Ann.without.an.e Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 We've never been to DC. I am little concerned, therefore I plan (and, yes I need to vote on that poll). We will have three days, well...2 full days and one almost full day. I'm thinking the Capitol building and the library of congress in one day. We may see the monuments in the evening of another day? I have no idea what we should plan. We want to keep costs low since the travel, hotel, and meals will already make the trip $$$. Any thoughts on what me MUST do and/or things we should skip with limited time? Thanks ya'll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 We had one day in DC and one of the things we did was the evening tour of the monuments. It was awesome! Highly recommended. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 (edited) How many children do you have, Attolia, and how old are they? We were just in DC last month on a short trip, so I may be able to help a little. I agree with the Capitol and Library of Congress; how long you spend will depend somewhat on the ages of your children, though. For us, the Library of Congress was our favorite place. Do you have time to arrange a private tour of the Capitol with your state representative? I might be worth a call. ETA: I agree with the idea of an evening view of the monuments. Great time of day for that! Edited June 9, 2016 by JoJosMom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 We had one day in DC and one of the things we did was the evening tour of the monuments. It was awesome! Highly recommended. Was this a self guided tour or paid tour? Where can I find info on an official tour? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 How many children do you have, Attolia, and how old are they? We were just in DC last month on a short trip, so I may be able to help a little. I agree with the Capitol and Library of Congress; how long you spend will depend somewhat on the ages of your children, though. For us, the Library of Congress was our favorite place. Do you have time to arrange a private tour of the Capitol with your state representative? I might be worth a call. ETA: I agree with the idea of an evening view of the monuments. Great time of day for that! We have mostly teens, the youngest is 7. I'll need to look into a tour of the capitol building. Interesting, Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 Following - we're planning a short (less than a week) trip in September. :-) We are planning on the Air and Space and Natural History museums in addition to the above and DS really wants to see the White House. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 I think the Capitol and the Library of Congress are good choices for one day, and so is doing the monuments in the evening. Spending some time in Anacostia might be fun. I like the Anacostia Community Museum and they have a very interesting exhibit right now about DC from 1963-1975. We've taken a picnic to eat there, or you can picnic at the Frederick Douglass house which is also well worth visiting. Anacostia gives you a different glimpse into DC and its history. Some interesting historical houses to visit are the Larz Anderson house and the Octagon House. My favorite Smithsonians to visit with children are the Renwick and the American Indian. My teenagers like Air and Space, Natural History, and American History. I also like the Botanic Gardens. Fort Washington is an interesting spot outside the city. It's complicated to visit the White House but I think the new visitor center is quite interesting and worth visiting. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 Was this a self guided tour or paid tour? Where can I find info on an official tour? It was paid, on a bus. I wasn't the one who made the arrangements, so I don't know which company it was, but there were *lots* of busses doing the same thing, so I think it's a big thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 (edited) There are bus, Segway, and bike tours galore in DC if you want to use those. So many. You can also conveniently rent bikes all over the place or walk for self-guided options. Lots of books have self-guided tours or you can find them online. Edited June 9, 2016 by Amira 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Will quickly share what worked for us: Our 18yo son & I enjoyed walking around the Tidal Basin (accidentally backwards) & got a reverse tour of the TJ, FDR, MLK memorials. We did the outside only of the Capitol Bldg, Wash Monument, White House, which was sufficient for us. We went to a Sunday service (& tour) at the Wash Cathedral. The Archives = Constitution & Declaration (can be a quick or as slow as you wish). The Smithsonian = maybe choose the two favorites, or split up the family? The Library of Congress was not as interesting as we expected. We could only view the actual library thru plexiglass on the balcony. We are book lovers, and it was very disappointing. There is a tour, though, which may grant access--the sign said approved researchers only could enter. Hopefully you can navigate the Metro system, to save you from driving in the city. