Washington D.C.

blue

Get smarter, faster on what matters in D.C. with Mimi Montgomery, Cuneyt Dil, and Anna Spiegel.

Axios D.C.

Standard

Axios D.C. Partners

Axios D.C. Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

A guide to fun things to do in D.C. this weekend.

Axios D.C. Weekender

Weekender

D.C. Alerts

Alert

Washington, DC Members

Membership

Nat Geo's highly anticipated museum opens in June

The $300 million transformation of Nat Geo's campus has been years in the making — and it's not your typical museum.

News

D.C.&#x27;s most-anticipated new museum finally has an opening date: the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National Geographic Museum of Exploration" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/10/21/national-geographic-museum-of-exploration-dc" data-vars-content-id="db25e91d-8729-4a9f-a6b9-6f798bde8033" data-vars-headline="Nat Geo&#x27;s highly anticipated museum opens in June" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/10/21/national-geographic-museum-of-exploration-dc" target="_self">National Geographic Museum of Exploration</a> debuts June 26.Why it matters: The $300 million transformation of Nat Geo&#x27;s 140-year-old campus near downtown has been years in the making — and it&#x27;s not your typical museum. Think high-tech, hands-on and built for all ages.

Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump's White House project faces a pivotal week

President Trump <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="told reporters" data-vars-click-url="https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-press-gaggle-air-force-one-march-29-2026/" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-press-gaggle-air-force-one-march-29-2026/" target="_blank">told reporters</a> aboard Air Force One on Sunday that the military &quot;is building a massive complex&quot; under <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the White House ballroom" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/03/02/9000-pages-public-comments-slam-white-house-ballroom" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/03/02/9000-pages-public-comments-slam-white-house-ballroom" target="_self">the White House ballroom</a> that&#x27;s under construction — adding fresh intrigue to an already controversial renovation.Why it matters: Major <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="changes to the White House" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/19/white-house-trump-changes-photos" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/19/white-house-trump-changes-photos" target="_self">changes to the White House</a> are rare — but Trump is rapidly reshaping the complex in his second term, often sidestepping traditional approval processes.Driving the news: Trump said the $400 million ballroom &quot;actually becomes a shed for what&#x27;s being built&quot; underneath by the military.<ul><li>Outfitted with bulletproof windows, &quot;drone-proof roofs&quot; and his favored <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Corinthian columns" data-vars-click-url="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/15/white-house-columns-ionic-corinthian/" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/15/white-house-columns-ionic-corinthian/" target="_blank">Corinthian columns</a>, the ballroom is weeks &quot;ahead of schedule and under budget,&quot; with &quot;not one dime of government money going into the ballroom.&quot;</li><li>A closed porch will have views of the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial.</li></ul>What he&#x27;s saying: &quot;I&#x27;m so busy that I don&#x27;t have time to do this,&quot; Trump said. &quot;I&#x27;m fighting wars and other things. But this is very important, because this is gonna be with us for a long time … I think it&#x27;ll be the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world.&quot;<figure><img alt="Donald Trump in a dark suit and red tie leans over, holding a large print of a white neoclassical government building with American flags, set against a blue sky." height="1409" id="a8a1fa15-647b-433a-80f5-910fb45d32ca" src="https://images.axios.com/dba4u91VFdoP1iLkqoHraYMCL3A=/2026/03/30/1774895014223.jpeg" width="2000"/><figcaption>The East Wing modernization project faces a final vote — and possible court decision — this week. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The intrigue: White House officials told reporters that the underground complex is a matter of national security and declined to offer further details.Context: Subterranean White House facilities aren&#x27;t new. The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Presidential Emergency Operations Center" data-vars-click-url="https://interestingengineering.com/culture/a-look-inside-the-us-presidents-top-secret-white-house-bunker" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://interestingengineering.com/culture/a-look-inside-the-us-presidents-top-secret-white-house-bunker" target="_blank">Presidential Emergency Operations Center</a> (PEOC) was created during WWII to protect <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="President Franklin D. Roosevelt" data-vars-click-url="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/secret-spaces-at-the-white-house" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/secret-spaces-at-the-white-house" target="_blank">President Franklin D. Roosevelt</a> in case of an attack.<ul><li>It&#x27;s been used during crises like 9/11 and in times of unrest, including the 2020 George Floyd protests, when Trump was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="moved" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-violence-b3817623ef861818803b5676d43741ea" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-violence-b3817623ef861818803b5676d43741ea" target="_blank">moved</a> to the bunker.</li><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CNN reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/19/politics/east-wing-secret-bunker-construction-details" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/19/politics/east-wing-secret-bunker-construction-details" target="_blank">CNN reported</a> in January that the existing PEOC had been &quot;dismantled&quot; during Trump&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="East Wing demolition" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/10/21/trump-white-house-east-wing-renovation-backlash" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/10/21/trump-white-house-east-wing-renovation-backlash" target="_self">East Wing demolition</a> and that a new, modernized facility was in the works.</li></ul>More intrigue: Officials have suggested the classified underground work is why White House construction moved ahead without National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approval.