From the 17 hands-on museums and cultural venues of the Smithsonian Institution to classic American baseball games and their foodie accompaniments, Washington, DC is a brilliant place for families, especially for those who want to learn more about US history but also for lovers of art, aviation, and the natural world. And most of these attractions are free to visit. We’ve picked out some of our favourites.
The National Mall
Nicknamed ‘America’s front yard’, this park is packed with monuments and memorials honouring American forefathers and other heroes, including the Lincoln Memorial celebrating the 16th president of the United States with an almost six metre-tall statue of the man and an inscription of his Gettysburg Address.
As well as being a national stage for movements and celebrations, the National Mall has many great, family-friendly free museums, including the National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Gallery of Art, and National Museum of American History.
National Children's Museum
Opened in 2021, this wonderful family attraction is a mix of a science centre and hands-on kids’ museum, with playful technology, engineering, art, and maths-focused exhibits, plus places to let off steam. Among the latter are the cloud-inspired Dream Machine, a three-level jungle gym with huge slides and LED-lit balls. Another highlight of the museum is Data Science Alley, where kids explore the figures and statistics found in our daily lives through play.
International Spy Museum
This state-of-the-art venue in the Southwest Waterfront can keep families occupied for an entire day with its spy-related intrigue and hands-on family fun, including the chance to take part in an Undercover Mission involving covering your identity, cracking codes, and finding hidden dead drop sites. From now until April 2025, it’s also home to the Bond in Motion official exhibition of iconic vehicles used on-screen by 007 and his many adversaries.
Go to a Washington Nationals game
With four National League East titles under their belt, five post-season appearances, and a World Series championship since coming to Washington, DC in 2005, these pro baseball players are one of the city's main attractions in spring and summer, with an action-packed schedule. And their impressive stadium, Nationals Park, is also a great place to eat as a family: don’t miss the chance to sample half-smokes (spicy hot dogs native to Washington, DC and the surrounding area) from the iconic Ben's Chili Bowl or some of the classic burgers and shakes.
United States Botanic Garden
This living plant museum on the grounds of the United States Capitol was envisioned by George Washington more than 200 years ago to demonstrate the importance of plants to the young nation, and today it’s the oldest continuously operating public garden in the USA. Bring kids here and they can take place in a scavenger hunt to identify plants and get their ‘passports’ stamped, and play in the Children’s Garden – pumping water, digging with shovels, watering plants, and sometimes helping the staff to plant flowers.
Content created in partnership with Washington, DC & Brand USA
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