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Planning Trip to Washington DC.....Please HELP!


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Hi,

 

My family and I are planning a post-inauguration trip to the DC area. Although I want it to be a fun experience for my girls (8 & 5) I also want to incorporate some enrichment activities (which can also be fun) that we can do while we are there.

 

Any suggestions would be most welcome!!

 

Thanks!!

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Hi,

 

My family and I are planning a post-inauguration trip to the DC area. Although I want it to be a fun experience for my girls (8 & 5) I also want to incorporate some enrichment activities (which can also be fun) that we can do while we are there.

 

Any suggestions would be most welcome!!

 

Thanks!!

 

There are plenty of museums downtown. Those alone can keep you busy, entertained and educated.

 

I also highly recommend a trip to Mt. Vernon.

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Here is a wealth of information that I saved from a previous post. I am sooooooo sorry I don't have a name to give credit to. My family has not yet made this trip yet, but this post seems better than any tour-book available! Again....I am not the original poster. I am just a grateful reader who happen to save the info......

Thanks to the original poster!! This may even be a collaboration of posts. I am not sure, and feel very bad about not knowing:grouphug:

Please forgive my oversite...

 

I loved the Lincoln memorial. It was so massively big! I had only ever looked at photos and about died and its size! I m just not sure if your kids would be so impressed.... but I sure was at 16!

 

The Smithsonian was also very cool... dinosaurs... Hope diamond. Lots of different things to see their.....

 

I would also love to tour the white house... but again... might not be ideal for younger kids...

 

Natural History is really fun. You need a good chunk of time for that.

 

My absolute favorite place in the city is the National Art Gallery. My girls like it too.

 

The Archives is really overwhelming (in a good way)- especially if you've studied American history already. My girls just thought it was amazing to stand there and see the real John Hancock signature.

 

Most people like the Air and Space Museum. It's fine. The biggest problem is that the most interesting things are out at the Dulles/Chantilly portion of it. So you have to have a car to get there. Since I live here I don't know if hotels or anyone offers shuttle service.

 

I haven't been in years but the Treasury Department tour used to be really fun.

 

Washington Monument is really great but you have to get there early in the morning to get tickets. The tickets are free but you have to get them and they are first come-first serve.

 

Remember the museums are free so if you just want to pop in and see something, then move on, you can do that.

 

I take the kids up there yearly (my dad works up there). I think a lot depends on if you have access to a car or not.

 

If you'll be in/around the Mall:

- Natural History is a great favorite

- Air & Space is good if you like that type of thing. Also, you can get a shuttle bus from there out to the Dulles location. And, right now, since Am. History is closed, there is a small display from Am. History in the Air & Space Musuem. It is a fantastic display & has so many great things packed into a small space. I hope, hope, hope that this is indicative of the types of things they'll have out in Am. History when it reopens. There are also markers (?) starting in front of Air & Space that run all the way up the Mall sidewalk to show the relative distance of the sun/planets in our solar system.

- Native Am. Musuem is good, again if you like that. Really, the top floor is the main display area, so you could go in & just head immediately to the 4th floor (what they recommend). There is an awesome movie upstairs (but it was broken last time we were there). The food court is a great place to eat for something a little different. They offer a variety of Native Am. foods from the different geographic regions. My dd loves getting a flatbread w/ honey, so we usually stop in there for a snack.

- The outdoor sculpture gardens are neat & fun to walk through.

- The Asian art gallery (name escapes me right now) does kids' projects/activities on the weekend (I'm thinking Sunday). We stumbled on it (too late in the day for us), but check their website. The project looked so cool & this is something they regularly offer. I don't think you sign up ahead of time, just go there that day at the correct time.

- The Smithsonian Castle doesn't have a huge amount in it; however, it does have one wing that has a display case w/ things from each of its museums. That's a pretty neat way to get an overview of the museums & what each one has to offer. A carriage driver told us that you can get breakfast in the Castle (I think starting at 8:30), so you could go there first, eat, and plan your day on the Mall.

- The Postal Museum is actually really cool & has some neat things to see.

 

I agree that the evening tour of monuments is great. We did that a couple of years ago. The FDR Memorial is amazing.

 

If you have a way to get over to Mt. Vernon, do it. We love Mt. Vernon & go see it every year. The grounds are extensive, so it's best if you have the time to go & spend many hours. If you don't have a car there, you can get a bus tour to take you over there &/or get a boat tour of the Potomac that will drop you there for a couple of hours. They've recently opened a new museum on the grounds & it is a fantastic museum & that's on top of all the other things on the grounds. And, if you're in a car, a few miles from Mt. Vernon are George Washington's Gristmill & Distillery, which are very cool to see. It is small over there, but it has never been crowded, so you can get a very up close & personal tour. We usually take a picnic w/ us there & eat on the grounds by the creeks. Lovely little place to take a break. (Can't take food into the grounds of Mt. Vernon, though.)

