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Places to go in Georgetown & Northwest.

Georgetown, the National Zoo, Washington National Cathedral. 3 places worth the drive in this corner of Washington DC.

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Georgetown Attractions

Georgetown

Washington, DC · Georgetown & Northwest

Older than the capital it sits beside, Georgetown is the cobblestone-and-Federal-rowhouse quarter where M Street and Wisconsin Avenue cross under a gold-domed bank, and the shopping, the people-watching, and the history all happen at once. Wander down to the C&O Canal towpath or the Potomac waterfront, then climb the brick sidewalks past the homes of JFK and Julia Child toward Georgetown University's spires. There is no admission and no gate; the whole neighborhood is the attraction, free to walk any day you like.

Smithsonian National Zoo Attractions

Smithsonian National Zoo

Washington, DC · Georgetown & Northwest

Spread across 163 wooded acres in Rock Creek Park, the National Zoo is the rare big-city zoo where admission is free and the headliners are giant pandas. Bao Li and Qing Bao arrived from China in late 2024 and now hold court along Asia Trail, a few steps from red pandas, sloth bears, and clouded leopards. Come for the pandas, then climb the hill to the Great Cats, the elephant barn, and the Amazonia rainforest dome; entry passes are free but required, so reserve a timed slot before you go.

Washington National Cathedral Attractions

Washington National Cathedral

Washington, DC · Georgetown & Northwest

Perched on Mount Saint Alban above Northwest Washington, this is the sixth-largest cathedral on earth and a full-bore feat of 14th-century English Gothic, built stone on stone over 83 years with no steel holding it up. Inside, 215 stained-glass windows pour color down the nave, including the Space Window with a sliver of moon rock set in the glass, and outside the towers hide more than a hundred carved grotesques, among them a Darth Vader sculpted from a kid's design contest. Worship and quiet prayer are always free; daytime sightseeing runs a timed ticket, and it is well worth climbing toward the tower gallery for the long view back over the city.