Having grown up in DC its so nostalgic to see you visit all of these monuments. As a kid I think I got to go on fieldtrips at almost all of these locations and I didn't realize how lucky I was to do that until much later in life. If you can get a chance to walk around Georgetown I highly recommend it, both the neighborhood and the university proper are awesome to explore.

As an Australian, everytime I see or read an outline of Washington like this, all I can think is "it's like Canberra, but bigger!"

I was always a fan of the Korean War memorial. It’s a bunch of hyper detailed statues sneaking through foliage. When you go in the morning, just as the sun is coming up, it can get all foggy and dramatic. Such a cool vibe

JJ, one thing in DC you’d definitely like is “Embassy Row.” It’s a stretch of Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest DC that is known for having lots of embassies all very close to each other. Pre-COVID, they made a thing of it and would throw open houses and even hosted trick or treaters. A really cool way for the embassies to become a part of the city’s culture, and also an interesting study in how countries jockey for prized locations for their embassy in foreign capitals. Plus, very fun to see all the flags in a row.

The fact that he has never been here is all the more weird when you realize he works for the Washington Post

Damn shame the national air and space museum was closed, it's my favorite museum. After 9/11 none of the museums were closed but since the plane hit the pentagon no one really wanted to go out and do touristy stuff...so my mom took me and brother out (we were small children at the time) and we had basically free reign of all these really cool museums, it was her own personal stance against terrorism, that she wouldn't be intimidated out of enjoying her hometown.

I'm a Brit and love Washington so much. The monuments are so grand and majestic and the museums are just terrific.

Totally off topic but seeing you explore and be amazed by the same things on the same streets I was on my 8th grade D.C trip was really enjoyable!

Native Virginian here, went up to DC all the time. As an adult, I've found Embassy Row, and all of the random monuments/things surrounding it, to the most interesting part of the city to me.

Welcome to the city! Highly recommend you come back in early spring for our cherry blossom season 🌸

I'm living here in the DC area, and when I first moved here it was wild how you'd just happen to stumble across so many monuments and important organizations, both famous and obscure. Eventually you kinda get used to going "yeah my grocery store is a couple blocks from the Pentagon" but even now and then the awe of it all bubbles up again for a second.

One lesser-known museum in DC that I would have heartily recommended had you visited a bit earlier is the Newseum, which unfortunately closed in 2019. I went on multiple field trips there growing up and it was really cool to see them present a portion of the long history of journalism in the United States. They had a sizeable section of the Berlin Wall on display with information on the role of the media in the wall’s history, an exhibit on the origins of American investigative journalism in the 19th century, a large hall with displayed newspapers reporting the biggest story of every year of US history, and a lot more cool stuff that I’m probably forgetting; it’s a shame that no one can see it anymore.

Super interesting to see an outsider’s perspective of the city! Not just that of a non-DMVer, but the conceptions of a non-American at that! Some of my personal favorite underrated places in the city would be the US National Botanical Gardens (Literally a stone’s throw from the Capitol), the National Arboretum, National Cathedral and Eastern Market. Even though it’s in VA, I think the Torpedo Factory arts center and all the stuff in Old Town Alexandria is super fun. Lincoln’s Summer Cottage is a super interesting place to tour that most people don’t know about. By far my favorite hidden gem though, would be Theodore Roosevelt Island, which is a small little nature island on the Potomac with a lot of tributes to Teddy Roosevelt that I felt almost no one knows about. Hopefully you’ll be in the city long enough to see the cherry blossoms!

JJs hair alone is a monument

George Washington's home Mt Vernon is about 15 miles outside of DC on the bank of the Potomac river. A very nice tour with insight to 18th century America.

The African American museum in DC is one of the best museums I’ve ever been to. It starts on the lower floors with slavery & as you go up the floors there are exhibits on the civil war and civil rights. Then at the top of the museum there’s a load of stuff celebrating black culture with sports displays (Muhammad Ali & Michael Jordan) and music etc. Chuck Berry’s car is really cool.

Oh man- all of the random public statues that are hidden throughout DC are fascinating. You can find everyone from Dante Alighieri to Winston Churchill, and just about every Greek god/figure in American history. Would highly recommend doing some sleuthing!

