Planning a trip to Washington, D.C. this summer- any advice?

[kentuckymom]

We've decided to take a family trip to D.C. this summer, and I'd love any wisdom you all have about the best places to stay, the best things to do, the best time to go, etc. I'll ask some specific questions, but feel free to give me general tips/advice as well. We're a family of four, with an eight year old boy and a two year old girl. DS loves science. DD loves doing anything with the family :).

 

Specific questions:

 

1. DH has mentioned that he thinks it could be fun to go the first week of July and be there for the 4th. Is he right that it would be lot of fun, or would it be totally insane? I figure it could go either way.

 

2. We're definitely visiting the Smithsonian, the National Zoo, and the presidential monuments. What are the other "must see" area attractions for a young family?

 

3. Can you get a week long pass for the Metro system? At what age do kids need their own ticket/pass?

 

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

[bettyandbob]

The big fourth of July events are great, BUT you will be in insane crowds. That's OK for some people. I'm not s I'd do it with a 2yo. My then 5yo nd I got separated at a crowded zoo event nice and it was very scary--the park police were very helpful and reunited us quickly. But I still won't do that again.

 

The folklife festival is set up on the Mall that week (folklife events occur on weekends, plus July 4). I like the folklife festival, but again crowds. It is a chance to see some craftspeople and musicians and learn about parts of the world nd US.

 

In addition to crowds, DC is typically hot, humid and has thunderstorms. With the thunderstorm, the events you would hope to be part of that week may be cancelled.

 

Because of the crowds focus on the things you've listed and have other stuff to do as a bonus. Don't plan so many things tat the trip is unpleasant because you can't keep the pace with the crowds nd your small children.

 

 

[Lilaclady]

Natural history museum is a Lot of fun for kids, also the air and space museum

[AnIslandGirl]

If you don't mind holiday hotel rates, I'd think it would be a wonderful experience to be in the capitol for the 4th of July! Busy, yes, but the patriotic spirit would be lovely to be a part of. I'd pick a hotel in the heart of your sightseeing wishes. Our favorite for a longer stay is the Hay-Adams, as they have suites with a separate bedroom. After a few days, the single room hotel thing just doesn't work for us, especially if you need an oasis during a busy/ crowded week of fun!

 

From what I remember, the week metro pass is about $50 per person ages 5+ (4 and under are free).

[Amy in NH]

We were just there a few weeks ago. We were on a tight budget, so ymmv. I used the washington.org website along with pages linked from their websites to plan our trip. I printed off museum floor plans, special exhibits, and docent led tours so that we could see the things that interested us the most. They will send you a free planning guide which includes maps.

 

The Smithsonian is a whole bunch of different museums. It would take a month to see everything in the Smithsonian Museums. If your boy loves science, you'd want to see the Natural History and Air & Space Museums. The space shuttle is at a second Air & Space Museum building in Chantilly, VA. They also have some other notable aircraft there, but not really any hands-on exhibits for the kids. We are all glad we went, but my kids are older than yours. The guided tours were fascinating! All of them are open 10-5.

 

The National Zoo was fabulous! Parking can be difficult to find, though. I can imagine it will be a nightmare during the July 4th week.

 

We took a DC by Foot tour of the National Monuments at dusk. It was wonderful~! We got lucky and happened to get a full moon over the reflecting pool at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial. Amazing!

 

Bureau of Engraving and Printing was very interesting.

 

The Botanic Garden was great. I think young kids would enjoy that.

 

If you contact your Congressional representatives ahead of time, you can get a better tour of the Capitol than if you just show up to the visitor's center there. Although I imagine they could already be booked for the holiday weeks.

 

For our family, the Metro would have been more expensive than paying for parking. I don't think you'll find parking during July 4th, though, and for a family of four I imagine the Metro would be more cost effective. We were able to pack our lunch and keep it in the car for afternoon retrieval. We got a few snacks based on recommendations on the washington.org website, and while the food was good the owner/manager of the Amsterdam Falafel place was such a jerk that I would never go back. You can order Metro passes in advance from their website.