 

My other tidbit is that DC has so many great outdoor/public spaces. Take a small cooler bag w/ you (drinks/snacks) & be sure to stop & enjoy. Most of the musuems on the Mall close at 5 or 5:30, but we usually would hang out on the Mall, have snacks, and play (small fabric frisbee is great to keep in your bag). That way, we avoided the rush hour on the metro.

 

The zoo is nice, but quite hilly. If you go there, online for the metro map about the zoo. It will tell you to get off at one station to start the day (puts you at the top of the hills in the zoo) & then leave by another station (which is near the bottom of the hilly zoo).

 

Once we did a horse & carriage tour around the Mall & that was really fun & informative. The carriage driver told us that you can actually pay to get Washington Monument tickets (vs. just arriving really early). Check the website for details.

 

Alexandria, VA is lovely & is a nice place to walk around, eat dinner, etc....

 

The ideas given are great and will keep you busy enough for a long time...but here are a few ideas slightly more off the beaten path....

 

Building Museum- Is a huge, gorgeous building. Highlights exhibits about building/architecture. My husband is an architect and we go here a lot...but it has wide appeal. There is an exhibit on green architecture that is really cool, sometimes an exhibit using tools as art, and other cool stuff. The foyer is enormous and great for kids to run around in. It's rarely crowded and has a children's room that I hear is great but I've never been to since it's usually closed on Sundays when we go. It's also FREE and has a nice cheapish cafe inside with sandwiches and baked goods. (You'll find that most museums offer only really expensive food and it's mediocre, the other notable exception is the American Indian Museum someone else mentioned, the food there is really good and has even been written up in a local magazine as one of the best Cheap Eats.) Also has a great bookstore. It's not right on the mall (assuming you know that is the big open space where the musuems and monuments are), but shouldn't be hard to fine...I think it's at H and 7th but you could look on a map. If you're driving it's a great place to park as there is usually more parking than right on the mall and it's not too much of a walk to the mall and the rest of the museums. One more selling point is that it's very near Chinatown....which overall has become very un-Chinese (my husband is also Chinese) but can be a fun place to eat and find good cheap food.

 

Renwick Gallery- Also a Smithsonian Museum although lesser known. Is also off the mall, although only about a block or two. It's close to the White House. It is a museum of American craft. They currently have an exhibit of pioneer quilts in their temp exhibit space and upstairs have some cool permanent collections. Also FREE.

 

National Cathedral. Also FREE. Is up Wisconsin AVe. Is not near a lot of other sights but is fun to see. You can go up in the tower for good views. If you go there right across the street are two GREAT restaurants, Cactua Cantina (Mexican) and Two Amy's (pizza). Both are super kid-friendly ( I have a 4 yr old and almost 1 yr old).

 

Corocoran Museum- More modern art. You do have to pay admission but they have an exhibit there now I've been meaning to go to that is photography of Annie Liebowitz and Ansel Adams.

 

There is also a Tuner exhibit at the National Gallery that is supposed to be good.

 

Finally, if you are walking on the mall, on each side is a sculpture garden (one is the National Gallery and one is the Hirschorn). They are fun to walk through and have kind of funky modern sculptures. My son thinks it's fun to see them. The National Gallery Sculpture Garden has a fountain that in winter is used as an ice-skating rink and they have opened a new outdoor cafe there that I think is supposed to be good.

 

That's probably more than you need. We try to go into DC (we live in Northern Virginia) at least once a month to take advantage of the great things here.

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We went last September. My sil gave us a book, DK Eyewitness Travel Washington, D.C. It was a great resource. The funny thing though, the places we "thought" we'd want to see didn't interest us as much as some that people had told us "not to worry about seeing".

 

Advice:

1-For a family of 6, we spent $50-60 on just lunch. It's VERY expensive downtown. But you won't have time to take the Metro back to your hotel just to eat. So just plan for expensive lunches/meals.

 

2-We only saw a few things, but we reallly enjoyed them. There's so much to see, pick a few. Don't try to do too many things in one day. The Metro takes time, walking takes time etc...etc....

 

We went to the WWII Memorial, Vietnam, Korean Memorials, Abraham Lincoln, The Mall and Washington Monument. We saw a few museums too. Oh, we were able to go in the Archives too. That was great! We only had 2 days (we were there for a wedding) and we were flat out exhausted from walking. So be ready. But it's WONDERFUL!!!

