What order should we visit...
 

I am at a loss for how to plan a three day visit to D.C. I will be with my two boys (ages 11 & 13). My 11 year-old gets bored/tired rather easily. I want this to be fun & educational for them both.

We want to see:

1. Smithsonian
2. White House
3. Holocaust Museum
4. Washington Monument
5. Lincoln Memorial
6. Zoo
7. Have a tour at Department of Treasury (money) one morning

What should we cut??? Also, we have to have our rental car because we are coming from Hershey, PA & flying out of Baltimore, MD.

Thanks,
wismom3

Do you have a particular smithsonian in mind? There are several. I think for that age probably the best would be the air and space smithsonian. But, the others are great. You can easily spend 1/2 day of so in most of them.

Do you want to "really pack it in" or have some relax time as well?
You can see some of the memorials at night. What you have listed is all worth doing and it a variety. It has been a few years since I have been, so I will let others who are better familiar with it give you an idea for an itenry.

I'm asking this in a kind way but do you think your boys are ready for the Holocaust Museum?

Some powerful stuff.

I recommend buying your tickets to the Washington Monument ahead of time (through the parks dept on-line). Not sure you can do the White House or Treasury Dept without special passes but...the others should not present a problem as they are pretty wide-open. Do not pass up the Vietnam memorial (next to Lincoln) and I would recommend the Spy Museum for your kids (you too).

We lived through the OKC bombing. The memorial there now is beautiful. I don't know how I'll feel at the Holocaust Museum.

Is ther a better time to visit the Washington Monument?

Thanks all,
wismom3

The Holocaust Museum is really intense and, if you do feel comfortable that your sons will be able to handle it, they still may not feel like doing too much right afterward; it's a lot to wrap one's head around.

The White House is not always easily accessible, as far as touring the inside; not the first thing I'd try with an 11 year old with a low boredom threshold.

Many kids are into WWII; that memorial in conjunction with some of the others might be a good idea for part of a day.

The new section of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (actually in Virginia) enthralls a lot of kids.

Be sure to get his input on this! It's amazing sometimes what kids ARE interested in, and I know that sometimes we adults are so into the planning that the prep time w/the kids can get a bit neglected. (not saying you have, just a thought...)

The Holocaust Museum is very experiential, it's not just a monument. Do a little research and website visiting before you put this on your brief itinerary.

Likewise, go to si.edu and look over the many options that you have among the Smithsonian museums. Technically, the National Zoo is part of the Smithsonian. Most guys the ages of yours would enjoy the Air & Space museum and Natural History.

As a final research tidbit, note that access to the White House is very limited.

You might not need to keep the rental car. The airport you are apparently referring to, BWI, serves both Washington and Baltimore and is located between them. Even taking a taxi from your hotel to the airport would be cheaper than hanging onto the rental car for 3 or 4 extra days. The rental car offices at BWI are off-site and add a hassle and time factor to the airport transfer.

I guess I am confused, because my rental car receipt says in-terminal at BWI.

wismom3

The Holocaust Museum has a children's section if you don't think they're ready for the main part.

Regarding the Dept of the Treasury, do you mean the Bureau of Engraving, where they actually print paper money? It's actually very near the Holocaust Museum so I would combine your visits to those two.

Personally, I would skip the zoo, because there are lots of zoos in lots of cities. If they miss this one, they'll see another some time.

When my kids were younger (actually, now, too, that they're older), we loved the Air and Space Museum and the American History Museum, which just reopened following a remodel. The latter is huge, so you have to pick a few exhibits, but mine liked seeing the American flag that supposedly flew over Ft. McHenry when the Star Spangled Banner was written about it, the exhibit that has things like Fonzie's jacket, and Dorothy's red slippers, but there are so many worthwhile exhibits, I can't wait to go again!

Oh, and don't miss (sorry I'm adding something) the National Archives. It is really something to see the real Declaration of Independence.

