Help with Washington, DC

[elbowglitter]

I agree - the Metro is more expensive and WAY busier during rush hours. You might want to be aware of that. 5:00 is a terrible time to try to get a group on the metro. I hate the Metro at 5pm and I do it every day!

 

[MommaB]

The best museums to eat in are the American Indian Museum. My other favorite is the cafe in the basement between the two national art museums. Try the gelato

As a not there right now native I'll second this with a full endorsement! The food is great at the AIM and the variety for a family is huge at the Art museum. I've been know to ride an extra metro stop just for the gellato. They make it every morning and it is the closest I've found to my time in Italy.

 

[Brit_Jude]

I agree - the Metro is more expensive and WAY busier during rush hours. You might want to be aware of that. 5:00 is a terrible time to try to get a group on the metro. I hate the Metro at 5pm and I do it every day!

Yes the metro is busy during rush hours as its a major commuter route for people to get in and out of the city who work here. Here is a link to their website: http://www.wmata.com/ Check out the 'New to Metro' link there is even a visitors kit.

Be aware there is lot of track repair work is taking place on the metro system on weekends and this can cause delays so check the website for info. However it is still much better than driving and trying to find somewhere to park.

 

[cookie3000]

I lived in DC for years, and can highly recommend each and every Smithsonian museum, as well as the National Zoo. If you happen to go to the Zoo, get off at Cleveland Park instead of Woodley Park. There's a small Italian deli on the east side, on the way to the zoo, called Vace. You can get pizza by the slice along with interesting Italian sodas and so forth. It's really cheap and makes a great picnic lunch. Eat on the benches just south on the bridge! So cool and restful.

Also, if you're in need of a "pit stop", plan to see whatever's playing at the Uptown Theatre in Cleveland Park. They usually show the biggest blockbuster, only one screen, so check ahead, but it's a really beautiful historic old cinema and definitely worth the visit.

 

[Cynthia in SC]

A great alternative to the Washington Monument is the Old Post Office Pavillion near the American History Museum. There is a metro stop just across the street (Federal Triangle I think) and in the basement is a food court that has a good variety of choices. While there you can take an elevator to the top of the bell tower and after walking up a set of stairs you are treated to an open air 360 degree view of DC from the bell tower. Breathtaking and free. It's operated by the National Park Service if I remember correctly.

I also highly recommend the night tour and if you want to visit Mount Vernon take the Metro, not a guided tour. Those are rushed and expensive. The Metro and a short bus ride can get you there for about $2 and you are not tied to a schedule.

 

[MS_mom_1965]

I returned from our week long first to DC on Wednesday. I followed theads on the dis for information as well.

One of the tips I never came across was the free metro parking on the weekends. We stayed in National Harbor. The crowds were low on the weekend.

Yes the metro parking does fill up, wish I knew that before hand.

I used a metro app on my iphone that worked great.

We enjoyed our visit and will return.

Not all Metro parking is free - I parked at Union Station over the weekend and was most definitely charged for it.

 

[coltfan]

We went to DC in June 2008 and arranged several things in advance, several of which you can probably still do.

Timed tickets to tour at a specific time and bypass the lines can be purchased in advance for the Holocaust Museum (from their website) and the Washington Monument (from the National Parks website). The fee for both is nominal.

You can call the National Archives to schedule a tour before it opens to the public. It seems like this is on Wednesday mornings and the tour is free. Check out the National Archives website. This was the best tour we had on our trip. (We toured the Capitol, the White House, and the Bureau of Engraving & Printing.)

Tickets for the Bureau of Engraving & Printing can be obtained in advance through your senator or representative. You can also get them in person at the BE&P the day of your tour. Our senator's allotment was already distributed so we went to BE&P the day we wanted to tour it. We arrived around 8:00 AM and successfully obtained tickets. While we waited for our tour time, we walked to various monuments in the area.

To save time in the various Smithsonian Museums, plan on going on one of the free docent tours. These are scheduled at least two times per day. This will help you find a lot of the highlights quickly. After your tour you can go back to the things of greatest interest.

