I heard you could take 2 weeks to go through there and still won't see everything. Really? I might be able to spare a week this summer. Can anyone suggest best possible scenario for a couple with a kindergartner? Which rooms to visit? Which to avoid spending too much time in? Hidden passages?
Ginormous? 6 months not enough? Sigh...
By rooms I meant which museums...
While in the area visit the Native American Museum ( its right there next to the Air and Space) with lots of cool stuff to do for kids and them stroll over to the Botanical Garden and the outdoor kids stuff there.
A.:
I live here. It would take more than 2 weeks. It would take six months. Please understand the Smithsonian is NOT just ONE museum. It is a collection that frames our Capitol and the National Mall...
Air & Space
American History
Natural History
Modern Art
And SOOOO much more!!!
What does your kindergartener like? Flight? Then the Air & Space Museum is the way to go. Even the Udvar Hazy Air & Space in Chantilly is HUGE!! The Enola Gay is in it along with Space Shuttles and much more...they even have a model of the Death Star from Star Wars....it's about 3 feet round.
If you tell me where you are staying and how long you will be here. I will be more than happy to catch the metro in to DC and show you around.
You could spend months in DC and still not do everything.
If your son likes dinosaurs, probably stick to the Natural History Museum for the most part. That place is SO cool.
We recently spent 5 hours at Mount Vernon and didn't do everything. We could have spent another 5...and that is just one place. There is so much cool history here.
I recommend the Duck Tours - you'll see a lot of the city that way and get a lot of cool history.
YOU could probably spend 2 weeks at the Smithsonian. I'm not sure a kindergartner could. Depends on what your child is interested in. Boy or girl? Girls that age typically like the first ladies' dresses in the American History Museum. Boys often enjoy the dinosaur in the Natural History Museum. It's a LOT of walking though. I know when our kids were younger, their legs tired with all that walking. I would definitely see the zoo though. It's part of the Smithsonian (which means it's free!). It's just a short metro ride away from the mall area where the rest of the Smithsonian buildings are, and it's one of the only places in the country you can see giant pandas. I would also take a kid that age to the monuments. As of now, the Washington Monument is still closed due to earthquake damage last summer. I'm not sure if/when they plan to re-open it. But...it's still worth visiting that and the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and Vietnam Wall. If your child is interested in anything military, it's cool to watch the soldier who guards the tomb of the unknowns at Arlington. The guard changes every 1/2 hour and the ceremony is interesting to watch. The International Spy Museum (not part of the Smithsonian) is very cool for kids.
It's really a group of buildings and museums, and they are quite spread out. I would focus on the areas your family is interested in. For us it was the US History stuff, popular culture, art and military/aviation.
Look at it online and make a list of exhibits you most want to see and focus on that.
Oh, and wear comfortable shoes, it is a LOT of walking, HAVE FUN!
Cheryl helped M. tons. We went for a day trip a month ago. They loved the Dinosaurs at the natural history museum and the animals around it too and then the air and space has tons for kids to play with and experiment. We're going back soon to do more. Emmy really wanted to do the spy museum but she's only 5 so we skipped it for that trip=)
It's ginormous!
We plan to spend much of our time in the Air & Space Museum, because that's what our son would love most.
Last time we were there, we didn't have time to see the First Ladies' Gowns exhibit. :(
Check this out to help plan:
www.si.edu/Visit
There are actually several museums down there (5 in all I think) and yeah, you could spend 2 weeks and still miss things.
My recommendation: let the kids guide you. Some of the places might be boring to them and others (like the Natural Sciences where the dinosaur bones are) might be so fascinating that they want to spend forever there!
The only other suggestion...if you go to see the Hope Diamond, don't do what my husband did and look for the security cameras. I was ready to beat him!
Yes, you could spend 2 weeks there easily and still not see everything. Make sure that you take a stroller and really good shoes! There are several museums that make up the Smithsonian. The air and travel museum might be really neat for them and the Natural History. You need to do the American History museum (Hello Hope Diamond). I have been to DC 3 times and still have not seen it all.
I don't know of any hidden passages, but if you find out about some, I'd love to hear about them.
Also, if you ever get a chance, go to the Holocaust Museum....It is something like you have never seen and will never forget. Although, it's way too much to expose a kindergartner to.
Have a blast enjoying our nations capital!
It's not just one place, it's many. You can absolutely spend a week at the different museums and the zoo is easily a day in itself.