I grew up in DC. I remember for high school field trips, they’d drop us off in the middle of the mall and were like, go do whatever you want so long as it’s educational, and meet back here at 2:30. The best Museum in the Smithsonian has got to be the African American Museum. The Building Museum and the American Indian Museum are also often slept on by tourist.

I have a feeling we’re going to get a speed run of all embassies in DC as our next video.

Something interesting about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier I just learned in history the other day: It was built for the unidentified remains of a World War I soldier (whose remains are housed in the large central casket), and as a symbolic gesture to unidentified soldiers of other wars. The three plates in front of it were each built to house unidentified remains from following wars, World War II on the left, the Korean War in the center, and the Vietnam War on the right. However, the remains placed into the Vietnam spot were later identified, so the spot dedicated to the Vietnam War is now empty

As someone who grew up in the suburbs of Washington the city's important landmarks always seemed banal to me. So I always love to see visitors so enthralled with our landmarks. I also remember being told by my parents that this region of the nation has much more political discussion due to the proximity to the capital. I'm glad you enjoyed the city! Try to come when the Metro doesn't suck as much and when the cherry blossoms bloom! Also, next time try to see the Pentagon! I find most visitors (including me) are surprised by its scale.

Since the air and space museum in the city is closed, I'd recommend Steven F. Udvar-Hazy air and space museum in Dulles, VA. It's just south of Dulles Airport and quite a bit bigger, plus it's a personal favorite as a nova local.

The House of Sweden is one of the only embassies that is open to the public every weekend! It is in Georgetown and accessible by bus and Circulator (only $1 per trip) They are open from 12-5 every weekend, have some rotating exhibitions, and an amazing rooftop with views of the Kennedy Center, Watergate, and Roosevelt Island. Also, you can see a clone of the tree that dropped an apple on Isaac Newton's head near the Van Ness metro stop. A quick google search will get you more specific directions. Also there are two secret Kilroys engraved near the Delaware and Pennsylvania pillars of the WWII monument.

Lived in the DC area for two years while completing my Master’s at the Catholic University of America. If you ask me, Ethiopian food has become a quintessential part of DC culture. Tons of great restaurants, especially in Maryland in the Silver Springs area.

The architecture is facinating, showing how much the founding fathers of the United States sought to associate with ancient Greece, as a birthplace of democracy and philosopy, and the old Roman Republic. Washington DC can be viewed as an attempt to create a new Rome, but not one centered around Imperial Emperors, like Constantinople or Moscow, but on Republican ideals. Even ancient Roman and Greek gods were not safe from being used in symbolism with the American republic

I won't lie initially I wasn't too thrilled at a "J.J. walks around a place" video because of the restrictive nature of them, and while this is still simple and restricted in nature, the editing and script has made it one of my favorite jj videos even though it's really subtle compared to the recent stuff

I'm Canadian as well and I've been to DC about ten years ago, I really enjoyed my visit there. I liked that most of the museums were free, it was very accessible. The city is jammed packed with important monuments and the planning of the city is very different than most other North American cities as the city center is rather small compared to its suburb due to the small size of the district and the high-rise ban. The Canadian embassy is a very big and central building, just a stone throw away from the Capitol building, I guess it shows the strong ties between our two nations.

I think there’s like some sort of precedent where no building can be taller than the Washington monument

You should go to downtown Annapolis while you’re in the area. All the buildings are the same ones that existed during the colonial era, also the naval academy is a phenomenal visit

I’ve lived in the suburbs DC my whole life and trips into the city to see the monuments have been an important part of my life since i was little. A very common conversation in my family is ranking our favorite monuments (mine is the FDR memorial). This video brought back so many memories!

The cherry blossoms are the most magical, beautiful part of dc, I wish everyone could get a chance to see them!!☹️ There’s a yearly ~2 week festival when the trees blossom and it’s just amazing. Also connected to so many great memories for me 🥺☺️ thx for this video, just wanna echo the other DMV natives comments about how interesting it is to see someone’s first visit!

The National Museum of the American Indian is my favorite museum, they really lay out a complex history and current situation in as clear a way as possible.

