Washington DC - Minneapolis,MN

Updated on March 18, 2012
E.N. asks from Minneapolis, MN
11 answers

We are traveling to DC for 4 nights during spring break with our two sons, ages 6 & 4. What activities/tours/museums would you recommend we go to? We're planning a white house trip already. We're also going to go to the Air & Space Museum. Anyone have any insight on the International Spy Museum? Thanks!

ETA: Thank you everyone for your responses. We have already signed up for the White House through our Congressman. I think I also asked for the Bureu of Engraving & Printing. Anyone done that with young kids? I figured that they'd like seeing money being made.

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

E.:

Where are you staying?

The International Spy Museum is NOT free. Adults are $19.95 PER PERSON and children are $14.95. you can go to http://www.spymuseum.org to find out the hours they will be operating when you are here.

DO you have tickets for the White House? If not, it will require some planning. For the dates you will be visiting DC, contact your member of Congress and request tickets to tour the White House. Tours are self-guided and begin at 7:30 a.m. and run until 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The National Mall starts at the Potomac River and stretches 8 city blocks. The Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool (what you saw in Forrest Gump) start the National Mall it ends at the steps of the Capitol Building.

I don't know your children. So I can't tell you what museums to visit. I know that when my kids were 6 & 4 - they kinda rushed through museums when we wanted to read.

Inside the Air & Space museum there is a "kid zone" to try things out related to gravity, air, etc. my kids LOVE that area - STILL.

Since I live here - please feel free to PM and tell me what you would LIKE to do and I'll help you. You can purchase Metro passes on line as well. So that you can take the metro to places like Arlington Cemetery - it's on the Virginia side of the Potomac. You CAN get there by walking - from the Arlington Bridge over the Potomac - it's directly across the river from the Lincoln Memorial. And with kids - it's a LONG walk.

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K.N.

answers from Boston on

DC is one of my favorite cities! I hope you guys have a blast. I agree that the zoo is a MUST for the kids (and me!) and, since it's a Smithsonian, it's still free. One of the things we spent money on was a trolley tour (Old Town Trolley, maybe?). There's a huge our loop & you can either just stay on the trolly and ride around the city, listening to the driver narrate & tell you about where you are OR you can get off at any of the stops, tour around and then catch a later trolley. It was very informative, made it easier on the feet and allowed us to see more sites than we would have been able to if we just walked.

Also, one day we took the kids out of DC to visit George Washington's home at Mount Vernon near Alexandria, VA. A great trip!

Enjoy! DC has so much to offer!

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

The Spy Museum is fun. Been a while since we were there, but SD was pretty little and and enjoyed it. Free stuff includes all the Smithsonian museums - Natural History, Air and Space...If anyone is really into planes, there's the Dulles Annex and you only pay for parking. Go to the zoo, but skip the aquarium IN DC. Go to Baltimore for that instead. Don't eat IN the museums if you can avoid it. Go to the Old Post Office or any other food place around. Last time I was in DC, we ate at PotBelly.

ETA: The Spy Museum has a website. So does the Newseum. Check those out for details. National Geographic also has a display but what's on display at that time, I'm not sure. The Anglo Saxon Hoard was not free, but it was worth it, IMO.

If you do not already have a tour for the White House scheduled, it may not happen. You are NOT allowed anything (I was told NO bags or cameras at all, not even a diaper and wipes in a baggie) so you will need to leave everything at the hotel and go back for it.

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M.B.

answers from Austin on

I agree on the zoo.... at least when we were there, (2003), it was FREE!

We wandered all up and down the National Mall.... so many things to see! Our kids were older, though. The Air and Space museum was really great, as was just about any of the museums along that area.

http://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/directions.htm

The National Park Service has a brochure you can pick up, and the kids can fill out activities as a "Junior Ranger" ... check this out... it might also have other suggestions on what to do there.

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

We're in the DC area. So much to do.

A few hidden things your kids might like but which aren't often advertised: The American History museum has "SparkLab," a room where kids can do hands-on building and science experiments with adult helpers who are there. SparkLab is NOT open all the same hours that the museum is open so go online and check first. Many folks do not even know it's there! Directly across the hall from SparkLab is the exhibit Invention at Play which also has hands-on stuff such as a "sailboard" kids can try to "ride" and things to build with other kids.

Natural History Museum is perfect for you sons' ages. Lots of great dinosaur stuff and if they love dinos there is even a separate little shop with just dinosaur items. Natural History also has a hands-on kids room (also hidden away, also open only specific hours so check in advance) but it does require more interaction from you parents to help them pull out the fossils to handle, show them how to look through the microscopes etc.

