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SightSeeing And Restaurant Recommendations

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ASPET’s host hotel is located in the Crystal City/National Landing neighborhood of Arlington County, which is within eyesight of the nation’s capital across the Potomac River.

From a cultural, historical, artistic, and athletic vantage point, there is much to explore in Arlington, neighboring Alexandria, and downtown Washington, DC. Much of these sights are easily reached by the area’s Metro subway system.

See our recommendations below or explore the following websites:

ASPET Sightseeing Meet-Ups
Free Tours with Other ASPET Attendees/Guests

This is a great way to meet new people in your field and explore the city you’re visiting. You can gather with other attendees to walk or share rides.

Let us know you’re interested and see who else is going:
Link to Sign-up Form

IMPORTANT: ASPET is not providing transportation to these activities.
You are responsible for your own transportation. All locations are a short cab ride, walkable, or accessible via the Metro (subway).

Thursday, May 16, 9:30 am
US BOTANIC GARDEN on National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Meet in the hotel lobby at 9:30 am to head to the gardens together.
Download Info and Directions-Botanic Garden

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY and Tomb of Unknown Soldier
Meet in the hotel lobby at 9:30 am to head to the cemetery together.
Download Info and Directions-ANC

DC NATIONAL MALL MEMORIALS & MONUMENTS in Washington D.C.
Meet in the hotel lobby at 9:30 am to head to the National Mall together.
Download Info and Directions-National Mall

Sunday, May 19, 2:30 pm
TORPEDO FACTORY ART CENTER and a stroll in Old Town Alexandria
Meet in the hotel lobby at 2:30 pm to head to the Old Town together.
Download Info and Directions-Alexandria

NATIONAL 9/11 PENTAGON MEMORIAL
Meet in the hotel lobby at 2:30 pm to head to the Pentagon together.
Download Info and Directions-Pentagon

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Recommended Restaurants

Click on the “Learn More” button to see a list of restaurants within walking distance from the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

Learn More

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Sightseeing Recommendations

Recommended Activities Available on Your Own

Museums on the National Mall (3-4 miles from hotel)

Free. Metro-accessible. Typically open 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily.

National Gallery of Art
National Museum of African American History and Culture (free timed-entry passes required)
National Museum of American History
National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of the American Indian
United States Botanic Garden
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (free timed-entry passes required)
Hirshhorn Museum
National Museum of Asian Art
National Museum of African Art
National Air and Space Museum (free timed-entry passes required)

Monuments and Memorials on the National Mall (3-4 miles from hotel)

Free. Metro-accessible. Outdoor. Visit any time of day.

Historical Figures
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
- Albert Einstein Memorial
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial
- Jefferson Memorial
- Washington Monument
Wars
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- World War II Memorial

Only in DC Attractions (3-5 miles from hotel)

Planet Word (language arts museum)
International Spy Museum
United States Capitol
National Archives
Library of Congress
White House
National Building Museum
National Postal Museum
National Portrait Gallery
Ford’s Theater
Artechouse DC

In Arlington (1-3 miles from hotel)

Pentagon 9/11 Memorial (outdoor / free / metro-accessible)
Air Force Memorial
Marine Corps War Memorial / Iwo Jima
Arlington National Cemetery / Tomb of Unknown Soldier
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Museum
Gravelly Point (unparalleled viewing of airplane landings / view of DC)
Pentagon City Mall
Gallery Underground (art)
Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center
Bowlero Arlington (bowling)

In Alexandria (4-5 miles from hotel)

Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
Torpedo Factory Art Center
Stroll King Street (centuries-old architecture)
Bike Mount Vernon Trail (18 miles to George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate)
Spite House (skinniest historic house in US)

Important Dates

May

16-19

ASPET Annual Meeting in Arlington, VA

May

19-20

ADDC/ASPET Colloquium

April

3-6

ASPET 2025 Annual Meeting
Portland, OR

May

17-20

ASPET 2026 Annual Meeting
Minneapolis, MN

Explore DC