DC with Older Kids
 

My 9 & 10 yo sons and I may be visiting DC in late June (I know it'll be hot, but it's free) with my husband's work. We did this a year ago and went to many of the Smithsonian museums, the zoo, and some of the memorials. When I mentioned we may do it again, I got an earful of "no museums, please". Do you have any non-museum or offbeat museum suggestions for daytrips? We won't have a car, but we'll have Metro passes.

Do you know of any caves in the area?

Mount Vernon? It's a non-museum museum - and lots of it outdoors. I believe I heard there's even a way to get there by boat.

And I know there are boats on the Potomac.

Not aware of any caves that near DC.

This might help - there's a Six Flags in Largo Md and the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian out at the Dulles Airport has all of the airplanes of history. Kids should really like it. There's also the Spy Museum in DC that gets good reviews from kids.

Caves - no - sorry none around here to my knowledge.

If you rent a car for the day. Luray Caverns would be a great day trip.

Take a trip up to Harborplace in Baltimore. They can tour the Tall Ship Constellation and a WWII submarine. The Aqaurium is world class and has a dolphin show that the kids will enjoy. Don't think of the science museum as a museum. It is oriented towards kids and full of hands on exhibits. Enjoy the jugglers and buskers providing entertainment. Buy a day water taxi pass to get around. Walk over to Little Italy for a good meal and then pig out at Vacarro's, an all Italian dessert place. Interested in history? Fort McHenry is near by car or a long walk. You can get to Baltimore on public transportation from DC - train or bus, or just drive up in under an hour (non rush hour). Ditto the suggestion for Luray Caverns, and don't miss the historic auto museum that is included in your ticket.

Wowie - Thanks for all these ideas! We're going to have a car with us (we're driving down from Boston) but dh is going to need it most days for work. I'm going to try to wrangle at least two days -- the caverns and the airshow -- but the suggestion about the harborfront in Baltimore may trump one of those days, and it's certainly a shorter drive. I had been searching the web for ideas, and was only getting the usual tourist results. I was ready to cancel the trip, because I figured if I'm going to spend a week listening to my kids complain about being bored (can you imagine being bored in DC's NHM? A 10-year old can always find something boring to complain about...) I might as well not drive 8 hours for the privilege. Now I'm getting excited about going again. Thanks!

I am pretty sure you can also take the amtrack up to Baltimore from Union Station, so you don't have to have a car for that trip. Baltimore is a great trip, as is Luray Cavern. Sad to say, even though I live in the area, we have not been to the new Air and Space museum, but I hear great things about it.

There should be a bus from the Smithsonian Air & Space out to the U-H.
Bribe the boys with a lunch at ESPN Zone after a trip to the Spy Museum.

You can take Amtrak or MARC (commuter rail) from Union Station to Balitmore, and then take a taxi to Harborplace.

The spy museum is terrific ...but buy your tickets ahead of time. You can walk there and the boys will love it.

When you go to Mount Vernon, be sure to go into the educational center and do not miss the big multimedia show about Washington crossing the Delaware. Even if your kids hate history, believe me they will love that show! There are lots of touch and feel exhibits.

Since you have a day, I would recommend driving and making a day of it. Taking the boat to Mount Vernon only gives you a couple of hours on the property. There is really a day's worth of things to see.

The shuttle from The Mall to Udvar-Hazy no longer operates. You will need to drive there. There is a space shuttle there and tons of huge planes.

You cannot go inside the shuttle.

Great place if you like large flying machines. I don't know if I would take the time with 9 & 10 year olds unless they were space nuts.

I do agree they will enjoy the Spy Museum (privately owned and an expensive ticket, but. . . .).

The Kennedy Center has free entertainment every night at 6:00pm on the Millenium Stage (check the website for what is on when you will be in DC).

And, AND YOU MUST DO THIS since you are going in JUNE: On Wed. night head for the Sylvan Theatre (NW corner of Washington Monument grounds) for the Military Tattoo put on by the Old Guard (the same unit that guards the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington). I guarantee you that your kids will love it. I do tours here and always take them there if it is on when they are visiting. The show is FREE and includes all the theatrics for which the Old Guard is well known.

If you have not been to Arlington Cemetery, the kids always enjoy the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Have them count the steps as the guards walk up and down (It's 21 like a 21 gun salute).

The American History Museum is closed for renovation and Ford's Theatre is also closed for about 18 months for the same reason. A small exhibit of "Treasures from the American History Museum" can be found at Air & Space on the 2nd floor.

For history buffs missing American History, try the National Postal Museum near Union Station. It is about how the mail was transported over the years. Stamps take up one room. Very interesting museum and it does not get too many visitors.

For a very nice walking tour of The US Capitol, meet Steve Livegood from the US Capitol Historical Society at the top of the escalator at Union Station every Monday at 10:00am. Double check the website, but the tour is almost always given on Monday mornings at 10:00am all summer.

There are tons of tours given by Washington Walks--all very high quality with different subjects.

And the kids will enjoy Luray Caverns in Luray, VA.