Washington DC trip for AP US History Class
 

Hi all,

We have 28 people in our group, 23 students and 5 chaperones. We will arrive in DC late in the evening on March 14, 2014. We have already purchased plane tickets, metro passes, and hotel rooms. We will have through the 19th for touring, 5 full days. I have already contacted our congressman for the Capitol tour but have not heard back from them (do they really send a response by mail instead of email??) This is a list of things we would like to do. These are not set in stone and we do not have to do all of them but wanted to make sure we got as much out of this trip as we could.
Capitol Building
Supreme Court
Library of Congress
National Archives
Mount Vernon
National Gallery of Art
Smithsonians
Holocaust Museum
Arlington Cemetary
White House (are there any tours?)
Annapolis (if feasible)
Possibly the zoo, botanical gardens, and the mint

Possible itineraries would be appreciated and any other educational places that you think a mature group of teenagers would enjoy. Any tips for our group size and any recommendations for economical dinners would also be appreciated. Breakfasts are included and we plan to bag lunch when we are able. Thanks in advance for your help!

Tina

Hello, Tina!

I am planning a trip from Arkansas to DC this June, as well! We are bringing 5th and 6th graders. You have to contact your congressman about the White House tour. I bought the book put out by Fodor's "Washington DC with Kids" 5th edition. It has some really good information.

Do you have a tour guide? I found one through the guild. www.washingtondctourguides.com Our guide's name is Daniel Minchew. He has been great so far! Very knowledgeable. He has sample itineraries. I could get you his email address if you would like.

My only trouble now is finding a hotel that fits our budget! I haven't even begun to look into food...ahhhhh!!! :/

Thank you for the White House information, I will send that tonight. We do not have a tour guide, we are on a pretty tight budget so trying to plan this ourselves. I did not do the hotel but I did see a 4-H conference center that houses student groups and it was about $40/night per student and breakfast was included. Thank you for the guide book information!

<Smithsonians>
The Smithsonian Institution is the umbrella for a very large number of museums (and the zoo, as it happens). Check their website
www.si.edu
and decide which are must-sees for your group. Keep in mind that museums are tiring and most people can't take a full day of walking and viewing without becoming bored or exhausted or overwhelmed or all three. So plan visits with meal breaks and breaks for walks outside if possible. (You can intersperse visits to the museums along the Mall with hikes to monuments, for example.)

The Supreme Court has excellent docents, but you must arrange a tour for that large a group in advance. Without a tour, you cannot enter the chambers, so it's a must, and it's free.

The Library of Congress also has excellent docents, and IMO a tour is essential because the building is very large, there are many exhibits, and I think it would be an overwhelming muddle otherwise. Arrange in advance, it's also free.

The White House tour, if you can swing one, is very short. It would be ideal to do it first thing in the morning, which is early indeed (7am or thereabouts as I recall), but the issue is that you can't bring bags of any kind with you so logistical planning is key here!

My two cents: skip Annapolis. You will use one day going to Mount Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery as it is unless you get an awfully early start. You can maximize hours in the day by touring some of the monuments after dark, which is actually a great way to see them.

I would also skip the zoo unless the kids have either never seen one or have a special interest. Yes, it's a great zoo, but it's out of the way and takes half a day to see, therefore. (On the other hand, it might be a needed break from all that history, so... :-) )

Agree with Newbe about skipping the zoo and Annapolis. Also, an after-dark tour of some of the monuments is a good idea -- Lincoln, Jefferson, etc. I might also skip the National Gallery. There's nothing wrong with it, but IMHO, it's down the list of places included in a tour about US history.

How about the Vietnam Memorial? It's close to other spots you'll be touring. Some of the kids might have relatives whose names are on the memorial. And it definitely is an aspect of US history.

Sounds like a great trip! My daughter and son-in-law took our 2 grandsons (ages 15 and 13) to DC recently and everyone loved it.

The trip was a last minute one so they tried to plan as much as they could see while there. Definitely do not miss the Vietnam Memorial and Arlington Cemetery, making sure you are there for the changing of the guard. When they got back from their trip, I asked our 13 yr old gson what was his favorite thing that he saw and he said Arlington Cemetery and Changing of the Guard. I was surprised at his answer but also very pleased that he said it was his favorite.

