Museum shops & F St · F St NW from 7th to 13th St
Penn Quarter & Chinatown
F St and 7th St NW.
The downtown blocks around F Street and 7th Street NW, from the National Archives up to the Chinatown arch, where museum stores, a big Barnes & Noble, a pen shop and national chains sit between the Smithsonian art museums and Capital One Arena. Best for folding real shopping into a museum, game or theater day.
Museum shops · F Street · Chinatown
Photo: Wknight94 talk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- In our directory
- 22 shopseach one verified
- Where
- F St NW from 7th to 13th StMuseum shops & F St
- Right now
- Typical hours10am–8pm
- Parking
- ParkingGallery Place-Chinatown (Red, Yellow and Green lines) sits under the Smithsonian American Art Museum at 8th and G; Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Yellow and Green) is across Pennsylvania Ave from the National Archives, and Judiciary Square (Red) is closest to the National Building Museum. Teaism notes a parking garage on 8th Street, and SAAM notes limited metered street parking and several paid garages nearby. The DC Circulator ended service after Dec 31, 2024.
The directory
22 shops, all in one place.
Tap a shop or a dot on the map to see it.
Specialty4 places
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Leica's camera store on the 900 block of F Street, listed in the DowntownDC BID shopping directory. A stop for photographers between the museums and Metro Center.
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Family-owned pen shop across from the National Press Building selling fountain pens, ink, journals, leather goods and watches, with test-writing desks and an in-house pen repair service.
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Official store for Washington Capitals and Wizards merchandise at Capital One Arena in Gallery Place; open afternoons Tuesday to Saturday on non-event days.
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Second-floor Chinatown shop selling traditional Chinese medicinal goods, herbs, teas, snacks and cooking ingredients; its cough medicine, herbal tea and mooncakes are steady sellers.
Fashion4 places
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Peruvian Connection's shop in the 950 F Street building, named in the DowntownDC BID's downtown shopping itinerary and listed in its shopping directory.
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Spanish fashion chain's downtown store selling upscale womenswear and accessories, in the 950 F Street building on the F Street retail corridor.
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Upscale shoe boutique near Gallery Place carrying men's and women's shoes, bags and accessories, with shoe repair on site. Open seven days.
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Athletic apparel store on the 1000 block of F Street selling yoga, running and training gear, listed in the DowntownDC BID shopping directory near Metro Center.
Food & drink4 places
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Liquor store on E Street listed in the DowntownDC BID shopping directory, a few blocks from Gallery Place-Chinatown and the Penn Quarter theaters.
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Retail tea shop at 8th and D, two doors from the Teaism restaurant, selling loose-leaf tea, handmade ceramics, art, tea accessories and brewing equipment, with staff to help choose.
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French bakery near the Gallery Place Metro, opened in 2024, selling croissants, baguettes, organic breads, pastries and sandwiches, plus its croissant-dough Cro'gel.
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Wine and spirits shop on the 900 block of F Street known for less obvious wine picks, open from early afternoon into the evening; handy before a show or dinner nearby.
Gifts3 places
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Shared museum store on the first floor by the G Street lobby, selling exhibition catalogues, artist-designed jewelry and scarves, posters, art and history books, kids' books and art kits.
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Store inside the National Archives Museum with more than 4,800 items tied to U.S. history and DC, including document reproductions, prints, books and its 'government red tape' jewelry.
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Souvenir shop across the street from Ford's Theatre selling DC-themed apparel, accessories, magnets, mugs and ornaments, close to the museums and tour routes.
Books1 place
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Newly opened Barnes & Noble on the F Street retail corridor, listed by the DowntownDC BID, and open until 8pm seven days a week, later than most neighbors on Sundays.
Menswear1 place
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Store for the Alden shoe brand on the 900 block of F Street, listed in the DowntownDC BID shopping directory and named in its downtown shopping itinerary.
Outlets1 place
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Off-price Nordstrom store at 12th and F at the west end of the F Street corridor, open until 9pm Monday to Saturday.
Coffee1 place
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Inexpensive coffee and tea counter on the 900 block of F Street, open early on weekdays and Saturdays for a stop before the museums. Closed Sundays.
Design1 place
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Shop in the museum's free-to-enter Great Hall selling sustainable housewares, office items, jewelry, educational toys and design books, many items exclusive to the shop.
Jewelry1 place
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Family-owned jeweler on G Street with a custom design shop, a range of fine jewelry, and jewelry and watch repair, listed in the DowntownDC BID shopping directory.
Beauty1 place
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Large beauty store at 10th and F carrying close to 340 brands plus Sephora's own label, listed in the DowntownDC BID Penn Quarter and Chinatown directory.
No shops in that category here yet.
Insider guide
Shopping Penn Quarter.
