A Virtual Holiday to Capital Region USA

While we all do our part to practice social distancing and flatten the curve during these unprecedented times, we hope to provide you with a mental holiday. Indulge your wanderlust with virtual tours of our region. Brighten your day with a diverse playlist of music produced by artists hailing from Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. Enhance your mind with virtual museum tours or settle into the couch and escape to the movies and television shows set and filmed here. No need to pack your bags or renew your passport. A virtual journey to the Capital Region is just a click away!

Tours

Begin your journey in America’s capital city, Washington, DC with a 360° tour of the city. March and April are the peak season for the city’s most celebrated event – the blooming of the cherry blossoms. While the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival is cancelled this year, you can view the blooms from the comfort of home thanks to this Bloom Cam. You can also check out aerial views of the National Mall from the top of the Washington Monument.

Destinations across Virginia and Maryland offer virtual tours. Explore the brick-lined streets of Alexandria and the historic sites and parks of Fairfax. Watch spring creep up the mountains from Shenandoah National Park or catch the waves rolling onto the beach on Virginia Beach’s Facebook feed. Float along the scenic waterways of the Chesapeake thanks to Chesapeake Conservancy’s virtual tours or learn a bit of Baltimore history through Baltimore Heritage’s 5-Minute Histories video series.

Museums and Attractions

DC is packed with world-famous museums that are free to visit both in-person or virtually. Some of the most popular museums and attractions in the city offer virtual tours including National Museum of Natural History,  National Gallery of Art, National Air and Space Museum, and the National Zoo. Other virtual Smithsonian tours include the Smithsonian Institution, commonly known as The Castle, and Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden.

Virginia’s rich history is on display at Mount Vernon, the home of President George Washington; Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello;  and Colonial Williamsburg, a recreation of early Colonial life in Virginia. Explore the collections at the National Women’s History Museum and Chrysler Museum of Art or walk the gardens at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond. If you’re looking for something a bit more exciting, take a virtual ride on one of the thrilling rollercoasters at King’s Dominion theme park.

Discover more virtual tours in Virginia.

With its location along the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coast, it’s no surprise that Maryland boasts numerous activities and attractions revolving around the water. Get a taste of the state’s maritime history and culture with virtual tours of Annapolis Maritime Museum. Relax your mind as you watch the jellyfish and rays swimming in the National Aquarium’s live broadcasts of their Blacktip Reef, Pacific Coral Reef, and Jellyfish Invasion tanks. Other popular sites offering virtual tours include Walters Art Museum, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Clara Barton National Historic Site, and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

Discover more virtual experiences in Maryland.

TV & Movies

Washington, DC’s iconic landscape has been the backdrop for numerous Hollywood productions from action-packed blockbusters like Captain America: Winter Soldier to family-favourites such as Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. The list of productions filmed in Virginia is equally vast and includes movies such as the recently released movie Harriet, TV-drama Homeland, and the iconic film, Dirty Dancing. Maryland productions include Hairspray, The Wedding Crashers, and The Blair Witch Project. And while the Annapolis Film Festival will not be hosted live this year, you can now watch the festivals featured films at home.

Check out our 7-day tour of filming locations in the Capital Region.

Music

The Capital Region has a rich musical heritage. This is the birthplace of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Patsy Cline, country music and go-go. Explore it all with our Capital Region USA playlist on Spotify. Discover more American music from the region with these playlists, stations, and performances: 

• Discover the Real DC
• Virginia Is for Music Lovers
• Radio Bristol
• River City Soundtrack
• Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Off Stage

Want more virtual escapes? Watch our travel videos or check out our Instagram feed.