They also toured the Capitol Building, Smithsonian, etc. They were not able to tour White House because the government was in shutdown.

My husband and I visited DC a couple of years ago on our way to Florida and visited Mount Vernon on the way. Absolutely loved our visit there! Here is a website w/ map of the estate for you:

http://www.mountvernon.org/visit-his-estate/map

There is a tour of the house and then we walked out to visit the tombs of George and Martha Washington and then a bit further to the new tomb. There was a docent there that gave us a nice overview of both old and new tombs. This was definitely one of our very favorite places to visit! There is much to see there as well. Worth visiting is Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center. There are nice artifacts to see there. There is a food court there and prices are not that bad if you are on a budget. They had sandwiches, yogurt, pizza, soups, etc. We grabbed a bite to eat here.

Good luck and hope you have a fantastic trip. Post and let us hear about it when you return.

White House Tours

Public tour requests must be submitted through one's Member of Congress. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted). Tour hours will be extended when possible based on the official White House schedule. Tours are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. Requests can be submitted up to six months in advance and no less than 21 days in advance. You are encouraged to submit your request as early as possible as a limited number of spaces are available. All White House tours are free of charge. (Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation.)

Some more info on getting White House tixs:

http://godc.about.com/od/faqsaboutvi.../whtickets.htm

Note: Tips:
When the Congressional office contacts you to arrange the tour, be prepared to provide the congressional staff with your date of birth and social security number and those of anyone in your traveling party.
Be as flexible as you can be with regard to dates and times to increase your chances of getting on a tour.

We lucked out last trip and got to see a vote in the house because a nice congress women came out and asked our tour guide if our small group would like to go. We had to get very quick passes and go through an airport like check again and were not allowed to take a thing in with us. We literally threw all our belongings in a closet to get to see this. Long story short, security is high is the Capital and don't have your kids bring any huge backpacks with them. Ask your congress person if this would be possible if the house is in session.
Do the monuments after dark. The Lincoln memorial will take your breath away. The World War 11 monument, the Korean and Vietnam are all on the mall in front of the Lincoln monument.
Food, that is a biggie. We ate in a cafeteria at one of the Smithsonian as a kid. They say the Indian Smithsonian has the best food. We always wine and dine there now so not sure.

We take our school group to Washington DC for day trips on occasion. Here's one that includes a "tour guide" for the monuments that you might find helpful. (The monuments do seem to be pretty popular with the teens!) http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ely-dc-day.cfm

I have been thinking. Union Station has a lot of options. I also found this guy's blog.
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/...ble-schedules/

http://www.urbanspoon.com/nf/7/609/6...st-Food-Places

Fast food but you will get in and out quick and cheap. I think what you are doing is wonderful. I was very lucky growing up to go to DC on a regular basis so it is great these kids are going. Did you have fund raisers?

1. Capitol Tours -- Each Representative/Senator handles these requests in their own way. Some may reply by snail mail; some by email and some by phone. They may arrange for one of their staffers to give you a personal tour or they may just book you on a public tour. You might call his/her office to find out what they do. If they just book you on a public tour, you can do this for yourself online.

2. National Archives--Reservations are not required to visit the Archives, but you do have the option to request a reservation which will allow your group to by-pass the public entry line, which can be quite long in the busy tourist season. http://www.ushmm.org/information/plan-a-visit

3. Holocaust Museum -- Timed passes are required beginning in March for entry to the Permanent Exhibit. I recommend getting these in advance so you: 1) are sure to have entry on the day of your choice and 2) don't have to wait around for your entry time. http://www.ushmm.org/information/plan-a-visit

4. There is a bus which goes through Arlington National Cemetery, but if you are on a budget, you can skip this. Your students should be fit enough to walk the hills of the cemetery. Just be sure to arrive at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the right time for the Changing of the Guard--it's a bit of a walk from the Visitor's Center at the entrance so it will take some time to walk there.

5. Many Representatives/Senators will arrange a tour of the Bureau of Printing and Engraving (technically not a "mint" since only paper money is made.) I would put it pretty far down on my list of places to visit, but it is close to the Holocaust Museum if you want to arrange a visit to both.