I will be honest when I went to city in 3rd grade years ago, my favorite place was the Washington Monument, unfortunately it had like 25 mph winds and was 10 degrees Fahrenheit, so that made it harder to enjoy

As a native Baltimorean I’d recommend coming up to Baltimore for a day trip if possible. It’s a fun city with lots of historical stuff. There are also a lot of cultural elements unique to Baltimore, including Cafe Hon, American Visionary Art Museum, and the obsession with crabs. Also Ft McHenry is pretty cool to see given its importance to the Star Spangled Banner and therefore American culture broadly. There is a good story to that fort and Francis Scott Key.

I visited DC as a 14 year old tourist from India. It fascinated me even more than Disneyland with the incredible museums and the Mall. It really felt like the capital of the richest and most powerful country in the world.

DC is the only place I ever visiting where I actually acted like a tourist! All of these iconic structures and locations that were engrained in me, had now come to life! What impressed me most was the fact that all federal museums and monuments were free. Even the national zoo! The down size had been the high security making it feel not quite as free as the country makes itself out to be. Only real downside I can say is the fact that the city itself is rather depressed and dangerous in many areas close to the federal attractions. It means keeps yourself very aware of your surroundings and to be aware that situations can change fast. All in all I would go again. top pick is the Smithsonian. just amazing!!

I always found the Korean War Monument strikingly eerie - I remember a history teacher describing it as wandering spirits

I honestly love how you as a channel definitely distinguish the unique differences between American and Canadian cultures, but you also treat them as they are both a part of the singular history of the entire english speaking continent. Lovely

The Udvar-Hazy Center, an extension of the Air and Space Museum, is located way out in the suburbs in Virginia, and it may not be open, but it is definitely a worthwhile trip. A lot more historical planes and a full space shuttle are there

I had the honor of laying the memorial wreath for Missouri on Memorial Day 2012. Such a neat experience!

As someone from this area and can quite easily do a day trip to D.C via the MARC. I really hope you can visit Baltimore to see the Aquarium, Fort. McHenry, Camden Yards and Homewood field and if you are visiting on a Wednesdays Afternoon or Saturday come up to Classic Car shop near the I-83 expressway and ask the old man in the front as I am a huge fan of you.

Thanks for an interesting tour, J.J. I have two recommendations for you: 1. definitely try to go back when the Cherry blossoms are out. The views are magnificent, and I was there with Japanese students who were very appreciative. 2. If traffic and tourism are normal again, do NOT try to drive in, through or around the city during rush hour [which is several hours long] once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The traffic jam extents from Richmond to north of Baltimore. I hope you enjoy the Greco-Roman architecture! ☮☮☮

As someone who lives in the area I can take a lot of these things for granted sometimes; it’s always nice being reminded that there are truly some amazing sights just outside my door! I’m bummed you couldn’t get into the air and space museum though, in the part of the museum where they work on the planes there’s an X-Wing prop from the new Star Wars movies being restored! And I’m not sure exactly where but I know it’s near 9th street; you’ll have to check out the exorcist stairs! They filmed the priest falling down this huge set of concrete stairs at the end of the movie in DC and I think it’s one of those hidden gems not everyone knows about. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip maybe I’ll see you around haha!

I like JJ’s sentiments at the end. Contrast to a lot of American things, our capitol is mostly accessible and free, which is cool! I remember visiting DC IN 8th grade and seeing the majority of things that were in this video. One interesting detail that does go along with the image of security is that there aren’t really any public trash cans in recreational areas.

I went to college in DC at GWU, I would also add to this list (in absolutely no particular order) checking out the DuPont Circle Fountain, Washington Circle Statue, The Exorcist Steps, U Street + (Ben’s Chili Bowl), Washington National Cathedral, Gravelly Point (where you can see the airplanes land), Get steak and eggs at Steak and Eggs, The National Arboretum, the view of DC from the Netherlands Carillon, and the Anacostia Community Museum.

This dudes hair game (and his videos) are always on point.

My wife and I went back in 2005, and my reaction to many things was exactly the same. Like "Oh.....it's really THAT place! It just looks smaller and more......actual than I imagined.".

