Old Post Office Pavilion

The Old Post Office Pavilion is CLOSED from December 2013 to sometime in 2016. Probably toward the end of the year. When it re opens it will be a five star hotel run by the Donald Trump Corporation.

I would never have gone here if we didn’t go by and the representative didn’t encourage us to go.
It was quite the experience that I am glad I went. The inside looked amazing! It felt like an outdoor courtyard that happened to be inside! The glass elevator was really cool and we can see through the glass ceiling!
On the 9^th floor, there were ropes that ring the bells. Of course you can’t ring them.
There’s another elevator taking you to the 12^th floor where the view is spectacular!!! You can see all of the capitol!!! Amazing!!!
There was a set of ultra steep stairs that goes down to where the bells are located. There were lots in the center.
Awesome experience that you have to visit!

I live in DC, and I take all of my visitors here. We go up to the bell tower to just be at the top of the city. It’s free to go to the top, and it’s beautiful. I really hope that going into the bell tower is still a possibility after it gets renovated. There are also little DC gift shops and an ice cream place on the main floor none of my favorite DC attractions.

Walking by it’s easy to forget where you are and pretend it’s a castle. It’s a gorgeous old building and if given the chance would totally roofie Donald Trump and take his limp hand to sign over the rights to the building. I’d love to live in it, just don’t want him around. It’s kind of a shame he won the deal, I really wish someone else got it, but am glad it’s going to be developed. Right now the food court is sad and get the impression most of the building is unused. It will be interesting to see what becomes of it.

This is another one of those lesser known spots in DC. Once you get to the top via two elevators, you can see all of DC. It’s a great view. They have signs pointed to each major landmark. It is very windy up there.
Taken visitors there and they have enjoyed it. Since the August 2011 DC earthquake, the Washington Monument look out point has been closed, so this place is the next best place as well as the 2^nd tallest point in DC.
The best thing about this place is that it’s free. I believe in every other city’s view from the top, you definitely have to pay (ex. NY’s Empire State Building, Chicago’s Willis Towers, etc.)
This place is really run down though. It’s old and not too clean. You would think something like this would be more well maintained like in other cities. However, this place is getting turned into a fancy hotel soon by Donald Trump, so check it out while it’s still open.

This place has an excellent view from the top of DC. To get to the top is sort of a hassle with slow moving elevators that are overcrowded. Be aware after the first elevator you can take the stairs to the top or use them on the way down.
I had a chance to try the pizza in the food court and I would say skip it! I had completed a scavenger hunt with my friends and while numbers were being totaled up we were given 5 – 6 pizzas to share among our group. The pizza was disgusting! It was overly greasy cheese pizza that lacked flavor.

Kinda old and run down but looks very majestical amongst the other DC buildings. Kinda weird that they have 3 or 4 security guards for what is essentially a food court, gift shop and viewing tower.
It’s free to go up the tower and there’s practically no line to get in. The guides and friendly and enthusiastic and point cool tidbits here and there. Since the national monument is still under repairs, this is basically the next best place to view dc.
Btw, a lot of the gift shops seem to running the same story saying they’re going out of business and everything is 50% off. I doubt it’s true and it’s just to lure in the tourists.

What’s not to love???
This place is awesome, both architectually and historically.
It saddens me that it’s an underappreciated gem in the middle of downtown DC. Although my friend said that there’s pending construction to turn the building into condos… typical of DC lol !!!
I love the views from the observation deck, and the fact that it’s free to explore makes it 200x better… in NYC this experience would cost at least $ 40.
This place is both majestic and regal, and it surprises me that it hasn’t been bought and turned into an embassy for one of the many foreign countries with offices in the DC area.
I highly urge anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of visiting this landmark to do so immediately… you can thank me later!

A tourist trap by every definition, but if you’re in the area and starving (as my dad and I were) this place fits the bill. There’s a food court with a pretty good variety and decent food, lots of gift shops with chotsky souvenirs, and you can take the elevator up the tower to get a pretty great view of DC (especially while the Washington Monument is closed.)
Always tons of school groups, which makes sense since I was unleashed here on my 8^th grade trip too. Unilocalers are right on with the security, too. I expect it everywhere I’m visiting in such a high profile city, but it seems weird to go through a TSA level check just to eat some chicken strips and french fries.

What’s up with the front security at this place??? I felt like I was at an airport being bothered by TSA. Super rude and seriously this place is not worth having securities anyways.
They have sketchy gift shops and food court on the first floor. The only good thing about this place is the top of the tower where you can view the DC 360 degree if the weather is nice. It is free too… I don’t know if it was worth spending time here though.

