Bethesda, Maryland
Right next to the nation’s capital sits a city that’s worth a mini vacation.
This Maryland city serves up some of the area’s best food, liveliest arts events, and prettiest outdoor spaces, all without DC’s crowds.
Here’s your guide to the best of Bethesda
Get your fill of nostalgia at the 90-year-old Tastee Diner
This historic diner has been feeding Bethesda locals since the Great Depression. Originally located on Wisconsin Avenue with just six booths and counter stools, the diner moved to Woodmont Avenue in 1958.
You’ll feel the mid-century vibe with weathered barstools, wooden booths, and table-mounted jukeboxes that might swallow your quarters.
The Jerry O’Mahoney Diner Company built this “Cadillac of dining cars,” which Gene Wilkes bought in 1970 and expanded to 80 seats in 1979.
For decades, Tastee stayed open 24/7, closing only 42 hours a year from noon on Christmas Eve until 6 AM on December 26, though now it operates 5 AM to 10 PM. Meals average about $8, making it a budget-friendly option in increasingly upscale Bethesda.
The clientele ranges from late-night revelers to seniors, all coming for classic American comfort food.
Ride a slice of history at Glen Echo Park’s vintage amusement center
This former amusement park now thrives as a cultural center where you can enjoy dance, theater, visual arts, and environmental education year-round.
The park preserves many historic structures, including the beloved antique Dentzel Carousel that’s entertained visitors for generations.
Between Clara Barton Parkway and MacArthur Boulevard, you’ll find the Clara Barton National Historic Site, art galleries, cafes, restaurants, and theaters.
Visit the Glen Echo Park Aquarium to learn about aquatic life, or try your hand at creating art in the pottery and glassblowing studios.
Follow the path of old railway cars on the Capital Crescent Trail
You can walk, jog, bike, or rollerblade on this paved trail that cuts right through Downtown Bethesda.
Originally the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Georgetown Branch line until 1985, it’s now part of the rails-to-trails movement.
The trail has two sections: one connecting Georgetown to downtown Bethesda and another from Bethesda to Silver Spring (temporarily closed for construction until 2027).
The gentle grade makes it accessible for everyone, and woodland routes offer peaceful breaks from urban surroundings.
You’ll find connections to other regional pathways, creating an extensive network for exploring the Washington metro area without dealing with traffic.
Catch world-class performances at Strathmore’s massive concert venue
You’ll hear everything from folk and blues to pop, jazz, show tunes, and classical music at this premier performing arts venue.
Regular performers include the National Philharmonic Orchestra and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
When you’re not watching performances, explore the elaborate Sculpture Gardens, enjoy tea in the historic Strathmore Mansion, or catch a music festival on the expansive front lawn.
The main Music Center features exceptional acoustics engineered by Kirkegaard Associates, the same firm that designed acoustics for Carnegie Hall and London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Step into American literary history at the Josiah Henson Museum
You can explore one of the most significant historical sites in Bethesda at the Josiah Henson Museum & Park.
Henson lived and worked here before escaping to freedom, and his life story inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s influential novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”
The museum features exhibits on Henson’s life, slavery, and his abolitionist work. During guided tours, you’ll learn about enslaved people’s daily lives in Maryland and Henson’s extraordinary journey.
The site preserves the historic Riley/Bolten House (dating to 1800-1815), which appears on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can also examine archaeological remains of the original kitchen where Henson worked, with artifacts discovered during site excavations.
Explore Bethesda Row’s European-inspired promenade
You’ll find tons to do at this upscale shopping district with high-end fashion outlets, home décor shops, boutiques, restaurants, and cafés.
The district spans approximately seven blocks along Bethesda Avenue and Woodmont Avenue, creating a European-style promenade with brick sidewalks and distinctive architecture.
You can catch independent and foreign films at Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema, an eight-screen theater specializing in first-run indies, documentaries, and classic revivals.
Take in a show at Bethesda’s thriving theater district
Theater lovers can choose from multiple venues in Bethesda’s performing arts scene. The main Round House Theatre features 400 seats in its state-of-the-art performance space, which underwent a $14 million renovation in 2019 to improve acoustics, sightlines, and audience comfort.
The historic Bethesda Theatre, now operating as the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, was originally built in 1938 as an art deco movie palace and joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Literary enthusiasts will appreciate The Writer’s Center, established in 1976, which hosts regular readings, workshops, and performances by established and emerging authors.
