Sat, July 4, 2009 in Washington DC
 

We will be in Washington DC for a week 7/1/09 - 7/8/09. Where is the best place to be see the fireworks on 7/04/09? And, what time do you recommend arriving at that location? Or, if that place will be very very crowed, is there a less crowded place to be that provides a decent view? Any other planned events for Washington DC for 7/04/09 ? Will the museums and tours be open for the Holiday?

Hi,
I haven't been to the the fireworks in years but here are some websites that may help you.
Expect crowds.

www.washington.org

http://dcpages.com/Tourism/Fourth_of_July/

http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/4thofjuly.htm

Have fun!

If you are going to be here and this is possibly the only time you'll go, I say go down to the Mall with the crowds. I've actually had good luck near the Capitol where you can even see/hear the concert.

Ignore suggestions you have to get there early. There's going to be space for everyone. If you get there an hour or two early, that's plenty of time.

The museums will all be open. The Smithsonian's Folklife Festival will take place on the Mall that weekend. The NSO 4th of July Concert (broadcast on PBS) takes place on the West Lawn of the Capitol that evening, but you won't get a good view of the fireworks. (You can go to the dress rehearsal the night before, however.)
If this is a one-time event for you, you probably should plan to go to the Mall. You will have to go through a security checkpoint to get onto the Mall (which might take some time). If you don't want to bother with that, you can find a good spot along Constitution Avenue about 30 minutes before the show starts. (That's what we do.)

We are planning to go to the mall with all the other gazillion people. Is there one area or the other that would be more "ideal" than other areas of the mall?