While the museums are free, the food in the museums is very expensive. Leave the museums to eat lunch. If you walk a few blocks away from the mall area and into the business district, you can find much better food for your money. On weekdays we stopped and asked someone wearing a business suit for a recommendation. We just told them the type of food we wanted and asked for their recommendation. We liked everything we tried with this approach.

 

[Echo queen]

Not all Metro parking is free - I parked at Union Station over the weekend and was most definitely charged for it.

Oh, I'm sorry we were near the green line and we were told it was free and it was.

 

[sweetpea29488]

Thanks again everyone for all the great tips. I'm a little confused on which station to park at for the Metro. We'll be driving in from VA and was wondering which Metro station would be the best to park at.

 

[Brit_Jude]

Will you be coming in on I-95 North?

Here is another good link: http://www.nps.gov/ncro/publicaffairs/summerinthecity.htm

 

[TeaForTulips]

Just got back from a DC trip about a month ago.

I only read through a few posts, but definately get tickets online for everything you can. National Archive reservations are online and maybe $1-$2each and is SO worth it. The line is huge and we got to walk right in. Long lines on the left, reservation door to the right of the building. They even stopped the security line and let us go through. It was great.

Holocaust tickets are online as well and I HIGHLY recommend going there. You will not regret it.

White House tickets we were able to get. I wrote our state senator 6 months in advance. We got the confirmation about a week prior. Stood in line for over and hour and a half to get in. It is extremely limited, but there is just something neat about saying you were inside and walking where so many great people have walked. A few interesting pieces as well. Go to the White House Tour office place before going. They offer a video that kind of gives you a tour before the tour. It was very helpful and we were glad we did it before hand.

All the smithsonians are free and are well worth it! They are really great. The little lunch area at the Museum of History ,I believe it was the history one, is a little costly but the salad bar rocks! They have lots of yummy options there.

The metro is super friendly. If you have an Iphone or something with Apps I got a Metro app that was SOOO worth it. It allows you to put in where you are and were you want to go and tells you which Metro to take, how much it costs, etc. They offer a day pass, but make sure to note you cant ride until a certain time when using it. Oh and do not eat or drink while waiting on the metro. We almost got fined.

I know they say parking is hopeless, but unless you are staying at a hotel near the Metro (we were not. were actually in a condo in williamsburg and drove to dc 4 or 5 days. will never do again. ha! ), we spent a fortune paying to park and then ride the metro. It was convenient but got costly. If you read the signs near the National Mall, parking is allowed like 930-4 ... If you plan to get there at that time. 9 to 915ish it is not hard to get a free parking spot. It was great for the Washington Monument, Smithsonians, and National Archives. Just remember to note the parking times! We actually got towed. Haha. Luckily we only had to walk a couple blocks to get the car and we paid $100 online when we got home for the fee.

Arlington Cemetary is also well worth it! We took the metro out there. I cannot remember how much the little trolley tours are there, but they are worth it. You still do a little walking, but not near as much if you just went on your own. The guides also have some great tidbits.

We did a moonlight trolley tour which was $30ish or so a piece. You meet at union station and its a couple hours long. I am glad we did it because it was a nice way to see a lot of monoments, but we did not go to every monument they said we were and the guide was super annoying. We had time limits at each stop, but once everyone was back on the trolley the guide would talk for 15 minutes. A couple tidbits, great, but 15 minutes of chatter while we are at a dead stop? Id rather be spending more time at the monument... definately check out some monument tours because the ease of pulling right up to each one was great. Seeing all the monuments up close is just awesome. Definately get out at night because what they say about everything looking better at night is SOOO true!


I have a few guide books and maps. (some got a little wet, but are still readable) If you want to PM me your address I would not mind sending them to you. Im sure I will never need them again.


Thats all I can think of right now.... oh! There are street vendor carts everywhere. We stopped at one near the White House/Smithsonian area for a giant egg roll and it was seriously the best egg roll ive ever had. Haha. That was some home made cabbage goodness! It was like $3 and I wish I had one right now.

