Sonya

Going to Washington DC the 2nd week in June with my husband and 2 kids ages 6 & 9. What are the top 5 things to do with the kids. We don't want to miss anything that is an absolute must. Also, any secret tricks for getting good tickets or tours, it sounds complicated. We are researching the area with one of those "unofficial" guides and hopefully will be well informed but I would really appreciate any inside info or things that your your kids particularly loved. Is there anywhere we should (or shouldn't) eat?

Thanks so much!!

Joanne

I've been to DC several times with my kids, who are now 14 and 16. Their top 5 are:

National Zoo
Smithsonian -American History
Smithsonian-Natural History
Lincoln Memorial (preferably at night)
Postal Museum

The good news is that all of the above are free, don't require tickets, etc. All those special tours etc. would not be in my top 5 in any case, but especially not for younger kids like yours. I'm sure they'd rather see the pandas or do the hands-on things at the Postal Museum than see stuffy old houses or political sites.

Chris

MUST -- Air and Space Museum. The zoo, too. I'd also recommend one of the tourmobile or trolley tours -- good way to get around, see EVERYTHING, hop off at attractions that will interest the kids. The ride is fun on one of the open-air trolleys in the summer.

Sonya

Does anyone have info on one of these washington after dark type of tours that takes you to the monuments at night? Do you get off the bus and go up to the monuments or just drive by? Any info is appreciated. Also, do you know if the FBI tour and the white house tours have reopened?
Thanks!

Linda

Of course, the Smithsonian (particularly the Air & Space); river ride down the locks by the Park Service. Check with your congressperson for free tickets--even exhibits that have fees other places are free in DC.

Jim Rosenberg

Sonya, I don't know about the "official" after dark tours, but if you multiply the cost of such a tour by the number of people you have, you might come to the same conclusion that I did: take a cab. It could easily end up being less expensive and you certainly CAN stop anywhere you want to look things over. With luck, you'll get a friendly, talkative driver like I did. You can cover a lot of ground at 9 or 10 p.m.

kathy

We spent a full week in DC as a family last summer. Before we left, we got a great book at the bookstore - "Fodor's 68 great things to do with kids in DC"
Our favorites were Ford's Theater, The FBI Building tour (you get to meet a real FBI agent - very exciting for kids), Arlington Cemetery White House tour (not sure if you can still do that), and the Treasury Building tour where you get to see how they make money. For tickets for special tours, contact your Senator and they will provide tickets.
All very easy to get around to - buy a metro pass, don't try to drive all around. Its very clean, fast, easy, and safe to ride the Metro.
Hope you enjoy the trip.

Sonya

Regarding the contact your congressman thing, I did that and was informed that since September 11th they are not able to get you in the VIP tours and of the FBI, Capitol, White House, Etc. They informed me I should call one week before I go and if there was anything they could set up, they would do it at that time. Does anybody know whether this is correct or whether I got responded to by a misinformed aid?

aMom

My kids were a bit older but enjoyed Ford's theater (where lincoln was assasinated). Across the street from the theater was the house where they took him after he was shot. When we went we were the only people to visit the house. The tour guide answered tons of questions and filled us in on some stories we'd never heard of. it was fascinating. The new FDR memorial is also great although your kids may be alittle young for that. Also the Hirshhorn museum and sculptor garden is good.

Toni

Sonya...you received the correct information.
I called my senators office on Friday (Barbara Boxers office) about our trip to D.C in April and was told that the FBI building, White House, Pentagon, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and some others are all closed for tours. The B of E & P will reopen in March but it will be to late for me to get passes at that time for an April visit. (It should be open for your June trip)
Christy (at Boxers office) said to show up early and stand in line.

From what I understand, the Capitol is open but you have to go with a guide and a policeman so they can keep tabs on all the visitors. I was told that I am on a list and to call 2 weeks before we go in April.

sonya

You know what I just realized...I asked for stuff your kids loved that I should be sure to do but probably an equally good question would be...IS there anything that your kids really hated doing or seeing or were bored with. That way I can avoid the real duds. Everybody is so nice and helpful here, much better than many other boards including the frommers one. You are all so quick to share advice...Thank you

S.

I recommend NOT eating at the cafeterias in the museums, not very good food and very expensive. By June the weather in D.C. should be very nice, as long as it's not raining. Pack a picnic and eat on the mall.

There's a carousel that your kids might enjoy if they're not too old for that. I think the Air & Space is a must see, also my child loved the Lincoln Memorial. There was a docent there that gave a great speech about Lincoln's presidency and the civil war. The FBI Building sounds great, but I've never been there to offer you a first hand opinion. A couple other sites that I recommend, but aren't particularly for the kids (although I do think they are old enought to appreciate them) are the National Archives, the Capital Building and the Library of Congress. The Zoo is nice, but wouldn't be a "must see" for me; By all means go if you have time, but if something needs cut from the list that would be my choice to skip.

Finally the art collection at the Smithsonian is wonderful. IF you are at all into art, go. You can involve the kids by making a list of things to find (ie, painting of a dog, painting with someone holding money in their hand, etc.) like a treasure hunt. Just an idea.