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Will quickly share what worked for us: Our 18yo son & I enjoyed walking around the Tidal Basin (accidentally backwards) & got a reverse tour of the TJ, FDR, MLK memorials. We did the outside only of the Capitol Bldg, Wash Monument, White House, which was sufficient for us. We went to a Sunday service (& tour) at the Wash Cathedral. The Archives = Constitution & Declaration (can be a quick or as slow as you wish). The Smithsonian = maybe choose the two favorites, or split up the family? The Library of Congress was not as interesting as we expected. We could only view the actual library thru plexiglass on the balcony. We are book lovers, and it was very disappointing. There is a tour, though, which may grant access--the sign said approved researchers only could enter. Hopefully you can navigate the Metro system, to save you from driving in the city. Yes, to most of this. You can do Arlington and the National Cathedral on the same day. Two Smithsonians in a day is good. Tidal Basin and monuments in the evening is breathtaking. I think DC Ducks or something like that does free walking tours. Yes, to doing the outside of the three in bold above. We do love the Library of Congress. On our last trip this March, we had the good fortune to actually be able to go into the reading room. Very cool. It's a stunning building. Yes, to the Archives too. On our first visit a couple of years ago, a friend who'd worked at the Pentagon for many years told us not to stint on taxis. Public transportation including the Metro is excellent, but when you have a short visit, speeding up transportation times makes a difference. We used Uber in March and had some truly excellent drivers. Nearly everyone was a well-educated professional or grad student who had a wealth of information to share. We are so psyched to have a kid going to school there as we love DC in all it's craziness. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 (edited) Will quickly share what worked for us: Our 18yo son & I enjoyed walking around the Tidal Basin (accidentally backwards) & got a reverse tour of the TJ, FDR, MLK memorials. We did the outside only of the Capitol Bldg, Wash Monument, White House, which was sufficient for us. We went to a Sunday service (& tour) at the Wash Cathedral. The Archives = Constitution & Declaration (can be a quick or as slow as you wish). The Smithsonian = maybe choose the two favorites, or split up the family? The Library of Congress was not as interesting as we expected. We could only view the actual library thru plexiglass on the balcony. We are book lovers, and it was very disappointing. There is a tour, though, which may grant access--the sign said approved researchers only could enter. Hopefully you can navigate the Metro system, to save you from driving in the city. I agree with this. It is easy to get trapped in the Capitol tour -- you can't just walk out on your own. I remember when you could just walk into the Libeary of Congress. The glassed off atmosphere is off-putting. When my kids were little, we enjoyed wandering about the monuments on the Mall from the Lincoln Memorial (bigger than it looks in pictures, impressive) to the outside of Capitol, Library, and Supreme Court. Archives is nice -- you can make your visit long or short. Oh, the Postal Museum next to Union Station is uncrowded and interesting. Kids also liked Bureau of Printing and Engraving and Dumbarton Oaks. Also, Kennedy Center, great views from the roof and often free performances. Mount Vernon is lovely, but will take an entire day. National Cathedral is impressive. They do change ringing after the Sunday service -- sit outside in the gardens to hear best. OK to picnic there. Try dinner in one of the many Ethiopian restaurants in DC. I've suggested more than you could fit in, but those are some of our favorites. Almost forgot, there is a spy museum. Driving around at night is spectacular. There are also river cruises at night, but not worth the $$, IMO. I think DC Ducks is still running in the daytime, fun tours. Also look into the busses that you can hop on/hop off. Edited June 10, 2016 by Alessandra 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 I agree with this. It is easy to get trapped in the Capitol tour -- you can't just walk out on your own. I remember when you could just walk into the Libeary of Congress. The glassed off atmosphere is off-putting. When my kids were little, we enjoyed wandering about the monuments on the Mall from the Lincoln Memorial (bigger than it looks in pictures, impressive) to the outside of Capitol, Library, and Supreme Court. Archives is nice -- you can make your visit long or short. Oh, the Postal Museum next to Union Station is uncrowded and interesting. Kids also liked Bureau of Printing and Engraving and Dumbarton Oaks. Also, Kennedy Center, great views from the roof and often free performances. Mount Vernon is lovely, but will take an entire day. National Cathedral is impressive. They do change ringing after the Sunday service -- sit outside in the gardens to hear best. OK to picnic there. Try dinner in one of the many Ethiopian restaurants in DC. I've suggested more than you could fit in, but those are some of our favorites. Almost forgot, there is a spy museum. Driving around at night is spectacular. There are also river cruises at night, but not worth the $$, IMO. I think DC Ducks is still running in the daytime, fun tours. Also look into the busses that you can hop on/hop off. I forgot about Union Station! We had lunch there on our first visit and enjoyed it as well. Don't forget that hotels aren't your only option. There are some great Airbnb choices. You may be limited by the number of people in your family, but still, check it out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Will quickly share what worked for us: Our 18yo son & I enjoyed walking around the Tidal Basin (accidentally backwards) & got a reverse tour of the TJ, FDR, MLK memorials. We did the outside only of the Capitol Bldg, Wash Monument, White House, which was sufficient for us. We went to a Sunday service (& tour) at the Wash Cathedral. The Archives = Constitution & Declaration (can be a quick or as slow as you wish). The Smithsonian = maybe choose the two favorites, or split up the family? The Library of Congress was not as interesting as we expected. We could only view the actual library thru plexiglass on the balcony. We are book lovers, and it was very disappointing. There is a tour, though, which