Washington DC

[belle22]

What are must sees with Kids in Washington DC? Where to stay?

Any itineraries?

 

[tinkerlisa]

We just got back from there!!!
My advice: Use the parking garages. We used one and it cost us 18 dollars for the whole day. There is no on street parking until after 6:30 and we couldn't figure out there Metro set up. Other than that we had so much fun!!!

My kids loved the Natural History Museum. We were only there for 2 days and we missed the Air and Space Museum but plan on hitting that one next time. We did the monuments of course and saw the White House.
Bring comfy shoes as we did a lot of walking!

We saw the 3D dinosaur movie at the IMAX theater at the Natural History Mususem and at the American History Museum, on the second floor, there is Dumbo(seriously, from Disneyland I think?) My 1 year old was trying to jump off me into the exhibit.

My 7 year old had his own disposable camera and loved taking pictures of everything. He got some great shots and has decided to save his allowance for his own camera.

If you are driving and have time, take the 30 minute(or so) drive to Mt Vernon. It was really neat seeing George Washington's house. It is so beautiful.

They are sticklers about no photography on some exhibits: The Star Spangled Banner at the American History Museum(they kicked some guy out because he wouldn't stop taking pictures) and Washington's teeth at Mt. Vernon(an alarm goes off! It wasn't us, it was some kid)

LOL on another note: I am watching this show on the travel channel right now called Mysteries of the Smithsonian. They showed some stuff we missed and now I gotta go back and see it!

Also, now that we have been, my 7 year old keeps beggin us to see the new Night at the Museum sequel. He says cause we've been there so now he has to see the movie!
He also asks when we are going back...We got back two weeks ago...

Have loads of fun!

Don't stay in Silver Spring, Maryland. Thats where we were. I didn't see many nice areas and our hotel was definitly in the ahem...ghetto(I hope nobody on here takes offense to that). Try to stay in D.C. even though its a little more pricy. Most of the hotels I noticed are in walking distance of everything.

Oh and if you wanna see the Ruby Slippers(from the wizard of oz), I believe they are in the Air and Space Museum, although I dont know why they would be there.
I saw them a long time ago when the Smithsonian did a tour and they came to Providence Convention Center.

 

[locolala]

Air and Space museum is fun, it has lots of hands on stuff. Depending on the age of your kids, the International Spy Museum is a ton of fun too. Mt. Vernon is worth the drive, especially if you're into history. If you can make it to Baltimore, the aquarium up here is fantastic, the one in DC stinks. The Zoo.. can't say enough good stuff about it. The Zoo is incredible.. I've loved it since I was a kid and we try to go as often as possible.

 

[tinkerlisa]

Air and Space museum is fun, it has lots of hands on stuff. Depending on the age of your kids, the International Spy Museum is a ton of fun too. Mt. Vernon is worth the drive, especially if you're into history. If you can make it to Baltimore, the aquarium up here is fantastic, the one in DC stinks. The Zoo.. can't say enough good stuff about it. The Zoo is incredible.. I've loved it since I was a kid and we try to go as often as possible.

We missed the Zoo too. Next time. I am glad you said the Aquarium in D.C. sucks because we were gonna do that too next time.

 

[Maybelle]

We were in DC and Baltimore last August...caught the Red Sox game at Camden Yards, and drove the next day to DC for a few days.

We stayed in Crystal City (VA) at the Hampton Inn. Great location...lots of shops and restaurants, and close to the Metro. Metro was clean and easy to use, and a quick trip into the city. Hampton Inn provides breakfast, so that cut our cost down, and the parking fee was only $10 per night. We had a view of the Pentagon from our room.

I would HIGHLY recommend going to the zoo. We had a wonderful time there. But if you take the Metro, it is quite a hike to the nearest Metro stop.

Air and Space Museum is a must see, along with the Natural History Museum. I believe the Ruby Slippers are in the American History Museum, but I may be mistaken...that museum was still closed for renovations when we went last summer.

DC is a fun trip...I look forward to going back!

 

[badblackpug]

Ir and Space. Natural History, and American History. I also agree with the side trips to Mt. Vernon and the Baltimore Aquarium if you have time.

 

[Kimmumum]

My boys were 14 and 10 when we went last year. The museum they remember and talk about the most is The Holocaust Museum.

Another fun thing we did was bring soccer balls, little kites and a frisbee for some fun play on the National Mall. We all enjoyed this especially when we needed some down time.

 

[tinkerlisa]

My boys were 14 and 10 when we went last year. The museum they remember and talk about the most is The Holocaust Museum.

Another fun thing we did was bring soccer balls, little kites and a frisbee for some fun play on the National Mall. We all enjoyed this especially when we needed some down time.

I agree on "down time" Our walk from the Washington Monument to Lincoln Memorial was a looonggg one(DS is 1 and a half). We stopped along the reflecting pool to watch dome ducks. They swam right up to us and my DS thought it was funny! The ducks let me whip out my camera and the pics I took of the 2 ducks were some of the best photos I got down there!
We really enjoyed watching them for a while. My kids were bored with the Vietnam Wall. We explained to our 7 year old what it was about but he coulda cared less.

