I came to the convention center for the motorcycle show today. I was happy to learn that the Health and Fitness Expo was also going on in another area. The expo center is huge and there is a lot of space. They had food vendors set up but I didn't try anything while there. I did have Starbucks and they don't take gift cards. The convention center is located near a lot of things including the metro and parking lots. Parking places near the center are pricey but really it is DC and everything is expensive in DC. read more

It's a nice convention center, but because it is located in the heart of the city, it's not as accessible for attendees. There are plenty of ways to get there, either via Metro, bus, taxi, or even walking, but there's always horrible traffic from the airports, unless you are coming from Reagan. The convention hall is newer and right outside a Metro stop. Layout was a bit weird. I was there on a weekend, and the only show was that weekend, so many of the eatery wasn't open. I went out of the convention for lunch both days instead. Freeman in DC... it's Freeman... better than Philly and NY that's for sure though. read more

I've been to the Washington Convention Center a few times now and really enjoy this venue. The rooms are large and accommodate many convention go-ers, the bathrooms are also large and are cleaned quite often, and the employees working the venues are approachable and kind. On the lower level, you can see how the Convention Center splits into two buildings and you'd need to cross the road to get to the other side. I love how the Mt Vernon metro station is RIGHT there! So cool! read more

Large, but can not handle 35,000 in a group for dining services. Clean, airy, polite staff - helpful people. Drawback: no parking garage dedicated to visitors/users of the center. Positive: Parking via street meters and neighborhood streets. WI-FI throughout the place. Sweet! Seating throughout the halls and lounge. Starbucks and several other local coffee stands with pastries. Airport Shuttles will run you directly here, if your hotel shuttle won't. read more

Have been to many events at this convention center. Always nice and clean and organized. Have been for the car shows and Awesome Con. Location is great but very hard to find parking. read more

Nice venue for a convention. The convention I attended was spread across two buildings and there were crossing guards, for lack of a better term, to halt traffic so we could cross the street. Food prices are outrageous -- nearly $20 for a combo meal of chicken fingers! The area around the convention center is decent, although our hotel room across the street looked out over a building that was in the process of being demolished. Interesting art installations. If you have a fear of heights, avoid the escalators -- two stories! Eeek! I took the elevator like a wimp. read more

Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Scary high escalators if you have a fear of heights like me! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

As other reviewers have noted - this place is a veritable warren! The place is massive. It's large enough that it can host more than one convention at a time. The place is clean, modern, has some cool decor and architecture, and lots of escalators and elevators. What it lacks is adequate java and food options inside. There is one Starbucks inside - as another reviewer noted - there should be a Starbucks, or some other coffee/espresso vendor at the other end of the Convention Center. For those of you that have played a first person shooter video game such as DOOM or Quake - the Convention Center layout would make an excellent map for a level in DOOM or Quake! read more

I went here for Awesomecon this past weekend, and holy cow was it crowded! The good news is much of the building is well air conditioned, and it was large enough to accommodate the thousands of fellow nerds in attendance. They also have free complimentary Wi-Fi. The size was also the building's downfall, I got lost trying to find the way that I came in. Security was present, but seemed a little passive. And the parking is lacking. I walked about a mile to a local garage. All in all, good first visit! I haven't been to a Con in years. I got a comic autographed by Stan Lee! And I also ran into Wil Wheaton, and met Jason David Frank! I hope to go back next year. read more

Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

I went to this convention center for the Washington Auto Show. The convention center does not have a parking garage. It took me awhile to find street parking and I found it about 7 blocks away from the convention center. There's a metro station right beside the convention center. I would recommend taking the metro instead. The convention center is huge and nice. The event was very organized. I enjoyed the display of cars. They had 3 sections... Exotics & Luxury, American and Foreign. I would definitely come to this event again next year and to future events held at this venue. read more

See all

Super convention center with top notch staff. It's right downtown and connected to the Marriott too. We had a great show here and I'll look forward to coming back again. read more

Everyone involved in the design process of this building gave zero thought to how usable and efficient it would be for the people in it.

