Guide to Exploring Embassies in Washington, DC

Embassy of Uzbekistan

Where can I find the embassies? 

Embassies, consulates, ambassadors’ residences and mission buildings can be found all over the city, with the highest concentration along Embassy Row – Massachusetts Avenue between Dupont Circle and Observatory Circle – and throughout Upper Northwest DC.

These neighborhoods were the go-to spot for the well-to-do Washingtonians to build their mansions, earning the nickname Millionaire’s Row. In the early 20th century, with the Great Depression and the Second World War, many of these luxurious Beaux Arts homes came into new hands, creating an opportunity for diplomatic missions to take root. Over the years, other buildings were designed specifically to reflect the people it would represent, many by internationally acclaimed architects.

By venturing onto side streets, explorers can discover even more picturesque embassies, stately residences and hidden gardens – usually given away by their national flag, a seal above the door and a plaque.

 

DC Design Tours

How can I access the embassies?

Since embassies are active government buildings, a little planning goes a long way if you’re hoping to get a look inside. A handful of embassies have spaces open to the public, including the art gallery at the Embassy of Canada and the exhibit space at House of Sweden, and many others present opportunities to get a glimpse inside. 

 

In addition to a full month of Passport DC each May, embassies and their corresponding cultural institutes open their doors year-round for community events meant to reflect the culture and values of that nation. These include festivities from tango lessons (Argentina) and fado concerts (Portugal), to black-tie parties (Mexican Cultural Institute), film screenings (Korean Cultural Center) and panels (House of Sweden).

Check the embassies’ Instagrams and websites for happenings, as well as Things to Do DC and International Club of DC.

 

House of Sweden

Go on a self-guided embassy tour

Find international inspiration along this walking route, which explores some of Embassy Row’s historic sites and hidden gems. The itinerary covers 1.5 miles and takes approximately one hour.

★ Begin your diplomatic tour at the Finnish Embassy on Observatory Circle, a 20-minute walk from the Woodley Park metro station.
 

• The polite, Scandinavian exterior is adorned with greenery to reflect the supporting role citizens are meant to play to mother nature. Inside, white columns represent birch trees, hanging lights evoke the open sky and a wooden sauna harkens to a popular national tradition.
• This embassy touts incredible energy efficiency and was the first in the U.S. to receive an ENERGY STAR and a LEED certificate.

★ On the southern side of the Circle, you’ll see the British Embassy, which is credited with the bedrock of Embassy Row, built in 1931.
 

• One of the largest diplomatic campuses in DC, it resembles an English country manor, connected by a network of stairs, walkways, gardens and even a bridge.
• Like many embassies, it has hosted a number of prominent figures including King Charles III, Princess Diana and the Beatles.

 

★ Out front, you’ll see the first Embassy Row’s signature statues.
 

• This one is Winston Churchill, who raises a hand in a V for V-E Day and straddles one foot in U.S. and embassy property, reflecting his dual-parentage and status as honorary citizen.
• Across the street, you’ll find a garden and memorial to Kahlil Gibran, a prominent Lebanese poet and philosopher.
• Throughout the area visitors can also find: Mahatma Gandhi (India), 16-foot tall goddess Dewi Saraswati (Indonesia), revolutionary Robert Emmett (Ireland), founder Tomáš Masaryk (Czech), scholar Saint Jerome (Croatia), journalist and activist Dr. Philip Jaisohn (Korea) and more. 

 

 ★ Next in line is the Embassy of South Africa. 
 

• This embassy features two Cape Dutch buildings, which were revamped in 2013 to embody the equality and modernity of the nation post-apartheid, with more open spaces, two story lobby atrium and courtyard with a layer of glass between it and the street.
• On the sidewalk that used to be the site of anti-apartheid protests now stands a statue of Nelson Mandela, modeled after the moment the leader left prison after 27 years. 

★ On the other side of these buildings is the former Embassy of Iran, which has been vacant since the Iranian Revolution in 1780, when the U.S. suspended diplomatic relations with the Middle Eastern nation. 
 

Embassy of Brazil

★ You’ll also see the complex of the Embassy of Brazil, the second major entity to make its home on this stretch of Massachusetts.
 

• The embassy itself is a work of John Russell Pope, the architect that designed the National Archives and the Jefferson Memorial, and the glass-and-steel chancery, designed by architect Olavo Redig de Campos, reflects Brazilian style at that time. 

★ Cross the bridge over Rock Creek Park to arrive to our next architectural and cultural highlight: the Islamic Center. 
 

• Designed by Italian architect Mario Rossi to honor Egyptian, Turkish and Iranian traditions, the site opened in 1952 and was dedicated by President Eisenhower in 1957.
• It was the first mosque in DC and the largest in the Western hemisphere, which still serves as an active religious and cultural site today. 

★ Continue down the street and peer through the gates of the Japanese Embassy.
 

• The grounds contain the Georgian Revival-style embassy – highly popular in the 1920s and 30s – as well as specially manicured Japanese-style gardens and a teahouse.
• With the Pearl Harbor attack of 1941, the U.S. government retook the building for a decade. 

 

DC Design Tours

★ Close to Dupont Circle, you'll find one of the most elaborate edifices on Massachusetts Avenue: the Indonesian Embassy, purchased by the government in 1951.
 

• When the private residence became too difficult to afford and upkeep around WWII, it was donated to the Red Cross.
• Later, the owners of The Washington Post would live there and throw wild parties before it was converted into the embassy. 

★ Keep wandering and end your tour just past the Dupont Circle Metro Station at the Embassy of Argentina.
 

• Another once-private residence, this embassy was designed by Julian Abele, the first African American graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's architecture program, and commissioned in 1906.
• It contains a bust of Eva Perón that was retrieved from the bottom of a river, where it had been thrown at the end of her presidency.

Tip: You can add to your route by peeling off of Mass Ave to see other landmarks like the Woodrow Wilson House, the Spanish Steps, the Phillips Collection and the Society of the Cincinnati, all with incredible insights into the history of the region.

 

 

If you want to keep traveling the world while in DC, we have you covered. Check out these free international activities in the District.