Think about your child's interests. Would you prefer to see airplanes (air and space) or animals (natural history) or art (American art museum). Do you want to spend a day at the zoo? If you are staying for a week, you can do more than one. Find places other than the museums to eat - like the Old Post office or someplace like PotBelly. Save $$.
Other suggestions for kids include the spy museum or newseum (but you need to pay for them). If you are driving and the kid really likes jets and space ships, the annex over by Dulles is worthwhile, but you have to pay for parking. A neat trip might also be the College Park Aviation Museum (inexpensive and some hand's on things for kids - you could do lunch at IKEA).
Check out wmata.com for transportation and whether it would be better to get a SmarTrip card or a week or day pass.
The Smithsonian is actually a collection of museums... LARGE museums... all around the National Mall.
The good thing is that they are all FREE, so if you only have an hour to pop in and pop out, you can do that, or if you're only interested in one room in the museum, that's fine too.
We live in Maryland and love to take the Metro in and visit a museum on the weekends. Our son is also in Kindergarten. Tops for us are: Natural History (dinosaurs, sea creatures, cave men, bugs, everything cool), and Air and Space (exactly what it sounds like).
I'd skip the National Archives, or plan to do it quickly. Seeing the founding documents is cool to me, but not so much to a 6 year old.
There's also the Nation Zoo (also part of the Smithsonian), which is fun if the weather cooperates.
Check out the website and find the exhibits that are most interesting to your family and go from there.
Hope this helps.
A.,
My husband was transferred to D.C. when I was pregnant with my 1st son. I quit my job and joined him at about 18 weeks along, and never worked the rest of the time I was there - so I spent ALL my time either volunteering the zoo, or walking around the museums... I literally spent weeks in the museums over the course of the year.
If you have a week - and a Kindergartener (boy or girl?) this is what I'd do...
Day one - Natural History Museum in the a.m then walk around a sculpture garden after lunch. Day two - more Natural History and then Air and Space. Day 3 - ZOO! Day 4 Mount Vernon (totally worth visiting). Day 5 American History Museum and the Botanical Garden. Day 6 - Art (whatever suits your interest) and a walk around monuments or a tour of the capital.
1. Natural History Museum - Dinosaurs, Bugs/Insects, and the displays of the animals. Unless he is really into rocks, I'd skip the Hope Diamond/gemstones - it's interesting and all - but if you only have so much time I'd focus on the other stuff. My daughter (age 3) is also way into dinosaurs and animals so I'd think she'd like it too.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/
2. Air and Space - my boys (aged 7 and 5) would love this whole museum. I'd spend as much time there as he likes. I was never into planes and stuff as a kid, so if you have a daughter I'd still plan to visit this one, but maybe spend less time. I never made it out to the newer Air and Space museum out near the Dulles airport - but have heard it's amazing and will totally go when we take our kids in a year or two.
3. American History Museum - I'd look at the Smithsonian website and map for this museum, plan to to see what interests your children the most - I remember seeing the First Ladies dresses when I was a kid... my boys would like some of the transportation stuff... there is lots to choose from here - again - you could spend a morning/afternoon or easily spend a whole day.
http://www.nasm.si.edu/
4. The ZOO! Plan to spend a day. They've done some great renovations in the past 7-8 years - its a great zoo.
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/
Other museums on the mall that I love are the National Gallery of Art and the wing that contains the modern art. There is also the Hirshorn Museum on the other side that is all modern art. My kids seem more drawn to the modern art and sculptures, so if I was going to take in some art - I might do that over the classic stuff. I'd skip the National Portrait Gallery - I think a Kindergartener would find it boring (I did as an adult a little bit). The sculpture gardens that are outside (there is one on each side of the mall near the other art museums) are really fun for kids I think.
There is the National Museum of the American Indian - which is really amazing (I have an archaeology degree - so it really fits my interests) and I would think a Kindergartener would enjoy some of it... but you could probably skip it the first trip.
http://nmai.si.edu/home/
The Botanical Garden on the mall is fun - I remember visiting it as a child, and enjoyed it as an adult. It's not very big and a nice break from a traditional museum.
http://www.usbg.gov/
I'd also skip the Spy Museum - I'd recommend it for older (9 and up) kids.
I love the Renwick Gallery (Museum of American Art/Craft) - it's smaller so it could be a nice exposure to art if you want to include it.
Unless you have specific interests or cultural background, I'd say skip the African and Asian museums the first time there. They are totally worth visiting though!
Email me in a private message if you have any other specific questions - have fun!
I have been to the natural history museum and the art, and enjoyed them both. I think its like 13 or 16 museums but its been to long for me to remember.