My company hosted a conference in this convention center for five days. The entire convention center was really clean, facilities are modern and up to date with technology, and in a great location to be in walking distance of several attractions and restaurants. It is a short drive from the Reagan airport and had plenty of space for multiple events to be going on at one time. The layout can be a bit confusing and disorienting, with multiple streets to enter the center from. The ballroom was smaller when compared to other locations we've used, but met our needs for the most part. The food vendors left something to be desired. The prices were outrageous (expected to be higher like a theater, but not $20 for a burger and fries!) and the variety was lacking. Some of the vendors weren't even open, despite having 5,000 people attending the conference. read more

I went for the Washington Auto Show. As far as convention centers go, it was extremely spacious, very clean, and the staff was helpful and efficient in directing the flow of traffic. The building is beautifully designed. read more

Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Getting here is easy if you're taking public transportation (e.g. metro). The metro station takes you right to the Convention Center. This place is enormous and it's really easy to get lost. If you're here for an event, there may not be lots of signage showing you where to go so just ask a staff member for assistance if you get lost (like I always do). The venue is clean & really modern. Cool place to visit! read more

Nice place to celebrate big events. A lot of motivated people. Chefs know what they are doing some great food gets made by those guys. read more

Walter E. Washington Convention Center - The view from third floor at 6 am - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Beautiful venue. The staff was super helpful and engaged me before I had the opportunity to ask for directions or help. No one stayed seated while giving directions. Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable. read more

Came here for the Washington DC Auto Show. This place is huge! It was well maintained, clean, and inviting. I can imagine many conventions here being held and spacing not being a problem. One drawback of it being so large is that its a bit confusing to get around, but they have a lot of staff around to help. read more

I don't have much experience with convention centers (only here, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland) but this convention center is IMHO superior to the other two I have visited. I loved that there were outlets all over the place, including in the bathrooms, for charging phones. Restrooms were clean too. The location is great for the metro as you walk about 5 feet from the metro into the convention center. The space is large and there are multiple spaces for multiple events. I'd return here for future events that come to DC. read more

I was here in August for the Otakon 2017 convention. It was my first time for both. It's a HUGE place that is very well kept. Clean, neat, and knowledgeable staff. It's a little confusing at first. I got lost a few times, but I eventually got my bearings and learned my way around. It has many floors accessible by escalators, elevators, and stairs. I stayed at the Marriot which is connected to the facility and that is a BIG bonus. I highly recommend that. Yes, I can't wait to come back and experience more here! read more

The Convention Center is conveniently placed near the heart of DC and is easily accessible from just about anywhere in the city via the metro line. It even has an adjoining hotel (The Marriot) which is accessible via an underground link. The center itself is super spacious and well-maintained whenever I visit for an event and is easily navigable. For anyone visiting the convention center, the only thing I would be wary about is paying for food served by the center as it is overpriced. But with the metro and just walking, you can find decent food with ease. read more

This place is gigantic and signage isn't all that consistently clear so you'll be spending at least a portion of your time getting lost. I forgot my water bottle one day and spent THREE SEVENTY FIVE on a small bottle of water which is basically robbery. Wifi coverage isn't consistent either which is annoying. I'll probably go back because I have to. read more

This place is HUGE! I definitely got turned around several times and a few times ended up walking in circles. The staff does a great job maintaining the cleanliness of the walkways and common spaces and there is more than enough room to host thousands at a national convention like I attended. read more

We came here for the car show. It was a big maze! The directions inside the convention center was not user friendly nor clear to understand at all. There was no flow and we were easily confused especially with a stroller and trying to navigate the elevators. Some were out of service or doesn't come at all so we had to walk around to find an elevator which point different security guards stopped us several times questioning why we were going this way, that way! I was beyond annoyed. read more

Still enormous and nondescript place for a massive meeting. There are no maps anywhere and the signage is often wrong or noninformative. Staff was friendly, facilities clean. Prices for food/drink is absurd. Pick something up on your way in, and GTFO for lunch. read more

Went to the Walter E Convention Center for the annual Ubiquitous Hair show and as usual the location did not disappoint!. It was Clean, well organized layout and there were courteous helpers everywhere. Sadly parking is always a pain. If you don't intend to fork out at least $20 nearby, you may as well forget about it. On this occasion, I had to resort to parking at the Renaissance for a $22 For 3 hours. So be warned. read more

