Old Post Office Tower is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
Allow 30–45 min.
When it's open, it's DC's best-kept view secret: a free, walk-up clock tower with the second-tallest panorama in the city and almost no line. The hard catch as of 2026: NPS tours have stopped and the federal government has moved to sell the building, so access is suspended/in flux — do not route a visit here without confirming it has reopened.
Run by the National Park Service inside the Old Post Office building on Pennsylvania Ave; the second-tallest viewpoint in DC after the Washington Monument, and free with no ticket required · model-knowledge