I would skip the zoo...there are better ones elsewhere. The Declaration of Indepence and the Star Spangled banner (original flag) are musts. Lincoln Memorial & FDR Memorial are fabulous at night. Vietnam Memorial a must (daytime). Arlington a must if YOU have never been to Kennedy's grave. Other ideas all musts. SO MUCH to see, be careful not to burn your kids out...only pick the highlights at Smithsonian. They can always go back when they are adults. I have been to D.C. 3 times & have never gotten in the White House (and I have connections)...you must plan ahead for that (I always travel spontaneously on no notice usually). have a terrific trip!

wismom3,

I found myself in a similar dilema many years ago when we visited Washington with my 14 year old daughter. I finally had to make myself a timeline for each day, centered around the most time-restricted aspects of our trip. In our case those were a tour of the Capitol with a staff member from the office of my congressman, and a tour of the White House.

I'm not sure what it takes (or what arrangements you have made) to "see" the White House, but if it is an actual tour itself, then you will be given a specific day and time that you have to be there. Try to arrange some of the less time-specific things around those that are fixed.

The Smithsonian museums, the zoo, and the memorials (like the Lincoln Memorial are the least time-specfic things in Washington - as you can come and go at your leisure. At the Holocaust Museum, Washington Monument, (and probably at the Bureau of Engraving) you will be given a pass for a specific time to visit. These passes are given out on a daily basis - first come, first served - which can make timing your Washington experience a little tricky if you don't get to these attractions early enough in the day to get a pass for the time of day you want.

Thus, if you have a couple of hours to wait before going up into the Washington Monument, visit one of the nearby Smithsonian Museums like the American History Museum or Natural History Museum.

I agree that the zoo may be one of the venues you may consider cutting, as many other cities have a zoo, and there is so much more to see & do in Washington. Of course, that is going to drpend upon what your kids really want to do.

I'd suggest contacting your Senators or Congressman about getting a tour of the Capitol Building from one of their staff. They'll have you meet them in their office and take you through the underground tunnels from the office buildings to the Capitol itself. In the Capitol Building they can take you places that non-accompanied visitors may not be able to get to, and they are very well versed in interesting trivia about the Capitol building [like.... why John Quincy Adams appeared to be sleeping at his desk on the floor of the House chamber (now Stautuary Hall) during some of the more important sessions when he served as a congressman from Massachuettes after his term as president].

If you find yourself having trouble getting an appropriate time to get up into the Washington Monument, I'd suggest going up into the second highest tower in the city -the bell tower of the Old Post Office Building (corner of 12th & Pennsylvania). It's free, generally uncrowded, you don't need a pass of any sort, and the panoramic view of the city is second only to that from the Washington Monument.

"I guess I am confused, because my rental car receipt says in-terminal at BWI"

Who did you rent from? Here's the airport's own description of their setup.

http://www.bwiairport.com/ground_tra...n/car_rentals/

I rented the car from Dollar online. They even charged a facility charge & concession fee for being at the airport. I will have to call & find out.

Thanks for all your information, everyone. I think we will skip the zoo.

wismom3

Definitely Air & Space!

Wismom3, I have no idea about BWI's setup, but here in SF, you pay a fee for an airport car rental, but it's still not actually on-site -- you have to take an airtrain to get there. BWI may be the same.

wismom,

If you want an actual tour of the White House, you need to request a tour through your member of congress. You can request up to six months in advance, but they schedule the tours a month in advance. Not sure when you'll be going, but the White House may wind up being a "walk-by" destination.

Agree with the other posters re the Holocaust Museum. The only way I can explain it is this -- I've actually been to Dachau in Germany, and while it was intense to be at an actual concentration camp, the museum in DC is slightly more graphic and "in your face." They REALLY work to drive the point home. We needed an hour or two of downtime after our visit -- without kids in tow.

With boys that age I would also recommend the International Spy Museum. My boys (including DH) loved it!

Have the kids do some on-line research and let each select a site that he really wants to see.

Though the zoo is not the flashiest, it is free, so if one child really wants to see the pandas, you can go for a short visit and not feel you have to make it a full day to justify spending $20+/head.

Thanks everyone!

