Petrichor Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 What should we see, what should we pass on? There looks like so much to do, but we're only going for 3 days. I was tasked with "planning" the activities, did some googling, and promptly declared that we should just move there for a year if we want to actually see everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 (edited) I wish I lived closer to DC, I'd visit every year! What you see will really depend on interests and ages. Here's my two cents from our trip several years ago: We *loved* the zoo but many people don't. We may have lucked out in the panda department the day we went. We spent a lot of time at the Hirshhorn art museum. We went to the National Gallery to see specific works. (Davinci, Goldsworthy especially) We liked the Postal Museum. We liked all the monuments and the Einstein statue (across the street from The Wall, iirc). We enjoyed the National Cathedral and chose a day with an organ demonstration. Have fun! Eta: imo, the monuments are a "must". . Edited April 11, 2017 by happi duck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 This is what we did when we lived there for a year. :) http://amiralace.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-final-list.html And my favorites http://amiralace.blogspot.com/p/washington-dc-things-to-do.html 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 There's a couple of threads here. I will say the best touristy thing we did is the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. The guide was lovely and it was actually cool to see the currency printed. It's free but you need tickets ahead of time. I took DS and a friend, they also found the Air and Space cool and we did one of their free tours. Best thing I did was stay in a hotel with indoor pool; the boys would swim every night while I put my feet up to collapse 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clemsondana Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 We saw a lot of Smithsonians (if you have kids who would like it, the 2nd Air and Space at Dulles is neat - very popular with my boy!). I love the documents at the National Archives. Surprise hits were the tour of the Supreme Court and also the Library of Congress (we got a tour guide who knew a lot - the architecture is amazing). Most buildings close at 5, so we did tours and museums during the day and saw monuments outside at night. My daughter loved watching money get made. The tour of the capitol is very scripted, so although it's neat to see, you don't get the same passion and funny stories that we found with some of the other places that have volunteer docents. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 My family used to see musicals at Wolf Trap years ago. I don't know if it still does musicals but I know there are musical performers. We would picnic on the lawn while we watched. That's where I first saw Brigadoon as a teen. It was awesome. http://www.wolftrap.org/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Is your signature up to date? It looks like you have an 8 year old DS and a 1 year old DD. I would definitely spend time at the Air & Space museum and the Natural History museum. Maybe the Spy Museum, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and National Archives. Everything else really depends on your kids, their interests, and how much walking/museums they can handle. We got a book called "Washington DC for Kids" or something like that when we were there in 2013, when my kids were 11 and 9, and it had very good suggestions for kid-friendly itineraries for different ages. Be prepared for a LOT of walking. I'd definitely bring a stroller for the 1 year old. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Good point about walking... Lots and lots of walking! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Does your family have any specific interests? There's enough to do that you can cater to those whims. If you have a gardener, visit the botanical gardens or the arboretum. If you have an artist, let them choose an art museum. Do the same if you have an historian. Take an animal lover to the zoo. One kid might prefer the spy museum to the air and space museum. If you hit during summer or spring class trips, the Air and Space Museum can get miserably crowded. I avoid it unless someone begs to go. I adore the American Indian museum because it just feels so calm in there and I like their food. With three days, I'd let each person pick a place to spend a half day, then fill in with some sort of motorized city tour or a show at the Kennedy Center. Remember, it's not like Disney, so you don't HAVE to plan extensively for it all to happen. You can get away with just walking down the mall and going inside whatever museum looks interesting. Or, you can start at the Smithsonian castle, let each person pick a pamphlet for a place that interests them, then go to that place. If you can, pack a picnic. Most of the museum food is lousy and overpriced and you won't just happen upon a random McDonalds on the mall like you think you will. Picnics on the mall are awesome, even if it's just stuff you got at Subway before you got there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrichor Posted April 13, 2017 Author Share Posted April 13, 2017 Thank you everyone! I feel like I've got a good idea about what to expect/what to look for :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 The best thing we've done since moving to the DC area was to do a bus tour. It's the kind of tour where you can get on and off at any stop all day long. It gave us a great overview of what's here and what we'd like to see, without killing our feet. DD7 refuses to walk for any length of time, so that bus tour was the most pleasant day we've spent in DC. My favorite things around the mall have been: The Library of Congress and Capitol building (they're connected by an underground tunnel) Natural History Museum National Gallery of Art US Botanic Gardens We live a couple miles from the Dulles airport and the Air and Space Museum there is very cool. I've been there a few times and enjoyed it. If you go on a weekend, they have learning centers and crafts for kids. I haven't been to the DC Air and Space museum, but my 13yo toured it with his airplane obsessed friend, and he said it was pretty cool, but older and smaller than the Dulles one I second the suggestion to pack food if you can. I usually forget and it's super expensive to eat at the museums and not convenient to leave. If you will be driving, reserve a spot in a parking garage ahead of time, using an app like Parking Panda or ParkWhiz. It's not cheap, but you're guaranteed a spot all day. For my family of 6, spending $20-$30 on parking is cheaper than riding the Metro in. But if you are flying in, you may be able to manage touring the area without renting a car at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 My best advice is not to ask for too much advice. ;) You have three days. Hit the highlights. And then come back sometime. I've lived here for nearly two decades now. I still haven't seen it all... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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