No dinosaurs at the Smithsonian right now… Renovations
Call your Representative’s or one of your Senators’ offices, you should be able to schedule a more personal or small group tour of the Capitol, which at that time of year would most likely be led by a college intern in their office. It’s not as professional as the official Capitol Visitors Center tour, but you wouldn’t have to wait in line (except to get through security to get to their office).
The Smithsonian museums are all great and free (with the exception of Udvar-Hazy Center and National Zoo parking). Off the mall, don’t overlook the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum. They share a building with a great covered central courtyard that is one of the best places in DC to rest your legs (the US Botanic Gardens by the Capitol is another one).
Of the paid museums (other than the Holocaust Museum, which you’ve already set up) I’d put the Newseum at the top of the list. They have some artifacts that are probably the envy of the Smithsonian (a full-sized guard tower from the DDR/BRD border, the Unibomber’s cabin, DC sniper car, plus some happier things). The Spy Museum is okay – there’s an interactive game where they set you up with a secret identity and you visit video stations as you go through the museum, so if that sounds like fun go for it. I haven’t been to the newer Crime and Punishment Museum.
The National Building Museum has “pop-up exhibits” for a few weeks every summer, and they are a lot of fun. Last summer’s exhibit was called “BEACH” and it was basically a giant ball pit. In 2014 it was “the BIG MAZE,” which was a big maze. This year it’s “ICEBERG” – don’t know much about it, but I’ll be there some time this summer with the kids, and it sounds like it might be a good way to beat the heat. I went to BEACH on a weekday, and lines were still very long, but worth the wait.
Outside of DC, I’d second the recommendation of the Udvar-Hazy Center, unless everyone is completely uninterested in aviation. I’d also recommend Mount Vernon. I visited last summer and the new interpretive center/museum is great.
Does anyone know how long the Mall will be fenced off? Right now they are rebuilding quite a bit of it and there are tons of fences and it’s not as easy to walk around. I don’t really pay that much attention to such things, but it seems they might be at it for the next few months.
If you want to go up in the Washington Monument you have to get tickets, and you’d best get them now. The last time I looked they were booked until close to July.
I don’t really have any good suggestions, even though I live close enough, I don’t really do much in DC proper.
He’s leasing the building but, AIUI, bought the retail space.
There’s some information here, but I don’t get the impression it gets updated frequently, as the original timetable would suggest it should be done this month. As I walk through this area at least once a week, that doesn’t seem likely to me.
Pity, the view of the city from the clock tower was about ten times better than from the Washington Monument.
It’s scheduled to re-open in September and the tower will still be accessible to the public.
My biggest disappointment in DC was the state of the green. The lawn was not that well maintained and had patches.
The most gratifying thing was the security, surprisingly. Some asshole disrespectful foreigner decided they were going to use the ramps outside the Lincoln Memorial as a slide. The security guy was on him like a ton of bricks.
Seriously, you’re in a national capital, have some respect. I don’t go to your national capitals and treat them like amusement parks.
But yeah, I was exhausted by the end of it. We didn’t even get into all the buildings, we had to be very strategic!
Anyone know of good books about DC an older kid might like to read prior to a visit?
Thanks for all the helpful info and suggestions. I did submit an application for the White House tour, but we may skip it based on the feedback several of you gave. I will also check out the other threads about visiting DC.
As for the metro, my niece will be able to walk, just not long distances, so if we need to fold up the wheelchair and carry it, we will. I gave her the option to put off the trip until her knee is completely healed, but she is too excited and didn’t want to postpone.
She has her surgery today at 1, so I will be anxious to see how she fares.
The Holocaust Museum is amazing!
I don’t know how old the kid is, but I’ve put Dream City on my reading list. HBO is planning on making it into a movie produced by Chris Rock. http://www.amazon.com/Dream-City-Power-Decline-Washington/dp/0786755938
The National Zoo is open until 7:00 pm in the evening and it’s a lot more pleasant at that time than in the afternoon, in terms of weather and crowds.
(some of the buildings like Amazonia close earlier)
Some days the Smithsonian museums have extended hours too, and visiting in the evening is better, imho.
I really like the Archives (I might be a freak) and if you happen to be near the National Museum of the American Indian (next to the Air and Space), it has great food in the Mitsitam cafe.
I’ll echo contacting your congressperson. They can get tickets for more than just the WH & Capitol. I’ll also echo the Smithsonian museums. I visited both Air & Space as well as American History, and I recommend 3/4 of a day for each. And Mt. Vernon was pretty cool as well.
The National Cathedral is an interesting place. A lot of famous people are interred there.
Arlington National Cemetery is a must. This was a full day for me, although I might have spent more time than the average visitor.
While you did say that it will be hot, be aware that it’s not the temperature that gets you. The place is built on a swamp, and the humidity really zaps all your energy.
Lastly, I suggest wearing fanny packs. Lots of places have metal detectors, and it’s a lot easier to slip off & on a fanny pack than emptying the contents of your pocket & then putting it back each time.
I really like visiting Mt. Vernon.
I’m not seeing any mention of any of the war memorials but we visited when my kids were around that age and the Vietnam memorial and the Korean war memorial are some of their favorite memories. Talking about all the names on the wall and seeing the people visiting particular names was really key to them understanding the impact of wars and how long that impact lasts.
I will also second or third the U-H Air museum, it’s well worth the trip out to the airport, even if it means renting a car for the day. Pictures don’t have a shot against the experience of walking along the length of an SR-71 Blackbird or standing in front of the Space shuttle.
I was at the national zoo a couple of weeks ago for the first time in years and have to say it was a huge disappointment. Much declined IMO. Unless you want to see a panda there are lots better zoos.
If you like plants and flowers the national arboretum is a good visit. Not the huge greenhouse in front of the capital, which is awesome too, but the botanical gardens in NE.
I like to take people around embassy row, just to see all the countries represented. A drive up Rock Creek parkway is nice as well after a day in the city.
It will be hot, humid and crowded.
You know, as much as I love the National Zoo, I agree it’s not as good as it once was. They put so much expense and effort into the pandas they’ve kind of let everything else slide. I don’t even bother with the panda exhibit anymore.
And in order to give the elephants (yawn) a larger habitat (which is a good thing), they got rid of the giraffes and hippos (which is a bad thing), not to mention my personal favorite exhibit, the capybaras. When I was a kid there was a very entertaining polar bear exhibit, now long gone.
Where the accessible entrances are for the museums, for one thing. For example, the accessible entrance to Natural History is on Constitution Avenue, not the Mall.