Question about visiting Washington, D.C.

[mrudman]

My family is planning on taking a quick (2 1/2 day) trip to the D.C. area on our way down to a family wedding. My daughters have never been, and I've only done a drive-through of it about 9 yrs ago. So, I'm really looking forward to going through some of the major landmarks I've always learned about, and looking forward to taking my daughters to them.

Just had several questions for anyone who has visited the area (forgive me for the ignorance on some of them, but like I said, I've never visited).

We've made hotel reservations in Silver Spring, MD, and planning on taking the red-line into Union Station each morning, where we'll hop on the trolley there. Planning on pre-purchasing the open-top hop-on hop-off trolley that will take us around the area (planning on mostly sticking to the red route, which circles the immediate area).

The attractions I'm debating on visiting are the following: we'd be splitting them up over 2 full days there.. arrive wednesday early evening (would probably just relax at hotel), then we'll be there all day thursday and friday, and leave saturday morning.

The Capitol (will definitely hop off here, and see the visitor center, but trying to decide if it's worth it to try to but a timed ticket to go inside?)

Air and Space Museum (debating this one.. we've been inside quite a few airspace museums, is this one that much different?)

Smithsonian (if we stop in this area, which museums are absolute must-see's?)

Washington Monument (is it still closed d/t the earthquake?)

Thomas Jefferson Memorial (worth it to stop? can't find much info about it online)

Lincoln Memorial (can you go inside, or is this just a see from outside building?)

Arlington Cemetery (this is a must for dh, and planning on watching the changing of the guard)

White House (have contacted our state representative for tickets.. if they're sold out already, we'll at least stop in at the visitor center, etc.)

Ford's Theater (this is a must, will be pre-purchasing tickets beforehand, approx. how much time does the tour of the 4 areas usually take?)


Is there anything I'm missing that's a must-see in the area?

Does this seem doable in 2 full days? We're definitely a go-go family if want to be.. I was with my daughters last month in Chicago, and hiked the area from 8am till 11pm with no problem at all, lol... but do want to make sure I leave plenty of time to really explore the buildings, etc.

Thanks for any help!

 

[nsmith]

Our favorite Smithsonian Museum is the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. It is located right near the Castle (Visitor Center). They have an amazing collection of modern contemporary art work. It is peaceful and not crowded. My children don't love the Air and Space, like it yes, but they love the Hirschhorn.

 

[lwake]

Hi:

My family of four did Washington DC two years ago and brought along my daughters friend. Our kids were 14, 13, and 11. My first question is how old are your daughters? Age is a big factor. We thought about doing the Silver Springs reservations but ended up staying in the Foggy Bottom area (George Washington Univ) for $145/night at Double Tree Suites. You might want to look at options as this was the BEST decision that we made. We walked everywhere with our kids. I seriously think that we averaged 10 miles a day with the kids and they made no complaints. (We are a family of exercisers) Tickets to the Capitol and White House are not sold. We were lucky enough to have connections with our Senators office and got tour reservations for many Federal buildings. I really hope that you get the White House tour. It is just the downstairs front part of the house but going through all of the security and then being inside it is really cool for kids. Kids will love the Smithsonian Museums of Natural History and the American History. The Air and Space Museum was a big hit for DH and DS. I think that we were there for hours. All of the Monuments are "must do's." You can go inside all of them. Not sure about the Washington Monument being open again or not. If it is, you will need to be there VERY early in the morning to get tickets to go inside. These tickets go fast. My DH runs every day so he made this one of his spots and was there between 7-8am to get tickets for us. The Holocaust Museum is a wonderful history lesson for children to see how horrific this world event truly was. Our kids really enjoyed this. We also got tour tickets for the Bureau of Engraving where money is made. It is not very interesting for adults, but the kids were awed by all of the money being made. Not sure what you are planning for meals while there, but a word of warning if $ is an issue. Most all of the Museums have a cafeteria on their bottom floor. It is a great convenience but at a hefty price. We did eat there because when we are on vacation we don't worry about the price. We figure we shouldn't be going on vacation if we can't afford it. One more thing--if you make it to Georgetown make sure you have a Georgetown Cupcake. This was our dessert of choice in the evening. It was a 10 minute walk from our hotel and they were filming for TLC/Food Network while we were there. This is another "must do" according to Fodors. Hope that this is helpful. Have fun and enjoy!!

 

[Flight]

The Smithsonian Air & Space Museums, the National Mall Building and the Hazy Center near Dulles Airport are unmatched anywhere in the world!

The Hazy Center will require a car as the Metro does not go out that way. Last time I was there it was $12 for parking but the museum is free.

 

[fostrmom2mny]

The Arlington Cemetery also has an option of a tour of the Robert E Lee Home. It's worth adding to that visit, and the rest of the Cemetery is humbling!

We love the Museum of Natural Histroy,and the National Archives. Don't forget to take time to tour the Union Station, and their food court is reasonable and decent food. If you are only there for two days, you will not have the time for everything. One thing that I did to see and do more was a night time tour.