After the Holocaust Museum, we asked the guard where to go eat for cheap. About an eight minute walk away is the food court of the Post Office Pavillion. The atmosphere is more food court, less Post Office — a tourist trap, with an arcade and lots of shops with Washington and America souvenirs. We decided upon a Greek stall because it had the biggest line-​up. We were not disappointed; well work $ 8 for a delicious gyro with the proper amount of each topping, very friendly counter staff, and a little portion of extra hot (warm) fries. Great. Ketchup packets without prompt.
Bathrooms were disgusting but if you just want to get a fast, cheap lunch, a good option for tourists.

We came here to go up the tower for the free view of Washington DC. There was no wait when we came so we just took the elevator up to the top of the tower. The elevator is pretty slow and hot but its free so you can’t blame them for not upgrading the facilities. It is close to the middle of the National Mall so you get a nice view of the various buildings and landmarks. It is not the best view but it is centrally located so it is easy to get to when you are visiting the other major sites. They have signs so that you can identify what you are looking at. They have a National Park Passport Stamp so bring your passport books!
There is a food court and some souvenir shops on the lobby floor of the building. Unfortunately, the shops look outdated and not very well kept. All of the other floors in the building look empty. I recommend coming here just for the view from the top of the tower. Its free and there are no lines!

This is a hidden gem with the best view in DC. Head in, find the elevator near the back end of the food court on the main level, and you’ll get a whole new perspective on DC. It’s free to go up, it’s not crowded at all (we haven’t had to wait in line, and there were only about 10 other people up there with us the two times we visited), and if you come at the right time, you might be treated to a bell show. At the bottom, it’s just a mall food court surrounded by tacky touristy shops. They do have some ice cream joints, though, so it’s not a total waste.

Oh, Old Post Office…
Why would such an incredible institution be lowered to a shopping mall food court? It’s really sad to come into this place, as it’s filled with tourists and people escaping the weather. I had an OK Indian meal from one of the stands. The family working it has a young daughter (?) that is not happy to work there, and gave me some attitude. But besides that, yummy samosa.
There are so many beautiful museum cafes that would be a much better meal and visit.
But if you are in a hurry and need 20 different food choices… you Could make a stop…

This is a cool building… the real attraction is the tower… it closes at 445p.
Be prepared to go through security.
They also have a large food court with quite a variety of vendors.

This review is strictly for the clock tower. You have to pass security at the front entrance. Then follow the signs. Walk pass the various shops and eateries. Walk down the stairs.
You’ll see a sign — Tower. Head there. You will see a park ranger. Wait in line. The ranger ask how many in your group, and will tell you to wait in front of the elevator. Ride up to 9^th floor. Get off and wait for another elevator up to the clock tower. View was nice, but there are vertical flexible wires blocking a clear view. You can walk around and see D.C. from the tower, and peer the top of the Ronald Reagan Building.
You can take the stairs down to see the bells of Congress which are encased in see thru plastic.
Then you can get on the same elevator on the 9^th floor back down to the lobby.
The enclosed atrium retained its original design of the building.

This review is for the free tower tour and not the stores or restaurants as I did not shop or eat here.
Regardless of whether you enter through the side for the food court or the front, you still have to go through security. The entrance to the tour is from the basement where the food court is. There is a small historical area but the focus is getting in line for the free tour. The elevator ride up oversees the atrium with the lackluster stores and fast food restaurants. You can see offices on the upper floors before finally reaching the top floor. After walking around the corner, there is a short pictorial history of the building. You transfer to another elevator to get to the viewing area.
The top area is open air but it is protected by narrow bars. There are raised viewing areas so you can take in the sights from the middle but you want to take pictures right against the bars so that the pictures are clear. There are some pictures to help identify landmarks which is convenient. I went up on a cold wet day but it was still a nice view.
Like some other tourists, I decided to take the stairs down to the bells. The bells are in a protected glass area and gives you a nice sense of history, but you’re not missing much if you decided to skip it. You can then take the main elevators back down. Overall, since the tower tour is free, it’s a nice view since the Washington Monument won’t be ready for a while.

