Some diversions to keep all ages entertained while you take in the sights of the nation's capital.
Washington is a great place to spend a few days with the family. The best part of it is that there are an amazing amount of free activities that everyone can partake in so it makes for a budget friendly destination as well.
Updated for March 2024:
With the upcoming cherry blossom festival I wanted to add some more information for those who might be interested in going. The 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival is March 20 – April 14. The peak bloom is currently forecasted to be around March 23-26 but you can find regular updates here. Just note, it can get very busy. If you are going with young ones, make sure to keep an eye on them always and take a picture of them the day you go out so that you can show people or police what they look like and are wearing so it can be easier to locate them should they wander off.
Accommodations
Update March 2024:
Hotels located near, or within walking distance to, the tidal basin, where the bulk of the cherry blossoms can be found, or those within walking distance include:
Salamander
InterContinental Washington DC – The Wharf
Hyatt House Washington DC – The Wharf
Canopy by Hilton Washington DC – The Wharf
Pendry Washington DC – The Wharf
Courtyard by Marriott
State Plaza Hotel
Waldorf Astoria
Those on the wharf area are also an excellent area to find a restaurant.
Ranked 4th in the list for the most hotels in a US city (you guessed it, Vegas is first by a long shot), Washington has a wonderful selection of places to stay for any budget. Like so many other cities cost really comes down to location and timing. Early spring is often a bit pricier due to the people flooding there to try and see the blooming trees during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival which runs from March 20 through April 14th in 2024. The same is true for holiday weekends and such so if you have a bit of flexibility try and plan for a weekend getaway, or even better a mid week one, that coincides with a quieter calendar period.
Location is also critical. The closer you get into downtown and all of the government buildings the price creeps up. If budget is your biggest concern then look to booking outside the downtown area and pick a hotel that is a short walk to a metro station so you can easily get into the city center. Even so, look for deals at all times.
Looking right now at a random weekend in June 2024 there is availability in a studio style apartment complex, The Sonder Georgetown, that has units going for under $170 per night. Contrast that with the Four Seasons hotel in Georgetown that is upwards of $1500 for the same time period. I've not stayed at either property so the link out is not an endorsement or recommendation. Georgetown is a very posh and walkable neighborhood and an awesome place to stay BTW. Tons of chic shops, fine dining and charming cafes line the streets but there are also abundant mom and pop shops too for the budget minded.
Closer in around DuPont circle the prices tend to hover around $300 per night. This is also a nice place to locate as you could walk about 20 minutes to the White House but there is a very convenient Metro station located in the circle that services the Red line. More on the metro in the next segment.
Finally, there are also numerous AirBnb type properties that are another option. I've stayed at one in Georgetown and found the price very reasonable and the accommodations just fine. Location was ideal just a 5 minutes walk down to M street which is the main thoroughfare that runs near the canal. There was a really nice bonus of having a temporary residential parking permit so we didn't need to worry about daily parking and the costs associated with it. Parking at the main downtown hotels can run upwards of $40/night. Apart from that I typically stay at one of the Hiltons because of my diamond status I get a lot of perks and inexpensive rooms, if not free, so that is my usual go to. You can read about getting upgrades from credit card usage in our blog posts here.
The Metro System
Washington has a pretty decent metro system and with the newly opened Silver line you'll be able to take a train direct from Dulles international airport if you happen to be flying in. You'll likely take it right into downtown Metro center for any transfers, like the aforementioned Red line that services the northwest areas. You can find out about the routes and fares in their handy guide online.
A note about fares and a bit of a gripe as well. The Metro uses a couple of options to pay your fare. You can purchase a Smartrip card ($2 fee for the card plus whatever value you want added) and load up money at a station, but there are also a couple of other options you can choose. The metro authority boasts an easy app you can use called Smartrip obviously but I would advise caution on this.
When I downloaded the app on my most recent trip and tried to put funds on my digital card for use that morning I found out it would take 48+ hours for the balance to appear which did me no good as I was going to have left DC by the time the money was there. I did discover another option for Apple though that worked, somewhat. You can go to Apple Wallet and click the + symbol and then select Transit cards. DC is one of three cities that have the card available in the wallet. You can then add money, after paying the $2 fee the same as with a physical card (???) and the funds are available immediately. Google also has the same capability.
Great, I thought, problem solved. I loaded up $20 so that my daughter and I could hop on the Metro and go down to the Spy Museum. I quickly found out at the station after holding my phone face up over the reader for my daughter to pass through the gate, that it only worked once. Fortunately the ticket sales girl took pity on my struggle to get the phone to read a second time and just let me through. Writing it off as a glitch we carried on through the day only to have the same thing happen on our return trip.