The story
The downtown blocks around F Street and 7th Street NW, from the National Archives up to the Chinatown arch, where museum stores, a big Barnes & Noble, a pen shop and national chains sit between the Smithsonian art museums and Capital One Arena. Best for folding real shopping into a museum, game or theater day.
The mix: specialty like Leica Store, Fahrney's Pens, Capital One Arena Team Store; fashion like Peruvian Connection, Mango, Sky Valet Shoes; food like Central Liquors, Teaism Tea Shop, Fresh Baguette.
This week
In Penn Quarter this week.
Typical hours
Most shops keep the hours below.
Hours vary by individual store. Always check with specific retailers.
Eat, drink, stay
Between shops, close by.
Top restaurants nearby
All of Eat →- minibar by José Andrés★ Michelin starCreative · Cocktails and snacks in an all-white bar, then about a dozen seats at a wood-topped kitchen counter; dishes include trompe l'oeil cauliflower with caviar and a jamón chawanmushi with sea urchin.
- Fiola★ Michelin starItalian / Contemporary · Regional Italian cooking drawing on Roman and Venetian flavors; the square duck-ragù pasta (Cubetto Genovese D'Antra) is a highlighted dish.
- Rania★ Michelin starIndian / Contemporary · Contemporary Indian fine dining; signatures include chana masala panisse with green garlic chutney and hay-aged pork vindaloo.
- Sushi Nakazawa Washington DC★ Michelin starJapanese / Sushi · Second location of Daisuke Nakazawa's sushi counter, inside the Waldorf Astoria; a 20-course omakase at a marble counter that runs about two hours.
- OyamelBib GourmandMexican · José Andrés's Mexican small plates with a ceviche bar; the inspectors point to the black bean soup with avocado leaves and cotija.
- ZaytinyaBib GourmandMediterranean · Mezze-focused Greek, Turkish and Lebanese menu with a wine list strong in Greek and Lebanese labels.
- Karizma Modern IndianBib GourmandIndian / Contemporary · Main dining room of a two-concept space (Karma runs a separate tasting menu); the chèvre and herb naan and lamb kakori kebab are noted.
- L'ArdenteBib GourmandItalian · Wood-burning grill and pizza oven with counter seats; the 40-layer short rib lasagna is the signature.
Top hotels nearby
All of Stay →- Michelin Key
Riggs Washington DC
A 181-room hotel in a 19th-century Romanesque Revival bank building with suites named for First Ladies, Café Riggs and the Silver Lyan bar.
900 F St NW ·
Ratings are the scores saved in our directory and are not live. Check the listing for the current score.
Getting here
Parking and transit.
- PParkingGallery Place-Chinatown (Red, Yellow and Green lines) sits under the Smithsonian American Art Museum at 8th and G; Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Yellow and Green) is across Pennsylvania Ave from the National Archives, and Judiciary Square (Red) is closest to the National Building Museum. Teaism notes a parking garage on 8th Street, and SAAM notes limited metered street parking and several paid garages nearby. The DC Circulator ended service after Dec 31, 2024.
- PMetro: Gallery Place-Chinatown (Red, Green, Yellow) or Archives (Green, Yellow)Gallery Place opens onto 7th and F StreetsMetro fare
Keep exploring
If you liked this block of the city, try these next.
CityCenterDC
A five-block development between New York Ave and H St NW where the European fashion houses, jewelers and leather-goods brands have their DC boutiques, most of them on pedestrian Palmer Alley. It is the place for designer shopping downtown, with gelato, Italian restaurants and a garage underneath for a long, polished afternoon.
This week
14th Street
The 14th Street NW strip through Logan Circle up to U Street, where home and furniture stores, national lifestyle brands and consignment sit between restaurants and bars, with vintage and record shops on U Street. Best for a weekend afternoon that mixes browsing home goods and clothes with brunch or dinner.
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The Wharf
A mile of new waterfront along the Washington Channel in Southwest, where a handful of shops on District Square and Water St sit among piers, restaurants and the Municipal Fish Market, open since 1805. Best for an afternoon that mixes a bookstore and local-maker shopping with crabs, oysters and a walk on the water.
This week
Guides for Penn Quarter
All guides →CityCenterDC and Penn Quarter Shopping Walk
A long downtown day that starts with the fashion houses and jewelers of CityCenterDC's Palmer Alley, then heads to Penn Quarter for F Street's pen, camera and book shops and three museum stores.
Read guide →Washington Holiday Markets 2026
Dates, hours and locations for the 2026 holiday markets in and around DC, from the DowntownDC Holiday Market on F Street to Heurich House's Christmas Markt and Old Town Alexandria's parade weekend, plus the events that haven't posted dates yet.
Read guide →Washington DC Hotels Near the Best Shopping
Fifteen MICHELIN-selected hotels, including all seven of Washington's Key holders, sorted by the shopping you can walk to: CityCenterDC and Penn Quarter, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, the Wharf, Union Market and Old Town Alexandria.
Read guide →Stay in the loop
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