Kennedy Center Rooftop Terrace

The rooftop terrace of the Kennedy Center is free, open to anyone, and has a long view over the Potomac that most visitors to DC miss entirely.

The view

The terrace runs along the south side of the building, facing the river. From up there you can see the Georgetown waterfront, the Key Bridge, Roosevelt Island, and on a clear day further up the Potomac. Sunset is the obvious time to be there, but it's good at most hours.

The free part

No ticket, no reservation. Walk in through the main entrance, go up to the terrace level, done. The building also runs free 45-minute performances in the Grand Foyer most evenings at 6pm: jazz, classical, spoken word, dance. They vary a lot but are usually worth showing up for even if you don't know what's on.

Getting there

The Kennedy Center runs a free shuttle from Foggy Bottom Metro every 15 minutes. Paid parking garage on site if you're driving. Go in the afternoon, catch the terrace view, stay for the 6pm performance, and you've had a full evening without spending much.