Washington DC

[EllieFunt]

What is a good age to take children to DC? My girls will be 11 & 8 next summer. We want them to remember the trip. I'm thinking it could be a little young.

Any thoughts on what to do there at that age? We can always go back when they're older.

[babyluvr]

I made my first trip to DC when I was ten. We were there for a week and saw all that we could see at the time. Went to Mt. Vernon where George Washington lived. I loved that. The Smithsonian. The monuments. The Capitol. Where they printed money - no free samples though.:lol: Went on Gray Line bus tours to different places. Actually, we went back a couple years later to see more stuff we didn't see the first time around.

DC can get hot in the summer so don't try to jam pack your day. We stayed at a nice hotel w/a pool. We usually went touring in the morning and were back at the hotel by late afternoon to swim and relax.

[cali_mom]

I'm hoping to take my kids at 14/16ish. After they've had some US history classes.

[kristyw]

Last summer we took my 13 year old, 11 year old, and 5 year old. It was hot as blue blazes! Also, lots of walking and waiting in line. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but they just said it was OK. Also, the Smithsonian is super cool! But my 5 year old was a little short and got tired of looking at people's rear ends. Very crowded.

[Lucy]

we went last yr for the first time...my yougest was 8, the next 12, then 2 in highschool..

we did:

spy museum (expensive, older boys liked it)
holocaust museum...they have a "gentle" room for little kids, but if you need to stay w/ them, you won't see the rest of the place.....if the kids walk through w/ you, they won't be able to see the worst of the photos because there will be a barrier on the walkway and only adults can look over and see down.....

loved the national archives, (watch the nicholas cage movies), and Mount Vernon was Wonderful - we did a tour of the grounds and house

Library of Congress was great - beautiful ceilings

walking by the white house was neat, smithsonian was great, the mint where they print off money would be wonderful

we had pizza in georgetown on a saturday night - very fun, very crowded

we did a walking ghost tour of old town Alexandria...Very fun, and not so scary that the youngest would be scared, and not so silly that people who don't believe in ghost won't get into the spirit of the stories.

Arlington Cementery was very cool..

and, of course, the subway....

all in all, we went in sept and it was cooler, but keeping water bottles, and resting inbetween will help.

we did a walking tour of the momuments...at night, which was a bit scary due to the neighborhood, but we were in a bigger group

i was very surprised at the number of things to do....

[kristyw]

we went last yr for the first time...my yougest was 8, the next 12, then 2 in highschool..

we did:

spy museum (expensive, older boys liked it)
holocaust museum...they have a "gentle" room for little kids, but if you need to stay w/ them, you won't see the rest of the place.....if the kids walk through w/ you, they won't be able to see the worst of the photos because there will be a barrier on the walkway and only adults can look over and see down.....

loved the national archives, (watch the nicholas cage movies), and Mount Vernon was Wonderful - we did a tour of the grounds and house

Library of Congress was great - beautiful ceilings

walking by the white house was neat, smithsonian was great, the mint where they print off money would be wonderful

we had pizza in georgetown on a saturday night - very fun, very crowded

we did a walking ghost tour of old town Alexandria...Very fun, and not so scary that the youngest would be scared, and not so silly that people who don't believe in ghost won't get into the spirit of the stories.

Arlington Cementery was very cool..

and, of course, the subway....

all in all, we went in sept and it was cooler, but keeping water bottles, and resting inbetween will help.

we did a walking tour of the momuments...at night, which was a bit scary due to the neighborhood, but we were in a bigger group

i was very surprised at the number of things to do....

Can we go with you next time?!!! Please!

[citylights]

We haven't been yet, but I'm so ready to go as I know my girls are a good age for this (16 & 18)! But ds is 10, and dh & I think we should wait at least a few more years. So, that's what we're going to do.

I have heard it can be a great budget vacation, that most of the museums are free admission! ???

Ladies, how's the cost of this compare to a "leisure vacation?"

[Lucy]

we went w/ a group of homeschoolers....so basically , someone blew the whistle and had the clipboard, and i just shows up.

we hit about 3 things a day...did breakfast at the hotel, then hit the streets, did an event, did another, ate lunch, did a 3rd, then had some free time, and then did a 4th....

we might not have seen everything in the smithoanian....but enough.


the american history museum was closed for remodeling...i think i could go there for an entire week.

i remember paying for the spy museum, and the holocast musem....moste verything else was free...north vernon had a fee