Guides · United States
Washington, D.C. tickets
Ticket and booking rules for Washington, D.C.: timed entries, closing days and official links, checked September 2026.
Checked September 2026 against official sources
Washington, D.C.
Bookings and opening rules
Follow the official link before you buy. Full walking days: Washington, D.C. itinerary.
Timed tickets
- Every visitor to the Washington Monument needs a timed ticket: free same-day tickets from the Washington Monument Lodge from 8:45, or advance tickets on Recreation.gov up to 30 days ahead with a $1.00 service charge.Source: National Park Service · checked Sep 2026
- Capitol tours are free and run Monday to Saturday between 8:40 and 15:20; reservations are recommended.Source: U.S. Capitol Visitor Center · checked Sep 2026
- The Library of Congress's Thomas Jefferson Building is open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00–17:00, until 20:00 on Thursdays, with free timed-entry tickets released 30 days ahead.Source: Library of Congress · checked Sep 2026
- The National Air and Space Museum is free and open daily 10:00–17:30 except 25 December, but every visitor needs a free timed-entry pass.Source: National Air and Space Museum · checked Sep 2026
- The National Museum of African American History and Culture needs free timed-entry passes, released 30 days ahead, with same-day passes released online each morning.Source: Smithsonian NMAAHC · checked Sep 2026
Opening hours
- The National Archives Museum is open 10:00–17:30 every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tickets are free and not required, but reserving one speeds up entry.Source: National Archives · checked Sep 2026
- The sites of National Mall and Memorial Parks can be visited 24 hours a day, except the Washington Monument.Source: National Park Service · checked Sep 2026
On the day
What to watch at each stop
Library of Congress (Thomas Jefferson Building)
- Free timed-entry ticket; closed Sundays and Mondays
National Air and Space Museum
- Free timed-entry pass required
Washington Monument
- Timed tickets; book ahead or queue for same-day tickets from 8:45
National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Free timed-entry pass required
Questions
Quick answers
Which sights need tickets?
Almost everything is free, but the Washington Monument, the Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Library of Congress's Jefferson Building need timed-entry tickets, and Capitol tours should be reserved.
Which day should day one fall on?
Capitol tours run Monday to Saturday and the Jefferson Building opens Tuesday to Saturday, so plan day one for a Tuesday to Saturday.
The days these rules belong to
3 days in Washington, D.C.
The National Mall runs for about two miles from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, so each day covers one stretch of it: day one tours the Capitol and the Library of Congress before the Air and Space Museum and the National Archives; day two walks from the Washington Monument past the war memorials to the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin; day three starts at the White House, spends the day in two Smithsonian museums and ends in Georgetown. Most entry is free, but reserve the timed tickets listed below before you go.
