Things to do nearJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Opened in 1971 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts occupies a commanding position along the Potomac River in Washington, District of Columbia, serving simultaneously as a national cultural institution and a working performance complex. Designed by architect Edward Durell Stone, the building's long white marble exterior was constructed with materials donated by countries from around the world, a gesture that reflects the Center's enduring mission to foster international cultural exchange.

Inside, visitors move between six main performance spaces, including the Opera House, the Concert Hall, and the Eisenhower Theater, each calibrated for a different scale and style of programming. The Opera House hosts grand productions from visiting ballet and opera companies, while the Concert Hall is the permanent home of the National Symphony Orchestra and welcomes celebrated soloists and ensembles year-round. The Eisenhower Theater presents Broadway productions, dramatic plays, and chamber-scale performances that reward those who look beyond the marquee names.

Throughout the year, the Kennedy Center also presents jazz, world music, family programming, and festivals that draw artists and audiences from across the globe. The rooftop terrace offers one of the most quietly rewarding views in the capital, looking out over the river toward Virginia, and it remains open to the public free of charge. For anyone with an interest in the performing arts, American cultural history, or simply the experience of a great building alive with creative energy, the Kennedy Center stands as a destination genuinely unlike any other in the country.