6. Definitely plan to do a walking tour of the monuments and memorials after dark. You do not need a tour guide for this--just a map and your feet. There are Park Rangers at all of the sites who can answer any questions you might have. The monuments and memorials look fabulous when all lit up.

7. I would definitely skip any of the museum cafes for dining as they are pricey and blech. The Cascades Cafe at the National Gallery of Art is an exception since they have decent value meals and pretty good food served in an interesting location (next to an underground cascade). The Mitsitam Cafe at the Museum of the American Indian is supposed to be good, but it's a bit pricey and may not have food which appeals to high schoolers.

8. I think you'll find some good dining choices which are fairly budget-friendly in the Chinatown/Penn Quarter section of D.C. This is the area around the Verizon Center and Ford's Theatre. (Did you want to visit Ford's Theatre? The museum there is excellent, but this is another place where it would be wise to get advance tickets.)

I think Amy's link is terrific. I hope you've had time to read it.

I'd jettison Annapolis.

I concur that ticketing in advance for anywhere that requires them would be imperative for a group of 20+.

The only place I would add that has not been mentioned for AP US History students would be the Newseum. They offer approx. 50% discount admission for student groups and free entry for chaperones. I'd put it above Holocaust museum for broader content and Mount Vernon for downtown DC proximity.

I would call your congressman and/or senators again immediately.Some of the representatives' websites have a helpful planning tool for a trip to Washington DC. If your representative sdoesn't have one, check a few others and you'll find one. We had to give them the social security numbers for all in our group. A very close friend was a congressman (not our district or state) and even with his help it took quite a while for everything to be finalized.
I would add the Air and Space Museum as an option. Also Ford's Theater.

If you only have five days, I would definitely drop Annapolis, and the zoo, which has nothing to do with history and is not unique (there are many zoos in many cities). Animals seem to be dying there mysteriously, also, so I don't think it is superior to many other ones. I would also drop the botanical gardens as I don't see the connection to history.

I agree that if you have extra time, I'd add the Newseum for a history class.

Great suggestions by others so I'll just add a food tip- DC has a neat food truck culture and HS kids would probably enjoy it. Foodtruckfiesta.com lists food truck locations but at least 20 or more gather at the Farragut metro stop on Fridays. It's a big square so lots of room to hang out and eat.

Just FYI, I'm not talking about the dirty water hot dog carts...ick!

I too would put the Newseum on our list - toward the top. Your admission fee covers two days.

I think your cheapest and quickest food options would be at the food courts. There is one downstairs in Union Station and one at the Old Post Office Pavilion. I think there are a couple others convenient to the mall, just do a google search.

Have fun - such a great city to explore!

I would also suggest the Portrait Gallery even if its just for the President's Portraits but its a great museum and attached to an art museum too.

Second, strongly, Barblab's suggestion of the Newseum -- push toward top of the list. It is a good collection of vivid views of US history via the media and the history of journalism. I have some problems with some of the choices, but for a high school class, it's a great conversation-starter. Note that it has a great view from the top floor.

You'd also be pleasantly surprised by the Portrait Gallery (the 'other half' of the building that also houses a museum of American Art), so agree with tchoiniere on that. The portraits of the Presidents are compelling and there are some side galleries with great portraits of very notable figures in history -- from politicians to actors to astronauts. Again, a great way to make history vivid and personal.

Can do each in a half-day if the kids stay organized. Yeah, skip Annapolis for this trip.

Websites:

Newseum (right down near the Mall): http://www.newseum.org/

Portrait Gallery (right at Gallery Place Metro stop): http://www.npg.si.edu/

Since there is no way to see all of the Smithsonian Museums, I would only consider a couple as they do take some time to go through.

1. The National Museum of American History (NMAH) is a MUST SEE for your group. TONS of exhibits about American history and culture including the Star Spangled Banner and the First Ladies dresses. There is also a great exhibit about the American Presidency and one about the Emancipation Proclamation. To me this would be more beneficial to a US History class than the National Gallery of Art or the Portrait Gallery.

