Lafayette Square
Lafayette Square
4
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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- Foggy Bottom–GWU • 3 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.0
257 reviews
Excellent
68
Very good
120
Average
59
Poor
9
Terrible
1
Jydeoo
Lagos, Nigeria2,311 contributions
Sep 2022 • Solo
My second visit to Lafayette Square, right behind the White House, proved just as captivating as the first. This viewpoint offers a unique perspective of the White House, and it's perhaps the closest you can get without delving into the official visitor center. Lafayette Square boasts the charm of a typical park, graced by the imposing presence of the General Andrew Jackson statue at its heart.
Wandering around the square, I stumbled upon some intriguing sights that reminded me of my previous visit a few years ago.
Notably, a lone silent protester with all sorts of paraphernalia. The presence of security personnel in the vicinity is a testament to the square's proximity to the White House, where security is paramount. Amidst the sea of tourists, you'll also find locals immersed in their daily routines, lending a genuine sense of life to the square and its adjacent pedestrian street.
Lafayette Square offers the perfect break or rest, especially after a trek from your nearest stop or the parking spot for your car when in search of this free close-up view of the White House.
Perhaps while you relax in peaceful green surroundings, you might spot a celebrity doing the same or passing by, perhaps not. Just enjoy the calm atmosphere while you are there.
Written August 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jaskel08
California355 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
Located across the street from the White House...... adjacent to the White House tour was Lafayette Square. There are various statues and monuments to various heroes. What was disappointing was how unkept, dirty the park was. This is contrary to most sights and parks between downtown and the Potomac, which are very clean and well kept. Unfortunately, there really is no reason to go to the square.
Written June 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Satyendra Garg
National Capital Territory of Delhi, India6,946 contributions
Aug 2014 • Solo
A nice square just across White House, with beautiful statues of President Jackson, Major General Lafayatte and others. This attraction has bee named after Frenchman who fought the American Revolutionary war.
Nowadays the best view of facade of the White House is from the lawns of Lafayatte Square. It looks so beautiful from there. The square itself is very beautiful and worth careful scrutiny of its structures.
Nowadays the best view of facade of the White House is from the lawns of Lafayatte Square. It looks so beautiful from there. The square itself is very beautiful and worth careful scrutiny of its structures.
Written September 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The_Loup_Garou
Phoenix, AZ165,453 contributions
Mar 2020
Gloomy Day - But Beautiful Blossoms
We were back in Washington, DC, for wife’s meetings in March. While the weather was gloomy, and mostly overcast, the blossoms in Lafayette Square were outstanding.
On this trip, we were staying immediately across the street from Lafayette Square, at the Hay-Adams, so after breakfast, I took a stroll.
The Square was just starting to come back to life, after Winter, and several fountains/water features were being reworked, and repaired. The grass was just beginning to emerge, so there were still many worn areas, that were bare from Winter. The general plantings were limited, but oh my, most of the trees in the Square were in full bloom! They were gorgeous, and I only regret that the sod was still in such poor shape, and the weather was so ugly. Even the beds of daffodils were looking pretty bad. Still, the blossoms made up for the weather.
I walked all of the Square, taking in the statues (more than I remembered), and also, the views of the White House - but like the sod, and the fountains, it was a work in progress. There was a hideous white fence surrounding the south side, while work was being done. Fortunately, we did have nice views of it from our room, on the south of the Square, as only the top story was visible over that fence, from most vantage points.
Besides that fence around the White House, one of the large Federal buildings, adjacent to Lafayette Square, was under wraps and scaffolding too. Some of the vistas, that I have appreciated in the past, were just not there - construction.
Still, the beautiful blossoms made up for construction, and I just took time to enjoy what I had - and not dwell on what I had hoped to see.
We were back in Washington, DC, for wife’s meetings in March. While the weather was gloomy, and mostly overcast, the blossoms in Lafayette Square were outstanding.
On this trip, we were staying immediately across the street from Lafayette Square, at the Hay-Adams, so after breakfast, I took a stroll.
The Square was just starting to come back to life, after Winter, and several fountains/water features were being reworked, and repaired. The grass was just beginning to emerge, so there were still many worn areas, that were bare from Winter. The general plantings were limited, but oh my, most of the trees in the Square were in full bloom! They were gorgeous, and I only regret that the sod was still in such poor shape, and the weather was so ugly. Even the beds of daffodils were looking pretty bad. Still, the blossoms made up for the weather.
I walked all of the Square, taking in the statues (more than I remembered), and also, the views of the White House - but like the sod, and the fountains, it was a work in progress. There was a hideous white fence surrounding the south side, while work was being done. Fortunately, we did have nice views of it from our room, on the south of the Square, as only the top story was visible over that fence, from most vantage points.
Besides that fence around the White House, one of the large Federal buildings, adjacent to Lafayette Square, was under wraps and scaffolding too. Some of the vistas, that I have appreciated in the past, were just not there - construction.
Still, the beautiful blossoms made up for construction, and I just took time to enjoy what I had - and not dwell on what I had hoped to see.
Written October 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen G
Hudson, MA1,173 contributions
Jan 2020
In walking over to the White House, I was given a little history of Lafayette Square including a little history of the protester who is allowed to remain at his post.
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The World is My Oyster
Orlando, FL21,657 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
We stopped there on our way to the White House as this park is directly attached to the grounds of it. There is plenty of room to roam around, enjoy a coffee and people watch. The statue of Le Marquis de Lafayette is also very beautiful!
Written March 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChanceMan00
Orlando, FL315 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
The park is more of a thoroughfare north of the white house than an attraction in itself. The best part of it is that you can see the White House from a closer distance and you also get a better idea of how integrated the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the Treasury Building connect on each side. On the first day through the park we saw a dude with a loudspeaker preaching the gospel among protesters of the Chinese government and some tourists oblivious to anything but getting the perfect white house photo. The second day was rainy and no loudspeaker and really no protesters. The police presence was ubiquitous as you might imagine that close to the executive residence and yet it was more laid back than the presence south of the White House where it feels like you are trying to get back into West Berlin what with all the barriers.
Written August 26, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BonnieNimmo
Marble Falls, TX1,174 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
Lafayette Square is rather unremarkable but so full of history! It’s a great place to walk, and it’s cooler than walking along paved areas because you can walk in the grass, and especially great if you have children because they can run and stretch and play! There are plenty of statues to see and learn about. Right now there are lots of barricades around making it difficult to get into the square from many directions.
Written September 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JNYCwriter
New York City, NY7,517 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
If you are going to Washington DC and want to see the White House you really cannot avoid Lafayette Square. It is a large square filled with tourists, many Secret Service police and protestors of all types. There are statues in the Square and you can get some really great pictures of the White House. Despite the frequent protests and police presence, it is easy to navigate around the park and see democracy in action.
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rsepsot
Sydney, Australia118 contributions
Dec 2019
This square is actually a little park. Well known for its location right accross the road from the White House, it offers seating and turf, good for people watching and enjoy White House views from a distance.
The square is directly surrounded by beautiful historic townhouses and cute little tree lined streets that are quite picturesque and worth having a look at.
The square is directly surrounded by beautiful historic townhouses and cute little tree lined streets that are quite picturesque and worth having a look at.
Written December 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're driving down for a rally in Lafayette Square tomorrow morning. Suggestions for parking?
Written May 9, 2015
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