Oh! Speaking of DC food I remembered another. There is a little cafeish type place near the Navy memorial (not far from National Archives) They have pizza, sandwiches, hot and cold bar. The food was greatly prices and SOOOO good. I cant remember the name, but if you are standing at the entrance to the Navy Museum it is directly to your left on the corner. Cant miss it. Yum!

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I don't think anyone mentioned Lincolns cottage. It just opened 2 years ago and it is a refreshing change from the large museums. You will need to purchase advanced tickets. You will have a tour of the cottage in a small group and really learn so much. The grounds are beautiful, take a picnic lunch. It is several degrees cooler at the cottage than downtown which is why Lincoln spent so much time there as opposed to the White House.

Not sure if the National Spy museum was mentioned. This one is really good if you have children 10 and up. Skip if you have little ones. Get advance tickets.

The suggestion to stay in a hotel in downtown Silver Spring is a good one as there are resturants/grocery/shopping all within walking distance as is the metro to go downtown. Every Thursday / Friday there is entertainment down the main strip. (The street has been closed to traffic for the community to enjoy entertainment/ shopping/dining.) There is a play fountain for the children to enjoy.

 

[Rainwater]

Bump

 

[minniebeth]

The Pentagon Memorial is absolutely haunting at night. Very beautiful. I'm not sure of the ages of who you're bringing, but the Newseum (one of the few places you have to pay for) gets rave reviews from the adults and older kids I've met.

Do you know the best way to get to the Pentagon Memorial?

If anyone is interested in the Newseum, there is free admission for kids under 18 for the summer. I know someone from college who lives close to DC and says this is a great museum for kids and adults. Very interactive. Adult tickets are almost $20 a piece, so it's stilll expensive, but all your kids are free (like up to 20 with one paid adult), so it might break it down as worth it. You can find the information on the website.

 

[Ozymoe]

Thanks everyone for the help. If you think of anything else, please post.

We will def. park our car and use the metro. I'll look into the tickets we can get early.

Thanks again.

They have Metro week-long tickets. The last time we were there (2008) the price was $26 each...and worth their weight in gold. This covered all the Metro, all the buses and even the trip by bus to Mount Vernon as many times a day as you want! This means after you purchase the initial tickets you can even leave your car at your hotel and get to the metro by bus. This is by far the fastest way to get around DC.

You can purchase these passes at the metro stations, but be sure you get the right ones.

Also the Kennedy Center performances (a performance calendar can be found online by googling) are free and top-notch and in the early evening when it is rush hour and you don't want to travel back then anyway. That transportation is all free too (there's a special shuttle right outside the metro exit)...check into it when you're going on the metro to the Smithsonian or so.

The National Cathedral is wonderful (and free). The National Gallery of Art is fabulous, free and the metro spits you out of the earth directly in front of it.

The Eternal Flame at JFK's grave and Bobby Kennedy's with all the surrounding walks, inscriptions and ambiance was special for us. The Lee House also there at Arlington is worth a look-see especially if you are aware of the historical significance...as well as the view of the layout of DC from the monument to L'Enfant up there. Spectacular! (Metro takes you there.)

Oh...that reminds me...bring binoculars. Bring binoculars everywhere. Oh yes, did I say bring binoculars yet? You will not regret this no matter where you go...better yet bring more than one pair if you can.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

We will be driving in from Baltimore on Sat 10th for a White House tour and I am nervous about parking and all of that. Our tour is at 7:30AM!! The lady said that the metro may not be running that early since it's the weekend. Can someone help me with this and tell me what I should do?

Also, what all do I need tickets for? I was thinking that we could just walk in these places. I had no idea that we needed tickets. I tried to see how much it would cost ti get into the Holocaust one, but it didn't say.

HELP!!

 

[Brit_Jude]

Do you know the best way to get to the Pentagon Memorial?

For the Pentagon memorial take the metro to the Pentagon station and you can walk around to the Pentagon Memorial there are signs or just ask once you exit the station. You can also check out the Air Force memorial too. They have free concerts on Friday evenings at the Air Force memorial.