I can’t believe this was his first time visiting DC!! He’s so into America & US politics, you’d have thought the nation’s capital would’ve been one of the first on his bucket list!

DC was awesome. I went to visit twice and have always enjoyed my time there. The funny thing about fords theater is how nondescript it is. One minute I was walking down the street and then suddenly was fords theater. It looks no different from any other shop on the street. If anyone is thinking about going themselves I’d recommend walking as much as you can. A lot of the important buildings are in walking distance of each other. (Also traffic is awful)

So glad you took the opportunity to visit! I haven’t lived and worked in DC for very long, but I absolutely love the city and believe everyone who is able to should take the time to visit! So sorry you couldn’t see the air and space though, that’s my second favorite museum behind the national gallery…

Hey JJ, great video. I grew up in the area, here's a few other things worth checking out if you get time: The air and space museum has a SECOND location called the Udvar-Hazy Center about 25 minutes past Arlington national cemetery. This location IS open and has "the big stuff" including the space shuttle Discovery and the Enola Gay - surreal to stand next to those. The american history museum is REALLY worth visiting too, tons of great artifacts from colonial times including the original "star spangled banner" as well as a "modern culture" exhibit with various famous movie and television props The natural history museum is also great and has huge collections of dinosaurs, minerals, gems, fossils, and all kinds of stuff. About 30 minutes south of DC is Mount Vernon, which was George Washington's home and where he is buried. The house and plantation is a museum now and they have reenactors doing tours. Also very surreal to see. They also have a GREAT restaurant on site that is amazing as well. About 45 minutes northeast of DC is Fort McHenry just outside Baltimore. This is the fort that Francis Scott Key saw being bombed when he wrote, "And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air" - it's also a museum and historical site, VERY surreal and moving. Have fun, hope it helps!

Pro tip: instead of waiting for hours in the early morning cold to take the elevator up the Washington Monument, visit the Post Office Pavilion tower. You get all of the view (complete with maps of the city at the top), with 1/100th the density of tourists. This tower is next to the storied Trump Hotel, just southeast from the White House.

Ah this makes me miss living in DC. I should probably go visit my parents there more often 🤔

So glad to see that you visited my hometown! I love jogging by the FDR and Mason memorials since those are often the most empty (very impressed that you included it in this video). Growing up, I loved riding the metro, but the system has certainly seen better days (both due to Covid and a reduced fleet caused by an ongoing mechanical problem). My favorite “obscure” monuments are the titanic memorial (right next to the wharf), the “zero milestone” (near the White House), and the John Erickson Memorial (in between FDR and Lincoln Memorials). Also, I love the Awakening statue in National Harbor, MD, Union Station, and the “Transportation Walk” (outside of DOTs new headquarters by the ballpark). Lastly as a Canadian, I definitely recommend stopping by the Canadian Maple Grove! Trudeau planted it a couple years back to signify the bicentennial of peace between our nations. It’s right next to the FDR memorial.

Man, good for you - I can attest that getting to all these places is a haul. I grew up in DC, attending school beside one missed landmark of the National Cathedral, but even I’ve never been to Cedar Hill. It’s completely beautiful.

A few years ago me and my school went and half the fun was seeing my sister who I never see. My favorite trip, favorite city. Love the U.S. capital

Two times I went to Washington I was able to meet with my representative in their office buildings, and they had an aide take me on a tour of the capital building, which we got to via the (literal) underground railroad from the office building to the capital. Also it sucks that you missed out on the interiors of the capital and A&S museam, they're really quite stunning.

I grew up in the DMV and am so happy our schools made it a priority to have field trips to DC to see these types of things. I really feel that is was integral in my wanting to explore the world and learn more. Even more so, because my parents working just off the beltway, they never wanted to go up to DC outside of needing to for work. So I really appreciate the schools for making that happen for us. Teachers rock! Let them know you appreciate them, when you can.

