//
The Waterfront is just south of the National Mall. In addition to beautiful views of the Washington Channel, which separates the parkland on Hains Point with the land contiguous with the National Mall, this neighborhood includes great seafood, restaurants, bars, sports stadiums, entertainment options and boat excursions. Be sure to visit the 200-year-old Municipal Fish Market and the rest of the Wharf, which underwent redevelopment from 2017 to 2022.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Exhibits are interesting to anyone even marginally interested in espionage and Cold War history, and it also has a great exhibit tailored specifically to kids.
A privately-owned museum founded by David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby, that displays the history and impact of the Bible.
This is a great museum; however, unless you are a member of the military, you must fill out forms and be vetted prior to entering. See the website for more information. The museum displays, in chronological order, exhibits of each major point in Naval History—the Revolutionary War, battles with the Barbary Pirates, the Civil War, polar exploration, WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and through the present day. There is also an interactive submarine exhibit, and a host of real big guns out in the courtyard. The gift shop is as good a place as you'll find to purchase various Navy-related souvenirs.
In Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building
The Voice of America is an international multimedia news broadcast facility operating around the clock, famous around the world, especially for broadcasts conducted throughout Nazi-occupied Europe and later the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. The tours here are another one of those undiscovered gems—you get to watch televised broadcasts going out all over the world, and you'll see that one room where all presidential handshakes with foreign heads of state are filmed. The 30-45 minute tours are conducted in English on weekdays at noon. Tours are walk-in only, for up to 10 people. Arrive 10 minutes early for security screening. You will need to have your passport or state-issued ID to enter.
This statue of a woman with outstretched arms was installed in 1934 and is dedicated to the men that stayed on board the Titanic so that women could escape with the lifeboats. The scene in the movie with Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio with outstretched arms is based on this statue.
A formerly white Romanesque church now hosts art exhibits, events, and the congregation of the Friendship Baptist Church.
Built in 1875, this church served as the center of the European Catholic community and its working bell tower remains one of the area's principal landmarks. Visiting a mass can be rewarding if only to enjoy the impressive music ensemble and excellent acoustics.
A 1796 mansion that was commissioned by speculators betting on a neighborhood development that never occurred. The building is named after its first resident, who was married to Elizabeth Custis, granddaughter of Martha Washington.
In a city full of row houses, these were the first, built in 1793. The houses are in the National Register of Historic Places.
A highly acclaimed not-for-profit theater devoted to modern and contemporary American theater, with an emphasis on politically engaging, intense, and often edgy drama. A major renovation was completed in 2010.
A live music venue and restaurant.
This church hosts extremely popular and crowded weekly live music nights: Blue Monday Blues and Friday Jazz, both featuring local musicians.
Versatile 6000-person venue with bars, featuring rock concerts and other performances.
After Major League Soccer was founded in 1996, D.C. United won four out of the first nine annual championships, although the team has not won the league since. The games are a lot of fun, kept raucous by the area's enormous Latino population. United opened its new Audi Field during the 2018 season. For the full experience, buy a field level ticket online from the La Barra Brava club website ($25), dress up in red and black (at least make sure not to wear the colors of the opposing team), learn the chants posted on the website, then join the group for a tailgating party before the match in lot 8. Be prepared to stay on your feet, jump up and down a lot, and sing their chants!
Nationals Park opened in 2008, and is home of the Washington Nationals baseball team, The Nats. The Nationals, though, have history beyond its 2005 revival — D.C.'s first baseball franchise from 1891-99 bore the same (interchangeably with the Washington Senators), as did its two other successors throughout the 20th century. None were very successful though. The first disbanded after nine years with a 0.366 win percentage; the second and third eventually left the city to become the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers. After the Montreal Expos moved to the city, they followed in the D.C. tradition, and performed progressively worse with each passing year. In 2010, when the team finally started turning itself around, and acquired bona fide superstars in pitcher Stephen Strasburg, followed by outfielder Bryce Harper and pitcher Max Scherzer. The stadium is big, with comfy seats, an enormous scoreboard, and great concessions by venerable D.C. food establishments such as Five Guys, Ben's Chili Bowl, Dogfish Head, and Flying Dog Brewery.
The point at the western end of the Waterfront District, just south of the Tidal Basin, is mostly covered by the 36 hole East Potomac Golf Course. The courses are a little crowded and boring since they are completely flat, but the views of the monuments more than make up for these deficiencies. There is also an old mini-golf course.
Classes cater to just about anyone, all ranges of athletic ability, ages 6+, and are a great way to inject a bit of thrill into a D.C. visit. Expect to be sore afterwards!
DC Sail is the community association National Maritime Heritage Foundation, which offers sailing lessons, races, other miscellaneous events.