Turns out, you cannot use the same wallet pass for another person, regardless of how much money you've put on the card. So, you'll need to add a card for EACH person in your party and pay the fee for each card as well. I assume it is the same for their physical plastic cards too. No passing the card back to your kids to scan through like we always used to do in New York.
How annoying is that?
The National Mall
No trip would be complete without a visit to the National Mall. You'll be able to wander around and see all of the governemt buildings. The White House, The Capitol Building, and more monuments than you can shake a stick at. One could easily spend an entire day exploring this area and stopping for lunch at one of the nearby restaurants. If brave enough you can even dine at one of the (incessantly loud) food trucks that line the streets there during the day.
The landscape around this area is quite lovely and there are numerous sculptures worth seeing and of course this would be the area where you'll see those cherry blossoms if you are there for that time of year. There are a large number of museums either along the Mall or within a stone's throw and they are all free! I won't go into detail on the dozen or so museums that you can visit though, only focusing on a couple that the kids will enjoy the most.
National Air and Space Museum
If you ever wanted to see the original 1903 Wright Flyer then this is the place you want to go. One of the keystone exhibits, the craft used in the first flight at Kitty Hawk is on display at the museum. It is only one of the amazing exhibits focused on the history of flight and space exploration and a look into the future of it. Other exhibits on site have some artifacts of the Apollo, Mercury and Gemini missions, including Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 space suit. You know the one, it would be the mission where he uttered those famous words “…one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” on July 20, 1969.
In other areas you take take a tour of the solar system and learn all about our exploration of Mars. There is an IMAX theatre in the museum as well for those who want to take in a movie. These are a separate paid entry though so you will need to purchase tickets either there or ahead of time. Note: as of October 2023 the IMAX in the museum is currently closed for renovations. Some other exhibits are also closed but they have recently opened up 8 new ones. The renovations are ongoing with a completion date targeted for 2026. I would recommend going to their website to see what is open and what is closed ahead of time so you know what to expect. The Mars cafe is currently open.
The museum requires a timed entry pass to gain admission. The passes are free, but you won't be able to just go to the museum and wait in line to get in. In fact, there are always people who wait in the LONG line just to find that out after wasting an hour that they cannot get in. I've a tip on avoiding the line as well further down. So, the passes are available here and are made available in 6 week periods that are released on certain days. The schedule currently is below (all releases times are at noon of the given day):
Bear in mind they do release some same day passes at 8:30 A.M each day so even if you haven't procured passes in advance you still have a shot at getting in if you are on their site early enough. I actually was able to get same day passes for two people (you can reserve up to 6) using the same day feature as I was unaware that timed passes were even required prior to visiting DC. Now you know so you'll be better prepared, right?
Now about that tip for the line. These passes are good for up to an hour after the posted entry time. Remember, these tickets are timed entry, not timed exit so you can take your time while inside. All those poor souls waiting in line got there at or before their time slot erroneously thinking they could just go in. Nope, they gotta wait. Thing is, if you show up say 30 minutes after your time slot begins you can look on in pity at the large queue waiting for the next time slot as you waltz up to the front door and after showing the staff that your timed entry was a half hour ago, you'll go straight in. No wait involved, earning many indignant glares from those in line while you're at it. Being fashionably late is definitely the way to go here.
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
Another favorite museum with kids located along the Mall, and again it's free. This time you can just go straight to the entrance as no time tickets are required here. You may have a bit of a wait to get in but that is just due to security checks at the entrance. The various exhibits in this museum will let you travel through ancient ecosystems, witness the evolution of life, and get up close to some of the 700 fossil specimens on display. Side note: If your child is a dinosaur enthusiast you really should check out the Royal Tyrell museum I wrote about in Calgary, Alberta.
You can also see some of the cool artifacts from throughout time in the Objects of Wonder exhibit or head over to the Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals and gaze at the beauty that is the famous Hope Diamond. Get your skin crawling by spending some time in the live insect zoo or check out one of the ever changing temporary exhibits.
The butterfly pavilion section is currently closed but when it is open again you can walk through the exhibit amid dozens of fluttering butterflies. Granted it is much smaller in scale than the one I posted about in Niagara Falls but still delightful to stroll through. This is a timed ticket entrance however and you will need to purchase them on site at the pavilion desk. Tip: Tuesdays are free entrance to the pavilion, but you still need to get in line for ticket. For a map of all of the exhibits and cafes on site click here.
Smithsonian National Zoo
Located northwest of the DuPont circle region this zoo is accessible by taking the Red line Metro and getting off at either the Woodland stop or the Cleveland stop. I'd recommend the latter as the Woodland stop requires an uphill walk to get to the zoo and both stops are equidistant to the zoo entrance. If you are coming from the Metro Center station area you'll take a Shady Grove bound train. Driving there is an option too but you'll need to buy an entry pass that includes the fee for the parking lot at $30.00.
