CityBuddy
Congressional Cemetery
Best time to visit
Late afternoon in spring or fall, when the light softens the stone monuments and the dog park is busiest with local pups.
Budget tips
Entry is free and open to the public daily. Parking is also free on site, saving you the headache of DC meter fees.
Recommended for
History enthusiasts, Dog lovers, Photography buffs, Local culture seekers
Plan your visit
1-2 hours
About
Quick facts: More than 65,000 people are buried here, including FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and composer John Philip Sousa. The cemetery doubles as an active burial ground, a public park, and the site of the only licensed dog park in a U.S. cemetery.
Highlights: Headstones shaped like logs dot the landscape, marking the graves of 19th-century members of the Indian Peace Commission who chose that design in solidarity with Indigenous communities. The cemetery also runs a resident cat program where feral felines roam the grounds and keep the rodent population in check.
Insider tips
- Grab a map at the kiosk near the entrance to find famous graves quickly, including Sousa's and Belva Lockwood's.
- Visit on a weekend morning when the dog park is hopping and the cemetery feels less like a graveyard and more like a community park.
- Bring binoculars: the hilltop near the public vault has one of the best unobstructed views of the Washington Monument and Capitol.
- Skip the guided tour if you're short on time; the self-guided route is well marked and takes you past all the highlights.
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