Travel back to 1828 along the historic C&O Canal
You can experience both history and recreation along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, which operated as a vital trade route for nearly a century before becoming a scenic recreational area.
The canal’s construction began with President Adams turning the first spadeful of earth, and it operated commercially until a major flood in 1924 caused irreparable damage.
You’ll find 74 lift locks along the canal’s 184.5-mile length, which accommodated the 605-foot elevation change between Georgetown and Cumberland, Maryland.
Explore historic lockhouses containing educational materials about towpath and lock house history.
Some, like Lockhouse #6, offer overnight stays with amenities including full kitchens with electric stoves and small refrigerators (bring your own bedding and food).
For an authentic experience, take a scenic mule-drawn boat ride at the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center, where park rangers in period costume demonstrate lock operations just as they did nearly two centuries ago.
Groove to live music at a vintage art deco theater turned jazz club
You can enjoy live musical entertainment with New Orleans-style cuisine at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club.
This historic landmark building underwent an $8 million renovation in 2013 that preserved the art deco façade and details while updating the interior to accommodate 500 guests, including 300 seated for dinner and performances.
Originally constructed in 1938 as the Bethesda Theatre, the building served as a movie cinema until 1983 before becoming various entertainment venues and finally the current supper club.
Eat your way through Bethesda’s legendary food scene
Downtown Bethesda offers one of the best dining scenes in Montgomery County, with restaurants serving everything from contemporary American to Mediterranean, French, and Latin American cuisine.
The annual Taste of Bethesda food and music festival brings together 60 restaurants and five entertainment stages at Woodmont Triangle each October, continuing a tradition that began in 1989.
You can also enjoy special dining promotions during Bethesda Montgomery County Restaurant Week (winter and summer), when restaurants offer prix-fixe menus at reduced prices.
Visit the Montgomery Farm Women’s Cooperative Market, established in 1932, to shop for local produce and artisanal foods in a charming historic building.
The Woodmont Triangle area packs approximately 200 restaurants within a 10-block radius, giving it one of the highest concentrations of dining establishments per square mile in the entire Washington metropolitan region.
Wander through galleries in Bethesda’s official arts district
Art lovers will discover plenty to admire in Bethesda’s galleries, many conveniently located near the Bethesda metro stop with attentive staff ready to answer questions.
The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District became one of 36 such districts in Maryland receiving special support for cultural development.
You can pick up the Art & Soul of Bethesda publication for details about arts organizations, public art, cinemas, and theaters throughout downtown.
Gallery B at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue showcases established and emerging artists with approximately 10 exhibitions annually and new shows opening on the first Friday of each month during gallery walks.
The Bethesda Urban Partnership maintains 13 sculptures permanently installed throughout downtown as part of its public art program, creating an outdoor museum you can explore while walking the city streets.
Every September, the Bethesda Row Arts Festival attracts over 30,000 art enthusiasts to view works by carefully selected artists competing for prizes up to $2,000.
Marvel at a centuries-old giant oak that predates the nation
You’ll want to see the Linden Oak, Bethesda’s hidden natural treasure that survived urbanization while its forest companions fell to development.
Located in Beach Drive Park near the intersection of Beach Drive and Pinehurst Parkway, this massive tree measures 76 feet tall with a trunk circumference of 22 feet and a crown spread of 132 feet.
These dimensions make it Montgomery County’s largest white oak and earned it designation as a Montgomery County Champion Tree.
Dating back approximately 300 years, the oak has witnessed the area’s transformation from wilderness to Native American territory to colonial settlement and finally to modern suburban development.
The tree looks particularly striking at dawn and dusk when light filters through its branches.
Visit the 1820s church that gave Bethesda its biblical name
The Bethesda Meeting House gave the entire community its name and represents a crucial piece of local history.
The Presbyterian congregation built it in 1820, but after burning in 1849, they rebuilt it the same year about 100 yards south.
The former location became the Cemetery of the Bethesda Meeting House, which remains an important historical site today. The name comes from Jerusalem’s Pool of Bethesda, known in biblical accounts for its healing powers.
The community’s name became official on January 23, 1871, when postmaster Robert Franck relocated the local post office near the church and shortened the name to simply “Bethesda.”
The cemetery contains graves dating back to the early 19th century, with tombstones bearing names of Bethesda’s founding families who established farms and businesses long before suburbanization.
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