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People gathering inside the National Archives

Things to Do This Week in Washington, DC

Things to do the week of Sept. 22-25, 2025

We've gathered up things to do across the nation's capital, including museum exhibits, concerts, only-in-DC events and much more. Don't miss our things to do this weekend and things to do this month as well. 

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Monday

Experience Art Ave
Don’t miss this free outdoor art gallery from Golden Triangle BID, featuring 13 stunning, large-scale sculptures and window artworks by acclaimed artists, just steps from the White House. Discover interactive elements during the day or visit in the evening to see the artworks colorfully illuminated.
Free to Access | More Info
800 Connecticut Avenue – 1050 Connecticut Avenue NW, including Farragut Square

 

People gathering inside the National Archives

The U.S. Constitution on Display in Its Entirety
For the first time in years, National Archives visitors can view every piece of the U.S. Constitution all at once (barring a visit from Nicholas Cage's Ben Gates.) What you'll see: all four original pages, the rarely seen fifth page signed by George Washington, the Bill of Rights and the 17 subsequent amendments. The display marks Constitution Day on Sept. 17, and is part of nationwide America 250th celebrations leading up to 2026. This event adds to the many experiences that make DC the ultimate destination for celebrating the semiquincentennial.
Free timed tickets
National Archives Museum, 701 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20408 

 

Theatre Week

Theatre Week

Theatre Week
Celebrate the theatre season in the Washington, DC region with a weeks-long promotion from TheatreWashington which includes $25, $45 and $65 tickets to highly anticipated productions at venues all over the DC area. There are musicals, dramas, comedies, theatre for young audiences and much more. In addition to discounted tickets, Theatre Week also includes special events (most of which are free) designed to entertain, educate and inspire, including the free Kickoff Fest. Plan your stay: Book a hotel today.

 

Tune Yards at The Howard Theatre

Tune-Yards
It’s highly likely you’ve never heard music quite like what Tune-Yards produces. Masterminded by the idiosyncratically brilliant Merrill Garbus, the project is known for its eclectic sound; Garbus incorporates a range of percussion instruments along with ukulele, loop pedals and saxophone. Catch Tune-Yards at The Howard Theatre as they tour in support of their first album in four-plus years.
8 p.m. |  Tickets
The Howard Theatre, 620 T Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

 

Tuesday

Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955-1985
The National Gallery of Art hosts a monumental tribute to the work of Black artists from around the world. Photography and the Black Arts Movement spans four decades and features roughly 150 pieces by more than 100 artists, including luminaries such as Gordon Parks, Carrie Mae Weems, Frank Stewart, Billy Abernathy, David C. Driskell, Lorna Simpson and many more.
4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20565

 

'The Sound of Music' at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Photo by Matthew Murphy

The Sound of Music 
The Kennedy Center stages a production of one of the great musicals with three-time Tony Award® winner Jack O’Brien as director. The Sound of Music transports the audience to the hills of Austria for unforgettable songs and a tale of resilience, love and resistance.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566

 

'Merry Wives' by Shakespeare Theatre Company

Photo by Jada Imani

Merry Wives
Shakespeare Theatre Company hosts the regional premiere of a hilarious take on one of The Bard’s most famous farces. The infamous Falstaff is dropped into modern Harlem low on money and decides to pursue the purses of two West African wives. Schemes are launched to thwart the prospective thief and plenty of hilarity ensues.
Tickets
Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004

 

Wednesday

'The American Five' at Ford's Theatre

Ford's Theatre

The American Five 
Ford’s Theatre treats audiences to a stage production that depicts five civil rights icons – including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – in the process of planning the March on Washington and crafting King’s legendary “I Have A Dream” speech. In the face of intimidation, life threats, surveillance and immense public pressure, the group forms a coalition and creates a defining moment in American history.
Tickets
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004

 

Damn Yankees 
The minds behind this new adaptation of an American classic include Lortel Award winner Will Power, Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright and Tony Award winners Lynn Ahrens and Sergio Trujillo. From its pure love of baseball to its femme fatale and fateful pact with the Devil, Damn Yankees promises to be a crowd-pleaser at Arena Stage.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

 

'Strategic Love Play' at Signature Theatre

Signature Theatre Company

Strategic Love Play
Signature Theatre Company delivers a biting new satire from Succession writer Miriam Battye that skewers the world of online dating. When a man and a woman meet for a date after matching, a first date never to be forgotten quickly ensues.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206

 

Studio Theatre External Shot in Washington, DC

Studio Theatre

The Heart Sellers 
Studio Theatre dives deep into the immigrant experience with this new play from writer Lloyd Suh and director Danilo Gambini. It’s Thanksgiving Day in 1973 when Filipino immigrant Luna meets the South Korean Jane in a near-empty grocery store. The two decide to celebrate the holiday together, eventually discussing their homesickness, their pursuit of the American dream, Soul Train and much more in this intimate production.
Tickets
Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005


Thursday

Rik Freeman: Wade in the Waters 
DC artist Rik Freeman’s work is showcased in-depth at this free exhibition displayed at Phillips@THEARC. For more than three decades, Freeman has engaged history, community, resilience and joy in his work. Wade in the Waters zooms in on waterways – from the beaches of Bahia to the Anacostia River – and how they connect to the diaspora over generations.
Wednesday & Thursday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |  Free Admission
Phillips@THEARC, 1801 Mississippi Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20020

 

The Great Privation 
Timelines jump and collide in this innovative production at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. The Great Privation shows a mother and daughter guarding the grave of their husband and father to prevent resurrectionists from tampering with it, circa 1832. On the same grounds in the present, another mother and daughter are summer camp counselors. The two stories intersect in fascinating ways.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004

 

'Everything is Wonderful' at Keegan Theatre

Keegan Theatre

Everything is Wonderful
The Keegan Theatre stages acclaimed playwright Chelsea Marcantel's stirring and thought-provoking of grief, faith and family. After a tragic accident, a young woman returns home to her Amish roots to confront the life and relationships that she left behind. Wounds will be reopened and secrets will emerge as our protagonist's boundaries between forgiveness and forgetfulness are blurred.
Tickets
Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

 

'Julius X' from Shakespeare Theatre Company

Shakespeare Theatre Company

Julius X 
Renaissance man Al Letson reimagines one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies through the story of civil rights leader Malcolm X. Letson – an award-winning writer, journalist and podcast host – teams with director Nicole Brewer for a production that reflects the timelessness of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and examines the fascinating life of a revolutionary.
Tickets
Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003

 

Cirque du Soleil: LUZIA

Photo by Anne Colliard

Cirque Du Soleil: LUIZA
Poetically guided by light (‘luz’ in Spanish) and rain (‘lluvia’), LUZIA details the adventures of a parachuted traveler with the culture, nature and mythology of a dreamlike land inhabited by a menagerie of characters. Refreshing and unexpected, LUZIA dazzles with the incorporation of water into the acrobatic presentation – a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production.
Tickets
8025 Galleria Drive, Tysons, VA 22102

 

 

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