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Tours of:

The White House

The Capitol Building

The FBI Headquarters

The Holocaust Museum

The many Smithsonian museums (American History, Art, Modern Art, Science and Industry, Aerospace, etc)

Mt. Vernon

Arlington Cemetery

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln monuments

National Archives

Library of Congress

Ford's Theatre (Where Lincoln was shot and the house across the street where he was taken)

Boat ride down the Potomac

Federal Reserve building

 

 

This should keep you busy and educated for a day or two. ;)

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you could easily spend four or five days in the FREE Smithsonian museums, don't forget the zoo. We also loved our trip to Ford's Theater and to Mount Vernon. Have fun! We had trouble finding places to eat (for a reasonable amount of money) but if you have a car you can drive a little to find something.

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I went as an eighth grader. My favorites at that time were the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the American History Smithsonian, and we made a side trip down to Williamsburg which I thought was REALLY neat. I also remember taking a ride down Embassy Row and seeing all the flags. I'm so jealous. I can't wait to go back with my own brood. Have fun!!!

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Definitely, definitely the zoo if you have the time and the weather's nice, though as a previous poster mentions, it's quite hilly. But pandas! :001_smile:

 

My girls absolutely loved the Botanical Gardens. I don't think anyone's mentioned that yet. Again, the gorgeous outside grounds might not be as great, depending on when exactly you're planning to visit, but there are exhibits and indoor things year-round.

 

We haven't made it yet, but there's a Butterfly Garden now at the National History Museum, and we're definitely excited about seeing it. Besides, with the ocean hall and dinosaurs there, Natural History definitely has a variety of interesting things for kids.

 

Just a few more things to consider! You'll certainly have plenty to do and see. Have a great visit!

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Since your children are relatively young, then I would consider skipping the Capitol since it is a relatively long tour with not much interest for little ones and the US Mint is not worth the wait IMO.

 

If you go during a busy time, then you can skip the Washington Monument and see some great views from the tower at the Old Post Office Pavilion.

 

I would personally recommend:

1. The zoo (unless you already visit a great zoo frequently). The zoo is undergoing major renovations, but it still has tons to offer. The tip about getting on and off at different Metro stops is definitely the way to go.

2. Natual history museum - this can be very crowded so figure out what you really want to see. The rock and gem gallery is great and they have a very good insect area.

3. American History Museum - I haven't been after the major renovation (will probably go this spring), but they have such a mix of things that there will be something worth seeing

4. National Archives - this stop is usually left out by most, but it doesn't take long to see our most impressive documents

 

What to skip:

Spy museum (interesting for older children), aquarium (even newly renovated it is still bad), Holocaust museum (for older children), Air & Space (unless your dc love rockets and planes), Hirshhorn museum (modern art - good if your children appreciate that), Arlington cemetary (lots of walking, little to see), Newseum

 

What to consider:

Botanical gardens (can be combined with walking by the Capitol and the American Indian museum), American Indian museum (can be done quickly and they have interesting food in the cafeteria), National Gallery of Art (this has 2 wings to it so definitely decided what you want to see before you go), Iwo Jima (have the changing of the guard ceremony - I forget which day), FDR memorial, Lincoln memorial, WWII memorial (the Lincoln, WWII, and Jefferson memorials are not super close to metro stops)

 

Eating in the museums can be expensive, but if you go to Metro Center, Old Post Office Pavillion, or even Union Station, then you can find cheaper food.

 

Let me know if you have questions regarding specific attractions.

 

Christina

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We are planning our trip to Washington as well. We will be there in May. I went to Barnes and Noble and purchased a few books. One for the kids and one for me. I have just cracked the surface. lol I did contact our concressional office and asked for tickets. They had a list of tickets we could request. So far, we have received confirmation for a tour at the Capital. Still waiting on the tours listed below. Can't wait to what other advice you get. Sandy

 

The White House

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing

The Kennedy Center

The Library of Congress

 

 

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We have 2 teen boys and managed to do 2 venues a day, going from opening at 10am till closing at 6pm -- and that is a LOT of walking and standing and time. If our boys had been young, I would have planned on taking no more than 4 hours in a day and just seeing 1 venue. It was an incredible experience, and I'm SO glad we did it! Hope you'll enjoy your time! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

 

Accomodations

Be very sure the neighborhood your hotel is in a safe area-- there are some VERY bad neighborhoods right around the Washington DC mall area. We stayed in the Clarion Collection Hotel Arlington Court Suites, and it was about a 2 block walk to the metro station, through a safe neighborhood.