 

That said, I wouldn't touch DC with a 10-foot pole during 4th of July. We planned our trip to happen just after the Cherry Blossom Festival so that we wouldn't be elbow-to-elbow with other tourists. It was lovely! If I were planning an upcoming trip to DC now, I would plan it for fall after all the tourists have gone back to school. One of my favorite benefits of homeschooling is to plan our vacations when the destinations are less crowded.

[kentuckymom]

Thanks for the advice so far! We don't mind crowds, and we always wear the two year old in a carrier in crowded areas, so there's no fear of losing her. I'll share with DH what 4th of July week would probably be like and see what he thinks. The Metro passes are pricier than I hoped, but, since DD is free, it may end up being the cheapest option.

 

It never occurred to me that contacting my representative could get me a superior tour of the Capitol. Should I just call/email his office once we've set our dates and ask about it?

 

Oh, and we're afterschoolers, so going during the summer is nonnegotiable. It's pretty hot and humid in Kentucky, too, so I think we can handle the weather, and can always hide in a museum during a thunderstorm :).

[KungFuPanda]

If you can handle KY, DC is pretty much the same in the summer. Just brace yourselves for extreme crowds and enjoy the trip. If you like long walks, you'll probably be fine. Personally, I would never fight the July 4th crowds. If you go in late June, it shouldn't be too muggy or crowded yet. You might want to do one day in Baltimore just because it's right there and your kids would enjoy the aquarium and science center.

 

I don't know if White House tours have resumed, but when they do be prepared to plan waaaay ahead for them because it takes time to run security on everyone. If it's any consolation, the white house bored my kids and they liked everything else better. I believe they were 7 and 4 when we did that tour.

 

If you want a day off from he crowds, take a picnic to the arboretum. It's free parking and big enough that the kids can run around off-leash :-) Mt Vernon also has parking, and is a great way to spend the day, but you pay to get in.

[unsinkable]

If you can't take the elevator to the top of Washington Monument for whatever reason, you can go to the Old Post Office and go to the top of their clock tower. It's open air and the views are spectacular!

 

They have a food court in there, too.

 

You're also near Ford's Theatre.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

We go in to DC every year for the 4th of July. Sometimes we metro, sometimes we drive in. We always find parking. All permit parking is free and open on weekends and holidays, most people don't know that. We usually get spots very close to the mall area.

 

I don't really think the crowds are that bad, outside of the museums anyways. The museums are ridiculous on the 4th, don't even bother.

 

We like to spend some time at the folklife festival on the mall, then go to the zoo. The zoo isn't as crowded as museums and such, plus they turn the mist machines on. Then we go back to the mall area for an early dinner and head over to the monument for fireworks.

 

They have big pallets of free bottled water all over the Mall.

 

It's so hot. I highly recommend that if you come that week, you get tickets for the double decker bus, or the trolley. They stop at all the sights and you don't have to walk to each monument/place of interest.

 

This year, we have a baby (he'll be 8 months) so I got us a hotel room downtown. It has an indoor pool that we can spend the hottest part of the day in. Then we'll go to dinner, and pick a spot for fireworks.

 

After fireworks is the biggest crowd issue. They evacuate everyone off the mall immediately. So if your hotel isn't within walking distance to the mall, you'll be waiting for a long time to get on the metro. I'm talking hours. That's the only part that sucks. We can actually get out of the city faster when we drive in.

[Amy in NH]

The White House and Washington Monument are both still closed right now. Who knows about July, though.

[redsquirrel]

I have family in DC and they always leave for the fourth, lol. And my one piece of advice would be to NOT go there in the summer. OMG,I have never experienced heat and humidity like that. Blerg.

 

Lots of DC things are now closed. Lots of DC things need tickets ahead of time etc. Make sure you check that out before you go. If you want to go up the Washington Monument (and it is closed right now) be aware that you take a scheduled tour and you need a ticket. The tickets are free but you need them ahead of time, or at least that was how it was the last few times I was there. There are a few other things like that. Just know what you can show up for on your own time, and what needs a ticket or needs to be scheduled by your congress critter or whatever. Some stuff is closed on Mondays, etc.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I have family in DC and they always leave for the fourth, lol. And my one piece of advice would be to NOT go there in the summer. OMG,I have never experienced heat and humidity like that. Blerg.

