Recently the online real estate company Redfin reached out asking me to give them a hidden gem in the DMV for their blog. The article got me thinking about some of my favorite hidden gems in the area. While some may not be so hidden, they are definitely gems worth highlighting. I wanted to share a few of my favorite hidden gems for enjoying this summer.  

The Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery of Art: My daughter, Kate, turned me on to this incredible exhibit at the Freer Gallery, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. The Peacock Room is an entire room awash in a sea of green, blue, and gold created by James McNeill Whistler to showcase a Chinese blue-and-white porcelain collection. Created in a London home, it was bought by Charles Lang Freer and then recreated in his Detroit home before finding a permanent residence in DC. Marvel at this beautiful work of art and the feat of engineering it took to move it lock-stock-and-barrel. While you’re at the museum, stay and see the rest of its magnificent collection. It’s a great way to spend a warm summer day.

Signature Theatre: Kate and I are big musical theatre nerds. We travel to NY to see shows, and we go to the Kennedy Center whenever we can, but we just adore Signature Theatre. It’s a Tony-award-winning regional theatre with an intimate setting and an incredibly talented creative team. Every show we see there blows us away. The way they maximize a small stage for a big impact is always inspiring. We have tickets to see the incomparable Sweeny Todd this week. There are only a few days left to catch it, but if you miss it, the rest of the season has you covered. We are already planning a trip back this October for Ragtime.

Wolftrap Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods: Speaking of Signature Theater, Kate and I went to see their Broadway in the Park performance at Wolftrap recently, and, of course, it was delightful. As we were walking to the gates, we reminisced about attending shows at their Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods. If you have young kids and are looking for something to do this summer, then I highly recommend their shows. It’s a lovely shady spot in the woods with amazing performances. I’ll never forget seeing my three-year-old son get his cd signed by Robbie Schaefer and telling him “There’s a Carp in the Tub” is his favorite song. Go. You’ll make memories with your little people.