National Mall Tips and Travel Hacks

The National Mall is a must-see for most Washington, DC visitors. These are six of our favorite National Mall tips and travel hacks.

1. Use the Circulator bus to cool down and recharge

Circulator bus is a great method of transportation. It will take you around to the museums, the monuments, and memorials. On a summer day it’s also a chance to get out of the hot sun and into the air conditioning. When the National Mall route launched in 2015, Circulator purchased some new buses and upgraded the fleet. Many new buses include USB ports to charge your devices. Make sure to look for the USB ports under the seat if your battery is low. Unfortunately some of the older buses do not have them.

2. Use the ‘back doors’ at the museums

Most museums on the National Mall have two sets of doors. One set that face the grassy National Mall and another that face either Constitution or Independence Avenues. Museum security can get hectic. Every Smithsonian museum on the Mall will have a metal detector or a person who searches through your bag. Charter buses only unload on the National Mall side of the museums, so when you’re behind a big group who’s just arrived it’s often quicker and easier to swing around to the other side of the museum. It’s not guaranteed that it’s going to be faster, but during peak school group tour season in the spring, this can save you valuable time.

3. See a Hollywood movie

The Smithsonian has a lot of amazing assets. But one that is often underrated is the IMAX theater at the Air and Space Museum. The Air and Space Museum has a program called ‘Sci-Fi Sundays’ where they pick a Sci-Fi movie and play it on the big IMAX. However, what really gets people excited is that when there’s a big Hollywood blockbuster made for IMAX. A few movies that have been shown in the IMAX theater include Interstellar, Arrival, and Star Wars: A Force Awakens. So if you’re going to be in DC and want to see a Sci-Fi film, check to see if Air and Space has it.

4. Use metro stations other than Smithsonian

There are a lot of Metro stations closer to attractions on the National Mall than the one called Smithsonian. In fact, the Smithsonian stop isn’t even the closest to all of the museums! The closest Metro station to the Lincoln Memorial is Foggy Bottom. The nearest station to the White House is McPherson Square. The closest station to the National Archives is Archives. The nearest station to the Air and Space Museum is L’Enfant Plaza. The closest station to the American Indian Museum is Federal Center Southwest. And the closest station of the Capitol is Capitol South.

5. Walk to Arlington National Cemetery

The Metro map is a useful tool but is not drawn to scale. In the case of Arlington National Cemetery, the map makes it look like it isn’t close to anything. The reality is that it’s actually a fairly short walk from the Lincoln Memorial. You don’t necessarily need to ride the blue line around to Arlington National Cemetery station.

The walk from the steps of Lincoln to the Smithsonian station is 1.2 miles. The walk from the steps of Lincoln to the gate of Arlington cemetery is only 1.0 miles. In fact if you swing around to the back of the Lincoln Memorial you will clearly see the cemetery in the distance. So if you want to go to Arlington and you’re already on the Mall, you don’t need Metro. You can walk.

6. See the monuments in the evening

The National Mall is busiest every day between about noon and 3:00 p.m. which is unfortunate because that is the hottest and most humid time of day; which is especially true in summer. Locals know that one of the best National Mall tips is to see the monuments and memorials in the evening. Not only is it cooler and less crowded, but the monuments take on a whole different feel once the sun goes down. For example people say that the soldiers at the Korean War Memorial Become like ghosts. Plus you can’t come to Washington DC and not see the World War II Memorial after dark lit up in all of its glory.

Coming to Washington, DC and want us to show you around?

Trip Hacks DC was founded by Rob, a veteran tour guide in the Nation’s Capital. Trip Hacks DC provides tips, tricks and travel hacks for planning your trip; and guided tours to show you around once you get here. Our tours are family and school group friendly and our guides specialize in the major Washington, DC sites. Click here to check out the upcoming tour options and to book your tour here today!Feel free to contact us if you have any tour questions.