We also went to the Holocost Meseum. For us, it was pretty intense! It's one of those things that people should go to once, but be warned, it is very intense!! There is one exhibit that has shoes piled all around the glass encloseures that you walk thru to reference all the people who were exterminated.

 

[SplashMo]

You can walk all of the monuments during the day and at night. Jefferson is very cool. Lincoln you can walk in.

The airspace is cool. They have nuclear missles and space vehicles. My favorite museum was the American History. The natural history (portions of it).

If you have boys the spy museum is cool.

My favorite was the national archives.

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

Natural History Museum for sure with kids. You can see all the monuments in half a day easily. I really like OldTown Trolley's night tour of the monuments, plus it takes you out to FDR. It doesn't go to the Jefferson Memorial though, but I do think the Jefferson Memorial is worth the hike if you're up for it.

You should be fine time wise to do everything. Arlington is the only thing out of the way and can take a couple hours to a lot of hours depending.

 

[ascwilson]

We were there the whole week of spring break this year. We loved the Museum of Natural History & the American Indian Museum, but were disappointed in the Museum of American History. We also did the Air & Space Museum, but you are correct, we felt it was similar to the many others we've seen. We were able to do a tour of the capital with our state senator and that was really nice. It beat standing in line early in the morning and hoping to get in. We did stand in line for tickets for the Bureau of Ingraving & Printing to see the money being made and were glad we were in line early for the Ford Theater tickets (It took an hour and a half or so to get through it all). We also did the hop on/off trolley and enjoyed the narrative of the drivers and the convenience as walking it all is a really long walk with a small child. You'll enjoy the monuments but you're correct the Washington Monument is still closed. If you have time, we also enjoyed Mount Vernon as well, but it took us a half of a day to see it. Enjoy your visit. I'd love to go back.

 

[mdsoccermom]

You ask about Air and Space and the Smithsonian. Please note that Air and Space IS part of the Smithsonian. I used to be a docent there, so I'm a bit biased, but really, it is the best.

The Washington Monument is still closed. You can walk up the steps and into the Lincoln Memorial. Personally, I like the Jeffson better. It's where my husband proposed to me.

 

[msmama]

I say the National Archives to see the Constitution and Declaration of Independence!

And like a PP said, if you are driving near Dulles airport, stop at the Udvar Hazy center. It's AMAZING and, I would say, NOT like other air and space museums (but easily done in half a day or less).

The great thing about all the museums on the mall is that if one is crowded, just go to another. They are all in easy walking distance. If it were me, I'd start at one end (probably Capitol end) and work my way to the other end (Lincoln Memorial). Don't bother waiting for a trolley if you can walk (lots of one way streets around there).

My 2 1/2 year old at the time liked the Air and Space museum and the Natural History museum best.

The second day I'd do the stuff you can't walk to (like Arlington).

 

[SplashMo]

Foggy bottom is a great place to stay. As a side note George Washington University is aprox 10 blocks from Lincoln Memorial. Also close to the White House and it is in Foggy Bottom.

 

[Hmom]

Museum on the American Indian (think that is the name??) has an awesome cafeteria. Tried buffalo & a few other interesting things.

 

[jessp1021]

We were there in March and I am already drooling to go back again! For us my favs would be:
Museum of Natural History
Lincoln Memorial (this is AMAZING at night!!!!)
National Archives
Washington Monument (just worth seeing)
Georgetown..DC cupcakes..red velvet need I say more? The town is super cool there and neat to walk around..very busy!

 

[crisi]

The Capitol (will definitely hop off here, and see the visitor center, but trying to decide if it's worth it to try to but a timed ticket to go inside?)

Not in our opinion. And the Visitor Center is just an entrance for the timed tours - don't bother to get off the trolley.

Air and Space Museum (debating this one.. we've been inside quite a few airspace museums, is this one that much different?)

This one has the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, and one of Amelia Earhart's planes. It also has Yuri Gargarin's communist party membership card.

Smithsonian (if we stop in this area, which museums are absolute must-see's?)

We spent a day in the American History, two at Natural History, one at Air and Space, half at the American Indian. We did not make it into art museums as I couldn't drag my kids through. The Holocaust museum is wonderful if your kids are old enough, but not part of the Smithsonian.

Washington Monument (is it still closed d/t the earthquake?)

Even when it was open, you had to get day of tickets and line up early in the morning.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial (worth it to stop? can't find much info about it online)

My favorite. They are all "worth a stop." I find Jefferson to be very beautiful and touching

Lincoln Memorial (can you go inside, or is this just a see from outside building?)

You go inside almost all of the monuments (FDRs is pretty much completely out of doors). Some have a small museum in the basement.

Arlington Cemetery (this is a must for dh, and planning on watching the changing of the guard)

Plan two hours minimum, this took us half a day and we didn't even look for my husband's grandfather.

White House (have contacted our state representative for tickets.. if they're sold out already, we'll at least stop in at the visitor center, etc.)

Ford's Theater (this is a must, will be pre-purchasing tickets beforehand, approx. how much time does the tour of the 4 areas usually take?)