Entry passes are required for everyone, and they can be reserved online here. The same link can be used to purchase the parking + entry passes. With the exception of the parking pass, all entry passes are free. You just need to book one in advance. These are usually pretty easy to pick up, even same day, and you can reserve up to 15 passes at a time.
The National Zoo is (soon to be was) one of the few zoos in the United States that have Giant Pandas. Unfortunately their time is running out at the National Zoo as they are due to return to China November 7th, 2023.
After that the only zoo here that will have the Giant Pandas will be the Atlanta zoo and even there they are slated to return to China sometime in 2024. Therefore if seeing a Giant Panda live is on your bucket list, you best make plans to get there soon! You can still see them now on the zoo's panda cam for a little while longer.
Apart from the pandas there are a lot more animals to see including the Red Panda, Elephants, Clouded Leopard, Lowland Gorilla and so forth. To see an A-Z of their animals, and to see which exhibits may be closed, click here. Food on site is typical zoo fare: burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, pizza, pretzels and ice cream. Considering that this zoo is free, it is a must visit with the kids when in DC.
The Spy Museum
This is one you'll need to pay for but it is a lot of fun for kids and adults alike. I'm not sure who enjoyed our visit more, my daughter or myself. I love puzzles and riddles and this place has them in spades. The target audience is predominantly ages 9 and up but even the younger ones will enjoy it with a little help solving the clues. You'll need to book a time slot in advance and purchase your tickets. There are quite a few time slots but you'll still want to make sure you book a couple of days in advance just to make sure you can get close to the time you wish. Ticket prices vary slightly from day to day with Saturday being the peak. Saturday ticket prices are below:
The Spy museum is located south of the National Mall and is in L'Enfant Plaza. There is a major metro station also called L'Enfant Plaza right there as well that serves the Blue, Silver, Green, Yellow and Orange lines . You'll get off the metro and then go through the mall food court area via the Concourse/D St & 9th St SW Exit. If you're a bit peckish grab a bite here before the museum as there is no food available in the museum itself.
You enter the waiting area, greeted by an Aston Martin from none other than James Bond's Goldfinger, and then mill about until your time slot group is ready to enter. Then you'll take an elevator up to the briefing center. Here, and at several other points through the museum, you'll have an interaction point with a kiosk.
The first kiosk will ask you a few questions about yourself and will assign you your cover identity and code word along with your badge. Remember these details as throughout the visit you will be asked specifics at other kiosks when you badge in and if you get them wrong your cover is blown! This is where the younger ones will likely need a bit of help.
Each section has a different mission to complete like building gadgets for your mission, or disguising yourself digitally, and so forth and ultimately they advance you through your main mission. For a mission map, click here. At the end of it all you'll get debriefed and will receive an assessment of your top spy skills in the form of an award or two. I got the 'analytical thinker' and the 'strong memory' rewards, what will you get? The back of your badge (which you can keep) has an RFID number that you can enter at the spy museum.org/undercovermission site and get a full report later that day.
Once done at the Spy Museum, round out the day by taking a short 10 minute walk over to the Wharf DC from the museum. This is a very lively and cool area with some 60 restaurants (cafes/coffee houses/ice cream etc.) along the boardwalk of the Washington Channel. It overlooks a marina and is a very vibrant and hip area. Gordon Ramsey has a couple of restaurant ts here as well. There is his Hell's Kitchen restaurant as well as a Fish and Chips place. My favorite spot, though, was bartaco as it had great Mexican food and was very reasonable pricing.
Summary
With so many free attractions a visit to DC is a great place to spend some time with the family. This blog barely scratched the surface of the things you can go and see, let alone the spectacular variety of restaurants the city has to offer. You should explore some of the DC travel websites and build an itinerary that suits your interests. Be it Science, Nature, Art, History, or Espionage you'll find something that piques the curiosity of all members of the family.
Happy Travels!
Il Digestivo
If you do make your way to DC for the Cherry blossom festival then think about bringing along some of these essentials. Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Kelty Deluxe Lounge Chair
You can't enjoy the great outdoors without a good chair! Kelty is a Made in the USA style of Folding Outdoor Camp Chair, with Insulated Cupholders, a Customized Recline, and Padded Roll Storage bag. Weighing about 10 pounds, the steel framed construction with puppy-proof fabric has a weight capacity of 325 lbs.
THERMOS Vacuum Insulated 16 Ounce Compact Stainless Steel Beverage Bottle
Another necessity for an outdoor adventure. Keep your beverage nice and hot (or cold if you are in a warmer climate) for hours with the Thermos Insulated bottle. Unlike some of the more "influencer propelled" brand names out there the Thermos brand states that their product does not pose any risk of lead poisoning to the consumer. Good to know!
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