 

Lots of DC things are now closed. Lots of DC things need tickets ahead of time etc. Make sure you check that out before you go. If you want to go up the Washington Monument (and it is closed right now) be aware that you take a scheduled tour and you need a ticket. The tickets are free but you need them ahead of time, or at least that was how it was the last few times I was there. There are a few other things like that. Just know what you can show up for on your own time, and what needs a ticket or needs to be scheduled by your congress critter or whatever. Some stuff is closed on Mondays, etc.

 

 

Lots of things are closed? The White House and Washington Monument are closed. How is that lots of things??

 

The heat and humidity is a lot yes. It's not as bad as New Orleans or Orlando in July, not even close. And for a few years now, we've had storms on the 4th, so it can actually be a bit cloudy part of the day.

 

There are some things that require tickets in advance. If you didn't get to any of those, it would not affect your trip at all, you would still get to see most everything. You might have to wait a while for the Capitol tour, but that is par for the course.

 

OP, we live in the area and are there pretty regularly. If summer is the only time you can go, I would absolutely go. And 4th of July here is really neat, and fun. The crowds really aren't that bad if you are used to them and don't mind them. As an extrovert, I don't mind crowds at all, and I actually like being part of a big celebratory family friendly crowd, and that us what we've always experienced in DC on the 4th.

 

If you want to make things easier; stay in a hotel within walking distance to the Mall and get passes to ride the double decker bus (opentopsightseeing.com). Dress for the heat and bring sunscreen. You'll have a great time :)

[UrbanSue]

Definitely, definitely contact your member of congress as soon as your dates are finalized. There are several things you can only get tickets for that way.

 

You know your family but the crowds plus the heat for the Fourth might kill it for me. We used to live there and watched the fireworks from our roof and otherwise avoided downtown that week. But if you like crowds, it could definitely be fun. How humid is Kentucky? The humidity of DC is what is really awful--it's a former swamp. And there can be almost daily thunderstorms but they are generally late afternoon and brief. DC has the most predictable weather of anywhere I've ever lived.

 

We are big walkers so we walk everywhere but most people wouldn't describe DC as a "walking city". I think the Mall is two miles end-to-end and there is only one Metro stop on the Mall (in the middle) so you can really wear yourself out walking.

 

We always took guests to see the monuments at night. They are all lit up, the air is cooler, and the crowds are smaller. It was a huge hit. It's safe to do so if you stick to the more traveled paths.

 

We love DC--have a great time!

[Dahliarw]

We stayed across the river (Alexandria area?) and took the metro in. We were just a couple stops out from the mall, it took maybe 10 minutes? I can't remember for sure, but it was a terrific location.

 

There are A LOT of Smithsonian musuems. My kids actually really likes the American History museum. If you go to the info desk, they have scavenger hunt type maps for kids of varying ages. My kids loved going through the exhibits trying to find everything. And of course the space museum was a hit. The natural history museum was a huge bust, other than the dinosaurs they didn't find the rest interesting at all.

 

One must do on my list is to go have lunch at the native american museum. There is one food place there in the food court that has "sampler" plates of foods from each different region of tribes. It was super yummy, and educational. We got 2 of the big plates and then one smaller plate from another place that just sounded good and it fed our family of 5 (2 adults, 3 littles).

 

If you go to the washington monument or capitol, be aware that nothing other than a small purse or camera bag is allowed inside. There are no lockers. You also need tickets to go tour the capitol, which you can get ahead of time (same with the Washington Monument if it is open). We didn't know that about the monument, and there were none available for the days were were there, so get them well ahead if it is open.

 

If you have time, Arlington National Cemetery is very interesting to visit. There is a tram tour that you can buy tickets for that drops you off around the cemetary and then you can pick whatever tram next to get back on. It gets you to all the "highlights".

 

One of our favorites was Mt. Vernon. It's beautiful! Very interesting too, and lots of room for kids to run around, which is nice if you've spent the last few days walking around quiet museums. It was one of my favorite things when we went on the trip.

 

If you're into ethnic food, the DC area is well known for excellent Ethiopian food. I highly recommend looking on Yelp near where you'll be staying and pick a place to try. My kids absolutely loved it, and the couple of restaurants we went to were good about making milder dishes for the kids.