Before we had kids, my husband and I had visited Washington DC and had left with plans for our next visit. We haven’t made it back to this side of the country in over 10 years but since moving to the East Coast this past fall, we’ve been able to visit Washington DC three times! It’s definitely a different experience visiting with kids but they’ve all enjoyed each trip there and have even started giving input on things they’d like to do and see there…and it doesn’t hurt that it’s usually based on seeing my sister’s family ;) Each time we’ve visited has been very different from the last, and while we’ve taken our kids to some attractions they weren’t incredibly impressed with, we’ve been to quite a few that we think they can’t stop talking about. And let me tell you, it wasn’t visiting the monuments ;) Don’t get me wrong, you can’t go to Washington DC and not visit the monuments. And the kids were impressed with them the first time we went…especially the Washington Monument because…Spiderman (IYKYK). But we’ve put together this list of family friendly places to visit in Washington DC - that aren’t monuments - that our family has truly enjoyed. 1 - Mount VernonFirst up, we have Mount Vernon. Only a 30 minute drive from Washington DC, a visit to the home of George Washington is definitely worthy of this list. The property is beautiful in every season and has so much to see and learn about that’s interesting for all ages. If you know me, you know that I love everything to do with historical visits, and being able to bring history alive to my kids by visiting Mount Vernon is pretty fun to watch. The things the older kids have learned here that they still talk about is impressive. Go for a regular tour, or watch their calendar of events for special tours! We went to their Christmas at Mount Vernon event and really enjoyed it. 2 - Old Town AlexandriaWhile you’re in the neighborhood, we also recommend a visit to Old Town Alexandria. This town has more history related to the founding of this country than any other town and was the stomping grounds of George Washington, the Lee family, the Mason’s, and many others. Now, again, I love visiting historic places, but I know it’s not always entertaining for young kids. So I was happily surprised when, on our last visit, our 6 year old asked if we could go walk around “the place where you walk on bricks”. I was so happy to know that it wasn’t just me that enjoyed walking the cobblestone street and brick sidewalks of this gorgeous town. There is so much to see and do here but if you just want a quick roam around, we’ve put together a short historic walking tour in the heart of Old Town. Besides the things listed there, our kids particularly enjoyed the Apothecary Museum, walking along the harbor, and the Torpedo Factory! The Torpedo Factory is a building full of art studios that artists can rent out to create their art. My kids showed a lot more interest than I thought they would and loved walking the halls and watching people create all kinds of art out of all kinds of media. Also inside the Torpedo Factory is the Archaeology Museum that has a few different hands on actives for kids that captured their attention as well. 3 - Lego Discovery Center - Washington DCThe next spot our kids loved was definitely planned with them in mind. We had to visit the Lego Discovery Center during our last visit and they all got a huge kick out of it. Included with the ticket price, we each got to create our own custom minifigures. There were building stations for all ages along with an interactive ride and a fun 4D movie. Our visit here was one they all listed as a highlight of our entire trip and we each left with the perfect souvenir. 4 - Dumbarton OaksWhile we’re on the subject of places to see outside of DC proper, we have to mention Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown. This place is a stunning property, especially during the regular season. The gardens are beautiful and serene and we were lucky enough to visit during cherry blossom season. The grounds were quiet and there were very few people and our 3 year old had a great time roaming with us through all the different areas. In fact, we spent so much time in the gardens that by the time we were able to poke our heads inside the museum, there was only 5 minutes before closing time! Thankfully, they let us peek inside the breathtaking Music Room, which words cannot describe. Dumbarton Oaks is the legacy of two art collectors, to put it very simply. The website says it’s a research institute, library, and museum. It’s home to world-class collections of art. The gardens are historic in their own right being designed with a renowned landscape designer. In 2014, it was named one of the top 10 gardens in the world by National Geographic. Being able to take a quick look inside the music room was a very specific choice. This room is famous for hosting historic meetings during WWII. Delegates from China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the US met here to establish what eventually became the United Nations. 5 - Museum of Illusions Washington DCNow, let’s get into DC itself. Another place our kids mentioned was a highlight of our last trip was a visit to the Museum of Illusions. This franchise has locations all over the world, but each spot is unique to the location it’s in. Some of the exhibits were truly mind-bending. We all had fun in the upside-down metro exhibit but the our kids thought the vortex tunnel was super cool. (Make sure to hold tight though, because it made us so dizzy!) There is so much to explore here and we all had so much fun visiting this spot. 6 - Ford's TheaterNot far from the Museum of Illusions is Ford’s Theater, so we definitely had to take the opportunity to visit. The museum is so well done and we learned so much. It goes through what the country was dealing with, politically, at the time of the assassination. Obviously it talks about the presidency of Lincoln and of his family but it also dives into what was known about John Wilkes Booth and about the grand scheme of his plan. They have artifacts from the night of the tragedy and, and my favorite part, was the walk into the theater, which, on one wall, shows Lincoln’s timeline of the day and directly across from it, how it lined up with Booth’s timeline of events that day. In the theater, they had a ranger answering questions, which was very interesting and then we walked across the street to the Peterson House, which was where Lincoln was brought after the shooting and where he died the next day. 7 - International Spy MuseumThis next spot is probably geared more toward older kids…our 3 year old didn’t care much for it. But it was so fun for the rest of us that we have to add it to this list. The International Spy Museum is a museum experience so different than any of the museums we’d been to in Washington DC. At the beginning of the visit, each person is assigned a secret identity and a secret mission to complete during their trip to the museum. While learning about the history of spies in this country - with exhibits on Revolutionary War spies, women spies, spies during WWII and the cold war, and so much more - we got to play games and complete mini trainings to see how well we would do as a spy. It was so fun and so educational and is definitely a must see when visiting Washington DC. I have to admit that we did visit the Washington Monument on this trip, but it was during the Cherry Blossom Festival and they had a giant kite festival going on! It was truly a site to behold, and must different than our previous visits there, so our kids obliged :) We know, as a family with young kids, that trips to big cities can seem daunting. Like, maybe the kids won’t like what we have planned and it’ll feel more like work, dragging them along, than a fun family trip. This trip was so fun for all of us and I’m sure it was because we let our kids have some input in what they wanted to see and do. Next time you’re planning a family trip, ask your kids what they are interested in doing! They might just surprise you and pick things that you’re looking forward too as well. There is so much to do in Washington DC so this is definitely not meant to be an exhaustive list. Every time we end a visit, I feel like our list of things we want to do there grows instead of shrinks. We’ll definitely be back and will probably have some more things to add to this list! So if you have something you think should be on here, please let us know! Have questions about our trip? We’re always happy to answer! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live!
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AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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