Yeah dc is amazing, the arlington national cemetery is truly beautiful I was lucky enough to be able to lay the wreath on the tomb of the fallen soldier, what a beautiful and amazingly somber sight

Born and raised in Northern Virginia. I love the energy of people visiting for the first time. For we who have lived there it becomes pretty mundane as it’s not a very flashy city. I’ve been to pretty much every museum at least twice. The cherry blossoms and Georgetown never get old though, worth a spring visit despite the crowding

I’m from DC, I have fond memories of going out with my mom to eat picnics on the steps of the Lincoln memorial. My favorite attractions are all the museums though!

I would love to see a part 2 of this as a DC native. I’ve seen most of the attractions on field trips and family outings. There’s a few I haven’t seen yet or I just don’t pay much attention to. It’s easy to take it for granted.

Oval Office visit at the White House tour was interesting. It felt just like any other work place. In over all for an European visitor the whole place was just like visiting your grandmas childhood home. Cozy and low ceiling and narrow and warm. Very opposite to our palaces!

Current DC resident here! - I recommend you move away from the federal district and explore the cultural aspects of DC. So much to see, learn, eat, and explore that 90% of tourists skip out. The neighborhood aspect is very cool - most have their unique character and look (i.e., Georgetown vs. NOMA vs. Brookland vs. Columbia Heights, etc.). Send a DM if you want specifics!

I came from Canada to DC on a school trip. I went and see the Lincoln memorial, Vietnam memorial and the wwII memorial. I was floored with how powerful these memorials were, able to instill such emotion

I'm so happy you finally get to visit my city! I'm sorry it's a bit of a pain getting around the city now with Metro's reduced service levels, but I would definitely try to get out and explore the outer neighborhoods of the city...you'll find a bunch of hidden monuments and sites just by walking around. I would also recommend doing an embassy self-walking tour (walk by the vacant Iranian Embassy), and venturing to Old Town Alexandria and Mount Vernon in Virginia, and Annapolis in Maryland, if you have the time. Some of the smaller embassies also do tours upon request (the Argentine embassy used to offer tango lessons, for example) but I am not sure if those are still going on because of COVID. The National Cathedral and the Basilica of the National Shrine are both pretty cool, too. If you want something outdoorsy, Rock Creek Park and Theodore Roosevelt Island are nice. Baltimore makes for a nice day trip, too, and is only a ~35 minute MARC train ride away.

As a DC area native I have to say - pro move doing DC tourism in the winter. Everyone comes from May to October, so if you go off season you feel like you have the whole place to yourself

You should see the Korean War memorial, it’s quite striking how unique each statue is. The first time I saw it was on a rainy, foggy day on a high school trip. As we approached the monument, it seemed like each statue was approaching us out of the fog. It is an incredibly moving tribute to an all too often overlooked war.

I went on a field trip once to DC and saw most of these things, but I didn't realize just how much I missed. It would be cool if DC had something like Boston's Freedom Trail to show you all the important sites.

Living in DC, one thing I can recommend is Rock Creek Park. It’s not fantastically beautiful by any means, but it is very nice for being in the city and hikes can be very pleasant.

9:20 A very smooth entrance

I grew up in DC and moved to Scotland and few years ago. I really miss home, seeing all these things

I loved how informational this was and even though I never have been in Washington D.C. this video really immersed into the landscape of it almost as if I'm living in their right now and all these memorials look cool and seem to have a lot of history associated with it

0:36 more like "brown space" amirite?

Me and my brothers went to visit DC in middle school, stayed at our aunt's place. She worked at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum at the time so we spent a lot of time there. Thinking about it is nostalgic even if I barely remember any of the exhibits lol My personal favorite thing to visit was the Japanese American Memorial To Patriotism During WWII (long name I know). It has this granite wall inscribed with the names of the Japanese-American Internment camps from ww2, as well as some other panels with the names of Japanese-Americans who died fighting in the war. There's a sculpture of two cranes entangled in barbed wire, and a little pool of water along with plenty of cherry blossom trees around. It felt very peaceful to me.

As someone who has lived close to dc all their life it’s interesting to see you travel around something I could drive to whenever I want

I live in DC and I hope you had fun 🤩

This was actually very informative

So glad you enjoyed your trip to DC! As a local, sometimes I forget just how much there is to see here. Thanks for the very comprehensive tour!

