Washington D.C. with Kids
After traveling to 18 countries over the last 10 months, our family wanted to prioritize a stop at our nation’s capital. Washington DC has so much to offer families! All of the Smithsonian Museums are “free” (or Jon would say “included” as a taxpayer). The National Mall offers incredible views, amazing monuments, and accurate history of the great, good, and difficult parts of our national history. We spent 2.5 days touring in June of 2022. Here are our recommendations for Washington DC with kids.
- Book a tour with Old Time Trolley Tours.
It’s a long walk from the Capitol building to the Lincoln Memorial. Even further to see the Jefferson Memorial. There’s no better way to see it all and get a sense of geography in DC than with the trolley tour. Our guide, Kam the Man, provided excellent information and history throughout the tour. We recommend doing this tour at the beginning of your stay in Washinton DC. It allows the kids to see everything while saving their legs for more walking and standing later. You get a good grasp of the geography of DC, how far apart things are, and good information presented in an entertaining way. The tour includes a 30-minute stop to walk along the war memorials for Korea and Vietnam and climb the stairs to the Lincoln Monument.
2. Visit the Smithsonian Museums
Unfortunately, the Air and Space Museum is still closed for renovations until the Fall of 2022. However, the American History and Natural History Smithsonians are incredible. You could easily spend 1/2 day in each. Both have interactive exhibits for kids, places to sit and rest while watching a short film, and incredible information. We especially appreciated being able to tour the “America at War” exhibit at the American History Museum. After visiting Boston, Normandy, 9/11 sites, and seeing all the memorials in D.C., this was a perfect way to tie everything together since it goes chronologically from the Revolution to the War on Terror. Abigail also loved the First Ladies exhibit! Although it’s not part of the Smithsonian, make sure to also carve out time to walk through the National Archives right next door!
3. Walk the National Mall
Prepare for the weather but plan to walk along the mall. The Washington Monument serves as a central point from which you can see the Capitol, Lincoln Memorial and reflecting pool, and the White House. It’s an amazing walk to see the incredible views. The World War II Memorial is also between the Washington Monument and the start of the reflecting pool. Your kids will enjoy the ability to (respectfully) take off their shoes and put their feet in the water at the WWII Memorial. If you can plan ahead, request a tour of the Capitol or White House from your state’s Representative or Senator.
4. Let your kids do Junior Ranger booklets
A highlight for our kids was completing the tasks to earn Junior Ranger badges at the White House Visitor Center and the Arlington House within Arlington National Cemetary. The tasks involve learning and writing about different lessons within the exhibits; this creates a wonderful interactive learning experience. Our kids loved the ceremony to be sworn in as Junior Rangers and keep the badges as souvenirs. Multiple other sites offer these activities, including most of the war memorials, so take advantage of as many as you have time for.
5. Walk Arlington National Cemetary
We chose to walk the cemetery, but Arlington offers a tram tour as well. It was a little pricey for our family of four, so Ashley found a summary of a few main sites online to read as we walked on our own. Plan to at least visit the eternal flame at JFK’s burial site, the Arlington House, and watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (it’s every 30 minutes in the summer and every hour in the winter). If time allows, drive over to see the Iwo Jima / Marine Corp. War Memorial and the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. You can also walk to these sites from Arlington if you don’t have a car and the weather is pleasant.
These would definitely be our top recommendations to prioritize. However, if you have more time, consider going to the top of the Old Post Office for an amazing view of the city. Fords Theater, the Museum of the Bible, and the Holocaust Museum (for older kids) are also great options. Regardless of what your family chooses to do, Washington D.C. will always leave you wanting to return and do more!
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If you have questions or tips for traveling to Washington D.C., let us know! Happy Travels!
