DC: National Arboretum – Halloween 2026
What better day to visit the National Arboretum than on Halloween? It had been quite the past week or so and my friend was down for a little excursion. First a new place for lunch, then a trip to the Arboretum to catch some good Fall color changes.
Thankfully, he’s used to my venting on this particular topic (work), so it was quickly gotten out of my system and we enjoyed the rest of the time catching up and being goofy. As it was Halloween, the music mix was trying to do in-theme songs, and our conversation veered all over the place.
While I love to visit, especially in Fall or Spring, my main gripe about the National Arboretum is that it’s not “easy to get to” without a car. It’s possible to use public transit, but not a great trip, so we got a car hire over there and then set ourselves to walking.
We usually get a good 3 or 4 miles in, just exploring the roadways and trails, sometimes doubling back, or wandering into a wooded trail we haven’t been on in a while. In general, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but it’s nice to immerse yourself in nature, especially during the scenic times.
They were setting up for a wedding, so we ran into some photo shoots, but it really was a perfect day and evening for it. I’ve never thought of renting out the arboretum space for an event, but I was a little tempted to crash that party!
The National Arboretum is one of the “must visit” sites in DC, but it’s definitely on the “make a plan” list. It’s not the kind of thing you’d quickly drive out to and only spend an hour before leaving.
Oddly, their website seems to be down at the moment, but the Bonsai trees are an excellent choice if you really don’t have a lot of time to spend. However, it’s a great “day trip,” not because it’s far, but because you’ll want to spend some time in nature. It’s also a great picnic spot when the weather is pleasant.
For my Halloween evening, I happily spent it inside, having good food, good drinks, watching movies and playing video games like the adult I’m allowed to be. I hope yours was fun and safe! And if you haven’t voted already, get out and vote! 🙂