We did not get a White House tour. We were rejected. :-(

The boys' dream is really our trip to Hershey a few days before D.C. I know they will love both. I decided we should go & see the National Cathedral, & we all decided a couple of restaurants to visit. We loved the US Treasury visit in Dallas, so hopefully the one there is good too. We did get a tour for that.

Regards,
wismom3

<i>We did not get a White House tour. We were rejected.</i>

What'd you do - vote for Obama? :-)

I might suggest you rethink Hershey. I had that included in a trip with my then 16 yr old and it was a total flop.

Holocaust Museum takes at least a half day to give it justice and I think your kids are too young.

Air and Space and the Spy Museum would be at the top of my list for that age. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History would also be on the top of the list. Skip the zoo as there are so many places now with nice zoos.

The Lincoln Memorial is certainly worth a visit, as well as most of the other major monuments. The last time I was there with my family the WW2 monument was about to be decicated. It is moving too.

Save the White House for another trip and include the Congress. You need to arrange those trips through your state representatives way in advance as mentioned previously.

We went to Washington DC this past summer with our boys who are 11 and 13. I agree with other posters about skipping the zoo and the Holocaust Museum. Fyi, the White House and Congressional tours need to be planned far in advance through your congressman.

Our sons really enjoyed the Bureau of Printing and Engraving where you can actually see money being printed. You need to go there early in the morning to get timed tickets for the BPE tours. The BPE is a much better choice than touring the actual Treasury Department.

We also liked the International Spy Museum. The boys' favorite Smithsonian museums were the Air and Space Museum (and we wish we had had time to go the newer facility near Dulles), the Museum of Natural History, and the modern art museum on the mall (perhaps another poster can recall its precise name).

Walking around the monuments and the mall was a good break from the museums.

The modern art museum you are thinking of is probably the Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

You might want to consider seeing the monuments and memorials at night. They are beautiful when they are all lit up, and you can walk between all of them fairly easily. The Jefferson Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, and FDR Memorial are some of my favorites. If you go at night, it will free up some time for the other things you want to do during the day.

The Capitol just opened their new visitor's center, and I don't think you have to get tickets in advance. You might want to look into it.

I agree with the previous posters, it takes me days to recover from the Holocaust Museum. It's incredibly powerful and intense. An amazing place, but possibly too much for young people.

Another vote for putting Air and Space Museum as well as the Spy Museum as top priorities.

Now back to your rental car. How about driving it to the closest Dollar Office to your DC hotel and dropping it there thus avoiding the airport fee, and 3-4 days of very high parking fees?

Another vote for Air + Space and the Spy Museum as priorities, but your kids' votes should take top priority. Can't agree more with those who suggest you have them get online and do some research, and maybe each pick one or two top choices. I'd avoid the Holocaust Museum with kids this age, frankly. While so important to see, it's a pretty harrowing experience even for adults.

Going online will also help you confirm what's open - for example, the American History museum (Dorothy's shoes, Archie Bunker's chair, etc. etc.) has been closed for renovations for some time (though they have moved a couple of the popular exhibits elsewhere), so check to see when it reopens. Another one to check is the Newseum - it just opened last April -- basically a history of the media in the US., very interactive, has a mini newsroom where kids can take turns at the newscast desk.

When will you be visiting? Timing really matters - if it's a holiday weekend and/or school vacation, expect crowds and lines at all the major museums + sites like the Washington Monument. Some museums (Spy?) may still require tickets in advance during those times. If you're coming in the summer, add the heat and humidity factor to the lines -- bring lots of sunscreen and water (some people use umbrellas to keep the rays off too!).

I'd second the motion to do a bus or trolley tour of the monuments, especially a night-time one when they're lit up. I wouldn't plan to walk between them, especially with a kid that tires easily, unless you're only doing ones that are very close to one another (e.g. Lincoln + Vietnam). The Mall is huge and spread out - they're not all that close to one another.

Re: the rental car: Definitely see if you can find a way to return it to a Dollar in DC, then you can use SuperShuttle or one of the other airport van companies to get to BWI. You'll end up saving quite a bit of money, between fewer rental days + no parking garage fees, since if you DO keep the car you should definitely garage it while there. For tourists, DC is very manageable by Metro and you will not want to deal with the hassles of all the one-way streets, rush-hour parking restrictions, no-lefts at certain times of day, and traffic jams.