<ul><li>White House official Joshua Fisher told the NCPC that the overall project would boost &quot;mission-critical functionality,&quot; make &quot;necessary security enhancements,&quot; and create &quot;resilient, adaptive infrastructure&quot; for future needs, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CNN" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/19/politics/east-wing-secret-bunker-construction-details" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/19/politics/east-wing-secret-bunker-construction-details" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</li><li>In a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="court filing" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/us/politics/judge-white-house-ballroom-trump.html" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/us/politics/judge-white-house-ballroom-trump.html" target="_blank">court filing</a> to stop the East Wing demolition, officials warned that halting the work would &quot;endanger national security.&quot;</li></ul>Between the lines: In a city where it&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="difficult to build up" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/03/05/trump-height-act-dc-legalize-skyscrapers" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/03/05/trump-height-act-dc-legalize-skyscrapers" target="_self">difficult to build up</a>, the Trump administration is going underground. Earlier this month, it sent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a proposal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ncpc.gov/files/projects/2026/8763_White_House_Visitor_Screening_Facility_Submission_Materials_Apr2026.pdf" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ncpc.gov/files/projects/2026/8763_White_House_Visitor_Screening_Facility_Submission_Materials_Apr2026.pdf" target="_blank">a proposal</a> to the NCPC for a 33,000-square-foot screening facility for White House visitors below Sherman Park.<figure><img alt="After the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush met with this National Security Council in the East Wing bunker, which was reportedly dismantled in the East Wing demo. Photo by Eric Draper, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library" height="2048" id="4a41f4d2-e8d4-4c18-9775-476bbecc0a48" src="https://images.axios.com/q8FE_boHRGDKkfpyWfvthBHyBos=/2026/03/30/1774895233562.jpeg" width="3072"/><figcaption>After the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush met with this National Security Council in the East Wing bunker, which was reportedly dismantled in the East Wing demolition. Photo: Eric Draper, courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library</figcaption></figure>Friction point: The ballroom design got more than 9,000 pages of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="negative public comments" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/03/02/9000-pages-public-comments-slam-white-house-ballroom" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/03/02/9000-pages-public-comments-slam-white-house-ballroom" target="_self">negative public comments</a>, but the NCPC, chaired by a top Trump official, is expected to vote to approve the project at its<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" Thursday meeting" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ncpc.gov/review/agenda/" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ncpc.gov/review/agenda/" target="_blank"> Thursday meeting</a>.<ul><li>Local officials like D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, a member of the NCPC, are still voicing concerns about the addition overwhelming the White House: &quot;I am disturbed about the height,&quot; he told reporters Monday.</li></ul>Meanwhile, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National Trust for Historic Preservation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/12/trump-ballroom-white-house-lawsuit" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/12/trump-ballroom-white-house-lawsuit" target="_self">National Trust for Historic Preservation</a> has sued to halt the project, arguing that the president skipped over congressional approval.What&#x27;s next: In addition to the Thursday vote, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="expressed skepticism" data-vars-click-url="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/22/trump-ballroom-approval-lawsuit/" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/22/trump-ballroom-approval-lawsuit/" target="_blank">expressed skepticism</a> over the project and its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="private donor funding" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/16/trump-white-house-ballroom-ethics-donors" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/16/trump-white-house-ballroom-ethics-donors" target="_self">private donor funding</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="signaled" data-vars-click-url="https://www.courthousenews.com/federal-judge-likely-to-block-brazen-white-house-ballroom-construction/" data-vars-content-id="aa0d77ad-3581-4749-b5ce-234ba0178e80" data-vars-headline="Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump&#x27;s White House project faces a pivotal week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.courthousenews.com/federal-judge-likely-to-block-brazen-white-house-ballroom-construction/" target="_blank">signaled</a> that a ruling on the National Trust&#x27;s lawsuit will come early this week — potentially halting the ballroom construction that&#x27;s set to start in April.

Long TSA lines abound — but not everywhere in the DMV

What to know before heading into peak spring break travel time.

Uncertainty is the feeling du jour for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="airline travel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/23/travel-delays-shutdown-security-airfare-prices" data-vars-content-id="256bc906-2025-4f6a-a938-8e78ded5b274" data-vars-headline="Long TSA lines abound — but not everywhere in the DMV" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/23/travel-delays-shutdown-security-airfare-prices" target="_self">airline travel</a> heading into peak spring break and Easter — as the partial government shutdown continues to strain TSA staffing.Why it matters: If you&#x27;re about to ditch town, you&#x27;re likely on edge about reports of hours-long <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="security lines" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/21/musk-trump-tsa-ice-airports" data-vars-content-id="256bc906-2025-4f6a-a938-8e78ded5b274" data-vars-headline="Long TSA lines abound — but not everywhere in the DMV" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/21/musk-trump-tsa-ice-airports" target="_self">security lines</a>. But so far in the DMV, delays have been hit-or-miss.

