Has anyone ever been in DC for the 4th of July to watch the fireworks? If so, where did you watch them from and what time did you get there? It is supposedly really crowded but worth it. My husband will be back from Iraq by then (hopefully) and I thought it would be something neat to do, especially since he hasn't been to DC.

6/10/2008 9:13:49 PM

I was there two summers ago. We watched them from the steps of the Jefferson Memorial. We decided to go there because it was less crowded there and there was an awesome reflection of the fireworks over the tidal basin.

6/10/2008 9:15:27 PM

yes last summer went to visit a friend we went to the mall to watch, SUPER crowded but fun. but the subways were a major mess. it just took forever to leave.

6/10/2008 9:24:49 PM

i'd say go early and bring a blanket and food and what not and just make a day out of it. i'd go with near the lincoln memorial or near the jefferson.

^ like stated above, don't expect to get out of there any time soon after they're done. it's definitely fun, but i haven't done it since 9-11 since the security is more a bitch now.

6/10/2008 10:27:57 PM

Memorial Bridge, we go just about every year... get a hotel where you can walk to a nearby Metro, and you'll avoid hellacious traffic.

It's a great show, always hot & humid... but a great show.

6/10/2008 10:31:33 PM

I might be going up there

^^PS: can we crash your place that thursday and/or friday night?

6/10/2008 11:12:13 PM

fourth of july?

i wont be in town

6/10/2008 11:12:53 PM

damn

6/10/2008 11:15:11 PM

Last year everyone had to scramble off the mall for a line of nasty thunderstorms an hour or two before the fireworks. I had watched the Nats play and killed time in Alexandria until 45 minutes or so before the fireworks anyway.

6/11/2008 3:13:22 AM

Quote :

"We watched them from the steps of the Jefferson Memorial. We decided to go there because it was less crowded there and there was an awesome reflection of the fireworks over the tidal basin."

I've watched them there too. A++.

Another really cool place to see them is at Colonial Williamsburg. If you go for a couple days you can see the British invasion of Williamsburg, the Patriots fighting back, and then it finishes up with fireworks and cannons. Neat stuff.

6/11/2008 3:37:15 AM

I watched them there one year, Aretha Franklin was the musical entertainment... I think there were more... but Aretha was pretty tight. Definitely worth all the hassle of the Metro/traffic/crowds. If you can booze on the lawn still sit right by the Washington as they go off overhead.

6/11/2008 3:43:49 AM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lQNWMbDZfv4

6/11/2008 3:56:02 AM

I never realized before that the NC State song was the Army song

6/11/2008 4:28:20 AM

it's cool to see/do...once

ive done it a few times since ive been up here. the coolest view i had was from the speakers balcony at the Capitol, so I would suggest something at the the back of the mall, by the west front of the capitol...somewhere slightly elevated so you can see down the entire mall. maybe it was just because i was so familiar with the mall from running it every day, but seeing it ENTIRELY filled by throngs of people was pretty neat to see.

that said, it will suck, you will be hot, and there will be all sorts of people

there are a plethora of fireworks shows in the area, from the military installations and other locales, so if you can find somewhere elevated out of the area, maybe up by National Cathedral or down the west bank of the Potomac so you can see up the river, you should basically have a 180 view of a bunch of different shows up and down the river.

6/11/2008 10:24:43 AM

^^ Yep. Not many know that--good catch.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OLqZCu5j5Wc

6/11/2008 6:28:13 PM

i've watched them twice, the last 2 years when we lived in DC.

a) in the mall - if you do this get their early, best metro is Smithsonian. best metro out of there is chinatown, (if headed back to VA). otherwise, those not in the know try to get on at Smithsonian and l'enfant and can't get on the trains because everyone walks up to chinatown where it's the end of the track so it's empty trains when boarding there.

b) on the VA side of the potomac, near memorial bridge - best reflection of fireworks with lincoln memorial in the background, great perspective.

c) kayaking on the potomac - didn't do this but always wanted to.

[Edited on June 11, 2008 at 7:07 PM. Reason : ,]

6/11/2008 7:06:07 PM

i might be going

6/11/2008 7:12:17 PM

"The Stars and Stripes Forever" - Boston Pops

http://youtube.com/watch?v=p3lGr6Cx6pQ

6/12/2008 12:32:35 AM

Quote :

"c) kayaking on the potomac - didn't do this but always wanted to."

yeah or having a friend with a boat...that is one of the best ways to do it...but obivously being from out of town, probably not your #1 option

6/12/2008 10:35:35 AM

I keep seeing that the Smithsonian metro station will be closed. However, I've picked out a hotel on the metro and I think we're going to watch the concert and the fireworks from the Capitol building. I'm excited!!

6/13/2008 10:59:35 AM

yeah they always close smithsonian for huge mall events...the mall side entrance is literally right on the mall, so it wouldnt work well to have the throngs of people there and give them an immediate access point...its mostly for security reasons...you'll see the same thing during inaugurations, etc

there's plenty of stops within a 10-20 minute walk of wherever you want to go on the mall.

federal triangle, archives/navy memorial, l'enfant, are all right there around the mall...you could even get off at foggy bottom and walk down 23rd st to the lincoln memorial...might have a decent view there since its up on a hill heading down by the state department

also, i forgot to even think about this, but i bet if you got down by the gtown waterfront the view wouldnt be awful since the fireworks are so high up in the air

6/16/2008 4:00:41 PM

if you're watching fireworks at the capitol get off at union station or capitol south. those two are closest.

i dont think that cap south will be closed, union station definitely won't be.

6/16/2008 4:06:45 PM

yeah but if they're trying to watch them in with the "herd" they're probably not going to want to walk all the way from union station/cap south...

then again, it's a pretty nice walk if youre doing it early on enough...otherwise, you might as well forget about it

6/18/2008 1:45:20 PM

i dont even know where they set up the capitol concert. if its on the steps facing the mall, walking from union station is not bad at all, capitol south is just a little further.

6/18/2008 2:00:43 PM

west front lawn

but the mall packs out by late afternoon...i used to live a block from cap south and it was just dumb to even try walking anywhere to a good vantage point from the back (cap south and union station) by that point...you'd be better off trying to snake your way into the crowd from the sides (l'enfant/fed triangle, etc)

either way, there are plenty of access points, and you dont need to worry about smithsonian being closed...you're actually in a better position to access the mall from the outside, versus the inside

6/18/2008 2:03:23 PM