Walter E. Washington Convention Center - 3rd floor layout - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This is a really nice space! It's completely updated and the presentation areas are stunning. Seemingly everything is digitized, and the great hall you walk through is like walking into a warehouse it's that spacious. The lighting is futuristic, with little pods where presentations are taking place. In one area where the big talks are happening, it's massive with multiple screens. There are plenty of escalators to take you around, and there's even a private coat and bagcheck area. I think another strength of this place is the multiple exits and the connection to the Marriot Marquis Hotel, which provides another set of conference rooms and meeting halls. Very impressive. The meeting I went to had 30,000 people, so we used all the space. It's a great venus, and around many restaurants and local attractions in the DC area. read more

Eight days before the Big Day, I came here for the inauguration volunteer training session. The most impressive thing about this place is that it's gigantic. Other than that, there's nothing particularly special about it - pretty much a blank slate. I did appreciate the Metro station's escalators leading you right INTO the Convention Center - very convenient. This is the most useless review I've ever written. read more

Metro-accessible. Huge. Artsy decor (photos to follow). Decent food/drink options inside. Reeked of new car smell which gave me a headache (I went for the Washington Auto Show). That just about sums it up. read more

Visited the Fitness Expo on the 2nd Day and it was my first time coming to this new convention center. It was easy to navigate with all of the signage during the event. On the way to the fitness expo, I passed by the Bridal Expo which has next door and I believe they had a Motorcycle show happening at the same time. The Fitness show was amazing with demo stages for cooking, exercise, dancing etc. Its my first time coming to the fitness expo and I will definitely be back. They had all kinds of vendors for health products, food, etc. I got to do a deskexercise workout with Kaiser Permanente, did a bootcamp style workout in the demo area and tried Robeks and some food at other vendors. The American Diabetes Association gave a bag of groceries away (cabbage, cauliflower, etc.) if you sat through their workshop and went to another booth for some testing. The Washington Redskins had a trailer to give away blood or set up a time in February at their stadium. Overall the convention center was easy to get to from where I parked, the layout was fine and I look forward to coming back for other events. read more

I wouldn't have expected a formal gala to work in this sort of venue, but I was floored by the quality of the place and of the event. I'll definitely be back. We entered on through the main entrance on the south end, and it was a little more well maintained and decorated than what I'm typically used to in these cookie-cutter warehouses for meetings. The primary areas that we spent in that evening were in the auction hall, which was a bit of a letdown from some of the nicer hotels that I've attended functions at. The dinner area was fantastic, with a lot of energy in the room from the high ceilings, and the massive, amazing, audio quality and video capability. The food was decent, for mass produced catering, and I think beats out other venues of comparable size. A fair number of decent hotels are in walking distance, another huge plus. But beware that this neighborhood is a bit transitional, so as always in an unfamiliar area, be diligent of your surroundings. read more

New, modern and HUUGGGEE (two city blocks?) I never think to get a map when I go into this place. Usually at huge conferences, I like a map to study the layout for exhibitors I want to see. I actually need the map just to get around in here OR to make sure I know where the exit is for the metro entrance OR for the bathrooms. SIGH. Decent eatery options upstairs and downstairs. (The funnel cake is legit ;p) Have your good walking shoes on, because it's too big for its own good! read more

Dang, places like this just make me sad for the environment. It was SO cold. So very, freaking cold. The entire place, all 47,000 (or whatever) square feet of it was chilled to within a hair of freezing. Is it necessary? Otherwise, it was clean and had plenty of bathrooms. And the staff were nice. read more

Came here last weekend for the DC Auto Show 2018! Me and my family had a blast. Having the ability to test drive the cars was our favorite part. The conviction center is updated and has an elegant feel. Although the convention center was large, the friendly staff and signs made it so that we were able to navigate fairly easy. read more

See all

Clean, but a little too oversized and the personnel are quite cracnky. I understand that it is the capital so people are on high alert, but it has been my least favorite convention centers. No parking Wifi is choppy No healthy food options/things for kids read more