The visitors center for the White House is pretty good, its down the street from the White House itself. Ford's theatre tour is timed, its 45 minutes down in the museum in the basement and then about 15 minutes with the Rangers in the theatre itself. Its a bit of a hike from the Smithsonian.

Is there anything I'm missing that's a must-see in the area?

Does this seem doable in 2 full days? We're definitely a go-go family if want to be.. I was with my daughters last month in Chicago, and hiked the area from 8am till 11pm with no problem at all, lol... but do want to make sure I leave plenty of time to really explore the buildings, etc.

We were there seven, didn't finish our list, and no, you can't do this all in two days and give it any justice. But these are the things I think you are missing:

National Archives (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and a copy of the Magna Carta)
Library of Congress (beautiful building, nice exhibits, and a Guttenburg Bible)
Bureau of Engraving (watch money being made)
Udvar Hazy (AMAZING air and space museum - they have a real shuttle. And an Concorde. And the Enola Gay.)
Holocaust museum
Mount Vernon (South of DC)
National Zoo (Pandas, and the O-Line)
Embassy Row
National Cathedral

 

[SplashMo]

A couple of things. When you are at the Washington Monument and want to walk to the Museums there are two sidewalks that cross the street that angle away from each other. Take the one on the left. You might want to check this out on a map.

The National Archives are a bit tricky to find (Not bad, but a bit tricky) You might look at a map before going to find your way between the natural history meuseum and national archives.

Capitol hill is a mildly difficult walk. You might want to catch a ride on that part. Also the Jefferson Memorial is a bit of a walk and would be a good one to get a ride at least one way...

I walked everywhere but I had teenagers with me.
When you see the capitol building you can get passees to the house and senate before leaving your state. Otherwise you need to find the office of a senator / representative from your state and get a pass. Kind of fun. kind of not fun... Dont ask me how I know... Go on a weekday if you want to see the house or senate. They need to be in session. Also on capitol hill and good to group together is the Thomas Jefferson Library of Congress. Well worth an hour. Also the Supreme Court.

I liked the pulled pork sandwich at the Natural history museum ($10.00). The Indian museum had salmon and buffalo burgers. More expensive than the natural history museum by a little.

We have a great flight museum in Seattle and we have been to cape canaveral. So the ICBM in the doorway, Kitty Hawk, satelites and the american russian space docking were the highlights for me at the space museum.

Natural History is the coolest for kids. The dinosaur exhibit is impressive. I skipped the aquarium portion as we have a better aquarium. There is also an evolution section.

The American History was my personal favorite. Find Dumbo on the third floor and the ruby sklippers. Old Glory. It was all very nice.

 

[bookluvingbabe]

A few things:

It is darn hot in DC and very crowded. And without the handy how long will the wait be signs that Disney uses.

The Washington Monument is still closed.

You can easily do Lincoln, Jefferson and the Vietnam memorial using whichever hop on, hop off you pick. You can also do MLK, Roosevelt and WWII easily.

The wait for the National Archives is usually INSANE.

I like Air and Space but I think if you've done Wright-Patt and others then you probably don't need to see it. Ditto Natural History.

American History is terrific. So is the National Gallery of Art.

If you can get tickets to the White House and Capitol from your Congressperson then go for it. Stop in at the Supreme Court too.

I haven't been to Ford's Theater since it was redone so I can't speak to it.

Georgetown Cupcakes is a tourist trap. You can get better cupcakes at Hello Cupcake in Dupont and Capitol Hill.

Good luck!

 

[VictoriaT]

We were just there a little over a week ago. My youngest DS did get tired of walking, but we covered a lot. I do think your list is a little ambitious, we were there four four days and really only did half of what we thought we would get through. If you want a decent lunch for cheap, go to the US Department of Agriculture cafeteria (I believe the North building) they are open to the public fr lunch and at @two pm, the daily specials are half price.

The Washington Monument is still closed, we did the White House, the Pentagon and Arlington, the Capitol, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, both Air and Space Museums, Natural History, American History, which I really enjoyed (Harry Potter's costume!)

Georgetown is a great location too. We stayed in Arlington, a block from the metro, and only a couple stops from the Mall.

The Holocaust Museum is a good three hours at least visit, not counting the waiting to get tickets, but it is a must do for adults and older children(high school age)

Enjoy! We want to go back already

 

[SplashMo]

For the Natural history if you see just the dinosaurs it will go really quick...

 

[highwayg]

VictoriaT- Sounds like you had a great time. Where did you stay?

 

[mrudman]

OP here... thank you so much to everyone for all the replies!!

Forgot to mention, my daughters are 9 and 11... so definitely old enough that we can hike it on foot a lot... Will definitely be researching many of the places you mentioned. I know we'll be tight on time to see too much, but hoping I can at least hit a lot of the highlights.

I did hear back for our congressman about touring the White House, and sounds like we will hear in about 2 weeks whether we made it into a tour or not.

I think with dd's being a little young, I might skip the Holocaust museum as much as I'd love to see it.. but I read that it's very intense for kids.

Forgot about the National Archives.. I'll definitely have to see if I can get tickets for that.

Thanks again! Really looking forward to going, and showing my daughters certain places.