Two weeks ago, I was in Washington DC. On this visit, I realized how much I adore this city and fell in love with it all over again! When I visit any city, I make a point of finding special places to photograph. I searched for instagrammable places in Washington DC. They could be landmarks specific to the city, hidden treasures with an interesting history, fun temporary pop-ups, awesome murals, or one-of-a-kind sculptures. Washington DC is a city that offers all of this and more!

I’ll share seven of my favorite locations from this trip. Of course, there are many more awesome places to take pictures in neighborhoods throughout the city, but these are the ones that I visited during my weekend trip and enjoyed.

Blagden Alley

Blagden Alley is one of two historic alleyways in the Shaw district of the city. These areas are brick-paved and were once home to stables, workshops, and dwellings occupied by working-class immigrants and Black Americans. Today, the areas house some of the city’s hippest coffee houses, bars, and restaurants. As you snake your way through, you will come across large murals like Lisa Marie Thalhammer’s LOVE mural. You will also see smaller ones like the tribute to musicians Sun Ra and Erykah Badu by Aniekan Udofia and “Donald the Clown” by Steve Lewis.

Espita Mezcaleria

Down the alley and around the corner at 1250 Ninth St, NW, you’ll find Espita. This restaurant is well-known for its Mezcal collection – a distilled spirit derived from the agave plant. I can also say first-hand that the food at Espita is amazing. And so are the murals! There are several murals inside of the restaurant painted by Yescka, a well-known Oaxacan street artist. I grabbed shots of a few!

The United States Capitol

No surprise here! The Capitol is definitely one of the most photographed buildings in the country. Why? Well, it is the meeting place of the United States Congress. Located on Capitol Hill and visible from different angles, near and far, you can capture some great pictures.

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture

The Museum is symbolically situated on the National Mall, with views from inside the White House. To the east, beyond the National Mall and other Smithsonian museums, is The Capitol. To the south and west are monuments and memorials to people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham, who significantly contributed to African American history and culture. This was my second visit to the Museum, and I still feel like I didn’t have enough time to absorb everything inside. Therefore, I’d advise breaking your visit up into two days or planning to spend one entire day inside. On the outside, the metallic façade is a three-tiered design, which takes inspiration from various African and Black American sculptures and architecture. Although established in December 2003, this location became its permanent home in September 2016.

National Gallery of Art

Another museum that you’ll want to visit while in Washington, DC, is the National Gallery of Art. I’m sure you can already imagine visitors taking pictures of so many different works of art throughout the museum. A couple of my favorite displays were actually outside of the museum!

Katharina Fritsch’s “Hahn/Cock”, better known as the 14-foot-high giant blue rooster. This guy stands on top of the National Gallery of Art’s East Building.

l.M. Pei designed the East Building, which includes three glass pyramids outside, a decade before he constructed the Louvre pyramid.

The Watermelon House

The Watermelon House is a pure photo-op site. It’s located in Logan Circle at 1112 Q St. NW. It was just a short walk from my hotel, so I had to capture the cheerful mural on the side of this row house.

Friendship Archway

This traditional Chinese gate adorned with tiles and dragons marks the entrance to Chinatown, located at 675 H St. NW. It is one of the largest ceremonial arches outside of China and was completed in 1986. The colorful public artwork includes seven roofs covered in 7000 tiles and 284 dragons (272 painted and 12 carved) in the Ming and Qing dynasties style. It spans H Street just east of 7th, standing 47 feet 7 inches tall and 75 feet wide. In total, it weighs 128 tons!

These were some of my favorite instagrammable places in Washington DC. You’re sure to enjoy these special places and many others when you visit Washington DC!

Safe and Happy Travels!

Tamara