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I was PUMPED for these fireworks.

We planned an entire weekend trip to Washington, D.C. for this show and I was ready to be amazed.

As the evening of July 4th, 2021 approached, it finally became game time. I LOVE fireworks. The combination of nighttime, electrical anticipation, crowds gathering and collectively hushing as the inky black explodes into color and light…it’s so magical and I was determined to get a good view of what was expected to be one of the best Independence Day fireworks shows in the country.

I was fully prepared to watch the fireworks from the west side of the Potomac River, thinking that The National Mall would be way too crowded to get anything close to a decent view of the show. But when we visited the Lincoln Memorial overlooking the Reflecting Pool (flanked by cannons from which the explosives would be launched later that night), I couldn’t help but change plans.

We arrived at the mall around 5:30pm and there were plenty of seats on the stone steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the surrounding grassy areas, and the expanses of concrete overlooking the pool. I’d recommend bringing a picnic blanket +/- lawn chairs, beverages and food (you just can’t bring alcohol), sunscreen, bug spray, and some games to pass the time. The 2021 Independence Day fireworks show started at 9:09pm.

Oh, what a show it was. Imagine soul-thumping explosions coming at you from cannons in front, ricocheting off the Lincoln Memorial from to get you again from behind. The fireworks were honestly quite good quality with huge sparklers, smiley faces, hearts, and swirlies. The view of fireworks flanking the Washington Monument is hard to beat and I’m so glad we decided to watch from the Lincoln lawns instead of crossing the river.

After the fireworks finished, the crowd cleared out extremely quickly. Everyone was rushing to catch the Metro or call Ubers to go home. We couldn’t get any signal on our phones because everyone was using up the bandwidth. It was a little ridiculous. We chose a different path: we hung back and relaxed on the grass, took another look at Lincoln lit up under the night sky, and then relaxed by the water of the reflecting pool watching ducks (having returned after being terrorized by the show moments earlier) swim against the backdrop of the Washington Monument. It was so peaceful and so empty. Fireworks or no fireworks, I highly recommend visiting the monuments at nighttime. It’s much cooler at night and the lighting is superb.

Other good options to watch the July 4th fireworks in Washington D.C. include the following (recommendations from locals, cab drivers, and online forums):

The same (amazing and huge-scale) fireworks show is set off simultaneously in two locations: along the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and along the waterfront east of the Potomac River, immediately south of the Lincoln Memorial. Aside from picking a spot right under the Lincoln Memorial or Washington Monument, a multitude of good viewing spots west of the river will also grant you a view of both shows at the same time.

• Along the Mount Vernon Trail
• Lady Bird Johnson Park
• US Marine Corps War Memorial north of the Arlington National Cemetery
• Air Force Memorial south of the cemetery
• Various rooftops (Union Market and a multiple restaurants/bars along The Wharf) also hosted evening events for fireworks viewing, by reservation only