still hosts occasional beer-themed events.
BONUS: Behind the mansion, there is a free gated public garden, open 11-3. Well-manicured, inhabited by squirrels and the occasional event, and fairly quiet due to the no-cell-phones rule.
National Geographic Museum (1145 17th St NW)
Free for the furloughed with ID, $9 military/seniors/students, $11 adults. It's like a Museum of Natural History, but with lots of pictures of the world's people, too. And it has an IMAX (not free, but under $10). There are special events and exhibits several times each week. If you want to go on an "Inside the Geographic" tour with me sometime after the 16th, let me know.
$10 OR UNDER
National Building Museum (401 F St NW)
Not gonna lie – I thought this was part of the Smithsonian complex, which is sadly closed. Nope. It’s open! $8 for adults, $5 for youth/seniors/students with ID.
Corcoran Gallery of Art (500 17th St NW, at New York Ave)
$10 for adults, $8 for seniors/students with ID. The largest art collection outside the Smithsonian museums, focusing in American and European art. Closed on Monday and Tuesday.
I'll update this as I find more information!
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