The July 4 fireworks show will return to the National Mall on Monday. The show will run from 9:09 to 9:27 PM and can be seen from many areas in DC and Northern Virginia.
If you’re determined to get to the National Mall, be aware that you’ll have to pass through an entry point. The entry points will be open from 11 AM to 9 PM. Entrances include the west side of Arlington Memorial Bridge; Constitution Avenue between 23rd Street and Henry Bacon Drive, Northwest; Maine Avenue and Raoul Wallenberg Place, Southwest; and East Basin Drive, Southwest at the Tidal Basin Inlet Bridge just south of the Jefferson Memorial. People can view the show from “secure areas” on Potomac River shoreline east to 17th Street and Constitution Avenue south to East Basin Drive. These areas include the Lincoln Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Thomas Jefferson memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
If you can’t be bothered to join massive crowds at the Mall, there are several aways to avoid going downtown. Some of the closest views are along the banks of the Potomac. The Marine Corps War Memorial, the Netherlands Carillon, Hains Point, and Gravelly Point are well-known vantage points for the annual fireworks show. Further down the river, stake out a spot at Washington Sailing Marina or walk the Mount Vernon Trail. Venture to Long Bridge Park or the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove for a chill spot to watch the show. You can also head to Georgetown Waterfront Park or rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards from Thompson Boat Center for a view on the water. Advance reservations are required.
If you can’t bear to cross the river, you can still catch a great view in the District. Head downtown to President’s Park near the White House or the Federal Reserve Board’s Eccles Building for one of the closest views of the pyrotechnic show. Or relax on the grassy lawns of the Washington National Cathedral, Cardozo Education Campus, McKinley Technology Education Campus, or Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park). You can also travel to Southeast to watch the show from the Yards Park, Giesboro Park, or Anacostia Park.
Before becoming Research Editor, Damare Baker was an Editorial Fellow and Assistant Editor for Washingtonian. She has previously written for Voice of America and The Hill. She is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied international relations, Korean, and journalism.
