Our Family Visits Washington D.C. - The Smithsonian Museums

One of the best reasons to visit D.C. is the abundance of FREE attractions!  There are more museums than the average family would care to visit during one vacation.  With so many choices, how does one decide?!

Because we only had three full days in D.C., we had to be selective. Which museums appealed most to our family interests?  We settled on American History Museum, Air and Space Museum, and National Zoo.

The girls loved the gallery featuring Inaugural ball
gowns of former First Ladies in the
National Museum of American History!

Due to a combination of time constraints, exhaustion,
and slight disinterest, we only spent a few minutes
in the National Air and Space Museum.

Every family will probably have a different approach to visiting the museums.  It really boils down to how you want to spend your time.  Museum hours are typically 9a.m. -4 p.m. (with some opening or closing a little earlier or later), and parking near the museums is impossible.  With time spent walking, and eating, those hours tend to pass quickly.

We ended up deciding against the National Zoo.  We have several zoos within two hours of our house, and have done multiple zoo field trips.  D.C. weather was hot during our visit, and reviews of the zoo were really mixed.  We knew we would have to park far away, and according to reviews, our walk would be on a pretty steep hill either coming or going, depending on which direction we parked.  Reviews also indicated that there is little shade.  Because there were so many good options, we decided against this one.

Our kids weren't really enamored with the Air and Space Museum.  We live within an hour of The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, and have participated in multiple field trips to that museum.  If you or your children haven't already spent a lot of time in an Air and Space Museum or if you have more of an interest in that area, I'm sure you will find that branch of the Smithsonian to be a great experience.

The National Museum of American History was a complete hit with our family, and we intend to go back if the opportunity presents itself!  The exhibits were tasteful, engaging, and lifelike.

Things to remember:

• All National Museums have security checks which can be time consuming.
• Expect lots of walking between museums.
• Be aware of what things are allowed to be brought into the museum.
• Be flexible.  If your group isn't "feeling it," spend time somewhere else.  D.C. is so full of exciting fun places, and no one should feel like they have to waste time at a certain attraction just to say they've been there. Move on.  There is plenty to do.

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To access information on all the D.C. Smithsonian museums, click here.