Museum · Washington · District of Columbia

Decatur House

Decatur House is a historic house museum at 748 Jackson Place in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Its story as a place to visit starts in 1818. Look also at White House, 0.2 mi away.

Photo: Tim1965, Public domain

Nearest place to stay

0.1 mi

President's Guest House

Open since

1818

Wikipedia readers

9.9K

a year · #2,241 of 7,799

In brief

A museum inside Washington

Places to stay next door

President's Guest House is 0.1 miles away; AKA White House (0.1 mi) and Club Quarters Hotel White House (0.1 mi) are close too. 282 places to stay are within 4 miles. Hotels nearby ↓

A day trip from Baltimore

Baltimore is about 36 miles northeast (straight-line). Hotels nearby ↓

Established in 1818

Decatur House dates from 1818. About ↓

Best months: Apr, May, Sep and Oct

April, May, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 67–80°. When to go ↓

An airport 3 miles away

Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) has airline service, about 3 miles from Decatur House.

Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.

When to go

Warm months and cold ones

Here is how the weather at Decatur House changes month by month.

Jan44° / 27°

Feb47° / 28°

Mar56° / 35°

Apr67° / 45°

May76° / 55°

Jun84° / 64°

Jul89° / 69°

Aug87° / 67°

Sep80° / 60°

Oct69° / 48°

Nov57° / 38°

Dec48° / 31°

Typical highs and lows in Washington. Green months are the mild ones. Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Washington. Washington’s full climate →

About

Decatur House

Decatur House is a historic house museum at 748 Jackson Place in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It is named after its first owner and occupant, the naval officer Stephen Decatur Jr. Built in 1818, the house is located at the northwest corner of Lafayette Square, about a block from the White House.

In the winter of 1820-21, new owners built an outbuilding on the property at the back which was in part used for slave quarters. Until the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, weekly auctions of enslaved black persons were held in the house's backyard, now a wedding venue. The building currently houses a museum, as well as the National Center for White House History, operated by the White House Historical Association.

Type: Museum
Established: 1818
Listed: National Historic Landmark · National Register of Historic Places (1966)
Wikipedia readers: 9.9K a year

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Facts: Wikidata.

Where to stay

Beds near Decatur House

Inside 4 miles you will find 282 places to stay. For the closest bed, President's Guest House is 0.1 miles away.

Decatur HouseWater1Places to stay (the list)Places to eat

Closest places to stay

1President's Guest Househotel · 0.1 mi southDirections
2AKA White Househotel · 0.1 mi westDirections
3Club Quarters Hotel White Househotel · 0.1 mi northDirections
4The Hay-Adamshotel · 0.1 mi northeastDirections
5Hampton Inn Washingtonhotel · 0.1 mi westDirections
6All States Hotel Company Llchotel · 0.2 mi northDirections
7Tempo by Hilton Washington DC Downtownhotel · 0.2 mi northwestDirections
8Hyatt Place Washington DC/White Househotel · 0.2 mi northeastDirections
9Modus Hotelshotel · 0.3 mi northDirections
10Capital Hiltonhotel · 0.3 mi northeastDirections

Places to eat nearby

2,721 restaurants, cafés and bars within 1½ miles

340 bars & pubs285 coffee & cafés256 Asian & Indian156 subs & sandwiches135 Mexican & Latin88 pizza79 ice cream & sweets

Compare 8 towns to stay in

Town	From Decatur House	Drive	Places to stay	People	Typical home	Safety
Washington	in town	—	247 201 hotels · 2 motels · 24 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 12 hostels · 2 campgrounds	693,645	$737K	D⁻
Arlington	4 mi southwest	5 min	58 54 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins	236,254	$895K	—
Alexandria	6 mi southwest	10 min	44 41 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins	160,662	$735K	C
Bethesda	7 mi northwest	10 min	26 23 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins	69,397	$1,170K	—
Tysons	10 mi west	15 min	25 25 hotels	28,936	$640K	—
College Park	9 mi northeast	15 min	17 16 hotels · 1 motel	35,418	$438K	—
North Bethesda	10 mi northwest	15 min	13 13 hotels	49,677	$732K	—
National Harbor	8 mi south	10 min	10 9 hotels · 1 inn or B&B	4,454	$473K	—

Day trip from

Straight-line miles.

Baltimore36 mi northeast Richmond97 mi south

Getting there

Nearest airports with airline service

DCARonald Reagan Washington National · major hub3 mi

IADWashington Dulles · major hub23 mi

BWIBaltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall · major hub28 mi

Places to stay and eat: Overture Maps (hotels, motels, inns, lodges, campgrounds, RV parks; not vacation rentals) · streets, water and the site outline: Overture Maps / OpenStreetMap contributors · town figures: U.S. Census ACS · Safety: TownRatings Safety grade · airports: OurAirports. Distances are from Decatur House’s main visitor area; drive times are estimates.

Make a day of it

Close to Decatur House

A wider trip can take in these, within 3 miles.

Big drawin town National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year

Big drawin town National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year

Big drawin town LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch

Big drawin town MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year

Big draw2 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery

Big drawin town National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a year

Big drawin town National Historic SiteFord's Theatre National Historic Site394K visitors a year

Big drawin town National park siteNational Mall

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

White House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain · Ford's Theatre National Historic Site: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Mall: Raul654 at en.wikipedia. Later version(s) were uploaded by Michael Shields at e, CC BY-SA 3.0

Common questions

Decatur House: what to know

Is Decatur House in Washington?

Yes. It’s inside Washington, DC.

When is the best time to visit Decatur House?

April, May, September and October, with highs of 67–80°.

How far is Decatur House from Baltimore?

About 36 miles northeast of Baltimore, as the crow flies.

What is the closest airport to Decatur House?

Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), about 3 miles away.

What hotels are near Decatur House?

President's Guest House (0.1 mi), AKA White House (0.1 mi) and Club Quarters Hotel White House (0.1 mi). 282 places to stay are within 4 miles.

From locals

Inside knowledge from Washington

Be the first to share a tip in Washington’s Town Square.

When do you go to beat the crowds at Decatur House? Where do you eat after a visit to Decatur House? Is Decatur House worth it with small kids? What do visitors to Decatur House usually miss?

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.