Embassy Row is the unofficial name for a district home to many of Washington D.C.’s 170-plus foreign embassy buildings. It refers to a portion of Massachusetts Avenue, and its encompassing streets, which stretches from Dupont Circle toward Washington National Cathedral. Known as Millionaires’ Row in the early 1900s, today Embassy Row epitomizes the height of the city’s sophistication.
Start your Embassy Row experience at Dupont Circle, where locals come to play chess and shop at a Sunday farmers market. Walk northwest on Massachusetts Avenue and marvel as the district’s architectural elegance unfolds. Admire the Beaux Arts-style Embassy of Indonesia, which runs pre-reserved guided tours. Note the statue of the Hindu goddess Saraswati with three children, including a young Barrack Obama.
See artifacts from the American Revolution at the Society of Cincinnati and then check out a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, outside the Embassy of India.
Go to Sheridan Circle Park, dominated by an equestrian monument of American Civil War-hero General Phil Sheridan. Encircling the park are striking mansions such as the art nouveau Embassy of Latvia. The adjacent Turkish Ambassador’s Residence was commissioned by the creator of Coca-Cola’s crimped bottle top.
Take a detour on S Street and visit the Woodrow Wilson House, the former home of the 28th President of the United States. Back on Massachusetts Avenue, pause to appreciate The Islamic Centre’s grand mosque.
Cross the bridge over Rock Creek stream and continue to the Romanesque Embassy of Brazil. Check out a statue of Nelson Mandela at the South African Embassy and then gaze in awe at the majestic British Embassy.
While here, inquire about guided tours at the U.S. Naval Observatory, which presents the chance to view astronomical objects via telescopes. Alternatively, relax amid the peaceful confines of Dumbarton Oaks Park. Meander around the park’s landscaped gardens and see displays of Byzantine, pre-Columbian and European art in the Dumbarton Park Museum.
Embassy Row is located northwest of Downtown Washington D.C. It’s about a 30-minute non-stop walk from Dupont Circle to the British Embassy. Public buses stop at various points on Massachusetts Avenue.