Peak cherry blossoms are here — go now

Peak typically lasts a few days, but rain and wind could shorten the show.

Peak bloom <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="burst this morning" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/bloom-watch.htm" data-vars-content-id="9a235364-98f4-4995-afe8-0e13a769112f" data-vars-headline="Peak cherry blossoms are here — go now" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/bloom-watch.htm" target="_blank">burst this morning</a> at the Tidal Basin — which means the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cherry blossom" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/03/20/best-cherry-blossoms-without-crowds-dc-arboretum" data-vars-content-id="9a235364-98f4-4995-afe8-0e13a769112f" data-vars-headline="Peak cherry blossoms are here — go now" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/03/20/best-cherry-blossoms-without-crowds-dc-arboretum" target="_self">cherry blossom</a> clock is ticking.Why it matters: Go soon, and you may catch thousands of cherry trees at their peak before the biggest crowds descend.

D.C. punts on extending teen curfew zones amid council disagreement

The curfew zones are set to sunset during spring break.

Despite a flurry of &quot;teen takeovers&quot; — rowdy gatherings of high schoolers that have sometimes turned violent — the D.C. Council on Tuesday punted on extending youth curfew zones.Why it matters: The emergency curfew law will sunset while kids are on spring break, which supporters of the law warn could lead to mayhem.

Saudis give National Zoo its biggest gift ever to build leopard habitat

A $51.6M Saudi-funded habitat will bring one of the world's rarest big cats to the National Zoo

Make way, pandas, there&#x27;s a new emissary coming to town: The Saudi royals are bankrolling a $51.6 million habitat for the Arabian Leopard in the largest donation ever to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National Zoo" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/02/04/d-c-zoo-welcomes-baby-asian-elephant" data-vars-content-id="8920c195-1ad8-4011-be4e-b55177645f30" data-vars-headline="Saudis give National Zoo its biggest gift ever to build leopard habitat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/02/04/d-c-zoo-welcomes-baby-asian-elephant" target="_self">National Zoo</a>.Why it matters: Native to the Arabian peninsula, a pair of the sleek, sand-colored mountain cats — only about 120 remain in the wild — will be part of a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="15-year Smithsonian effort" data-vars-click-url="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/exhibits/saudi-arabia-arabian-leopard" data-vars-content-id="8920c195-1ad8-4011-be4e-b55177645f30" data-vars-headline="Saudis give National Zoo its biggest gift ever to build leopard habitat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/exhibits/saudi-arabia-arabian-leopard" target="_blank">15-year Smithsonian effort</a> to save them from extinction.

With teen takeovers back, D.C. mulls more curfews

""It's really important as we head into spring break."

Spring is here, and so are teen takeovers.Why it matters: The massive and often disruptive youth gatherings are leading city hall to make another go at extending a controversial curfew.

D.C.'s streetcars are headed for auction block

What was pitched as the start of a citywide streetcar ends a case study in how big transit bets can go sideways.

The DC Streetcar will make its final run on March 31 — closing the book on a transit saga that&#x27;s riled the city for more than a decade.Why it matters: What was pitched as the start of a citywide streetcar revival ends in a fire sale — and a case study in how big transit bets can go sideways.

The feds are lopping off the 15th Street bike lane

NPS will remove 15th Street bike lane near National Mall.

The National Park Service will remove the 15th Street bike lane on the National Mall Monday, chopping up one of the city&#x27;s longest protected bike paths from uptown to the monuments.Why it matters: It&#x27;s a hyperlocal turn in the Trump administration&#x27;s ongoing quest to reshape the District.

A "Situation Room" bar is popping up in downtown D.C

This is the most D.C. thing to happen to a bar.

Polymarket is opening a &quot;Situation Room&quot; pop-up bar near downtown D.C. Friday for a weekend-long run.Why it matters: Forget <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Political Pattie&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/09/13/political-patties-bar-u-street" data-vars-content-id="f9ab0fd2-2e80-4dd5-82f5-5787ca5489e9" data-vars-headline="A &quot;Situation Room&quot; bar is popping up in downtown D.C" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/09/13/political-patties-bar-u-street" target="_self">Political Pattie&#x27;s</a> and the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bitcoin pub" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/01/13/pubkey-bitcoin-bar-review-trump-penn-quarter" data-vars-content-id="f9ab0fd2-2e80-4dd5-82f5-5787ca5489e9" data-vars-headline="A &quot;Situation Room&quot; bar is popping up in downtown D.C" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/01/13/pubkey-bitcoin-bar-review-trump-penn-quarter" target="_self">Bitcoin pub</a> — this is the most D.C. thing to happen to a bar.

News 🗞

D.C. punts on extending teen curfew zones amid council disagreement

Ballroom above, bunker below: Trump's White House project faces a pivotal week

Saudis give National Zoo its biggest gift ever to build leopard habitat

D.C. Metro turns 50 with birthday party, limited-edition merch, coffee table book

With teen takeovers back, D.C. mulls more curfews