Have fun and thanks for visiting!

With boys that age I would do the following:

Smithsonian: Air and Space and Natural History (forget the others)
White House (contact your representative now)
The Capitol (ditto)
Washington Monument
Lincoln Memorial
WWII monument
Spy Musuem
Mount Vernon

Can't imagine they wold be interested in Hersehy - I thought that was for little kids.

For that age I'd recommend a 90-minute tour with DC Ducks http://www.dcducks.com/about.htm
to quickly cover the major buildings and memorials.

Spend a couple hours in each of the Smithsonian museums that might interest them (Air &amp; Space, Natural History and American History being the most likely). I think the boys are old enough to benefit from a couple hours at the Holocaust Museum, too, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is right next door. Do your research to minimize waiting in line for these.

The National Zoo is worth a visit just for the giant pandas, which are near the Connecticut Ave entrance. Taking a taxi would be quickest, but if the boys have never been on a subway you should experience the Metro. Take the Red Line to the Cleveland Park stop and walk 5 minutes south (downhill) to the zoo, rather than getting off at the Woodley Park/Zoo stop and walking 5 minutes uphill to the zoo. When it's time to return to the Mall area use can walk down to Woodley Park. The zoo isn't too far from the National Cathedral, so if you want to visit (it feels like you're in Europe) take a cab there from the zoo.

The children would enjoy the Spy Museum and the Newseum, but these have entrance fees so you'll need to look at your schedule to see if it's worth it on this short visit.

Enjoy!

When is your trip?

Let me speak to Hershey, since there have been detractors here:

I like Hershey for Hershey Park, and the chocolate there really is fresh, better than what you'll get at home.

Hershey Chocolate World (company visitor's center) is a Disney-like ride through an exhibit that explains the chocolate process. The ride ends at a huge retail area with all kinds of souvenirs. I had the BEST chocolate milkshake there. Chocolate World is separate from Hershey Park. The last time I was there, it was free.

Hershey Park is a really great amusement park with something for everyone. If your kids like roller coasters, they will enjoy Hershey Park. There's also a small zoo in the park.

As for DC, be sure to check the hours for the Smithsonian museums you want to visit. Suggest you plan to hit those in the morning to give you time to see what you want to see. The last time I was in DC I was surprised at the time the museums closed, it seemed early to me.

I know you didn't mention it, but when I was that age I enjoyed Ford's Theater and Mt. Vernon (and the Bureau of Engraving &amp; Printing, and the monuments). You know your kids best! Most sites in DC are free, but the Spy Museum is a private enterprise and I thought the tickets were expensive. But I suppose that's countered by the fact that most everything else is free.

Just want to mention that it's not necessary to contact your representative to get Capitol tour tickets, you can schedule a tour on-line through the new visitor's center site:

http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/

Also wanted to mention that the Museum of American History (previously closed for renovations) has reopened.

Bookmarking

Re: The rental car.

You'll never find a parking space for it. Instead, you'll either spend 3 days circling round and round looking for a parking space, or leave it behind and take the Metro, walk, or taxi. If you must have your car, do not drive it into D.C. Hopefully instead you will be staying somewhere offering free parking (outside D.C.) and can leave it at the hotel or Metro. Otherwise, taking Super Shuttle or similar from the airport and back is a better idea; you don't need a car in D.C.

Re: Your itinerary.

I don't think we could do this in a week. Skip the zoo. Pick one or two of the Smithsonian museums and plan to spend one day doing just that. The Treasury is really neat, make room for that. Will you be there for the Inaguration? If so, I'd plan a week plus a couple more days.

Anyway, the Air &amp; Space Museum would be fun for the boys. There's 19 museums and 9 research centers, you know. Maybe pay a visit to the Castle, just to pick up some flavor. Pick another, for if you have time: http://www.si.edu/visit/
-- they might like the American History Museum, if they like very old cars and such. Or the Natural History Museum, for dinosaurs and a host of strange stuff (saw bugs one year).