Washington, DC trip

[mickey10]

For vacation this year, we are taking a trip to Washington, DC. Any pointers on sites that are a must see would be greatful and sites that could be skipped. We will be traveling with kids under the age of 8. Thanks in advance for all the advice.

[rob121]

I would say don't miss the Air and Space Museum. Kids always get a kick out of seeing airplanes and rockets. Plus they'll be able to touch an actual moon rock!
Depending on their knowledge of American history they may enjoy the American History museum. They may be too young to appreciate some of the exhibits, but there is still plenty to enjoy. They have (huge) locomotives on display, and some other pop-culture stuff. Don't miss the ice-cream parlor on the lower level. There is also the museum of natural history which has some cool exhibits, fossils and bones and such. It would probably be better to spend some time online looking at the various Smithsonian museums and gauge what they have and what you think the kids will like/understand.

Also, you can contact your congressperson and arrange for a tour of the capitol building. I thought that was fascinating.

My son is 3 now, and we plan on taking him some day when he is a bit older and understands more. I'm not sure if 8 is old enough to truly appreciate the history of DC, but then again, I'm not sure if 38 is old enough either.

[Jasper]

I may not be 100% correct on this, but I think you can also arrange a White House tour through your congressman or senator as well. I know they are not doing general tours ever since 9-11 but I do think the congressional tours are back.

[NJGIRL]

My son's favorites (7yrs old when we went) By the way he LOVED DC!

Air and Space Musuem- hours of interesting stuff and also has an IMAX reasonably priced with two different shows having to do with space or flying.

Natural History Musuem-A kids paradise. Dinosaur bones, rocks and gems, mummys, also has another IMAX.

American History Musuem- Is now closed for reno's for at least another year.

All of the Monuments- Don't try to walk!! Each one IS close to another but with so many there is a termenous amount of walking. Take the "Tourmobile" one day for just the monuments. You pay once in the morning and can get on and off as often as you like. Some of the other trolley's only let you do one "loop" so don't use them. Also if you do all of the monuments in one day it is cost effective.

My son also like the National Archives because if had the Declaration of Independence. We only spent about 1 hour there.

The last time we went it was a combo trip with 4 days in Williamsburg and 2 days in Baltimore so we were only in DC for 4 days but this is what we did.

Day One: Natural History Musuem & American History Museum.

Day Two: Most of the Monuments. The Roosevelt Monument, Lincoln, & WWI monuments were our favorites.

Day Three: Air & Space Museum, National Archives, Fords Theater, Old Post Office (The view at the top is wonderful) nice food court at the bottom.

Day Four: Arlington Cementary. A heartwarming experience.

Whatever you do park your car and leave it there. Don't try to drive.

We have been to DC 4 times and done so many different things so if you have any additional questions PM me.

[lauralemm]

Her list looks pretty right on; here is what my DD4 loves to do when we go to DC (we go for daytrips b/c its not that far and a beloved Aunt Kate lives there on Capitol Hill.)

Taking the Metro (convenient, cheap, easy, and fun for kids-- warning: can't drink drinks or eat on there)

Carousel at the Smithsonian Castle

National Conservatory (I think that is what its called-- its on the Mall)

Hanging out and eating a picnic lunch on the Mall

The sculpture garden (great for picnics, too)

The National Zoo!

The zoo is the only thing I would drive to. Everything else I'd stay parked at your hotel and metro or use the hotel's shuttle service.

Warning: I travel to DC for business every month. I recently switched hotels and was not altogether happy with the one I got-- Best Western Capitol Skyline. On the plus side: its cheap and has a diner in it and offers great shuttle service to either Metro stops or right to tourist attractions. BUT its not in a very hospitable neighborhood, to say the least. I would not want to stay there with my DD. I'd prefer to go to the Capitol Suites or a hotel in a residential area like DuPont Circle.

Also, when dining, consider trying one of the many excellent ethnic restaurants in DC: every neighborhood has great Thai and then there are Vietnamese, Indian, Moroccan, Belgian, Spanish... I have never been disappointed and when I take DD4 to these places I just make a point of going early in the dinner service time so that we don't disrupt other diners. My daughter especially loved Jaleo (spanish tapas place in the Chinatown area.)

[pshokie]

I live in the DC Metro Area, and done the tourist thing many times..... laurelmm and NJGRIL have some really great pointers, so I'll just tack on.

I will give you a couple of "things you should know", sounds kinda ominous...

