Things You'll Need:
- Water
- Camera
- Map of the area (AAA Beltway map is good)
- Good walking shoes
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Step 1
The Natural History Museum is open late some summer nights.Plan some of your visits to the various museums around family events. We enjoyed the family events, but the museums at those times tended to be more crowded.
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Step 2
The sea lions at the zoo were very active and fun to watch at 9am.Plan some of your visits at less popular hours. For instance, in the summer, most of the outdoor exhibits and a few buildings (such as the small mammal house, which my kids loved) are open at 8am, two hours earlier than most of the buildings. At that time in the morning, the weather is more comfortable, the zoo is almost empty, the animals tend to be more active and parking is readily available.
Also, a few of the more popular Smithsonian museums are open some summer evenings. We went to the Museum of Natural History one evening and had no trouble finding parking nearby. -
Step 3
Though the Metro is often the recommended preferred form of transportation, I found it difficult with small children. I put them in a double stroller to make sure we always stayed together, but the elevator entrances to the Metro weren't always easy to find. Also, if the children are too old for a stroller or refuse to sit in it, the extra walking is tough on little legs. However, if you avoid rush hour, note the exact locations of the Metro entrances on the map and decipher the fare info in advance, the Metro is a useful, and even exciting, method of transportation.
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Step 4
If you only plan on spending a few hours at a time at the National Mall, you can use the free and metered parking in and around the National Mall. The best places are on Jefferson and Madison Drives. Since street parking is not allowed during rush hour, if you arrive around 9:30-9:45 you can probably find a good parking spot near the museum you would like to visit (read the signs carefully to figure out where it is legal to park). Parking is limited to 2-3 hours (depending on the exact location), so you may be lucky enough to find parking in the middle of the day too.
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Step 5
To get around the National Mall area, the D.C. Circulator is useful and stroller friendly. One route of this bus circles the National Mall, which is worthwhile when accompanied by people with little legs who tire easily. Other bus routes run through Georgetown and to Union Station (which is across the street from the National Postal Museum).
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Step 6
Kids love climbing on The Awakenings statue.Some of the monuments have plentiful nearby parking, such as the Jefferson Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial, and Haines Point (home of The Awakenings Statue).
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Step 7
The National Geographic Explorers Museum has fun hands on exhibits for kids.If you have time, the National Geographic Explorer Hall, Postal Museum, and nature centers in Arlington, VA and Montgomery County, MD all have hand-on fun exhibits for kids. You can climb to the top of the Netherlands Carillon for a great view during a concert.
