Last Updated on December 22, 2022
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Updated for 2022 / 2023
by Donna Manz
There are many unique museums in Washington, DC. So many, in fact, that some people consider the city to be the museum capitol of North America.
Many of its museums, such as the Smithsonian complex, are federally funded and free to visit. But there are also several good Washington, DC museums that are not federally funded. Although some charge admission (and can be relatively costly), they are quite interesting and well worth a visit.
Here are three non-government funded Washington DC museums that are so interesting to visit, even locals pay a premium to see them.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Unlike most tourist spots, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is not the place to go for a joyful excursion but rather a place to reflect on the evil that man perpetrates on man. The museum’s mission is research and education and its chronology of the Holocaust is a piercing view into the darkest period in 20th century-Europe.
Personal references to the victims and the use of their names also gives life to the atrocities of Nazi Germany. But the single time I visited the memorial museum I left feeling as if I had merely glossed over the resources and displays there.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
14th Street and Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW
Washington, DC 20024
https://www.ushmm.org
Tel: (202) 488-0400
Open: every day 10am – 5:30pm. Closed Yom Kippur and Christmas Day.
Admission: free, although timed tickets are required for entry.
International Spy Museum
The International Spy Museum, only a 15-minute walk south of the Smithsonian, is undeniably my favorite D.C. museum. That’s probably because I remember some of the events depicted here, including the Robert Hansen spy case. Hansen lived about two miles from my house and it was an odd feeling looking at photos of Hansen’s “drop” point knowing I passed it frequently.
This is a truly unique museum in Washington DC where are all kinds of spy devices, even an area dedicated to the pigeon spies of World War II. (Okay, although the pigeons didn’t know they were spies, they did intelligence work carrying tiny cameras in World War I).
There’s also a special James Bond exhibit honoring 50 years of Bond movies, interactive spy games and even Maxwell Smart’s shoe phone. The museum’s layout, however, is somewhat clandestine and is one of those experiences you’ll appreciate best over several visits.
International Spy Museum
700 L’Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington DC 20024
http://www.spymuseum.org
@ [email protected]
Tel: (202) 393-7798
Open: daily 9 – 7pm / Friday Saturday and Sunday until 8pm
Admission: prices vary according to the day of the week: see prices here
Mount Vernon
This Washington museum is technically not in Washington, D.C. But Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate in Virginia, deserves inclusion in any summary of capitol attractions since it draws a lot of visitors who come to the District of Columbia. And, after all, the nation’s capitol is named for him.
Washington and his wife Martha lived at Mount Vernon for more than 40 years and the estate. On the banks of the Potomac River just 16 miles from the White House, it has been restored and preserved. I love visiting Mount Vernon in the spring when the trees and flowers are blossoming and in mid-fall when warm colors take over the grounds.
Mount Vernon
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Mount Vernon, VA 22309
http://www.mountvernon.org
@ [email protected]
Tel: (703) 780-2000
Open: 365 days a year, including holidays / April – October: 9am – 5pm / November through March: 9am – 4pm
Admission: children (6-11 years): $15 / adults (12 – 61 years) $28 / 62+ $16. Children five and under are free. Some admission fees are lower, depending on the date. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans, first responders, nurses, medical professionals are eligible for a discount. Recipients of the Purple Heart receive free admission.
Note: The Museum and Education Center remains open to guests for one hour after closing. Visitor parking is free.
You may also enjoy: The Top 10 Places in Washington, DC / Best Things to See for Free in Washington, DC / 10 Really Interesting American Small Museums
The Holocaust Museum was amazing. The others are still on my bucket list.
Awesome list! I went to university in DC but I never heard of these museums. Of course, I graduated in 1996 so these may not have been around at the time. 🙂 I’d love to visit the first three. Thanks for sharing.
Thought this was an old article but it says published this year…news run closed over a year ago (before pandemic)
Hi K,
Thank you for reminding me to make a note in the article. I had totally forgotten to do that.
Yes, the Newseum did close because it was just too expensive an operation to keep open on Pennsylvania Avenue. I know that they’ve been looking for a new (less expensive) place for a while. I hope they do — it was one of the great places to visit in DC.
I hope they find a new place for Newseum, it was one of the best museum I’ve visited.
The Newseum was one of the best museums in Washington. Like you, I hope they will find another place for it.
Three of these are no longer at all correct. Spy moved, crime and news have closed.
Peter,
Thank you for alerting me about this. I was unaware of that and will look into it.
Jim