15 Best Sights in Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C.

This luscious French Second Empire–style building rises across the street from the White House and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Even with such lofty neighbors, it is still the most appealing structure on the block. The Renwick Gallery, a branch museum of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, was the country's first purpose-built art museum, and it was known then as "the American Louvre." Designed by James Renwick Jr. in 1858 to hold the art collection of Washington merchant and banker William Wilson Corcoran. The National Historic Landmark building has been a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum dedicated to American crafts and decorative arts since 1972. The Renwick's exhibits are showcased in a captivating, interactive environment designed to illustrate the history of craft in America and its future. Exhibits highlight exciting contemporary artists using materials in innovative ways, redefining what craft is and taking it in bold new directions.

Designed as a living memorial to the environmentally minded 26th U.S. President, this wildlife sanctuary is off the George Washington Parkway near the Virginia side of the Potomac—close to Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, East Potomac Park, and the Kennedy Center. Hikers and bicyclists can reach the island by crossing the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge or walking for 15 minutes from the Rosslyn Metro. But bikes are not allowed on the island and must be docked near the footbridge. Take a ranger-led Island Safari to admire the many birds and other animals in the island's marsh and forests. 

The national headquarters for the American Red Cross, a National Historic Landmark since 1965, is composed of three buildings. Guided tours show off the oldest, a Beaux Arts structure of blinding-white marble built in 1917 to commemorate women who cared for the wounded on both sides during the Civil War. Three stained glass windows designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany illustrate the values of the Red Cross: faith, hope, love, and charity. Other holdings you'll see on the 60-minute tour include an original N.C. Wyeth painting, sculptures, and artifacts that belonged to Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. Weather permitting, the tour includes a visit to the memorial garden. The management recommends booking your tour 2–3 weeks in advance. Reservations are required for the free tour, offered at 10 am and 2 pm on Wednesday and Friday; schedule via email at  [email protected].

Located on 18th Street, just steps from the National Mall, the Art Museum of the Americas (AMA) is still considered by many a hidden gem. With its rotating exhibitions from prominent Latin American and Caribbean artists, there's always something new to experience at the museum. Take a break from the D.C. crowds and learn about the exhibitions, walk around the picturesque blue-tile corridor, and go for a walk along its serene garden. Admission is free.

After then-President Trump held up a Bible on June 1, 2020, for a photo op in front of historic St. John's Church, calling out the National Guard to waylay peaceful protestors for his safe passage, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser had the words "Black Lives Matter" painted in yellow, 35-foot-long capital letters along a two-block-long section of 16th Street NW, in front of the church and within plain view of the White House several days after the incident. Since then, Black Lives Matter Plaza has become a community gathering spot featuring performances, yoga, and even weddings. In October 2021, it became a permanent installation.

The Corcoran School, a prestigious art school since 1878, is now in partnership with George Washington University. Throughout the year, the school features events and performances by the students and other artists. The iconic, beautifully restored Beaux Arts Flagg Building, which started life as the historic Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1890, shuttered its doors in 2014. Don't miss the first-floor Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, which showcases temporary exhibits by renowned artists. Check the website for events like Friday @5, featuring live music and popular amongst young D.C. professionals.

The Beaux Arts Memorial Continental Hall, built in 1929 as the headquarters for the Daughters of the Revolution (DAR), is home to Washington, D.C.'s only decorative arts museum. The enormous collection encompasses furniture, textiles, quilts, silver, china, porcelain, stoneware, earthenware, glass, and other items made and used in the daily lives of Americans from the Colonial era through the early 20th century. Thirty-one period rooms reflect more than two centuries of American interiors, including a 1690s New England hall, an 1860s Texas bedroom, and a 1920s Ohio parlor. Two galleries feature changing exhibitions of decorative arts, and a study gallery allows researchers close access to the collection. Docent tours of the period rooms are available on weekdays, depending on docent availability. You can also take a self-guided tour. The museum also hosts special events for children and adults; check the website for details.

Decatur House was built in 1818–19 on Lafayette Square, just across from the White House, for naval hero Stephen Decatur and his wife, Susan. Designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the country's first professional architect, it's one of Washington's oldest surviving homes. But Decatur didn't have long to enjoy it, since he died tragically 14 months later, after a duel with Commodore James Barron. Wealthy hotel and tavern owner John Gadsby purchased the distinguished Federal-style house as a retirement home in 1836. The large two-story dependency was used as quarters for numerous enslaved individuals in his household—Washington's only extant slave quarters. Tours—offered Monday at 10:30 am and 1 pm—feature these historic quarters and the house's first and second floors, much of which represent the taste of a later owner, Marie Beale, beloved for her salons with ambassadors and politicians. The White House Historical Society operates one of its three retail shops here, and you'll find an excellent selection of White House history–themed products, including the annual Christmas ornament.

This imposing marble edifice, its bronze entryway topped by a massive eagle, was designed by Folger Shakespeare Library architect Paul Cret. Its appearance seems to say, "Your money's safe with us." Even so, there's no money here, as the Fed's mission is to set interest rates and keep the economy on track. The stately facade belies a friendlier interior, with a varied collection of art and several special art exhibitions every year. Tours of the building are available for groups of 10 or more, all aged 18 years or older; they must be booked at least two weeks in advance via email.