 

[Megkel]

Air and Space museum is fun, it has lots of hands on stuff. Depending on the age of your kids, the International Spy Museum is a ton of fun too. Mt. Vernon is worth the drive, especially if you're into history. If you can make it to Baltimore, the aquarium up here is fantastic, the one in DC stinks. The Zoo.. can't say enough good stuff about it. The Zoo is incredible.. I've loved it since I was a kid and we try to go as often as possible.

The Spy Museum is AMAZING. My husband had so much fun. I don't particularly like the Baltimore aquarium, I went during the summer and there were tons of groups there. They were all crowded in front of the small tanks and my 2 year old didn't want to wait. The tickets are pretty expensive $21 per person and parking in Baltimore was over $10. I personally prefer the one in VA Beach I haven't been to the aquarium in DC, and actually only found out there was one there last year.

The zoo is great, my daughter always enjoys going. There are two stops you can take from the metro, but be warned it's A LOT of walking. The food is pretty expensive, but if you take metro the zoo is free.

I personally am a big fan of the Natural History Musuem, there is something for everyone there. It's really close to the monuments and a great way to get out of the sun for a bit.

There is a Madam Tussauds now in DC, I have only been to the one in England and really had fun.

There are tons of things to do in DC, there is usually an event going on, a show to see, or an exhibit in town. I hope you enjoy yourselves it can be a lot of fun.

 

[LlamaMamaof2]

I have been to DC with the kids multiple times and am planning a trip this fall. My hubby works there so we stay by his work in Virigina. We take the Metro everywhere and then you can just go anywhere. The Metro is clean and has easy to follow maps of the routes. The kids love riding on the train! The favorites from our trips are the zoo, which is a hike from the metro while pushing a stroller, but has great exhibits. We like the ride the ducks tour as you get to drive by many of the sites. The merry go round on the mall is a nice break. There is also a nighttime tour of the monuments that lets you off and on and you can see everything lit up. I have kids that are good stroller nappers and that is when I have hit the museums they would think are boring! My kids are just now 7 and 3 and most of the museums don't hold their interest for more than an hour. They have been to the history museum, air and space museum, the aquarium, and the holocaust museum, but don't remember much about them. All the museums have pretty good cafeteria's that don't cost too much. There are many good cafeteria's in the downtown DC area. Have a great trip!

 

[longstangetrip]

Eat at Ben's Chili Bowl! (they have a website to check out)

Go to the bureau of printing and engraving! (love seeing the stacks of uncut $)

The tourmobile is worthwhile transportation and allows you to get on and off at your leisure. Takes you to Arlington too.

My kids love the Nat'l Archives (because of National Treasure)!

Too many museums becomes overkill, pick and choose carefully! Keep in mind any owned by the Smithsonian Institute are free so you don't have to invest any more time than you want. There is never a feeling of "getting your money's worth."

Get off the Mall! There is so much to do other places!

Get the Unofficial Guide; it like the one for WDW, is great. We love D.C.

 

[WTP]

Local DCer here!

PP all have great ideas! I second the spy mesuem, the zoo, natural history, and air & space. Those are our favorite things to do.

I do think the spy museum might be best for kids 7+ (for instance I wouldn't bother bringing my toddler--there is NOTHING for little ones there) But a kids who's into spy stuff or adults would love it. It takes about 2-3 hours to go through.

Don't miss the butterfly habitat in the Nat Hist museum. I think it's $8/adult and $4/kid--except on Tuesdays, when it's free. You have to get a timed ticket. The Smithsonian grounds are also very fun. There is a big courtyard with a fountain near the nat hist museum that you can dip your feet into on a hot day.

And yes, our aquarium sucks! If an aquarium is important to you, take a day trip to Baltimore. The Baltimore aquarium is pricey but great. Nice dolphin shows! The zoo does have some fish exhibits though, so unless your kids are really into fish, that should be enough.

If you want a fun downtown shopping experience while seeing antique architechture, visit "old town" Alexandria VA. search for "King street" on googlemaps. Lots of great restaurants, local shops, and chain stores like gap, too. Some people do this the same day they hit Mt. Vernon.

The Metro system here is great and very clean. Free parking in the suburbs on the weekends. I highly recommend metroing around downtown! Virginia is pretty driveable outside of Alington.

Have a great time!

ETA: This is a great place to eat in Chinatown:
http://www.capitalqbbq.com/
Chinatown isn't much to see, but this place is reasonably priced and delicious!

 

[shelemm]

The A- #1 thing to do is to visit the monuments at night. Go to the FDR at night. Go to WWII at night. Go to the new Air Force Memorial (in Arlington, VA near the Pentagon) at night. Go to Iwo Jima at night (Great gamefor kids: circle the monument and try to figure out how many soldiers are in the statue - it's a tough one!) Go see the Korean War Memorial at Night.

The only one which is much better in the daytime is the Vietnam Memorial. That is a must.

If you don't havew a car, get a cab to take you the Air Force Memorial and Iwo Jima at night and have the cab wait for you. I don't know how late the new 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon is open - but if you can visit that at night you might want to hit that also.

