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Adams Morgan, Washington, DC

Photo: AgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

NightlifeFreeFoodie FavoriteDate Night

Adams Morgan

18th St NW and Columbia Rd NW · Washington, DC

Why you should go…

Adams Morgan is a Northwest DC neighborhood centered on 18th Street NW and Columbia Road, where Victorian rowhouses hold bars, restaurants, vintage shops and record stores. About 100 places here hold liquor licenses, and the neighborhood is where the late-night jumbo slice of pizza was popularized. You can catch live music or comedy and look for the murals. Adams Morgan Day is a street celebration with live music, food and craft booths.

  • #nightlife district
  • #bars and restaurants
  • #neighborhood
  • #live music
  • #vintage shopping

Good to know

General nightlife guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Doors, showtime, last call

    Three different times, and only one of them is usually on the poster. Check all three.

  • Covers and minimums are normal

    Weekend nights often carry a door charge or a per-person minimum, especially for table seating.

  • Bring ID either way

    Age policies shift by night and by room, so carry it even if you have not been asked in years.

  • Weeknights show the room properly

    Quieter nights are the ones where you can actually hear the band and find a seat.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Adams Morgan, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Smithsonian's National Zoo

    Free

    Giant pandas, elephants, and 2,000 animal residents in Rock Creek Park, one of America's best zoos, and it's free.

    0.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Museums
    Date Night

    The Phillips Collection

    Under $25

    See Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party and the Rothko Room in a Dupont Circle house museum.

    0.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Eat & Drink
    Foodie Favorite

    Ben's Chili Bowl

    Under $25

    Order a chili half-smoke, chili cheese fries and a milkshake at the counter of the U Street diner Ben and Virginia Ali opened in 1958.

    0.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Dupont Circle

    Free

    Sit by the marble fountain, watch a chess game and explore the galleries and embassies around this traffic circle park.

    0.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Nightlife
    Iconic

    9:30 Club

    $25–$50

    Catch touring bands at a 1,200-capacity standing-room concert hall with four bars, a balcony and a stage that moves.

    1.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Dumbarton Oaks

    Free

    See Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art in a Georgetown mansion, then wander terraced gardens designed by Beatrix Farrand.

    1.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums