How to Get Around and Sightsee in Washington, D.C., with Young Children

The Lincoln Memorial is easily recognizable, even for small children.

Washington, D.C., is a great place to visit, especially with kids. Plan ahead to make the most of your trip, and make the excursion comfortable and fun for everyone.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Camera
• Map of the area (AAA Beltway map is good)
• Good walking shoes
• Stroller, if needed

Instructions

1. Plan some of your visits to the various museums around family events, although they tend to be more crowded.

2. Plan some of your visits at less popular hours. For instance, in the summer, most of the zoo's outdoor exhibits and a few buildings are open at 8 a.m., 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. Crowds may be smaller, and parking easier to find.

3. Though the Metro is often the recommended form of transportation, it can be difficult with small children. You can put them in a stroller to make sure they don't stray, but elevators are hard to find. 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 information in advance, the Metro is a useful, and even exciting, method of transportation.

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 or 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 two to three hours, so you may be lucky enough to find parking in the middle of the day, too.

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.

6. Some of the monuments have plentiful nearby parking, such as the Jefferson Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial and Haines Point (home of The Awakenings Statue).

7. If you have time, the National Geographic Explorer Hall, Postal Museum and nature centers in Arlington, Virginia, and Montgomery County, Maryland, 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.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to have brunch on Sunday in Georgetown, be sure to arrive early. By lunchtime, the restaurants are very busy.

• If you are traveling during rush hour, allow extra travel time.

• Huntley Meadows, south of Alexandria, has stroller-friendly trails made of boardwalks and high probability of wildlife sightings.

• If you park on the street, carefully read the signs so that you don't park illegally.

References

• The Smithsonian: Kids at the Smithsonian
• The Circulator
• Montgomery County Parks