 

[Brit_Jude]

We will be driving in from Baltimore on Sat 10th for a White House tour and I am nervous about parking and all of that. Our tour is at 7:30AM!! The lady said that the metro may not be running that early since it's the weekend. Can someone help me with this and tell me what I should do?:

The lady is right the metro does not start running till 7am on weekends. There are some parking garages/options. I would go for the Hains Point/Tidal Basin parking as it is free and you should be early enough to get in. Its a little bit of a walk to the mall but is probably worth it if you are going to be there all day. Here is the info on that location and others around the Mall.

http://dc.about.com/od/transportation/a/ParkingNearMall.htm

 

[wdwmom0f3]

The lady is right the metro does not start running till 7am on weekends. There are some parking garages/options. I would go for the Hains Point/Tidal Basin parking as it is free and you should be early enough to get in. Its a little bit of a walk to the mall but is probably worth it if you are going to be there all day. Here is the info on that location and others around the Mall.

http://dc.about.com/od/transportation/a/ParkingNearMall.htm

I could kiss you!! Thank you so much!!!!

 

[Hootch]

got back from a week in DC. I lived there a number of years ago. My apartment was a block away from the Supreme Court so most of the tourist areas were where I spent my time. My thoughts:

Metro - use it. The blue and orange lines will take you almost everywhere you need to go. The yellow is nice for the National Archives but it's only about a four block walk. You can also switch lines at L'Enfant Plaza. L'Enfant laid out the streets in a logical nature but it's hard to get around without knowing them and parking is almost non existent.

Washington Monument - get tickets ahead of time. It will cost $1.50 per person but you know when you'll be able to get in. There are often large tour groups that take up a whole half hour allotment. It's a good starting point also for the WWII, Korean, Vietnam and Lincoln Memorials. I would save the Jefferon and FDR Memorials for another day. Smithsonian and Federal triangle metro stops.

White House - I put in our initial request in January but for some reason it didn't go through. I resubmitted a month ahead of time and got a time anyway. If you can visit the White House visitors center first to view the video. Our entry letter said the Secret Service would check bags but they don't. If you need a bag for after the tour go to the Willard across the street and plead ignorance and check your bag.

National Archives - They have scheduled guided and unguided tours that gets you in a little early. The guided tour is by an archivist that know quite a bit about the exhibits. The biggest benefit is that you get access to the room that holds the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights without a wait. Access to that room is controlled. When we were leaving the wait was about an hour. The cost is about $2.00 per person. Archive stop

Capitol Building - You can book a tour through your rep or senator or directly from the Capitol. The tour has been cut down a lot from years past but is still worth doing. Capitol South

Ford's Theater - This just reopened recently. We would not have gotten in without a reserved time.

Mt Vernon - Ford put a lot of money into Mt Vernon a few years ago. It's in great shape. You can pay a little extra to get a reserved time. Ordering your tickets in advance will save you about the same amount of money. For the next few months Mt Vernon is offering a tour that shows some of the locations in the National Treasure 2. You need to book this in advance to be ensured of a spot. There is a price above the entry price for this tour.

American History and Natural History Museums (Federal Triangle) and Air and Space (L'Enfant) are free. They don't open until 10:00 AM and sometimes the closing times change. All are free and are worth much more than that.

Supreme Court - There is a video showing on the history of the building and the court. When not is session there is a lecture in the court each hour on the half hour. Well worth it and it can hold 300 I believe. While in session the public acan watch the court but access is limited.

Library of Congress - Just walk through when going between the Supreme Court and the Capitol. The architecture is great and seeing a Guttenberg Bible is worth the effort. (It also has a personal appeal to me.)

Arlington Cemetery - If you don't mind walking then you can see most of the sites without a tour. We took the shuttle around the cemetery which uses a drop system. It's very reasonable and there are people onboard to point out sites that are worth seeing. The drops are at the Kennedy grave sites, The Tomb of the unknown and the Arlington House.

The Spy Museum - Not worth the money to us.

DC to me was more exhausting than WDW. The Smithsonians have so much to see. And unlike Disney where you sit during rides you are mainly on your feet.

Have a good trip.