As a Tradeshow Manager- I see a fair amount of exhibit venues year in year out. This was the cleanest and easiest to work with in 2011 for me. The show services people were responsive and helpful. I enjoy coming to DC- the problem is the food! It's all expensive (mostly very good), but expensive. There's lots to see and do in DC- so side trips are easy! The Convention Center should look at bringing in better/more food vendors- they really have a captive audience for breaks- take advantage of that. There are a couple eateries, but they're not real good. Darn you Pepsi Cola!! I want a freakin Diet Coke when I'm working, come on people! read more

We went to the auto show here for the first time and really liked it. What helped was going on a weekday first thing, that is, when it opened at 12 noon. We went by bus so as to avoid parking hassles and fees. We got tickets ahead of time but since another person joined us we got a $10 ticket there, which was $2 off the regular price of $12 if you have a Smart trip Metro card. While the auto show is awesome, it's worth knowing that it's easy to get lost in this place as the layout, stairs, floor levels are not well signed or posted despite some of the staff really trying to help with directions. Went to the WingsoverDC counter for some spicy fries but there weren't any, or so the counter person snapped at me, so got plain fries -- turned out to be hot and fresh and tasty. It is wheelchair accessible, including the bathrooms. read more

See all

The lay out was perhaps drawn out by a person suffering from one of those episodes that made great painters, well, great. This place makes little sense. Beyond that and this is a typical complaint of convention centers, there are not nearly enough opportunities for food/drink. There are always inevitably a food cart or two with scorched overpriced coffee and dry pastries. What is the subcontracting situation at convention centers? Why not more and better options? The rooms themselves are small with that headache inducing flourescent track lighting. The climate is fairly well controlled--a feat during the summer in a city for which "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" was probably coined. read more

This has been sitting in my "Your Next Review Awaits" box for quite a while now. I've been avoiding writing a review for this place because I was unsure of what to say. I was finally inspired to write a review after I visited Convention Center again this week, and heard the following while in the bathroom, "Mom, I really like these bathrooms because you can't peak through the stalls. Everyone at my school peaks through the stalls." Thanks Washington Convention Center, for making little girls feel comfortable in the bathroom. On the other end, the girl's announcement made me feel slightly uncomfortable, as though I don't want people peeking inside my stalls, I want to be able to peek out so I know if anything sketchy is occurring outside my door! As for the layout of the Convention Center, I've never been to another Convention Center, so I don't know if they are all set up in similar ways, but I find the setup of this center kind of odd. I worked as event staff here quite a few times during college, so I know my way around, but I know it can be very confusing to all the patrons without a sign telling them where to go every few yards, and without staff that give them very clear directions. For example, when people come from the very top level, and ask where to scan their tickets, staff often tell them to go down the escalators. They then go down both sets of escalators when they were only supposed to go down one. I then have to tell them to go back up a set of escalators, and they get mad. I also think it's weird that an elevator doesn't connect Halls D and E with Halls A, B, and C. You have to go up/or down one floor on the elevator, get off, walk a little to another elevator, and then continue to your destination. The food is actually not that bad, and not all items are priced horribly. I hate having to pay $5 for a small cup of gelato, but I'll pay $7 for a turkey sandwich. It was a fairly big sandwich, and the bread was buttery deliciousness. I'm pretty sure you can bring outside food and drink inside, and I often have snacks in my purse, though I know some people who have been told to throw their water out, so I don't really know what went on there. read more

Went for the auto show. Disorganized staff, confusing layout. Enough said. Oh, and the auto show sucked. read more

Was here for Otakon 2017 (August 11-13, 2017) and am truly impressed with the size of this convention center. I also liked the art that spread throughout the convention center itself. Free WiFi was an awesome benefit which I used a lot and was impressed at the reliability and speed of the WiFi. The food was pretty tasty, especially the Japanese food sold in the lower level Concourse food area. The convention center staff itself was friendly and the Events D.C. people who were roaming around was also friendly. Will be returning to this convention center in 2018 for Otakon 2018 (August 10-12, 2018). read more