Weather. If you are coming to DC in summer, be prepared. Sitting right off the Potomac, and smack dab between the Shenandoah Mts and the Chesapeake means that DC in the summer is nothing short of oppressive. Moisture is chaneled right of the bay and sits right over DC. DC was originally built on a swamp (fitting eh?) so it has that kinda feel. You will get wet from humidity/sweating once you step outside. So be prepared with lots of H2O and light fitting clothes. Also realistically, shade on the mall is limited. Is it there, yes. But if you are going from A to B, you will soon see how open it truely is.

Travel. Metro is your friend. You can take it close to anywhere you want to go. By close I mean, you can see it, but you still gotta walk a ways. However, Metro only has 1 official stop on the Mall (Smithsonian) and it basicly serves the museums. And there are no, none, zero, stops west of the Washington Monument. So if you want to see anything to the west (Lincoln, Jefferson, Vietnam), take the tourmobile, or be prepared to walk. Also there is a new bus line that has been introduced called the Circulator. It is a color coded bus line that travels, you guessed it, in circles. Currently I believe there are 2 routes, but more may have opened. Google to Downtown DC and you can get some information from there about routes and such.

Walking. DC is an opitcal illusion. The monuments are sized in such a way that they feel "close". But once you start walking from say the Washington Monument to the Lincoln, you realze it is a hike! And to this day, I swear they keep moving Capitol further and further to the east, just to keep me walking.

Food. Part I: Never, ever, ever, ever, EVER buy anything perishable from a street vendor. Atleast one a year one of the local TV stations does an expose' onthe vendors, and lets just asy it ain't good. Only pre-pakaged food (soda, water, etc). Nothing perishable (hot dogs, etc).
Part II: There is no food west of the Washington Monument. Well there are those vendors, but remeber rule #1! There are a one or two centers run by the Parks Service, but they are not very good. So plan accordingly.
Part III: Two locations: Connecticut (DuPont Circle) and Chinatown. Both areas have had a real resurgence in the last few years, and both are right on (and in this case I mean on) the Metro line. Lots of restaurants from the high end, to the eclictic, to the common ones you know by name. I personnaly favor Chinatown. And if you want a special treat, go the the Hotel Washington (on I believe 15th Street). It stands literally on the easternside of the White House. You can have a "reasonable" lunch in the Terrace Restaurant (on the roof). The food may be OK, but the VIEW IS THE BEST! Photo ops galore!

Two last points, as for the Washington Monument, if you have your heart set on it, do it. If you are so so, do the post office pavilion instead. It is the second/third highest structure in the city, its right on Pennsylvania Ave, and there is no line to go to the top (unlike the WM).

As for the zoo, the trick or Metro'ing the Zoo is to go one stop further (Cleveland Park) than the signs indicate on your way to the zoo, this way you walk down hill to the zoo. On the way out, go down hill to the Woodley Park/Zoo stop. But I still always drive it.

[Melanie]

Natural History Musuem- Is now closed for reno's for at least another year.

I believe you mean the American History Museum.

[NJGIRL]

I believe you mean the American History Museum.

Thanks!!! I did mean the American History Museum. I did an edit on my post.

[busterthebronco]

vietnam memorial.
we stayed in the grand hyatt and it was nice in that you could get on the metro straight from the lobby!

[DisneyDog]

We are going at the beginning of April, during the Cherry Blossom Festival. We have a 4 year old DS. I was looking at a book called Washington D.C. with Kids and they recommend the National Geographic Museum. Anyone ever been there? We are also thinking of doing the Zoo. I'd love the see the pandas!

[lauralemm]

We are going at the beginning of April, during the Cherry Blossom Festival. We have a 4 year old DS. I was looking at a book called Washington D.C. with Kids and they recommend the National Geographic Museum. Anyone ever been there? We are also thinking of doing the Zoo. I'd love the see the pandas!

I went there once for a special exhibit-- the mummy girl they had years ago. The entire experience was very positive. It is a very well presented museum. I am not sure how much it might appeal to kids under 5 though. I think it might depend on what they are featuring. Check out the website.

[GottaLvDisney]

We've done DC quite a bit with our two oldest daughters (now 8) since my grandad lived nearby and to echo several other posters, they always loved:

Riding the Metro - so cool to them to be 'underground' and super convenient as a parent.

Air & Space Museum - they still talk about touching a moon rock, that was a big deal!

Natural History Museum - they loved the dinosaurs and the IMAX movie was a big hit also.