The Air and Space Museum is also a crowd pleaser with fantastic exhibits on a wide variety of topics. Same as the Natural History Museum, though this might be better for a science class.

The rest of the Smithsonian museums are much more like traditional art museums and focus more on fine art, which may not be as interesting to your students. If you find yourself around Union Station (which has a great food court), the Postal Museum is nearby and also has fun exhibits.

2. Newseum - I would definitely echo several other recommendations for the Newseum. It's been voted the best museum in DC and has very interesting and interactive exhibits perfect for high school students. I would put this right up there with the American History Museum.

3. Holocaust Museum - Everyone should visit this museum at least once. I visited for the first time on a school trip and it was a moving experience. Make sure you leave enough time for this one so you don't have to rush through it.

4. From your list I would drop Annapolis (too far), the Zoo (not special), National Gallery (less interesting), and maybe Mount Vernon. Don't get me wrong, I love Mount Vernon and I live nearby so I go there often, but it will take up a whole day and the house tour is rather short and hurried for how much time it takes to travel there. Plus there is not much else to do there besides the tour. Arlington Cemetery or even the Pentagon (building tour and 9/11 Memorial) would be better, metro accessible excursions from downtown DC.

5. Walk the National Mall after dark. There is nothing more beautiful than walking from the Smithsonian metro station past the Washington Monument and to the Lincoln Memorial in the dark. The walk is easy and the monuments are beautiful at night. It's a completely different experience than during the day and something I always take my out-of-town visitors to do. You could also start at the Foggy Bottom metro stop and walk to the Lincoln Memorial to watch the sunset and then walk towards the Washington Monument and end at the Smithsonian Metro stop. Either way would be a memorable experience for your students especially if done early in the trip as an introduction to DC!

Well, to each his own! The National Gallery is my favorite museum on the Mall; not only do I find it very interesting, I would argue that art has a great deal to do with the study of history. But of course, it's impossible to see everything in 5 days.

<Just FYI, I'm not talking about the dirty water hot dog carts...ick!>
Hobbert, I used to like one of these every now and then (back when I still ate meat)! I think every young person should experience a dirty water hotdog at least once :-)

Oh my, thank you all so much for this information. I am sifting through all of it now to try to get some sort of itinerary for our time. I will repost to let you guys critique.

NewbE, I hear ya! I just don't want a visitor to think that's the best we've got :)

I would encourage the group to go to Mount Vernon. The museum there is nice, seeing the grounds and view much as it was in Washington's time is priceless. There is much more to do there than the house tour. As this is a history group, this piece of history should not be missed.

tmodav:

We took our family to New York and DC two summers ago. I had 2 high schoolers and a middle schooler. Note that my high schoolers taking 3-4 APs each, so they are going to have a similar attention span to your group. We had a great time, but DC can lead to too much museum and monument overkill. In 5 days, you have too much on that list...

Charsuzan is right: I agree you should keep Mount Vernon on the list. I would get a tour bus for the day. I suppose you could pair it with Arlington Cemetery, but given that you are an AP US History class, I'd suggest you do what we did, and pair it with a quick visit to fast food and then a drive over to the Civil War Battlefields of Manassas (Northerners call it Bull Run). If you contact the National Park Service ahead of time, hopefully you can get a tour organized. (In the summer they are automatic at certain times of day.) It was free admission.

It's possible you could stop at Arlington on the way back to DC, but that would be a long day.

Here's a link to my trip report, starting with the day we went to DC.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...omment-7841892

Sorry, I guess I hit Send a little soon.

I would probably do Arlington Cemetery a different day than the Mount Vernon trip.

I would call your representative's office to find out their procedures. Also I would request tickets ahead of time to see the Senate or House in session in addition to the Capitol tour.

Just did 5 days in DC at the end of December. May comment more later, but one thing I want to be sure to mention is that NO food or drink is allowed on the US Capitol tour. Even unopened snacks and drinks had to be thrown in the trash, so don't plan to bring bag lunches unless someone plans to wait outside with the food.

Since it's an AP US history class, my top suggestions would be:

*The National Museum of American History (which is four stories of amazing exhibits and can take several hours)
*The Capitol Tour
*National Archives
*Arlington National Cemetery
*The Holocaust Museum
*A walking tour of the monuments on the Mall at night

Let the class vote on some of the others, like the Newseum, Air and Space Museum, Portrait Gallery, Mount Vernon, or some of the many other offerings DC has.