The only people that eat here are nearby employees who need a quick lunch (like me) and tourists. And, dear tourists, if you observe closely, you’ll notice there are certain places that regulars frequent, and certain foods that regulars (like me) will actually eat. There are other places, however, that warrant some very serious thought before you or your children decide to eat there. Let me break this down for you…
Hot Bagel Express: Stick to the bagels and the sandwiches (spinach melt and turkey avocado). Avoid any and all things fried unless you want to give your children cholesterol issues by the time they’re 10 and UNLESS it’s the breakfast food (which, I should add, is still really greasy). Staff is fantastic, but service can be slow because they do get bombarded sometimes. Cash only.
Greek Place (Athos Deli?): Gyro dressings are good, but I’ve never gotten one with chicken or lamb, so I’m not sure how the meat is. The eggplant is SUPER greasy, though. Soups and briami are good. Salads are wilted, dolmas are canned, baklava has been sitting on the counter for roughly 7 years. But the lady who runs it is an absolute sweetheart.
Chik En Joy: Weird name, weird food. Should be soul food, but mostly it’s just bad.
Pizza Place: Order the pizza only when it’s fresh, because they WILL leave it under the heat lamps for unknown periods of time. The girl who works there looks like she hates her life, so for god’s sake, SMILE when you order. Just don’t order anything besides the pizza.
Quick Pita: The guy who runs it is greasy and will leer at your teenage daughters. And the food (except for the fries) is bad. So no. Just no.
Panda Café: No. There is a certain way that food court Chinese food is supposed to taste, and this isn’t it.
Indian Delight: The staff are – well – delightful! They’ve been in business for 27 years, and that’s probably because the food is actually OK. Special curries (anything cream-​based or made with coconut), samosas, and some gigundous bean flour pancake are my favorites. To them, though, naan = pita (presumably to save on costs), so avoid the trouble and order the puri.
Sketchy fro yo and wrap place: Nope. Fro yo actually tastes dirty.
Ben and Jerry’s: Laughably incompetent staff. More than once, I have thrown a few dollars or a coupon on the counter and walked away because the person counting the money apparently forgot how. Ain’t nothin’ special because, hey, IT’S A CHAIN. I don’t get why half the tourists who come in are so excited about it.
Larry’s Cookies: Underdone so that when they charge you by weight, you will pay more. But they are tasty. Just incredibly bad for you. Cash only.
Hot Dog Mania: Can’t say I’ve eaten there much, but the pancakes (only on non-​Sundays before 10 AM) are SO good. Bonus point for the hilarious name.
Georgetown Deli: Oh, you want more mustard? That will be another dollar. You want two pieces of lettuce? A dollar. You want that cut in half? A dollar. That clearly from-​a-​can soup you’d like to have? FIVE dollars. Probably the healthiest place in here because nothing is dredged in oil. Bread is often stale. Cash only.
Burrito Place: THAT IS NOT GUACAMOLE. That is a creepy and artificially green substance that does NOT belong on my plate, or your plate, or anyone’s plate. Avoid unless you’re really desperate for a burrito (or go find the nearest Chipotle).
Sushi place: Ehhhhhhh. I don’t trust it. Cheap lunch specials, and good miso soup and veggie rolls, but it smells just a tiny bit too fishy for me to want to eat raw fish from there.
Temptations: Nothing is made on site, but god, is the staff nice. The coffee is cheaper than anywhere else around, and the apple fritters (and most other donuts) are wonderful. Watch for flies in the donuts when it gets hot. Cash only, and they often run out of change, so avoid bills larger than 10s.
In short – nearly everything in the food court is greasy, nothing is phenomenal, I’ve been behind the building and I’m betting that many health codes are being actively violated, but it serves edible food, and about 50% of the staff is downright awesome.
The building is beautiful, but its beauty is being squandered by its use as a tourist trap and its offices devoted to government bureaucrats. No, I don’t want Trump to buy it out, but by the same token, this is lots of wasted valuable property – did you know there’s an abandoned shopping mall behind it?
And if you hate middle school tourists… don’t bother. The place gets PACKED with them around lunchtime… hordes of neon trucker hat-​clad raging hormone machines… it’s terrifying.
As a side note – the security guards can be enormous jerks and, with the exception of a couple, will probably pick on you and boss you around more than is absolutely necessary. They seem to think that having guns entitles them to that privilege. Don’t take it personally – they’re just bored. Play along and move on with your day.

Photographers, good photo opportunities here!
Nothing too special about the Old Post Office Pavilion– it has some interesting history (a few exhibits on how it was saved) and decent (a bit overpriced, but definitely cheaper than museum food) food court in the middle, not much else. There aren’t a lot of tourists in here though.
However, the main attraction of the pavilion is the clock tower (free!). Ride the elevator to the 12^th floor, the top of the tower. You can see spectacular views of DC in pretty much all directions — looking up Constitution towards the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the mall, etc. Once you’re done looking, head back down by stairs to see the restored bells.
If you’re not eating, I would spend 15 – 20 minutes max here.
–
PHOTO:

***I’d recommend it if you’re from dc and want to explore the city, or if you have a dc extended stay, but not if you’re only here a week because there is so much to see.
*has a view of dc
*free and open on Saturdays.
*tower is cool and so is the congress bell, you get a great view of the city along with picture maps telling you what each building is next to the view. I liked that :)
*you take two elevators to go all the way to the observation deck. but i was not impressed by the national park person he did not know how to answer my questions or know any of the tower’s history
*Food court has some good food. I had a bagel that was ridiculously fresh! yumm! only $ 1 and my friend had a samosa from the indian place at $ 2 a pop they were huge tho.
*photo people selling cups and etc are really nice buy one of their things only $ 7 :)
*they ring the bells on Thursdays i think
*post office is still functioning
*bathrooms are gross