This post covers the top things to do in July in Washington, DC (updated for 2022), including nighttime activities, free things to do, and family-friendly options.
Be sure to read our master post on things to do in DC for even more ideas.
TOP 10
This section covers our top ten list for July.
For more ideas on favorite things to do in DC, check out the following posts:
Some of the items listed in this post are included for free with the purchase of a tourist attraction discount pass.
1. Discover Georgetown
July is a month filled with events about to America declaring its independence from Great Britain.
One neighborhood that predates the American Revolution is Georgetown and you can learn more about this historic area on our Historic Georgetown Walking Tour, or on your own with our GPS-led audio tour.
If you're concerned about daytime heat, take our eventing Ghosts of Georgetown or True Crimes of Georgetown tours or our evening Street Art & Glow Lights tour.
You can find out more about all our walking tours here.
2. Attend a Concert
July brings plenty of musical performances to Washington, DC in venues all around the city and beyond.
Washington, DC (within 30 miles):
- 5 Seconds of Summer | July 5th
- Social House | July 6th
- Lee Brice | July 8th
- Pink Martini | July 8th
- Grupo Firme | July 9th
- Psychadelic Furs | July 17th
- Howard Jones | July 19th
- The Cult | July 17th
- Jackson Browne | July 20th
- Ben Folds | July 20th
- New Kids on the Block | July 23rd
- Gordon Lightfoot | July 25th
- ZZ Top | July 26th
- Herb Alpert | July 27th
- Ziggy Marley | July 27th
- Old Crow Medicine Show | July 29th
- Vince Gill | July 29th, July 30th
- The Weekend | July 30th
If you're willing to go a little further afield there are additional options:
Annapolis:
Baltimore:
- Three Dog Night | July 2nd
- John Hiatt | July 9th
- Patty Smyth/Scandal | July
- Billy Strings | July 2nd
- Halestorm | July 17th
- Barenaked Ladies | July 19th
Bristow:
- The Chicks | July 9th
- Backstreet Boys | July 12th
- Josh Groban | July 13th
- Jason Aldeen | July 17th
- Luke Byran | July 21st
- Rob Zombie | July 23rd
- Pitbull /Iggy Azalea| July 29th
- Keith Urban | July 30th
There are also options for groups of artists in concert together:
- Sam Bush
- Jerry Douglas
- Jerry Douglas Band
- Bobby Weir
- Oteil Burbridge
- Mickey Hart
- John Mayer
- Sharon Van Etten
- Julian Baker
- Angel Olsen
3. Enjoy The DC Theatre Scene
Fans of the theater will be glad to hear there are several notable comedies, musicals, plays, and ballets to see in and around Washington, DC.
Round House Theatre
- Norwood Dreams | June 8th-July 3, 2022
Kennedy Center
- To Kill A Mockingbird | throughout July
- BLACK GIRL'S ROCK!FEST | July 1st
- The Band's Visit | July 5th - 17th
National Theatre
- Six The Musical | July 5th - 31st
Toby's Dinner Theatre
- The SpongeBob Musical | July 1st - 31st
Warner Theatre
- Ben Schwartz | July 23rd
Wolf Trap
- Sound of Music Sing-A-Long | July 16th
- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince/National Symphony Orchestra | July 22nd, July 23rd
- La Traviata | July 15th
- Star Wars the Empire Strikes Back/National Symphony Orchestra| July 29th
- Toy Story in Concert/National Symphony Orchestra | July 30th
4. Attend a Sporting Event
Sports and a cold beer are the perfect way to fend off the summer swelter, and luckily there are a number of games to attend in DC in July 2022.
Baseball
The Washington Nationals will be playing a number of games at home this month:
- July 1st - 4th vs Miami Marlins
- July 12th - 13th vs Seattle Mariners
- July 13th - 17th vs Atlanta Braves
- July 29th - 31st vs St. Louis Cardinals
Click here for ticket information.
Soccer
The DC United soccer team will play at Audi Field 4 times this month:
- July 13th vs Columbus Crew
- July 20th vs FC Bayern München
- July 25th vs DF Montreal
- July 31st vs Oralndo City SC
For tickets click here.
Washington Spirit, DC women's soccer team, will also play at Audi Field:
- July 17th vs Orlando Pride
Tickets can be found here.
This is a great option for families. For more family-friendly ideas, check out our things to do with kids post.
5. Take A Tour of DC
There are a number of tours led by our expert guides. Some are free and others have a ticketed price.
Just a few examples are:
For additional tours, click here.
We also have:
You can also explore on your own. We offer a GPS-enabled audio tour app, free self-guided tours and neighborhood guides.
Learn about the monuments and memorials in DC and plan your visit to each of them.
6. Fourth of July
Probably the most popular time this month to visit DC is Independence Day. In 2022, July 4th is a Monday.
In addition to celebrating with fireworks, you might also want to consider visiting the National Mall and seeing some of the most notable sites and landmarks in the United States.
Mount Vernon is a great place to celebrate the founding of our nation with our founding father, George Washington.
They have a special event with fireworks and a chance to meet the General.
If you are just in town for the day and want to know all about the fireworks and concert, read our post on the Fourth of July in DC.
7. Attend the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
This festival celebrates diverse cultures, highlighting their food, dance, art, way of life, clothing, music, and more.
In years past Peru, Baaque Country, China, Kenya, Armenia have been feted.
This 55 year old festival takes place on the National Mall - and best of all, it's free to attend (although food and handicrafts will have a cost).
There are performance stages, booths with exhibits, demonstrations, and a generally friendly audience. Local restaurants supply food athentic to the countries represented
The second half of this festival takes place between June 30th - July 4th in 2022. Hours are 11 am to 6 pm , with concerts starting at 6:30 pm.