 

This hotel would normally have been way out of our price range, but because 4 of our 5 nights there were Fri, Sat, Sun and a Mon. holiday, the price averaged out to about $165/night. It was a VERY nice room, with silverware, dishes, and cookware in the kitchen, full size fridge, range top for cooking, etc.

 

address: 1200 N. Courthouse Rd., Arlington, VA, US, 22201

phone: (703) 524-4000

website: http://www.arlingtoncourthotel.com/

 

Your choices for lodging are not cheap, whether within walking distance, metro distance or driving distance. Plus there is usually a $10-$15/day parking fee at most hotels, and roundtrip metro will cost you about $10 per day (for the whole family) -- or it will cost $12-20/day to park, if you can find parking.

 

 

Food

We stopped at a Trader Joe's on the way into the hotel and bought microwaveable dinners and lunch foods, which we keep in the hotel room fridge. So we made our own dinners and packed lunches to take to the DC Mall each day. The hotel served a free, all-you-can-eat breakfast (lots of variety!) each day. And one night they also offered a free dinner buffet!

 

We ate our packed lunch on a park bench each day in the Sculpture Gardens

and enjoyed walking around and looking at the sculptures.

 

 

What to See

Wonderful things to see and do -- but it all involves a lot of walking and standing, so be careful not to overdo for your 5yo. The Holocaust Museum is a profound experience -- but NOT for anyone under age 12. Also, while it was great to see the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence at the National Archive, it was about a 2 hour wait in line to do so -- and the Declaration is so faded, you can hardly see any writing on it at all. :(

 

All of the below are free:

 

Sights young children would probably enjoy:

- Smithsonian Natural History Museum

- Smithsonian Arts & Industry Museum

- National Zoo

 

Other possible sights:

- Smithsonian Flight and Aerospace Museum

- Smithsonian American History Museum

- National Art Gallery

- American Indian Museum

 

If it's a nice day, walking around the monuments is very nice. I personally found the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Wall Memorial very moving (don't know as though they would have as much meaning to young children, though.) The Iwo Jima Statue is really amazing up close. You have to arrive very early to get free timed tickets to go up in the Washington Memorial. We spent a morning at Arlington National Cemetery to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, to see the JFK gravesite, and tour the Robert E. Lee mansion -- all of which was very moving, but I don't think would be very interesting to young children

 

If you think your 5yo is up for it, do write (or get on their website and email) to one of your state's congressmen and get signed up for free timed tickets for a tour of the Capitol Building. It is astounding -- I had NO idea the Capitol is so stuffed with art!

 

An option that might be good for having young children would be to pay for a guided bus ride tour around the DC Mall.

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We live just outside of DC and have kids around the ages of your dds. We moved here two years ago and we have really been doing the area up since we got here. If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me. A few notes:

 

As far as tours of the White House -- you need to schedule those in advance with your congressman/woman's or senator's office. You usually need a couple of months notice to get the reservations. IMO, not worth the effort. It is no longer a "tour" with a guide, just a walk through, with very little information. (Unless it has changed since Obama took office, but I think he has been busy with other things. lol) I second skipping the Capitol tour -- we just did that and it is a bit dry for the younger crowd.

 

My kids love the National Gallery of Art (the only Leonardo da Vinci in the Western hemisphere), the Air & Space, Natural History and the American History Museums on the Mall. The Archives is pretty cool, too (especially if they have seen National Treasure movie lol). One a lot of people miss that is really nice is the National Portrait Gallery -- all the presidents' portraits are there and they have a children's scavenger hunt in the American art wing. Oh, and if you are here before March 22, the West Gallery of the National Gallery of Art has an exhibit on Pompeii that my kids enjoyed -- they have a really nice activity booklet for the kids that takes them on a scavenger hunt of the exhibit. Lots of Roman gods and such.

 

The zoo is a good day trip, but if it is nice out, it can get really crowded. I guess it depends where you are coming from -- I think zoos in some of the other big cities are just as nice and if you have to choose between a zoo and a historical site, I would say go with the history. If it is warm enough you have to walk the stretch from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol. Really nice. And my kids loved the ride to the top of the Washington Monument -- but you have to get tickets for it. Free, but you need them.

 

Mount Vernon is a lot of fun, but farther outside the city. If you have a car, it is worth the drive, though.

 

Hope that helps!

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Oh...and one more thing. I noticed some people mentioned the Holocaust Museum. It is VERY well done and VERY moving/emotional. BUT, not really for a 5 and 8 yo. They have a kids' section that tells the Holocaust from the perspective of a young boy. That is fine, if you prepare them. It is sad, but they do a good job of keeping it on a kid level. But I tried to take my 11 yo through the adult portion of the museum and wound up having her close her eyes for most of it. Even though she is very mature and has read Anne Frank, understands the events of the time, it was too much in many rooms. I have been to Auschwitz in Poland and I still found many of the exhibits emotionally overwhelming.