I also just thought of one more thing... The air & space museum has an IMAX theater. You might want to get tickets ahead of time for the more popular shows if you think you might want to go.

lee

The Smithsonian is a must--the History and Science (aviation) sections were the best! (I took my children when they were 3rd & 6th grades. They also enjoyed the FBI building. We viewed the Vietnam Memorial, (very meaningful to me), but the one thing that was the most meaningful to ALL of us was the CHILDREN'S part of the Holocaust Museum. It was very well done, and should NOT be missed. Plan something light and fun for after that. I did not view the real museum, but got a lot our of the children's section, myself.
GO!

Joy in Virginia

National Zoo - the line to see the pandas is usually long, but if you go to the Panda Cafe (I think that is name) an outdoor snack area, it is built OVER the panda enclosure. When we went last year we discovered this by accident, and had a birds-eye view of the pandas as they strolled in their grassy enclosures in late afternoon.
DO contact your Senator / congressperson's office and ask if they have any staff members who give guided tours of the Capitol. This was pre-9/11, but a few years ago we went and on Senators staff was lovely lady who gave us an excellent personal guided tour of the capitol.
Eat one lunch at Reeves Bakery on H Street (I think), waitresses call you honey, crowded, inexpensive, kid friendly, my cousin who works at Treasury eats lunch there a lot.

kmarie

Great suggestions so far!

If you own a National Parks Passport, be sure to take it along. The children will enjoy the task of cancelling the passport at the many places of interest managed by the National Parks Service. The dated rubber stamp and ink pad are found at the ranger's desk at the sites--Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to name a few. The passport itself lists the sites where the validation can be done.

National Parks also sells a sheet of stamps highlighting parks within each region. Issued annually, each sheet has ten stamps that may be inserted in the passport.

The Smithsonian website (www.si.edu) lists special exhibits and events in their many museums. There may be something of particular interest to your family. (I agree with the previous poster who suggested avoiding the Smithsonian cafeterias.)

On the Mall, but not part of the Smithsonian, is the National Gallery of Art--traditional, classic-looking West Building, sleek and modern-looking East Building, and outdoor sculpture garden that the children may enjoy walking through. BTW, the cafeteria on the below-ground level of the NGA is decent and the best of any of the cafeterias on the Mall.

lcuy

Sonya- the congressional tours are at the choice of your representative or Senator, so it depends on which state you are from. Call ALL of yours as some do and some don't! One thing we enjoyed in DC was going canoeing on the Potomac. Just north of georgetown there was a place you can rent rowboats or canoes by the hour. We had so much fun, because the river has no visible development along that stretch, so we could imagine being back in the "old" days. Of course mine are city kids. if you are from the country this might not be as special!

sonya

What is a national parks passport and where does one get one? This sounds like something to get the kids interested in viewing each site. How do you know which ones have the stamps? They should do something like that including all attractions. What a good idea. More info please. Also, what does it mean on this site when you see a message that says "topping"? Thanks!

kid

When I was younger I enjoyed the Natural History Museum and the IMAX theatre. Another of my favorites was going to the top of the Washington monument.

S

Sonya, we went 9 and 2 1/2 years ago (my daughters were the same ages as yours the 2nd time). Availability of activities post 9/11 may be different. My sister was living in the D.C. area at the time and made arrangements with my congressman's office for a tour of the Capital Building. The neatest thing my girls remembered was the little 12" marble circle that is the "center" of the Capital. The second neatest thing was the underground trolley ride from the office building to the Capital. We also did all the other monuments and some of the Smithsonian. We found out that tickets for tours of the White House need to be arranged months in advance through your congressman's office. As far as the Air and Space Museum goes, it's a great chronological history of flight from past to present. There are other museums with far more extensive space exhibits.

We went to the National Zoo on a trip to D.C. 9 years ago in late June. It has been my experience that the hot summertime is the most miserable time to visit a zoo. The animals are all hidden in the shade trying to stay cool. The concrete walkways for the people have absorbed the heat and are radiating it. Small children typically can't see over the barriers and have to be held to be able to see the animals. My 2 memories of the National zoo are the letters of condolances from school children at the death of one of the pandas and the MISERABLE HEAT!

When you go through Lincoln's memorial, you might mention to your children that while he freed the slaves in the Southern States during the Civil War, women did not receive the same rights for at least another 50 years.

Joanne

It's true that the zoo can get very hot, BUT the original poster plans to be there in early June, which will probably not be too bad. The people-misters are fun!

The old pandas a few years ago were indeed a sad sight. But the new young pandas are a hoot. I took my 13 yo son to DC last February for 5 days and he actually chose to go to the zoo TWICE because we enjoyed it so much.

Here are a couple of zoo tips:

Get there early in the AM; it's less crowded and the animals are more active. As another poster mentioned, the animals behave more sensibly in the heat than people do. The grounds open at 6 in the summer, and the buildings open at 10.

Get off at the Metro stop AFTER the official zoo stop (Cleveland Park rather than Woodley Park); it's about the same distance but the walk is downhill rather than uphill so you don't get to the zoo already hot and tired.

Bring water and lunch, the offerings at the zoo are expensive and not very appealing.