[ryca1dreams]

I go to DC occassionally and we are going this May for vacation. I want my trip to be more than just a "gow-llly, wow" trip for my son and nieces and nephew. I would really try to encorporate some learning in your trip. It is possible to do that and still have fun. The National Archives is one of my favorites because of all the original historical documents here - the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Magna Carta, etc. Read about the British burning the White House in the War of 1812 and then see it now and talk about it. Look at drawings of the Capitol before the dome was changed and look at it now. Read about the space program and then go through the Air and Space Museum and see the actual hardware! Read about Pierre-Charles L'Enfant too - interesting. I love this place (if you haven't guessed) and I love history. This is a great place to learn about our nation. There's a lot to see.

[seawitch]

We did D.C. last spring break with 3 kids ages 7, 8, 9. We had a blast! My kids really enjoyed the U.S. Postal Museum (yes, it really is neat-lots of hands on for them and only takes about 1-2 hours to do whole thing). We all enjoyed the Spy Museum where you creat a false identity and go undercover. Lots of 007 types of gadgets that were really used by former US and KGB spies. Cool!!! Washington Monument is a must (have to timed tickets in advance) We couldn't get a White House tour, but we did get a private tour of the Capital Building and we saw the Supreme Court (in session!). If you live near a good aquarium then skip the National Aquarium as it is a waste of $$. Have a great time!

[Donald]

We are going to DC 3/30-4/2 and I appreciate all of this information!! Thanks!

[BronxTigger]

I didn't see the Holocaust Museum mentioned on this thread. While there is an area designed for children, I would not do it with young children.

However, if you have children that are older or are traveling without children (not the OP, but maybe others), don't miss this museum. It is tastefully done and you won't forget the experience.

Also, the Smithsonian Castle is open earlier than most of the museums and monuments. If you are on the mall in the earlier morning, visit the Castle and the gardens behind it. I had the beautiful gardens to myself and it was wonderful.

[GusNJacque]

As some of you may remember I work in the Capitol complex. I actually did tours at one time. I definately recommend getting in touch with your Senator or Congressperson. They can really help you plan your trip. Unfortunately since 9/11 alot of the tours are not as good as they used to be--but if you don't know any better it seems good.

I started out at a small school in the city so all of my field trips were all the wonderful things to see in DC. I never realized how lucky I was until I got older.

One place that has not been mentioned is the WWII Memorial. It is absolutely breathtaking at night.

If I can answer any questions, I will be more than happy to help.

[Touchdown]

We are going at the beginning of April, during the Cherry Blossom Festival. We have a 4 year old DS. I was looking at a book called Washington D.C. with Kids and they recommend the National Geographic Museum. Anyone ever been there? We are also thinking of doing the Zoo. I'd love the see the pandas!

Hope you actually catch the blossoms, I lived there last year and they peaked in late March.

As for general tips, for your monument day look into buying Tourmobile tickets, they allow you to hop on and off their busses all day which is the only way you can possibly see all the monuments in a day in the summer (its too hot to walk them then and your 8 year old wouldnt make it in any weather anyways) as an added bonus they are the only company permited to opperate in Arlington Natl. Cemetary and its free with the normal ticket so you also can see the Kennedys grave sites, the tomb of the unknown soldier and Robert E. Lee's house.

The American Histroy Smithsonian is currently closed for rehab, unfortunatly. However I highly suggest trips to the Air and Space and Natl History Museum.

This cannot be said enough, Metro is your friend, you cant park anywhere in the city so dont even try. Also, talk to one of your congressmen/women their tours are the best.

The Zoo is really nice, but beware if its hot outside because then it becomes a stinky, sweaty pit of dispair for you and the animals.

[NotaGeek]

The Holocaust Museum Changed my life.

I absolutely LOVE doing the Monuments! The new World War II memorial is stunning. When I was there last I booked a day tour at my hotel, full day EVERY monument, the White House, Smithsonian (eat lunch there, it's good and well priced!) and it also took us all the way to The Arlington National Cemetery. Other highlights were the Ford Theater. I was with my aunt that was suffering from a bum knee so it was MUCH easier on her, too. it only cost about $20.

Have a great time, DC is one of my favorite towns in the USA!

It's cheesy, but Philip's Seafood Restaurant is a FABULOUS and fun buffet on the Washington Channel on the waterfront and the seafood selection is really impressive! You can find them if you Google their name!

[Tink's Mom]

My family and I are going to visit Washington DC for the first time April 12-17. All of this info has really helped me also. I recently purchased reserved seats for the Cherry Blossom Parade. Sure hope there are still some Cherry Blossoms to see!

P.S. We are planning to stay at a hotel that we like by BWI and take the train into Washington each day. Does anyone think that this is a problem?
The hotel is new and has great beds, a pool, free breakfast, shuttle, and it is in a nice area. I researched hotels in washington, but prices were very high, and lacked ammenities. Also we have an early morning flight out of BWl our last day. Thanks for any advice.