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Georgetown University
Georgetown University.
Photo via Shutterstock/Frontpage

What to do near Georgetown University

Jazz clubs, historic homes, and kayaking

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Georgetown University.
| Photo via Shutterstock/Frontpage

It’s no surprise why Georgetown is one of Washington, D.C.’s most popular neighborhoods. It has a seemingly endless supply of options for restaurants, shopping, cupcakes, historic homes, and other fun activities.

Since the school season is about to start, Curbed DC put together this map of where visitors and students of Georgetown University should head if they want to learn more about the neighborhood—and have fun while doing it!

Were there any notable locations left off this map? Let Curbed DC know in the comments.

Note: The mapped points have been listed geographically, from most north to most south.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Dumbarton Oaks Museum

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Built in 1801, this historic property in Washington, D.C., was once the home of art collectors Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss. After multiple renovations and expansions, the Bliss family opened up the estate as a museum for Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, and related artworks

Unfortunately, the gardens of Dumbarton Oaks are closed until March 2018, but be sure to visit once they’re open to the public again as they’re known for being one of the better green spaces in the city.

Dumbarton Oaks Photo via Wikimedia Commons/AgnosticPreachersKid

Tudor Place

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This National Historic Landmark was once owned by the step-granddaughter of George Washington. It offers a five-and-a-half-acre garden and a Federal-style mansion that remains in tact from circa 1816 with over 15,000 items dating from the mid-18th to the late 20th centuries.

Guests can tour the historic house and its garden. For adults, guided house tours cost $10, while for seniors, college students, and military members, the cost lowers to $8. Guided house tours for children under the age of 18 cost $3. For a self-guided garden tour, the cost is $3 for all members of the public.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Wknight94

"The Exorcist" Steps

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Film buffs will likely want to seek out this location in Georgetown. Here, these steps were featured in The Exorcist when a character was pushed down them. In order to keep the actor safe, a half-inch-thick rubber padded the stairs. When the filming was happening, students of Georgetown University charged people around $5 to watch the stunt from nearby rooftops. Mayor Muriel Bowser later recognized the steps as a D.C. landmark in 2015.

The Exorcist Steps Photo via Wikimedia Commons/SDC

Old Stone House

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Built in circa 1765, this is the oldest unchanged building in the nation’s capital. In this cozy single-family-home-turned-museum, visitors can take a glimpse at pre-Revolutionary architecture and furnishings.

The museum is free and open to the public every day of the week between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and January 1.

Old Stone House Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Hu Totya

Escape Room Live

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Visitors can enjoy Hollywood-style sets and world-class gameplay at Escape Room Live’s Georgetown location. Here, there are five themed rooms to choose from: Friday the 13th, Titanic, Ghostbusters, Runaway Subway, and Curse of the Mummy.

If interested in booking the location, go to the Escape Room Live website here.

Blues Alley Club

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This jazz and supper club was founded in 1965, making it the nation's oldest continuing jazz supper club. Some of the performers who have entered the Blues Alley Club’s doors include Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, and Ella Fitzgerald. Be sure to give this Georgetown venue a visit if interested in enjoying an ambience reminiscent of the jazz clubs of the 1920s and 1930s.

Photo via Kevin Harber

Key Bridge Boathouse

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At this Georgetown Waterfront venue, visitors will be able to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and instead cool off by the Potomac River in a kayak, canoe, or standup paddleboard.

The boathouse hours start at 9 a.m. from Monday through Friday and at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The boathouse closes at 7 p.m.

A post shared by Boating In DC (@boatingindc) on

Georgetown Waterfront Park

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Sometimes, all you need is a good view. It's recommended to visit the Georgetown Waterfront Park at dusk when the lights from the Kennedy Center are glowing across the Potomac River.

House of Sweden

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As one of the city’s more unexpected places for finding artworks as well as one of the city’s most beautiful embassies, the House of Sweden has a lot to offer. Here, visitors can find a space for the arts, culture, and literature found in Sweden as well as a range of live performances.