may grant access--the sign said approved researchers only could enter. Hopefully you can navigate the Metro system, to save you from driving in the city. Agree about the LOC. Even on the guided tour you only get about 30 seconds to look down into the actual library through the glass. Very disappointing. Our tour guide told us you must have prior permission to enter the library. Only those who can demonstrate that they need access for research purposes are allowed. And you have to tell them in advance which book it is that you need to see. So I wouldn't bank on getting in there. The tour itself was more about the building and the symbolism of the art, etc. than about the collections. Which is fine, and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't what I expected. We enjoyed our tour of the Capitol, scheduled through our senator's office. But it was LONG (like, three hours or more -- it took most of our afternoon). General tours and/or other offices might not be that long. But you really don't have a way out once you're in; it's not like you can just slip out the back door. OTOH, getting to ride through the underground tunnel from the Senate offices to the Capitol was super cool! Other than those two, our short trip included: Natural History Museum (Hands down dd11's favorite) National Gallery of Art (meh) National Air & Space Museum (Recommended if you've never been there or are into space/planes, otherwise I'd skip) National Archives (One of my favorites, but dd was NOT impressed. "Look, honey, it's the Constitution! That's the REAL thing!" "Yeah, I see it." I'd still go, even if all you do is pop in to see the Constitution, Declaration, and Magna Carta.) Bureau of Engraving and Printing (This was actually super cool -- I would recommend if you have time. It's free but you do have to go in person to get a ticket on the day of your visit. When tickets are gone, they're gone. They had tons when we went but YMMV.) Tour the monuments (We just walked the length of the mall on our own, stopping at each, then back up and over to the White House on Penn, and around to Lafayette Park -- which was plenty for us. Nighttime would be cool though!) National Zoo (Fine, but I wouldn't rank it top on my list -- unless you really want to see the baby pandas!) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 If you like art, see a museum. My kids adore the Hirshhorn. YMMV on that one though. My kids are art kooks. The courtyard at American Art/Portrait Gallery is really great though. And then you can grab a meal in Chinatown, which is a good place for cheap eats (I recommend the hole in the wall - almost literally - Chinatown Express - ignore the grime, get the dumplings). Of course, most people like to hit Air and Space, Natural History, and American History. All are fine. We love Natural History. American History and Air & Space never change, so meh for us locals. The Botanic Gardens are nice. Good place for a rainy day picnic if you're about to get rained out on that end of the Mall. I agree with others who are mentioning that for a short visit, just doing the walk past for things like the Capitol and White House and so forth is fine. The tours can all be fun and interesting, but I, personally, would say spend more time on doing a museum or two, though I'm a museum nut, so there's that. You can spend much longer at LOC and/or the Archives, but assuming the Archives line isn't insane, both can be pretty quick trips. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 I kind of agree that the Smithsonian museums would be better time spent than the Capitol. So many of the museums are great. The Smithsonian Castle opens earlier than the museums & you could grab a quick breakfast there. What I love is that in one end, they have a large room that has a collection case that represents each different Smithsonian museum (and a live web feed coming from the zoo). It's a great, if tiny, overview of what each museum has to offer & is a quick way to get an overview. Because it opens earlier, you can do a quick run by & then plan your day from there. If you do want to do the Capitol, I'd see if your Representative's or Senator's office could spare an intern to give you a personal tour. (Not a group tour, just a quick tour for your family only.) That way, you could keep it a little quicker &/or aimed more toward what you want. I mention this option because my dad used to work in DC a lot & knew a guy who worked on one of the Representative's offices (not even from our state). He offered to have an intern give us a tour & we showed up the next day & got a personal tour through the Capitol that way. If you do the Library of Congress, I think it's worth getting an official library card there. It's free. https://www.loc.gov/rr/readerregistration.html Agreeing with a night tour of the monuments. Very nice. Have fun! DC is an awesome place to visit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 I personally found the tour of the capital building wonderful and would highly recommend it. We went with one of our senators interns for a personal tour. My teens favorite museum was the American History Museum. The Air and Space Museum on the Mall was more interesting to us adults as there was a lot about the Apollo Space program which we remember growing up. Kids tired of it quickly. The Air and Space Museum at the airport we all agreed was one of our favorite stops. You can walk all around the space shuttle. I think all the museums held our interests for about half a day each. I highly recommend seeing the monuments at night. It was a highlight of my families visit. We walked it ourselves. One thing to keep in mind since you have a seven year old, it is two miles from the Capital to the Lincoln Memorial one way. Make sure you have your good walking shoes on. The zoo was OK. We were mostly interested in the Pandas and it gave those who were bored with history a much needed break. No matter what you do you will all agree you want to go back and do more. We spent five days there and my son and I could have spent another five with the list of places we still wanted to go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 We loved the Hirshhorn! We spent a lot of time there. At the Natl gallery we specifically wanted to see the Davinci and a piece by Andy Goldsworthy. While we were there we caught the current special exhibit. I liked being able to see the monuments at our own pace. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waa510 Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Our tour of the Capitol was great fun. We went maybe 2 yrs ago?? Do be aware that they will not allow you to bring *any* food or drinks inside of any kind. They make you toss them. Friends we were with were less than pleased with that aspect but the tour itself was really great. There was a little show that we watched that the kids really enjoyed. If you go, don't wait in line...arrange to get that rep or someone who works there who has an in to let you in. We bypassed a 4-5 hr wait that way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 You've got to do the Museum of Natural History. It's my favorite thing there: http://naturalhistory.si.edu/ Also, cupcakes: https://www.georgetowncupcake.com/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom@shiloh Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 We were just there two weeks ago. I haven't read all of the posts, but here are my thoughts: Capitol tour: if you decide to do it, arrange it through your senator or representative. We went to his office and were able to leave all of our backpacks and food there while the intern took us on a tour. It was interesting, although somewhat long and we had to wait a loooong time to get started since the place was packed with school groups. Evening tour of the memorials: we liked it. Smithsonians: all good Holocaust Museum: one of my favorites, but this time we elected to not have our 11 and 12 yo dds go through. They are super sensitive and it would have bothered them. Bureau of Printing and Engraving: Good. You need to either get these tickets well in advance or get in line by 8 am. Check Groupon for one of the hop on/hop off bus tours. You may be able to get a better deal that way. I don't think anyone has mentioned this and it's not technically in DC, but our very favorite thing of this whole trip was the Smithsonian Air and Space Annex in Chantilly, VA. It's not far from DC and it has the Enola Gay, the Space Shuttle, the Concorde, a really cool spy plane and many others. We always camp in a state park when we go and then drive to a Metro station and take the Metro in. I think it was $8 to park in the Metro station for a day. I don't know if camping is an option for you, but you could find a less expensive hotel outside the city perhaps. We always stay in Frederick, MD. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 If we do a personal tour of the capitol building with a state rep, how long do ya'll think the tour will take? Trying to decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 If you like art, see a museum. My kids adore the Hirshhorn. YMMV on that one though. My kids are art kooks. The courtyard at American Art/Portrait Gallery is really great though. And then you can grab a meal in Chinatown, which is a good place for cheap eats (I recommend the hole in the wall - almost literally - Chinatown Express - ignore the grime, get the dumplings). Of course, most people like to hit Air and Space, Natural History, and American History. All are fine. We love Natural History. American History and Air & Space never change, so meh for us locals. The Botanic Gardens are nice. Good place for a rainy day picnic if you're about to get rained out on that end of the Mall. I agree with others who are mentioning that for a short visit, just doing the walk past for things like the Capitol and White House and so forth is fine. The tours can all be fun and interesting, but I, personally, would say spend more time on doing a museum or two, though I'm a museum nut, so there's that. You can spend much longer at LOC and/or the Archives, but assuming the Archives line isn't insane, both can be pretty quick trips. The National Gallery has a brochure that gives you a chance to see just some highlighted works. I've done it with my dd and more recently with my dh. I can't wait until I can go on my own and spend all the time I want. This last time, we did see the American History Museum as it was closed on our last visit. It was somewhat overwhelming. Dh and I decided if we tackle it again, we'll do it in pieces by priority. We did spend a lot of time in the transportation section as there is a whole display that recreates a part of a street in our city and some historic landmarks. I, of course, checked out all of the First Ladies' dresses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 (edited) If we do a personal tour of the capitol building with a state rep, how long do ya'll think the tour will take? Trying to decide. Ours was about three hours, start to finish. We had gallery passes for both the House and Senate chambers, so that adds time, depending on how long you sit and listen, if anything is happening at the moment, etc. We only visited the Senate gallery and didn't sit there for very long, as we were quite tired by then. You could always contact your Senator or representative's office and ask. Ours has a link on his website specifically for tour requests and his staff were super helpful and friendly. Edited June 12, 2016 by PeachyDoodle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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