Washington DC after Christmas

[DizneyLizzy]

So we're getting closer to our trip! And I have one more question.

For sight-seeing like the White House, Lincoln Memorial, etc. should I walk or get a tour bus? The tour buses are really expensive (we're a family of 5) but my husband thinks it would be easier on our 7 and 5 year old kids.

Opinions?

If your kids can walk Walt Disney World, then they can walk DC! You might think about bringing an umbrella stroller for the 5 year old just in case. Those buses are expensive.

 

[kellia]

I'm not sure if it's too late, but you can try to contact your Representative and see if you can get passes to the Capitol and White House tours. Our youngest sons were 8 when we went. It was an exhausting trip! I wasn't sure if the kids were having fun at the time, but afterwards they were telling everyone about it and remembering all these facts that I didn't think they were listening to! Of course the best thing they remember was Obama's dog being walked right past us as we were waiting in line for the tour and seeing Bo pee on the lawn!

They really liked the museum at the theater where Lincoln was shot. And you could spend days in the Smithsonian!

 

[100AcreWood]

I'm not sure if it's too late, but you can try to contact your Representative and see if you can get passes to the Capitol and White House tours. Our youngest sons were 8 when we went. It was an exhausting trip! I wasn't sure if the kids were having fun at the time, but afterwards they were telling everyone about it and remembering all these facts that I didn't think they were listening to! Of course the best thing they remember was Obama's dog being walked right past us as we were waiting in line for the tour and seeing Bo pee on the lawn!

They really liked the museum at the theater where Lincoln was shot. And you could spend days in the Smithsonian!

I didn't try because when I planned the trip a few months ago the WH website said no tours were being scheduled. Oh well, maybe next time!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I'm not sure if it's too late, but you can try to contact your Representative and see if you can get passes to the Capitol and White House tours.

Way too late to get tickets through your representative. You can book Capitol tours here:

http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/plan-visit/book-tour-the-capitol

 

[firstwdw]

Udvar-Hazy in Chantilly -part of Air and Space out by Dulles is SO WORTH THE TRIP! We spent 5+hours there and loved it! It is a hidden gem! The museum is free but you have to pay for parking-which we felt was worth it. The Space Shuttle alone was awesome plus they have lots of other planes, missiles, space capsules etc.

 

[Vidia2]

The parking app that someone mentioned is Parkmobile. You'll need that for parking meters.

It's really cold so dress warm. You can find parking near the monuments. I would try to do that. It is a very long walk between certain spots especially when you factor in the cold and street crossings. Otherwise I would take cabs.

The museums are free but there are educational movies, some in IMAX, which your children might want to see. Those aren't free. You can find the info on those on their websites. I think they charge for the planetarium movies as well in the space museum, the one downtown.

 

[danygirl]

Funny, my kids found the medical museum to be a lot of fun. They got to hold a brain.

Brookside Gardens in Wheaton has by far the most amazing light show not too far from Chevy Chase. Zoo Lights is a pale imitation. The zoo itself is awesome.

Natural History has the Dino exhibit and a lot of other cool stuff .

The Spy Museum is pricey but fun. There is a wax museum, too . The Newseum was awful - I wouldn't waste my money

There is ice skating outdoors at a rink at one of the art museums

 

[100AcreWood]

Funny, my kids found the medical museum to be a lot of fun. They got to hold a brain. Brookside Gardens in Wheaton has by far the most amazing light show not too far from Chevy Chase. Zoo Lights is a pale imitation. The zoo itself is awesome. Natural History has the Dino exhibit and a lot of other cool stuff . The Spy Museum is pricey but fun. There is a wax museum, too . The Newseum was awful - I wouldn't waste my money There is ice skating outdoors at a rink at one of the art museums

Brook side Gardens look great! I'll definitely check that out one evening. Thank you for the suggestions!

 

[100AcreWood]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the great suggestions! We returned from our trip last night. I wanted to give a brief trip report for anyone who may be looking for help with their own DC trip. We have three kids (ages 11, 7 and 5). The 11 year old really understood everything we saw, the other two not so much. We'll go again in 3 years.

Day 1: We drove to the National Zoo first. Parking was $20 for more than 3 hours. $15 for less than 3. We didn't have any problems finding a spot. We stayed for 4 hours. We did not see the pandas because their habitat was closed. A friend warned me before the trip we would most likely not see any pandas. My kids loved all the small animals at the zoo. We also enjoyed the zoo lights after dark. We left the zoo around 6pm and checked into our hotel in Chevy Chase (Embassy Suites).

Day 2: We found the metro employees to be super helpful. They helped us get started by buying smartcards. We added $10 each per card. Each person has to have their own card. So we spent $50 total. We took the metro to see the White House and from there walked to all of the monuments. They are all within walking distance however our 7 year old was about to cry by the end she was so tired. We spent the rest of the day at the Air and Space Museum. It was okay. One thing I would mention is do not count on eating at the museums unless you like McDonalds. We don't eat at McDonalds so we found ourselves eating at odd hours because we had to finish the museum and then look for lunch. No one was interested in returning to the air and space museum.

Day 3: It rained so we drove to Udvar-Hazy. It was a 40 minute drive and totally worth it. It's not huge. We were done in just over 2 hours but it was awesome. If you love planes, this place is the best!
We drove back to DC and arrived around 3pm. We found parking just outside the Museum of Natural History. We spent 3 hours there (they were open late that night). It was awesome and I would definitely consider it a must when we go back.

Day 4: Our last day we took the metro to the mall again. My 5 year old ds and I decided to walk to the monuments one more time while dh and dd7 and dd11 visited the art museum. The girls loved the art museum. And they took a detour to the archives. They saw the constitution, bill of rights and the Declaration of Independence!

There was so much to do. We fit in as much as we could and we look forward to checking out more during our next trip.