Photo via Ronald Woan

Theodore Roosevelt Island

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Time to relax in an area of the city that most either don't know about or don't visit. Crack open a book, meditate, or just enjoy the seclusion that Theodore Roosevelt Island has to offer. If any cyclists are looking for a new place to explore, you'll have to leave your bike at home. No bicycles and no cars are permitted.

Theodore Roosevelt Island Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Daderot

Dumbarton Oaks Museum

Built in 1801, this historic property in Washington, D.C., was once the home of art collectors Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss. After multiple renovations and expansions, the Bliss family opened up the estate as a museum for Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, and related artworks

Unfortunately, the gardens of Dumbarton Oaks are closed until March 2018, but be sure to visit once they’re open to the public again as they’re known for being one of the better green spaces in the city.

Dumbarton Oaks Photo via Wikimedia Commons/AgnosticPreachersKid

Tudor Place

This National Historic Landmark was once owned by the step-granddaughter of George Washington. It offers a five-and-a-half-acre garden and a Federal-style mansion that remains in tact from circa 1816 with over 15,000 items dating from the mid-18th to the late 20th centuries.

Guests can tour the historic house and its garden. For adults, guided house tours cost $10, while for seniors, college students, and military members, the cost lowers to $8. Guided house tours for children under the age of 18 cost $3. For a self-guided garden tour, the cost is $3 for all members of the public.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Wknight94

"The Exorcist" Steps

Film buffs will likely want to seek out this location in Georgetown. Here, these steps were featured in The Exorcist when a character was pushed down them. In order to keep the actor safe, a half-inch-thick rubber padded the stairs. When the filming was happening, students of Georgetown University charged people around $5 to watch the stunt from nearby rooftops. Mayor Muriel Bowser later recognized the steps as a D.C. landmark in 2015.

The Exorcist Steps Photo via Wikimedia Commons/SDC

Old Stone House

Built in circa 1765, this is the oldest unchanged building in the nation’s capital. In this cozy single-family-home-turned-museum, visitors can take a glimpse at pre-Revolutionary architecture and furnishings.

The museum is free and open to the public every day of the week between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and January 1.

Old Stone House Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Hu Totya

Escape Room Live

Visitors can enjoy Hollywood-style sets and world-class gameplay at Escape Room Live’s Georgetown location. Here, there are five themed rooms to choose from: Friday the 13th, Titanic, Ghostbusters, Runaway Subway, and Curse of the Mummy.

If interested in booking the location, go to the Escape Room Live website here.

Blues Alley Club

This jazz and supper club was founded in 1965, making it the nation's oldest continuing jazz supper club. Some of the performers who have entered the Blues Alley Club’s doors include Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, and Ella Fitzgerald. Be sure to give this Georgetown venue a visit if interested in enjoying an ambience reminiscent of the jazz clubs of the 1920s and 1930s.

Photo via Kevin Harber

Key Bridge Boathouse

At this Georgetown Waterfront venue, visitors will be able to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and instead cool off by the Potomac River in a kayak, canoe, or standup paddleboard.

The boathouse hours start at 9 a.m. from Monday through Friday and at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The boathouse closes at 7 p.m.

A post shared by Boating In DC (@boatingindc) on

Georgetown Waterfront Park

Sometimes, all you need is a good view. It's recommended to visit the Georgetown Waterfront Park at dusk when the lights from the Kennedy Center are glowing across the Potomac River.

House of Sweden

As one of the city’s more unexpected places for finding artworks as well as one of the city’s most beautiful embassies, the House of Sweden has a lot to offer. Here, visitors can find a space for the arts, culture, and literature found in Sweden as well as a range of live performances.

Photo via Ronald Woan

Theodore Roosevelt Island

Time to relax in an area of the city that most either don't know about or don't visit. Crack open a book, meditate, or just enjoy the seclusion that Theodore Roosevelt Island has to offer. If any cyclists are looking for a new place to explore, you'll have to leave your bike at home. No bicycles and no cars are permitted.

Theodore Roosevelt Island Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Daderot