Going to Washington DC, First time ever. Needing tips, suggestions.

[Tigger1]

We will be taking our first trip to DC soon. Main focus is to visit museums. Needing tips, suggestions on ..We will have 4 full days to sight see.

Travel from Reagon airport (DCA) to Hotel (near national mall).

Where to dine

Tranportation while in DC

What to see. (Air and Space Museum is only one chosen so far).

 

[wvjules]

I went to the National Museum of African American History a couple of weeks ago. It was excellent and on the top of my Smithsonian recommendations. I'd also recommend the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum over the one on the National Mall. It has a space shuttle. You need to drive to it though.

My favorite place to take people to eat is Old Ebbitt Grill. I love that place. It's close to the White House. So is The Hamilton and it is also very good.

A suggestion I give all people is to do the museums during the day and the monuments after the museums close. You'd get maximum sightseeing in that way.

As for transportation, as much as I hate the Metro, it really is a good way to get into DC. Once there you can continue using the metro or look into the DC Circulator.

 

[DopeyDame]

Yay! You'll love DC.
What are the ages of the people going? Any specific interests?
Any guide book is going to tell you the highlights, so here are some of my favorites that are off the Mall and you might miss otherwise.

National Postal Museum, especially if you have little kids. It's part of the Smithsonian and free.
National Botanical Gardens. My kids could spend hours in their kid garden, and grownups will love the displays
National Building Museum. Depending on when you go they'll have different displays, but there's always something fun going on there
Bureau of Engraving and Printing to see money made (make sure to see what the ticket distribution times are for when you'll be there)
Holocaust Museum depending on the ages and personalities of the people in your group
Udvar Hazey (the other Air and Space Museum) *if* you have real airplane loving people. It's a hassle to get to, so only go if you have people who would be super excited by seeing a Space Shuttle and an SR-71 upclose. If no one in your group even knows what an SR-71 is, it's probably not worth the trip.
Kennedy Center. Either get tickets in advance, or go to the free Millenium Stage shows every night at 6pm. They just completed a huge expansion. I haven't seen it since, but there's a ton going on these days.
Spy Musem: It's frustrating to pay for a museum in DC, but I found this really interesting.
National Archives: I strongly think that everyone needs to see the founding documents in person. Get tickets for easier entry.

The main Air and Space Museum is undergoing *massive* renovation. It's still worth going, but only half the museum is open. They've rearranged things so you can still see the most famous pieces, but just didn't want you caught off gard.

Transportation: Other than Udavar Hazey, you can walk or take metro to everything worthwhile.

Food: Others will probably have better ideas, but some of my favorites are Old Ebbit Grill (quintesential old-school DC deal-making restaurant right near the White House) and Founding Farmers (delicious farm to table). Also, the restaurant at the top of the Library of Congress is mainly for employees, but it's open to the public, and is a great place to get some quick food for lunch if you're at that end of the Mall. And Union Station has a huge food court if you're near there and need to eat.

 

[DopeyDame]

Oh, and definitely metro from Reagan National to DC. Easy, cheap, efficient.

 

[Ladyandthepuppies]

I was just there 2 weeks ago and we had a fantastic time! I would definitely recommend the National Zoo. It’s part of the Smithsonian (which means it’s free!) and they are one of only three zoos in the US with pandas.

I also love the National Museum of Natural History, their gem exhibit is gorgeous. And the Museum of American History is really cool too, they have ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore and a lot of other iconic items.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Get timed tickets to go to the top of the Washington Monument.

The tickets are 'free' but there's a $1 per person processing fee.

https://www.nps.gov/wamo/planyourvisit/fees.htm

 

[Tigger1]

Love this forem. Keep the advice coming.

How does Metro work? Only transportation I have been on is airplanes and Disney, plus a taxi once.

 

[trivan]

For a no-frills (think quick service type of place) amazing Peruvian chicken hit up: El Pollo Rico in Arlington. We go every time we're in DC.

 

[pezgirlroy]

All advice here is very good. Restaurant tip: Jaleo. Absolutely love it and the one in DC is one of (if not the) original ones.

 

[valval]

I was looking up what to do in DC in 2 weeks, since it will be the third time I will be there, and I discovered that it is possible to visit the Ford's Theater - where President Abraham Lincoln was shot, plus its museum and exhibition(s) and the house where he was brought and died afterwards. The ticket is just $3.

 

[JaxDad]

Love this forem. Keep the advice coming.

How does Metro work? Only transportation I have been on is airplanes and Disney, plus a taxi once.