I hadn't realized you could go up the Washington monument, I've always wanted to go to DC and see everything

You forgot to mention the WW2 memorial has some hidden "Kilroy was here" engravings in some of the pillars -- I forget which ones

Great video. Enjoyed it very much. 😀

I visited Washington DC in 1977. One thing that struck me at the time was after the government offices closed for the day what a ghost town it seemed. The other striking feature was the poverty. The contrast between the opulence and the squalor.

I was born and raised and now live in Northern Virginia which of course is a suburb of D.C. I remember fondly all the field trips from my private school and on which my grandmother took me as a kid. I also have to say that I’m thankful that you included Frederick Douglass National Historic Site! I worked there briefly as a park ranger before covid hit, and i must say that it is truly an underrated landmark! It’s a bit of a local shrine because the area in which it’s located is populated predominantly by black Americans, so they want naturally to preserve the former home of such an important American as Douglass. Tho I was disappointed that when you went to Arlington Cemetery you excluded Arlington House. Arlington House was the home of Robert E. Lee and his wife’s family. Of course Lee left to fight for the Confederacy, and his house was quickly captured by the Union army and was used as a base of operations. Even though I am disappointed, I indeed understand why you excluded him given that we don’t want to glorify the cause of the south because it was based on slavery.

Two comments about DC. One it's my favorite big city to visit because most of the best stuff to do is free. Second DC is one of the weirder US cities in that it's almost European, with its monuments, skyscraper ban, and metro.

Oh, and that massive church, National Basilica or something... I remember being in complete awe as a child tourist seeing all the artwork & history there. I remember something about the bell tower being the 2nd largest tower under the Washington Monument (I think), and just being fascinated by that place.

I live in Arlington right across the Potomac, it's literally a 10 minute drive. I'm so happy you enjoy it and have a great stay!

Was in Vancouver yesterday, wandering around the city, and was vaguely thinking it'd be really cool to randomly bump into you and say how much I enjoyed your content. Apparently you were on the other side of the continent the whole time! Glad you're enjoying D.C.

Did you get a chance to see the Korean War Memorial? I find it more moving than the Vietnam Wall. The soldiers look a bit stylized and gaunt, like in a graphic novel.

It’s not just get close, you can go inside a lot of places. We got a tour of the capital when my class went in 8th grade. Not sure if you went in the other places you showed like the Washington monument or holocaust museum but everywhere you went is worth going inside. You’ll have to come back sometime if they are closed now.

9:05 the chair he actually was shot in is ironically in the Henry Ford museum in Michigan.

I definitely recommend the Washington National Cathedral. It was damaged back in 2011 from an earthquake, but it’s a truly breathtaking building, even if you’re not religious. Worth a visit!

Sometimes I forget how "grandiose" Washington DC tends to be for people outside of the metro area, because of its presence in pop culture and what not. For me watching this just seems like another boring old business trip with my dad, lol

It's cool to see DC with so much less security. Last time I was there was 2002 and it was not unusual to have bigger buffer zones in terms of where you were allowed to go.

Welcome to the Capital City! If you go up towards NE, H street is a cool place to check out with all kinda of great bars and stores. It also has its own streetcar! Definitely worth a ride. There’s also the US Arboretum, which is more barren this time of year, but still a beautiful and peaceful place to enjoy. And if you dare venture down to SE, the navy yard and the Nationals stadium are both incredible places to spend time.

I absolutely love ALL of your city tour videos! I would LOVE to see more of these!

I know your target audience might not appreciate it, but it would have been cool to see the speedrun counter with splits on each attraction haha

One of my favourite things about DC is all the random embassies scattered thru town. I remember when I visited there were about 5 or 6 just on the way between my hotel and the closest subway stop. I would love a whole video about embassies!

I remember the first and only time I went to D.C. It was not too long ago, only in 2019. I went over there to see a 4th of July speech and fireworks show, and while the hotel I stayed at wasn't very appealing and things were much more expensive there, it was still a great time, especially because of the fireworks. There was just so many fireworks that day it was insane, the entire city was just covered in smoke and the show went on for so long, it was just so cool to see that right before my very eyes!

I went to Washington DC in 2019 for a long weekend and loved it. Did all but four of these. Arlington was stunning.