stuff to do in dc
 

hey i'm 16 and visiting dc. whats some cool stuff to do there? i heard the cia is cool. where can i get tickets to it?

The CIA does NOT give tours, period. As for other ideas, you might want to start by doing a little research on your own and then come back here for specific questions. The website below is geared toward younger travellers. One tip for a cool time is the 9:30 club - an all ages nightclub featuring national rock acts.

http://www.letsgo.com/DC/01-DiscoverDC-5

Bardo's suggestion to do some SEARCHes is right on target ... but you might be thinking of the new SPY museum (not free) when you mention CIA. North of DC is the Crytographics Museum, but you'd need a car to get there.

FBI gives tours--I saw it first as a teen and really enjoyed it. Air and Space Museum should interest you, as well as Museum of Natural History. The zoo is good. Seeing Congress in action (or inaction, as the case may be) impressed me because of all the empty seats and many of those who were present were reading the newspaper or chatting! It reminded me of a teacher who had lost control of her classroom.

Well, knowing what your definition of 'cool' is would help, but here's what most folks seem to like:

Air & Space Museum - arguably the most popular Smithsonian museum
http://www.nasm.si.edu/

Spy Museum - not cheap for a museum (US$11) but it draws huge crowds. you'd be well-advised to buy your ticket in advance as same-day tickets go pretty quickly.
http://www.spymuseum.org/index.asp

Museum of Natural History - they've redone some of the exhibits to make the subject matter more interesting. The Geology, Gems & Minerals exhibit with the Hope Diamond, etc. is a must-see
http://www.mnh.si.edu/

FBI - cool tour when it was running (I still remember the Tommy Gun demonstrations) but they were ceased several years ago (thank your local terrorist). The FBI website says it's under "renovation" but I imagine it will be some time until they resume.

Go over to Adams Morgan (it's a neighborhood) for really cool restaurants (you'll find every possible nationality imaginable) and there are also some very interesting shops. Take the bus up Connecticut Avenue to the National Zoo -- it is really a pretty zoo and there are some cool exhibits - like the one on the Amazon, and one in the Primate area on how animals "learn" things....The zoo is free, by the way.
I've always enjoyed the Tigers...but you need to get early in the AM before it gets too hot for them.

The National Zoo is free because it's officially part of the Smithsonian. In the summer get there really early, since the animals have much more sense than people and spend the heat of the day napping in the shade. Morning is feeding time!

The buildings at the zoo open at 10 AM, but the grounds are open much earlier -- by 8 or even sooner, maybe 6. So an early visit to the zoo is also a good way to stretch out your touring day in DC, where everything but the monuments seems to be open just 9:30-5:30.

Yeah...Air and Space would be my number 1 pick for a teen in D.C., maybe followed by the Holocaust Museum (an *AWESOME* museum!)

The Navy Yard can also be fun -- especially poking around onboard the Barry.

...and of course the zoo...which is excellent and free...

Have fun!
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

I live in DC and my 17 year old brother came to visit recently, this is what we did:

National Spy Museum...lots of fun, really cool, but a bit pricey ($10 for him, $13 for me)

National Gallery of Art...if you're into art, it's a good time... they also have an outdoor scuplture garden that's pretty cool

The Smithsonian IMAX show...So much fun, we saw this thing about bugs in 3D...sounds corny, I realize, but we both enjoyed it.

Lunch at the ESPN Zone

We skipped the air and space musuem bc I think it's boring (sorry guys)

Museum of American History is pretty cool...

We did some shopping at Pentagon City (in Virginia actually, but easy to get to from the metro) and Georgetown...
Hung out in Adam's Morgan

Saw a show at the 9:30 club...

There's also a series of shows and concerts that are always going on downtown, just log onto washington post.com and see what's going on the weekend that you're here.

HOpe you have fun.