There are several options for purchasing Metrorail and Metrobus fares. Depending on your anticipated usage, and for convenience, you may want to get a multi-day pass:
https://www.wmata.com/fares/index.cfm#main-content
You've already had some great suggestions for sites to visit. I'd also recommend looking at guidebooks. Some sites we enjoyed that I haven't seen mentioned thus far include the Capital tour, Library of Congress (even if just for the interior architecture), the Lincoln memorial and Vietnam/Korean/WWII war memorials (all of these are relatively close to each other), American Indian Museum (great for dining), National Gallery (I like the Impressionist exhibits and the modern stuff in the east building), and Mount Vernon (accessible by Metrorail and bus transfer). You might also look into seeing "A Christmas Carol" in Ford's Theatre, if you're there at the right time. We really enjoyed that, and also toured the museum and the Petersen House across the street.

For food, I always like to go to one or more of the Jose Andres restaurants (Jaleo being the prime one--multiple locations but the original is near the Archives/Navy Memorial metrorail station). Oh! that reminds me. Definitely check out the Archives.

 

[pezgirlroy]

One other thing. If you have time reach out to your local Congressman's office. Mention that you are going to DC with your family. They may be able to set up a tour of the Capitol for you. I used to do these tours. Granted this was 20 years ago and I am sure things have changed but not a bad idea to just reach out.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

There is a White House visitor center near the White House that is very interesting, and has restrooms. LOL If you are going before Christmas, the National Christmas Tree and state trees on the Ellipse are worth a nighttime visit.

Also if before New Years, Zoo Lights at the Washington Zoo are great.

 

[Cadiewampus]

I was there in March or april a couple of years ago. At that time on a Saturday they had a ton of food trucks set up around the National mall. lots to choose from and lot of fun if that is your thing

 

[FlightlessDuck]

As for what to see, I mean, there's something for everybody. Spy museum, Botanical garden, a few art museums, African-American history, etc.

 

[pezgirlroy]

Something else to check out that is often very cool. At the Kennedy Center, every day they do a free show of some sort on the Millennium Stage.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Look on line for what to do besides the museums, monuments at "Washingtonian" and "Time-Out".
You'll find the new exhibits reviewed as well as restaurants and shopping.
Staying near the Mall is an idea I agree with as it keeps you nearby. We stay at the Hay-Adams for that reason.
Remember that almost all the museums in DC are free so take the 15 bucks p/p you would have used and treat yourselves well in other ways- dining, souvenirs, etc.

Ask your hotel's concierge or front desk to reserve tickets for the new African American History Museum in advance of your stay should you have an interest. Entrance is free but you still need a ticket.

See if there is a WF near your hotel; reasonably priced buffets for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Old Ebbit's has a happy hour most days of the week with prices lowered on oysters and seafood platters. They also do takeout (but no delivery) if you are too tired to go out after a long days sightseeing.

Be sure not to miss the various historic homes and estates in and near DC:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/summer-visit-dcs-coolest-beaten-path-estates-180955928/?page=2
Years ago, I bought a Michelin guide to DC and it's been useful in making an itinerary for visits. My copy is out of date when it comes to travel routes and such ( it's almost 30 years old) but the building locations haven't changed.

Use public transport as much as possible. Much like NYC, DC is not car friendly.

Have fun. We go about once a year and I still haven't seen the Jefferson Monument and finally made it to the Lincoln last year, LOL. Too much to do makes this city a delight.

 

[moniqueand2]

If you plan to spend a day touring the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and the Capitol building, I would plan to eat in the Capitol cafeteria for convenience. Union Station is also nearish and that is another option, for perhaps dinner or breakfast.

 

[DopeyDame]

Love this forem. Keep the advice coming.

How does Metro work? Only transportation I have been on is airplanes and Disney, plus a taxi once.

Someone posted the metro link above, so read that and you'll get most of the info you need.
But on a really basic level, since it doesn't sound like you have much experience with public transportation in general: you'll need a metro card for each person aged 6 and over. Depending on your exact plans, it might be cheaper to buy the day passes or just add money onto the metro card. In any case, you can buy the cards at the station at National Airport once you land. Don't hesitate to ask an employee if you can't figure out how the machines work or anything.
Every station will have plenty of the big metro maps laying around, so you can chart out your route. You want to know the color of the line and the endpoint in the direction you're heading. From the airport to the Mall area, you'll take the yellow line.
Once you have your card and know where you're going, you'll tap your metro card at the turn styles, and walk on through. Then follow the signs for the train platform heading in the correct direction. The metro is really well marked generally, so you shouldn't have too hard of a time figuring it out. But again, don't hesitate to ask. Everyone in DC is used to tourists who don't know where they're going
Once you get off at your stop, you'll need to tap your card again at the turnstyles to get out.
Some stations only have one exit, others are huge and have several exits. You can usually find a map that will show you the surrounding areas and let you know which exit you should use.

 

[allison443]

We were there last week, had a great time. We did a “monuments by moonlight” tour-it was a van with a guide who took us around to about 10 different monuments. Beautiful to see them all lit up and they were not crowded! We had limited time so we never would have gotten to all of them on our own. It was around $60 per person.
Visited the Supreme Court, so interesting and we ate in the cafeteria there!