Washington DC Art Galleries, Music Venues & Cultural Events

Dupont Circle
Georgetown
U Street District
Penn Quarter

Washington, DC is an exciting cultural destination with inspiring art museums, vibrant neighborhoods, thrilling performing arts, world-class entertainment, historic theaters, and the nation’s most historic jazz clubs.

From the hip clubs, boutiques and art galleries of Dupont Circle to the nightlife, music and theaters of U Street, Washington, DC is a dynamic city full of culture, color and character.

Explore Washington, DC’s Cultural Neighborhoods

Dupont Circle.

Centered around a lively urban park and the white marble Dupont Memorial Fountain, Dupont Circle is a vibrant, cosmopolitan neighborhood with Washington, DC’s finest art museums, historic mansions, unique bookstores, hip restaurants and cool art galleries. Dupont Circle is home to the Phillips Collection, one of DC’s leading art museums with paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Degas. Stroll through The Circle to trendy restaurants, bars, galleries, and bookstores, or embark on the Dupont Circle Museum Tour! [Top]

Georgetown.

Packed with history and culture, Georgetown is Washington, DC’s most vibrant neighborhood. This hip, energetic urban oasis is the hot shopping, dining and entertainment district, lined with unique boutiques, popular retailers, high-end design and antique shops, 100 restaurants, sensational spas and salons, gourmet bakeries and cafes, specialty markets, historic attractions and an exciting nightlife scene of upscale lounges, vibrant bars, hip hangouts, and swanky jazz clubs. Enjoy street festivals, including October’s Taste of Georgetown and April’s French Market. With its trendy, quaint ambiance, Georgetown is the perfect destination to mingle with travelers from around the globe. Visit www.georgetowndc.com. [Top]

U Street District.

Washington, DC’s brightest nightlife scene, U Street is home to the city’s most exciting nightclubs, music bars and theaters. The historical home to jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, and Thelonious Monk, the U Street neighborhood features DC’s largest jazz clubs and a collection of African American theaters. Nightclubs along the U Street Corridor include: Bohemian Caverns, Lincoln Theater, Twins Jazz, U-Topia, Velvet Lounge, Duke's City Restaurant and Lounge and Café Saint Ex. [Top]

Penn Quarter.

Located near the Verizon Center, Penn Quarter is a revitalized historic neighborhood in downtown Washington, DC. Known as Old Downtown by locals, this energetic arts and entertainment district offers scores of lively music venues, art galleries, theaters, restaurants, nightclubs, bars and fashionable shops. [Top]