The monuments are lit up at least until midnight. DC is a fun city with free activities going on all the time.

I suggest staying in Rosslyn, VA and getting a hotel via Priceline, as many starts as possible. The Key Bridge Marriott is a HUGE hotel that rarely fills up. Do not pay full price!

 

[My2Qtz0205]

We went to DC last Saturday. We took our kids to the Natural History Museum. We thought they would be into the dinosaurs, but they were more interested in the mammals & insects exhibits! We did go into the butterfly habitat. That was really cool. They give you a guide sheet so you can identify the butterflies as they flit around you. My 6 1/2 yr. old enjoyed that. Butterflies landed right on our heads!

We always, always take the Metro into D.C. It is so easy to get around. There are maps within every car so you know what stop to get off, and if you're confused you can always ask one of the guards at the Metro stops. I echo a pp's recommendation for Crystal City. There are a lot of shops and restaurants within a walk of your hotel. We stayed there once when my DH had a business trip there. Otherwise we stay at his parent's house in Loudoun County.

The zoo is awesome and HUGE. We couldn't see it all in one day.

 

[nicolepdonnelly]

We went to DC with 5 yo and 9 yo. here's what they loved...

All the Smithsonians- esp. the Air and space lots of hands on and Imax movie

Elevator to top of Washington Monument- go online to national parks website and reserve your day- it's a minimum fee of like $% for the group I think, if you wait to get a tix when you get there they are gone about 10 mins after they open.

National Cathedral- there was a fair and fair food on the grounds when we went but the kids loved searching for the cool gargoyels and the catacombs in the lower levels

Metro- we are suburbanites and they felt so cool putting their tix in the machine and riding the subway- very easy and clean.

Open bus tour- nice cheap way to see some sites even if it's a drive by of some and relaxing after so much walking

have fun!!!

 

[angelat]

My kids who were I think 6 and 7 when we visited loved pretty much everything about DC! The one thing I have to recommend though is the Air and Space Musuem. More specifically, if you stop in the gift shop, for about $3 you can buy a bag of astronaut ice cream. Of course they have strawberries and other things too, but the ice cream is awesome. My kids used to make me buy it from the camping area in Walmart too after we came back from there. Unfortunately, Walmart stopped selling it. The kids were devestated.

We're going to the Kennedy Space Center this year and the kids are already talking about astronaut ice cream!
Enjoy your trip. You'll have a great time.

 

[wishuponastar2430]

My mom was going to take us to Washington D.C. because we haven't been on vacation since 2005. We didn't think we would enjoy it at all. We are 19, 17, 16, 14, and 11. So I don't know. But from what I read on this thread, it seems like there is actually A LOT to do there. So thats nice to know. I know my dad mostly wanted to go because he wanted to see the Vietnam Memorial, because he lost his uncle in the war. But yea, I never realized how much there really is to there.
Nice to know. lol.

 

[3tiggerstoo]

I didn't read all the replies, so this may have been mentioned already, but the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is also a great place to visit. Even the younger kids I've known enjoy watching money being printed! As with many tours in DC, though, you have to arrive early to get tickets. And it's only open Mon-Fri. I also second the recommendation to use the TourMobile buses to see the monuments. Much better than walking. And the night tour is really cool!

 

[MissionWDW]

I'm a Baltimore native and now live in between Baltimore and DC....I've spent lots of time in DC. The zoo is great, and BIG! Bring a stroller if you have young children. All the Smithsonians are great. Especially the Natural History...I was just there a couple of weeks ago for my daugther's field trip. It has been a long time since I visited the Holocaust museum. It is a great museum, but sad...again, I wouldn't suggest for young children. Also, I read somewhere that it is free, but you need reservations. I'm not sure, but if you would like to visit there, you might want to look into it. The Baltimore Aquarium is okay (Sea World totally spoiled me). It is expensive and can be really crowded. Also, strollers are not allowed. I went in January during bad weather and we practically had the place to ourselves. In Baltimore there is also the Science Center (my kids LOVE this...8,4,3,1). Port Discovery is also a very cool children's museum. There is TONS to do in this area. Museums, monuments, history.


BTW...I don't have any recomendations as far as lodging, but someone mentioned Silver Spring is ghetto. It can be, and I HATE driving there. My husband had to stay at the Army Hospital in DC for almost 2 years and it was Hell driving down there. DC might be pretty expensive to stay, but the suburbs of VA and MD are very close.

 

[JohnsonsRUs]

DH and I went to DC with another couple and their small son about 15 years ago. We stayed in Spotsylvania, VA which is just outside of Fredericksburg. It was a great location, about 45 minutes from DC, but there was also a lot of stuff around there to do. Our friend is a Civil War renactor, so he was like having a personal tour guide. We didn't have any problem navigating the Metro, we would actually park and take it into DC.

We are planning to take DD there next year for Spring Break, so I appreciate all the tips of stuff to do with kids. Does anyone know if you can tour the White House? The website makes it sound like they only do it for groups.