If you are unable to get a tour of the White House, there is a White House Museum.

Trying to please 28 people with dining options is going to be a challenge, so I think the two best suggestions above are the food court at Union Station and the food carts at Farragut Square. At the suggestion of one of the Fodorites, my family at I went to Farragut Square, and all of us were pleased~my carniverous father and nephew, my vegan sister and niece, and my daughter and I who wanted spicy food.

A few things to keep in mind:

When walking the Mall from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial, it's about a 2 mile distance. Make sure the students bring/wear comfortable walking shoes.

Remind your students about appropriate behavior. Every trip I've taken to DC, I've seen some appalling behavior from school children (mostly middle school age, but some older ones).

Plan for some down time. DC can be overwhelming, even for ambitious AP students! :)

The National Archives and the Library of Congress both have guided tours available at no cost but you do have to register prior to your visit. Since both buildings are very large I schduled tours for each on my visit. The guide hit the highlights and then we were free to roam at our leisure.

I found the Pentagon to be interesting but it is a bit off the beaten path and takes a few hours. You also have to book in advance to get security clearence. However, if you find that you have some time late in the afternoon, you can take the Metro to the Pentagon and see the 911 memorial. It is open to the public.

Hate to add more to your trip, but my kids really enjoyed visiting Ford's Theatre. It doesn't take too long to visit and it is easy to see how the events that night unfolded. There is a small museum also which holds the clothes Lincoln was wearing the night he was shot.

I don't want to sound as though I am downplaying the Holocaust Museum, but I am not sure that it has a great deal to do with APUSH, unless it covers things like slavery in the U.S. as well. If you were taking an AP Euro class to DC I would say that it makes total sense.

For somewhat the same reason I think Mt. Vernon is worth seeing, because it is a place where you can get echoes of the history of slavery since Washington was a slave owner and that part of his story is covered at Mt. Vernon.

If you want somewhere that is a little more open air, there is this: http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc6.htm for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. It's close to Georgetown and easy to get to.

I like Tenthumbs idea of voting for some of the choices.

Forgot--if you read my report there's a chain of sandwich shops called Potbellies. One of them is on about 7th right near the National Archives, not too far from the Capitol and was quite good.

I would suggest you simply eat in the Capitol cafeteria before/after your tour that day.

I too have to give a shout to the National Gallery of Art. Easily one of the world's best and it's right here in the USA.

Arlington cemetery is a production (28 round trip Metro rides and it takes forever to walk around it). If it's a must do, then do consider the tour bus option - it departs from the Arlington Cemetery visitor center and is $8.75/person.


Give me your hotel/location and I can recommend nearby eateries and things to see/do after museum hours.

Can anyone suggest a budget friendly hotel?

Eating at the Capitol cafeteria could be quite expensive. I got a small bowl of cottage cheese with some grapes, cantaloupe, pineapple and a hard boiled egg and it came to over $9.

The National Museum of American history was and is my favorite in DC. Newseum cost money so they would not be able to afford the entrance fee more than likely and there are so many FREE things to do.
We grabbed a bite to eat at the Capital and they weighed my salad $$$ so wouldn't eat there again for the tasteless salad but there isn't a whole lot to choose from. I have read that there are some great food trucks in DC.

"I don't want to sound as though I am downplaying the Holocaust Museum, but I am not sure that it has a great deal to do with APUSH, unless it covers things like slavery in the U.S. as well. If you were taking an AP Euro class to DC I would say that it makes total sense."

There was this event in American History called WW II and the Holocaust was certainly a part of that history.

Lisa - how "friendly" does the budget have to be?

You may see many suggestions of the Harrington, but you should look VERY carefully at the reviews of it. Personally, I wouldn't stay there.

I'd recommend seeing how well you can do getting a group rate at one of the motels in Rosslyn (VA - across the river from Georgetwon) or out the Wilson Blvd corridor into Arlington. It's very very easy to get a motel withing walking distance to a Metro stop out that way (Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, etc.).