 

Just an fyi. I think it is something worth seeing, just be prepared to go through the museum separately, while the other parent stays with the kids.

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I would buy Frommer's Washington DC with (for?) Kids. It has all the hours and fees of attractions -- and tell you which places require advance tickets. There is so much to see, but I have found this to be a real help -- and I used to spend a lot of time inside the Beltway. My other advice would be to remember that the blocks around the Mall are REALLY long, so when you look at a map, don't think "only one block". We really like the DC Ducks -- it's an amphibious boat/bus tour -- your feet get a rest & tempers improve!

 

ETA The subway in DC is high tech, fun, and safe -- kids love the flashing lights.

Edited by Alessandra
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We lived out there for the military and the one thing I can recommend is getting aquainted with the metro and it's stops. Try to avoid changing lines (blue line, yellow line, etc) It makes things a little less chaotic.

 

Be aware potty stops are hard to find sometimes and we had a couple of accidents with little ones. Recon, recon for potties! Bring extra clothes--wish we had a couple of times.

 

We lived three miles from Mt. Vernon in Lorton, VA. Hotels are a bit cheaper in that neck of the woods, so are restaurants. Mt. Vernon is really nice.

 

I second bringing lots of snacks--food out and about is a killer.

 

If you can get in touch with your Congressman that is the way to go. We lived there for 8 months and NEVER could get any freebies out of ours. :confused:

 

Monticello is a great stop if you are driving that way. I recommend reading The Hatmaker's Sign prior to that stop for little kids.

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Here's what I would do. As soon as you get there and settled go to Union Station and do a HOHO (Hop on/Hop off) bus tour. They have a place to buy tickets right out front. You can ride the circuit once to see where all they stop and then plan stuff you want to do from there. Last time we went, we did the tour after some other stuff and wished we'd done it first. If you get a good tour guide, the trip itself is worth it. They also stop at most of the major attractions that others have listed.

 

Julie

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We're just a couple hours away and have been planning a similar trip- and our kids are about the same ages as yours.

 

Many other people have already suggested these, but I would add my vote for:

 

the monuments, in general- especially the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument

 

the Air & Space Museum

 

the American History Museum

 

The whole mall area is also nice for kids because there is just so much open area around to run, jump, or whatever it is you need to do!

 

And also the zoo, of course. :)

 

If you do have time, Mt. Vernon, Monticello, or Williamsburg are very nice too.

 

Also if you have time and want to head in the other direction, the Baltimore Aquarium is impressive.

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I highly recommend this book for the kids. It has just enough information. Heck, I love it as well. It's really helping me plan. The other book I bought was Frommer's Washington DC 2009. It had a cool pull out map inside. http://www.amazon.com/Kids-Guide-Washington-D-C/dp/0152061258/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234352231&sr=8-1 I also bought the kids their own maps. It comes with stickers for them to place on the places they visit in Washington. I thought it was neat. My kids are 4 and 7. http://www.amazon.com/Guy-Fox-Washington-Childrens-Map/dp/1904711081/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234352478&sr=8-1

 

Sandy

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First-start hitting websites for all the museums you are interested in. Many will give hours, directions, etc. Many also have educational info designed for field trips that you might find useful in preparing for the trip.

 

Second-try looking for a temporary apartment. There are lots of apartment finding companies in DC (corporate apartments) and they often rent for as short a term as one week. You would probably get a place with TV, full kitchen with dishes, baths, sometimes a washer and dryer, a gym, etc. What ever the complex has to offer. They are typically situated near (walking distance) a metro stop in either DC or northern VA and also near a grocery store. Lots of grocery stores in DC are like Trader Joe's and you can pick up everything for breakfast and dinner either pre-made or from a buffet. Lunch is more difficult but sometimes you just have to eat in the museum or find a place like Subway not to far away. A few malls and office buildings near the mall have food courts.

 

Third-everyone else has pretty much recommended all the museums.

However, Smithsonian Air and Space used to have a shuttle (free?) out to the annex at the Dulles airport with return. Also-you might enjoy the National Cathedral if you want to see a modern take on the classic Gothic cathedral.

 

Have a great time!

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Thank you to all who responded!!!!!!!! I have already printed out a map and am marking away at the places we want to visit.

 

I will post when we get back from out trip and tell how it all went. We are all very, very excited!!

 

Thanks again and have a great day!

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