5 Tips for a Family Trip to D.C.

Our family is serious about travel. When we decided to visit Washington, D.C., we researched attractions, made lists, and spent months fine tuning our plan. Here are five tips for making your trip the best it can be  — PLUS the one money-saving idea I wish I’d known from the beginning.

1. Make a Schedule
   When planning your trip, check the schedule of every place you want to visit. During busy seasons, museums stay open late on a rotating schedule. Taking advantage of these late hours will help you maximize your time. Also check museum and attraction schedules for early closings due to special events. Our day at the National Zoo was abbreviated due to a Halloween event in the evening; knowing the schedule ahead of time allowed us to arrive at the zoo early in the day. Some tours and museums require timed tickets, including the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the National Museum of African American history. Monuments are open 24 hours a day, so hit those while the museums are closed.
2. Plan for Meals
   The Smithsonian museums often have delightful cafeterias featuring unique food from a variety of cultures. Be prepared for long lines at popular restaurants like the Sweet Home Cafe in the National Museum of African American History. During our visit, we found that many museum cafeterias were under renovation. Hungry and faced with coolers of pre-packaged food, we were wishing for alternatives. Surprisingly, dinner options are scarce near the National Mall. Food trucks that serve lunch on the Mall disappear in the evening. With museums and their cafes closing at 5:30pm, that leaves the food kiosks by the Lincoln Memorial as the only nearby options.
3. Beware of Shutdowns
   In our current political climate, stay aware of the possibility of a government shutdown during your visit. When the federal government closes, the shutdown often includes the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo. Keep a list of places you can enjoy in case of a shutdown, including outdoor monuments and privately-run attractions such as Mount Vernon and the International Spy Museum (re-opening in May of 2019).

   

4. Look for Hidden Gems
   Two favorite parts of my family’s D.C. trip were quieter excursions a bit off the beaten path. In the basement of the Library of Congress, we found the Young Readers Center, an old-school children’s library filled with cozy reading nooks and all my kids’ favorite titles. We enjoyed the Smithsonian Castle and the brief overview it provided of the museum collections, including ancient art and a piece of the Hindenburg. We also took a day to drive out to the Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center, home to the space shuttle Discovery, the Enola Gay, a Concorde, and an SR-71. I highly recommend the Udvar-Hazy Center for visitors who struggle with the crowds and noise of the main Air and Space Museum.
5. Save Something for Next Time
   When we left D.C., my kids complained that they needed five more days to see everything else they missed. While we didn’t request a capitol tour from our Congressman, take in a hockey game, or make it through every floor of the American History Museum, we know there’s even more waiting for us the next time we return to our capital city.

And finally, the one thing I wish I had known at the start our trip:

The Smithsonian Magazine Subscription
Smithsonian gift shops offer subscriptions to Smithsonian Magazine or Air & Space Magazine for $12. If you subscribe, you also receive these benefits:
–10% off at the Smithsonian gift shop on the day of your membership purchase
–10% off meals at select Smithsonian dining facilities
The dining discount alone would have paid for our subscription within the first two days of our trip! Take advantage of this deal on one of your first days in the city.

Have you visited D.C. lately? What are your favorite travel tips?