Natural History also has IMAX movies, as does Air and Space.

Go to www.si.edu and search their calendar for kids' events at all Smithsonian museums!

Please explore children's theatre in DC! The Smithsonian has a kids' theatre right in the Ripley Building (underground, next to "The Castle" which you'll find!).

Air and Space has a planetarium; be sure to take them to one of the scheduled planetarium shows. If they just love airplanes you need to be aware that the large planes and larger miliitary planes (Concord jet, Enola Gay WWII bomber, space shuttle, stealth plane, etc.) are not at the DC location but are 30 minutes away at the Air & Space Udvar-Hazy Center out in Virginia. Well worth it IF you love planes but you would need to drive out there (admission is free but parking costs). Ask if there is any bus service between the two museums; however, I think the shuttle between them no longer is in service.

If the weather is good they will love walking around the memorials.

Personally I do not think the Spy Museum is for this age at all. We've been three times but my child is older. Most of its kids' programs are for ages 12 to 14 and up. It is very interesting to adults, and if you explain the gadgets etc. your children may find it cool -- for a while. But much of it frankly will be way over their heads -- the history involved is just too advanced for kids this age, and the gadgetry is not demonstrated or something they can experiment with hands-on. There are some hands-on things like tests to see if you can identify the spy among the people on a video, tests to try to decode things on a computer, or if you can "read" a spy satellite image to find the planes on the ground, etc. And there is an "air vent" you can crawl through to pretend to spy on people below you. But that's about it and there is a lot of reading to do for some of these activities.

You could look at the Spy Museum's web site and see if there are any kids' activities on days you are here -- they do have some kids' events and that might be the way to go. But do check the recommended ages. I'm sure four is too young. Because the museum is expensive you might want to be sure it's right for them before you go.

If the cherry blossoms are out when you get here, do go to the Tidal Basin (Jefferson Memorial area) and walk around. Do not try to drive there; there is extremely limited parking. You can walk there from the Mall but be careful -- crossing streets near the memorials area is dicey since local commuters buzz through very fast.

Be aware that food in the museum cafes is very, very expensive. A family of four like yours could easily hit $50 for one casual meal -- by the time you pay from $5.00 to $8.00 for one slice of pizza and several bucks for drinks, you're really adding it up. Choose with care and/or head outside the museums to eat. There is a food court at the Old Post Office building just off the Mall, though I don't know what choices they have there any more. And there is a food court at Union Station (train station) but it is over near the Capitol and not right off the Mall (at least not if you have tired, hungry kids in tow).

FYI regarding another post -- National Geographic no longer has the Saxon Horde exhibit; the current one is about samurai. And yes the Air and Space area where kids get to do stuff with physics is great!

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E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

The zoo is fabulous!! PANDAS!!!! I adore DC, and I cannot wait to bring my 2 boys there. The museum of natural history is cool, especially if they like dinosaurs, animals, etc. Don't count out the art museums- modern art especially can appeal to kids (Calder mobiles, light exhibit at the Hirshorn) . The National Museum of the American Indian is great, has lots of interactive displays and great food in the cafe :) Take advantage of the national museums, they are your tax dollars at work but admission is free!

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S.L.

answers from New York on

I've taken my son twice and we still havent hit the memorials or the White House. I'm waiting till he's older. He loved the Air and Space Museums-there are two not near each other, he wants to hit both every time. the Natural History Museum has a great Children's room, lot's of things to touch and move. Do that first thing one morning before it get's crowded. The Native American Museum has a great show, we both loved that. and the zoo is great!

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S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

the museum of natural history! there are no 6 and 4 year olds who do not love it!
:) khairete
S. (big smithsonian fan)

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L.H.

answers from San Diego on

I bet your six year old will love it, particularly if he's into gadgetry!

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K.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

I went to the spy museum a few years ago and loved it! I didn't have any kids with me, but my friend and I had a great time. I definitely recommend it for your family. Spend a day just seeing all of the main monuments (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, WWII, Vietnam, etc).

Have fun!
K.
need travel toys? check out http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao

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T.W.

answers from Los Angeles on

Smithsonian American Art Museum? A new exhibit on "The Art of Video Games" just opened this weekend, and will be there through September.

Might be a bit crowded :-)

http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2012/games/...

There's a bunch of photos here, which will give you a little idea of what you can expect. Adults may understand and relate to this exhibit more than your kids will at their ages, but it looks colorful enough to be entertaining, still.

ETA:
Whoops. The second link would help, I suppose >.<

http://eyelevel.si.edu/2012/02/picture-this-installing-th...

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