Designed to celebrate the creative achievements of people in the capital city and around the world, this 46,000-square-foot LEED Gold–certified museum facility is on the campus of George Washington University. Rotating exhibits highlight global textiles and cultural traditions—from handmade rugs and historical costumes to contemporary art and fashion—as well as displays on local D.C. history. The museum offers a dynamic range of free screenings, talks, and other public programs throughout the week in person and online. It's also home to a research library and two study centers, and you can find digital resources on textile creation and care on the website, along with highlights of the museum's collections.

Designed by Dr. William Thornton (original architect of the U.S. Capitol), the Octagon House was built by enslaved workers for John Tayloe III, a wealthy plantation owner, and completed in 1801. Thornton chose the unusual shape to conform to the acute angle formed by L'Enfant's intersection of New York Avenue and 18th Street. After the British burned the White House in 1814, Thornton convinced the Tayloes to allow James and Dolley Madison to stay in the Octagon. From September 1814 until March 1815, the Octagon became the temporary White House. In the second-floor study, the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, was ratified. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) established its national headquarters at the Octagon in 1898 and renovated the building as one of the country's first preservation projects. AIA stayed there for 70 years before moving into new modern headquarters directly behind. Self-guided tours take in historically furnished rooms; second-floor gallery spaces hold rotating exhibits on architecture, design, and history.

America's most famous house was designed in 1792 by Irish architect James Hoban. It was known officially as the Executive Mansion until 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt renamed it the White House, long its informal name. The house has undergone many structural changes: Andrew Jackson installed running water; James Garfield put in the first elevator; Harry Truman had the entire structure gutted and restored, adding a second-story porch to the south portico; and Richard Nixon installed a one-lane bowling alley in 1969.

To see the White House you need to contact your U.S. representative or senator (or embassy if you aren't a U.S. citizen). Requests can be made up to three months in advance (especially for spring, summer, or December tour requests) and no less than 21 days in advance. You'll be asked for the names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers of everyone in your group. On the morning of your tour, call the White House Visitors Office information line for any updates; tours are subject to last-minute cancellations. Arrive 15 minutes early. Your group will be asked to line up in alphabetical order. Everyone 18 years and older must present government-issued photo ID, and no purses, backpacks, or bags are allowed on the tour (and no storage lockers are provided so leave them in your hotel room). There are no public restrooms, and you're allowed to take photos only with a smartphone or small compact camera. The security process will probably last as long as the tour itself, 20–25 minutes.

The self-guided tour includes rooms on the ground floor (including the White House Family Theater), but the State Floor has the highlights. The East Room is the largest room in the White House, the site of ceremonies and press conferences; this is also where Theodore Roosevelt's children roller-skated and one of Abraham Lincoln's sons harnessed a pet goat to a chair and went for a ride. The portrait of George Washington that Dolley Madison saved from torch-carrying British soldiers in 1814 hangs in the room, and the White House Christmas tree stands here every winter. The only president to get married in the White House, Grover Cleveland, was wed in the Blue Room. Esther, the second daughter of President Cleveland and First Lady Frances, holds the distinction of being the only child born in the White House. The Red Room, decorated in early-19th-century American Empire style, has been a favorite of first ladies. Mary Todd Lincoln had her coffee and read the morning paper here. In 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy undertook an extensive restoration of the White House to preserve and showcase the historical and architectural significance of the home and its contents. The East Garden, which now bears her name, honors her contributions. Michelle Obama installed a vegetable-and-herb garden to promote healthy eating, as well as an apiary and pollinator garden for bees and other insects.

Your tour of the White House will be enhanced by visiting the White House Visitor Center at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, featuring displays, photos, and a 30-minute video about the White House.

The outside of the building is plain, but inside, a wealth of art, contained in two separate collections, reflects the department's work. The Office of the Secretary Art Collection, featuring heroic oil paintings of dam construction, gold panning, and cattle drives, is found throughout the building's hallways, offices, and meeting rooms. The Department of the Interior Museum Collection outlines the work of the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Park Service, and other department branches. On Tuesday and Thursday at 2 pm, you can view 26 photographic murals by Ansel Adams and more than 40 dramatic murals painted by Maynard Dixon, John Steuart Curry, and other artists. Reservations are required for the Murals Tour; call at least two weeks in advance. The Indian Craft Shop across the hall from the museum sells Native American pottery, dolls, carvings, jewelry, baskets, and books.

Once used to store currency, this is one of the most impressive Greek Revival buildings in the United States. Robert Mills, the architect responsible for the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, designed the colonnade on 15th Street. After the death of President Lincoln, the Andrew Johnson Suite was used as the executive office while Mrs. Lincoln moved out of the White House. One of the highlights is the Cash Room. Initially opened in 1869, it served as a bank, providing essential services to the public and supplying local banks with coins and currency. Renovated in 1985, visitors can tour the historic room. Tours of the Treasury Building are available only to U.S. citizens or legal residents, and you must make the reservation in advance through your congressional office.

The White House Visitor Center is a fantastic way to get an orientation before visiting the White House and an excellent alternative for those who could not get tickets. Displays, artifacts, photos, videos, and interactive exhibits recount the life and times of America's most famous house, providing behind-the-scenes insight into the workings of the White House. Afterward, go for a walk around the grounds of the President's park for the iconic views of the White House.