The Odyssey is a formal cruise for a fancy dinner and drinks, while the Spirit of Washington is more the party boat, with live DJs, a buffet, and no dress code. Both offer daily lunch and dinner tours, and sell out far in advance in the summer, so book ahead. Lunch cruises are cheaper, but seeing the monuments and memorials from a ship is more romantic at night.
Knucol
A real D.C. cultural tradition that has survived the neighborhood's upheavals for over two centuries. It's centered on a big parking lot surrounded by some ten huge steel barges, most of them family owned, all offering copious quantities of seafood, fresh, live, raw, cooked, or however else you want it. Chowder, grouper, snapper, catfish sandwiches, oysters, clams, mussels, squid, shrimp, jumbo shrimp, jumbo jumbo shrimp, tiger shrimp—the fishmongers will shout out their products as they try to catch your attention in the bustle. The delicacy here is the shellfish, blue crabs in particular, covered in the local spice of choice, Old Bay—a peppery mix of celery salt, bay leaf, mustard seed, black and red pepper, cinnamon, and ginger. Peak times, when the market puts out its vastest display of fish, run from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.
There are plenty of bad sandwich shops and cafeterias in the Federal Center area, but the hard-to-find Atrium Cafe manages to be a good deli and cafeteria at the same time. The deli meats are fresh and they have plenty of good condiments. You must insist that you get the condiments you want, or this fast-moving business will give you the minimum. Cash only.
This is yet another one of the many sandwich shops just south of the Mall, but Twelve stands out for its fresh, cut-to-order deli meats. A good place to grab a small sandwich.
Modern American cuisine. 10% discount before or after a Nationals game upon showing your ticket stub.
Celebrating the repeal of Prohibition, this spot attached to the Holiday Inn serves adequate food and drinks at appropriate prices. The big draw is the live jazz on W and Th nights.
Curated cocktails and garden patio.
A sports bar with wood decor. Also serves sausages and snacks.
A microbrewery in a former factory.
Basically a big yard for pre-game drinking. It's always lively before night games, with random live music, $6 drinks, plastic cups, and passable bar food served out of trucks. The food in the stadium itself can be better, but it's less expensive here.
Started by an Irish native and former Guinness employee. Irish decor and live music.
A rare sign of neighborhood life in the form of an actual family-run local business! It's a great coffeeshop with a big space, and serves as a really good meeting place pre-games, if the Bullpen isn't your thing. Free Wi-Fi.
The location of this hotel is arguably the least desirable of the Waterfront District, but it is the closest to the Nationals stadium. On the upside, it wears its funky 1960s look with a playful stylishness. It also has a huge outdoor pool and deck, with poolside bar.
Just one block from the National Air and Space Museum, this hotel has notably more stylish decor than you would expect from a Holiday Inn, as well as one of the best bars in the immediate area, 21st Amendment.
The location one block off the Mall promises some of the best views in the entire city—especially those facing the Mall (north & east). Shell out the extra money for the rooms with a "superior view." Year-round rooftop pool.
formerly Mandarin Oriental
Salamander continues the small, Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental's renown for service, and this location is a favorite upscale choice of businessmen as well as foreign dignitaries. It has a huge spa, and a large space of outdoor gardens by the water.
An assortment of clothing, jewelry, gifts, home décor, and fair trade goods from around the world geared for women. Curated by Pamela Sofola, a former staff member of the World Bank.
A contemporary art gallery with fine art and photography from local artists.
A newly opened branch of D.C.'s largest and most influential independent bookstore. Features frequent talks by well-known authors.
By bus
Southwest Shuttle is a free shuttle bus that operates between the Waterfront and the L'Enfant Plaza Metrorail Station and 7th & Independence Ave on the National Mall.
By car
Coming from Virginia, take I-395 across the Potomac, and then take Exit 4 for Maine Ave. From the north, the main roads are 9th and 7th St SW, while the main east-west street is M St SW/SE.
By water taxi
Water taxis operate between the Waterfront and Georgetown and Alexandria. Fares are $10 one-way and $18 round trip for adults; discounts for children 11 and younger.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Washington · International · DCA
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Waterfront and United States.
Travel tipsFind the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
Travel tipsFind the best time to visit Hawaii in 2026. Compare whale seasons, big-wave surf, dry shoulder months, hotel rates, and island microclimates.
8 min read
InspirationDiscover the best places to visit in April. Compare Dutch tulip fields, Thailand's Songkran water festival, Roman spring gardens, and cherry blossoms.
6 min read
Travel tipsA practical guide to travelling with medication and refrigerated drugs like insulin and GLP-1s. Learn airline rules, customs papers, and cooling tips.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.