15 Date Ideas under $15 in Washington, DC
Attend a Lecture. Profs & Pints hosts lectures on various subjects for $13 in bars across the city. The National Museum of African American History & Culture has free after-hour panels and lectures too
Go Roller Skating. Anacostia Skating Rink has free skate rentals
Crafternoons. Shop Made in DC Georgetown has craft supplies you can use for free on weekends during the day (typically from 12-3pm).
Mini Golf. East Potomac Golf Course has a Mini Golf course for $8 per adult.
Comedy & Open Mics. There’s a free show somewhere in the district every night. If you’d rather have poetry, Busboys and Poets hosts open mics every week.
Buy Used Books. Browse hundreds of gently used books for $6 or less once a month at Friends of the Library sales in DC all the time.
Volunteer Outside. Casey Trees, District Clean-Ups, Kenilworth Gardens, Kingman + Heritage Islands, Cultivate the City, Wards 8 Conservancy, etc—they all need help keeping DC green.
Art Museum. The Phillips Collection has pay-what-you-wish on the top of the hour available first come, first serve online. You can also explore many art museums as part of ArtWalk Dupont on the third Thursdays of the month. Also if you take public transit to Glenstone, you are guaranteed entry.
Watch a movie. Watch an Outdoor Movie. Miracle Theatre and Suns Cinema show films $10 or less typically. Landmark E St. Theatre has $7 tickets Mon & Tues. National Gallery of Art and National Asian Art Museum host free films weekly.
Arcade Games. I personally don’t care for the Boardwalk’s drinks or food—but arcade games like DDR or skee-ball are a fun way to kill time and don’t usually require a ton of $.
Embassy Events. The House of Sweden is always open to the public on the weekends and has a very nice art gallery. A variety of embassies host art exhibits and film screenings that are open to the public.
Markets Everywhere. Literally a farmers market almost every day, and pop-up markets happening every weekend in the city.
Outdoor Festivals. Every month there's a festival. The annual Folklife Festival on the National Mall has events all-day, but a few film screenings and performances after 5pm. The Lotus & Water Lilly festival has free events every weekend.
Museums at Night. Besides the National Gallery of Art--the National Asian Art Museum, the National Museum African American History & Culture, and the Natural History Museum have after 5pm programs.
Dance Parties. There's always an 80's, 90's, 00's, Taylor Swift, Pop Punk etc dance party in the city and tickets are typically free entry at bars or ~$15 at venues.
