21 Most Unusual Non-Touristy Things to Do in Washington, DC

Betrayals, conspiracies and assassinations have made this city fertile ground for rumors of hauntings. Several ghost-tour companies reveal this side of DC, the creepiest of which is the Ghosts of Lafayette Park Tour. Guides dressed in Victorian costumes lead you by lantern-light around Lafayette Park, passing the White House, the Hay-Adams hotel and St John’s Church, as they recount the twisted tales that earned this area its ghoulish reputation.

You don’t have to run away and join a circus to try out the flying trapeze. Trapeze School New York (TSNY) has a Washington DC branch, where anyone can sign up for training sessions in big-top skills. Other options include trampolining, silks (hanging acrobatically from fabric) and the Spanish Web aerial apparatus. If you’re not one for heights, there are tricks to be learnt back down on terra firma, such as juggling and balancing.

The DC Divas have made a name for themselves by earning three national titles in women’s professional tackle football and achieving more victories than any other franchise in sport. Their home games are held at the state-of-the-art St James Sports Complex, around a 20-minute drive from the center of DC. Tickets are a fraction of the price of men’s football and the athleticism of the players will leave you exhilarated.

An amateur, not-for-profit sport it may be, but crowds descend in their thousands to watch the DC Rollergirls do their thing. Roller derby is a contact sport with plenty of action, where the skate-wearing teams whip around a flat track at breakneck speed, and points are gained by lapping members of the opposing team. Check out the DC Armory and Dulles SportsPlex for tickets.

You might not naturally put DC and horse riding together, but saddling up is a great way to see an alternative side to this green city. Rock Creek Park Horse Center, deep in the woods of the 1,754 acre (710ha) Rock Creek Park, provides guided trips for every level, including absolute beginners. This federal park has been a refreshing sanctuary for Washingtonians since 1890 – its miles of forests now criss-crossed with hiking and bike trails, and 13mi (21km) of dirt and gravel bridle paths.

Delve into the underworld of secret agents at the International Spy Museum, the world’s biggest collection of espionage artefacts on public display. Taking up a new building in L’Enfant Plaza, on the Southwest Waterfront, it’s doubled in size from its old downtown location and displays now span 39 countries. Dramatized accounts include the story of James Lafayette, an African American slave who spied for the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

An incredible 24m medical artefacts are housed in the National Museum of Health and Medicine, founded by the US Army. With a focus on pathology, this isn’t a day out for the queasy: the most memorable exhibit is the collection of bone fragments and hair from President Lincoln’s skull, alongside the bullet that killed him. A section of the Air Force’s theater hospital, Trauma Bay II, was moved from Balad in Iraq to go on display.

As the administrative center of one of the globe’s superpowers, the law-making buildings of Washington DC hold a special kind of gravitas. The US Supreme Court is open to tourists who want to watch an oral argument in session (they are fairly frequent, with about 70 to 80 cases each year). To claim a spot, stand in line for a first-come-first-served seat, and who knows, you might just witness legal history being made.

Few escape rooms live up to the sheer creativity of Washington’s DC’s version. Part-Crystal Maze and part-Trivial Pursuit, Escape Room Live is an immersive, live-action game geared up towards groups. You’ll find it in two locations, historic Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria, with the former offering eerie rooms such as the Curse of the Mummy, and the latter going for character themes such as Sherlock Holmes. Both have Hollywood-level set design and lighting.

Built at the turn of the 20th century, these mini catacombs may not match up to the subterranean tombs of Europe, but their Dan Brown-esque atmosphere makes for a fascinating experience. The complex is located beneath the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, and although most of the tombs are fake, there is a real skeleton on display. The chilling legend is that these bones belong to a seven- or eight-year-old child, a second-century Italian martyr.

Each Community day or first Sunday of the month, this off the path museum allows free admission — normally $10 for adults. The collection holds 4,500 pieces by female artists, including Frida Kahlo and Mary Cassatt. It is the only museum in the world dedicates to recognizing achievements of female artists and is often overlooked on tourist guides. Located in a beautiful Renaissance revival building, the national museum boasts its own library and many historical pieces of work. Recommended by Lauren Gruber

Starting at Ford’s Theater, history buffs can relive the night President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. The tour guide plays an investigator in full costume as the group follows the escape route of John Wilkes Booth, and guests will be able to view other significant Civil Wars sights related to Lincoln as the trail ends in Lafayette Square right by the White House. The cost is $15 for a 2.5 hour tour. Recommended by Lauren Gruber

Tudor Place, the neoclassical mansion in Georgetown, is the preserved home of Martha Custis, Martha Washington’s granddaughter, and husband Thomas Peter. The space offers stunning architecture and family heirlooms, and the drawing room, bedrooms, servants quarters and a portico look out onto the Potomac River. The five-and-a-half acre property offers visitors to enjoy a bowling green and Japanese teahouse. Recommended by Lauren Gruber

Nellie’s Sports Bar provides a rare and charming blend of TVs streaming live sports and a gay pride scene that hosts events such as drag show brunches. In case it’s not what you’re looking for, some trendy new watering holes are Columbia Room by Derek Brown, Mad Rose Tavern, the Twisted Horn, and locally acclaimed rooftop bars include POV, Brixton, and Roofer’s Union. Recommended by Nicole Hampton

Landmark E Street Cinema is the best option for indie, foreign, documentaries, and cult classics like Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Room. As a plus, its in-house bar offers local and exotic brews and nice wines along with upscale concessions. Other amazing theaters to check out include ArcLight Bethesda, Angelika Film Center & Cafe at Mosiac, and Alamo Drafthouse One Loudoun. Recommended by Nicole Hampton

What a grand place to grab a brew. Built in the 1890s by brewer Christian Heurich as a personal palace in D.C., this gothic Victorian home contains an eclipsing tower growing out of the three-story abode and elaborate stone arches. After his death at age 102 (his beer must have been the elixir of life), the two first floors and his brewing business were preserved, hosting beer events like Oktoberfest and tastings. Recommended by Nicole Hampton

Besides this reverent neogothic structure‘s beautiful corridors, vaulted ceilings, and wondrous architecture, several odd aspects can be admired—specifically, its science fiction décor (including galaxy stained-glass, a souvenir from the first step on the moon, and a Darth Vader carving), much of which passes by tourists’ eyes and remains a humorous constant for the locals. Recommended by Nicole Hampton

Make sure to bring your phone because these cliffs are every Instagrammers dream. Not only do they offer a view of the Potomac River and the cityscape, but the hidden cove of cliffs that start to take on words and colors is the ever-changing local secret, as people come to add their own impressions onto other artworks. It’s a quiet place people come to reflect, read, hang out, and take a few selfies. Recommended by Nicole Hampton

Riggs is one of the oldest United States libraries still housing books. It opened its four floors and iron walkways, small alcoves, and two spiral staircases to the public in 1898. Though until the 1970s, it now mainly hosts events. Recommended by Nicole Hampton

This different kind of church offers services for healing, meditating, and reciting mantras. Its members all have one commonality—they believe in communicating with the dead, hence their name, referring to having one foot in the spirit world and one in the Earthly realm. Recommended by Nicole Hampton