Taking my 8 yr old Son to DC

[YankeyMCC]

Hello,

I've been to DC many times but it's been many years so I thought I'd check in and see what natives might have in terms of tips for tourists.

Any tips for getting around with an 8 yr old? I remember the metro being good when I was there.

Must see sights or activities? We'll do the Mall, Lincoln Mem, new WWII memorial etc... Air and Space, and I would like to take him to see the Constitution.

This is during the school vacation week, 17-21 Apr.

[notadmblnd]

1. don't stand still anywhere with your suitcases at your side

you might be mistaken for terrorists instead of tourists

[Warpy]

2. Smithsonian Institution

'Nuff said. I did the tour when I was seven, and again in my 20s when I lived in Maryland for a short time. The things that "stuck" when I was seven were the Smithsonian and the Lincoln Memorial. Nothing else did, although I did the whole tour.

He'll especially love the Air & Space Museum, but the whole thing will be impressive.

[PAMod]

3. Get a tourmobile pass for the day

Washington is BIG, and you will do a lot of walking even with using tourmobile, but it is nice to get to all of the monuments and back.

I think it is $20 for the whole day and you can ride as much as you want.

I was there on Sat with my family (3 boys 9, 6 & 3) - surprisingly the big hit was Arlington Cemetery.

[PAMod]

5. Also, I like to park at Arlington Cemetery...

and ride the metro into DC. That works great too.

Last time we did that it cost about $12 for the day to park and we spent about $4 a piece to ride the metro back & forth.

[demnan]

4. Just this

As an alternative to the mall exit, you can get off the metro at the Smithsonian and take the Independence Ave exit. This will put you just a couple of blocks from the Lincoln on your left (as you face Independence Ave). Also to see the Air and Space museum, take the LaFant Plaza exit. It is right across Maryland Ave when you come up from the escalators.

Also, you can save some money by not getting a hotel right in D.C. Get one in Crystal City or Rosslyn (in Arlington, Virginia) and you'll be right on the metro and just as convenient as in D.C.

[fairfaxvadem]

6. I haven't been to the International Spy Museum yet.

So I don't know if it's worth it or not. You can check out their website, it's centrally located.

As a child growing up here and as an adult with friends and family visiting, I've always found DC to be a bit tiring on the feet and legs, and I'm a big walker! You can sure cover a lot of mileage in a day!! Mostly I would recommend taking good solid breaks in between big visits, and try to plan them logically in terms of locations. Metro does help and it's great, but you still have to put in some walking.

If you have time, a sidetrip up to Baltimore to the Aquarium might be a lot of fun for you both.

PS: Remember to allow for a good chunk of time in the Air and Space and maybe just one other activity afterwards. And I'd make the A&S the first thing to do in the morning so you're fully energized!

[northzax]

13. don't do ISM, unless you have tons of time and money

it's kind of cool, but it's also 15 bucks a head...

biggest advice? go to the new Air and Space Udvar-Hazy center at Dulles, if you can, if the kid likes things that fly, they've got a Space Shuttle, a SR-71, great stuff.

[China_cat]

7. Make sure you see the aquarium.

It's in the basement of the Treasury building.

[seemunkee]

9. Commerce dept building

not treasury.
It's OK.

[kansasblue]

8. DC

The new Air and Space at Dulles is very good and not so crowded. Also the national mall, Vietnam and WWII memorial are very nice at night. They are safe too with lots of people around. I also think the inside of the Lib or Congress is very nice. Arlington Cem is good and right on the metro.

[CC]

10. The new

Native American Museum is great and depending on how your son would take it the Holocaust Museum is a don't miss. My son was 9 when we went and handled it well. It can be overwhelming. It stuck with him though because even as an 18 year old he was very vocal whenever confronting racism in any form and had us take quite a few friends there so they could see where it leads.

Also after years of going to DC the last few times we bought trolley (tour thing) tickets to get from one thing to another. It was so worth the money as we were able to see more and not be near as worn out as we used to be. Not sure how much they are now but there is one at every stop every 15 min. and the ticket is good all day.

[On the Road]

11. He Might Like the Bureau of Engraving

where you can see money being printed. It's right off the mall. As far as the Smithsonian goes, the American History museum is always interesting. A lot of their exhibits are social history and pop culture.

If you can manage to get bikes there, my daughter loved downtown to ride when she was that age. Lots of space on the mall without intersections, or park areas like the Jefferson Memorial and Ohio Drive.

[YankeyMCC]

12. Thanks for the info