House of Cards Locations in Washington, D.C.

Now in its third season, House of Cards, the Netflix original political drama, has become a must-watch. The world of Washington, D.C., politics is presented in a dark, sexy and altogether riveting light that keeps viewers coming back for more. Most of the footage for this favorite show is shot outside of Baltimore, as filming in D.C. can be a mess of red tape and security issues, but regardless, you can still explore many of the locations that Frank and Claire Underwood enjoy in their fictional version of D.C.

The Ulysses S. Grant Civil War Memorial © Lee Snider | Dreamstime

First, there are several beautiful locations that pop up in the opening credits that are easy to find. The lion statues that are shown multiple times — those are at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Union Square. There are a few scenes when the view from L’Enfant Plaza is shown, which not only contains a large amount of office space, but also many shops and restaurants and an outdoor square near the National Mall.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on the Potomac River, Washington, D.C. © Avmedved | Dreamstime

The Center for Performing Arts, which Frank and Claire attend at the start of the series, is actually the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. You can catch a show there as well, everything from educational lectures to Broadway shows to performances of the National Symphony Orchestra.

If you’d like to see where all of the scheming and power plays take place, you can always take a tour of the U.S. Capitol. You can easily book a guided tour online which will take you through the Crypt, Rotunda and more. The exhibit hall features a series of different historical exhibitions, the latest is a collection of evidence from the Watergate investigation.