Click here for more information about the festival and for a schedule of events.
8. Visit Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of the best known military cemeteries in our nation and the world.
And we have put together a guide to help you plan your visit here.
Take a free walking tour or a trolley tour to learn about specific graves and history, or take a self-guided tour to enjoy at your own place.
9. Visit a Smithsonian Museum
DC is home to the world's largest museum complex, one with over 150 million artifacts and treatures.
Each museum and building within the Smithsonian has it's own opening hours and rules. Here are just some of them:
- Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden | 10:00 am to 5:30 pm daily except Tuesday. Friday and Saturday see extended hours.
- National Air and Space Museum in DC | closed until fall 2022
- National Air and Space Udvar-Hazy | 10:00 am to 5:30 pm daily
- National Museum of African American History and Culture | 10:00 am to 5:30 pm daily
- National Museum of the American Indian | 10:00 - 5:30 daily
- National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Air Museum | 11:30 am to 7:00 pm daily
- Smithsonian's National Zoo | 8:00 am to 5:30 pm daily
For more information, read our guide to museums in Washington DC and how to get tickets to the Smithsonians.
10. Look into a Tourist Attraction Discount Pass
Tourist attraction passes bundle together many popular attractions and tours into one discounted price and can save you over 50%.
They also can save you time with skip-the-ticket-line privileges.
Here we detail how these passes work and help you decide which, if any, is best for you.
THINGS TO DO AT NIGHT
July is a a bit steamy weather-wise so sometimes spending some time outside after the sun goes down is a better time to see the city.
Some of our top ten items are great for evenings like watching a baseball game.
Below are a few more night time activities for the month of July.
Take a Night Walking Tour
We offer a number of tours in the evening. Our daily 7:45pm Memorials and Moonlight Tour lets you explore the National Mall after the sun sets.
Other night tours that we offer include:
You might also be interested in a bike or bus night tour.
Kennedy Center Reach's Victura Park
The outdoor beer and wine picnic area at Kennedy Center's Reach is both kid and dog friendly!
You'll find beer, wine, cocktails and prepared food to eat at picnic tables or bring your own blanket. (just don't bring your own food!)
Entrance to the Kennedy Center is free and you can take our free self guided tour of Kennedy Center along with you.
Stay Late at a Museum
Celebrate the long summer days by staying late at the Smithsonian Museums.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery stay open until 7 pm every day.
We offer guided tours of many of the Smithsonian Museums!
For our definitive guide to all the best museums in DC, visit our post.
FREE THINGS TO DO
DC is (fortunately) overloaded with free things to do! A lot of the items we've listed in other sections like the Kennedy Center and National Zoo are 100% free to enter!
Below are a few more activities for the month. For even more budget-friendly ideas, check out our post on free things to do in DC.
Jazz in the Sculpture Garden
From May 20 through July, 2022 you can listen to jazz at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.
Reservations are required and are bookable a week in advance - they go FAST!
For a complete schedule of performances, visit here.
Tour the FBI Building
Tours of the FBI Building are possible but take a little know-how.
You will be guided to an exhibit room and small museum but only if you have an advance reservation.
NOTE: Tours are only open to US citizens.
Visit the National Archives
Here you can see the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, US Constitution, and more!
You can get timed tickets in advance for a small processing fee or you can walk up with no appointment, just be prepared to wait in line during busy times.
Read our post on how to plan your visit to the National Archives in DC.
Cool Off at the Georgetown Waterfront Park
Escape the DC humidity along the banks of the Potomac River at the Georgetown Waterfront Park.
Children especially will enjoy splashing around on the accessible fountain splash pad and lounging on the riverfront steps leading up to the water.
Our Historic Georgetown walking tour starts here and our family-friendly Ghosts of Georgetown Tour begins not too far away.
THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS IN JUNE
Washington, DC is super family-friendly! There are also so many activity options available, there is sure to be something to fit everyone's tastes.
A few activities we've listed above like taking a Potomac River cruise. Here are a few more kid-friendly things to do in June.
Be sure to read our master post on things to do with kids in DC for even more ideas.
Head to the Zoo!
A part of the Smithsonian Institution (meaning admission is free!), the National Zoo offers families a variety of animals and fun when they visit.
Don't miss the zoo's largest draw - the giant pandas that are currently on loan from China.
Other animals highlights include gorillas, elephants, lions, and zebras, or watch the orangutans walk the high wire every morning
Read more about the Zoo and remember timed tickets are required to enter the Zoo (and ANOTHER ticket is needed to see the Pandas)
Play outside on the National Mall
Tidal Basin Paddle Boats
Rent paddle boats on the Tidal Basin to get a unique perspective of the Jefferson, Dr. King, and FDR Memorials. There is a fee to rent the boats and they only operate in good weather.
The Tidal Basin Boathouse supplies life vests for individuals over 18 months of age or 25 lbs.
You can find the operating status and current rates here.
Carousel on the National Mall
For little kids, a carousel ride on the National Mall provides a fun break between visiting the museums. There is also a food and drink stand nearby for a quick snack.
Visit the Kids Sections at the Smithsonian Museums
Smithsonian museums have no costs.
Many of the main Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall have separate rooms for younger visitors, a favorite is the miniature Julia Child's Kitchen in the Wegmen's Wonderplace at the American History Museum.
You'll also find an entire floor of the American Indian Museum geared towards kids, with a passport to explore the many Native cultures.
Explore the Arboretum
Families who are really looking to explore the outdoors will enjoy the United States Arboretum. It's basically a huge park!
Highlights include the beautiful Bonsai collection, various aquatic plants, the National Grove of State Trees, and the huge collection of Cherry Blossom trees.
