Over the Summer, our family took a vacation to Washington DC! It wasn’t too far of a trek for us- we drove and it took us about 5-6 hours. It’s actually a pretty nice drive, just be sure to time it well so that you’re not hitting any of that DC traffic during peak times. Our kids are 8 and 9 and they are excellent road trippers! We got a few new movies for them to watch during the drive, some snacks and they were all set! For our kids, this was their first visit. Todd and I had visited DC just last year and we had such a great time that we decided to return, this time with our kiddos in tow. Before our adult trip last year, I had never been to DC and the last time that my husband had been was when he was in high school. I had read a few articles about getting around the city and what most people came to see to prep for it. If you have never been before, let me give you my two biggest tips right from the start: #1-Plan to walk A LOT
and #2- You’re not going to be able to see everything unless you stay for a week+. So make a list of the things that are the most important to you and get to those first. It’s also worth noting that a lot of the museums have different hours and some close a lot earlier than what you might think. So check the hours of the places that you want to visit as well.
What You May Want to Visit Without Kiddos:
First, let me start off by saying that this post is about popular sites in DC that you may want to consider leaving the kids behind to see. But, by no means do any of these places not allow kids. DC is actually a very family-friendly city and we saw kids at ALL of these places that I’m about to write about. I even brought my own kids to a few of these sites. This list is more about trying to save a parent’s sanity. I will also be writing a post about all of the places that my kids absolutely loved. Coming soon!
The fact is, that when you travel to DC, there are some places that are more kid-friendly than others. Maybe kid-friendly isn’t the right way to put it so much as- these are the places where you’re going to have to find a way to entertain your kids while you look around . There are just so many places to see and by ruling out a few, it could make your visit easier. Or at the very least, prepare you for what you should expect. Thankfully, one thing that Todd and I had planned perfectly was that we had visited the Summer prior to bringing our kids and got to spend all of the time that we wanted to in the places that interested us. When you have kids with you, that’s just not a luxury that you have. On a map, DC looks like everything is right next to one another, but it’s actually quite spread out. Definitely get familiar with the Metro, your feet will thank you and it will help you get so much more checked off your list.
- Arlington National Cemetery: First let me start by saying that Arlington is absolutely beautiful! I could spend all days just walking around the grounds. At the top of our list to see at Arlington National Cemetery were the famous grave sites like President Kennedy and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also caught the changing on the guard ceremony which was really incredible to watch. I believe that there is a schedule posted for the changing of the guard and I’d highly recommend sticking around for it if you trek out to Arlington. There are so many other things to catch at Arlington as well. When we were there, they were renovating the Lee mansion and I’d love to return to take a look inside. You could probably spend a whole day seeing the sites at Arlington. While, Arlington National Cemetery should definitely be on your list of places to visit in DC, it wasn’t one of my top places to bring my children. I will definitely take them at some point, without question, but it is a bit of a hike from the rest of DC- you’ll have to take the Metro or some other mode of transportation to get there. Also, the grounds are HUGE! And it is not flat! It is quite a walk back to the Kennedy grave site and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I’m pretty positive that there are shuttles, but it would be quite a workout to push a stroller all the way there and back.
- Ford’s Theater: Unfortunately for us, we visited Ford’s Theater during our trip with kids and I’d love to go back and take a more in-depth look around. It’s a lot of reading. There are so many cool artifacts and things to see, but even at 8 and 9, it really didn’t interest my kids for too long. The theater also has a presentation that is about 30-40 minutes long and we weren’t able to catch it because my kids were begging for snacks (snacks, snacks, snacks!). We were able to tour the theater, the museum portion in the basement, take a bunch of pictures and visit the house across the street where Lincoln died, but I still feel like there was a lot that I missed.
- International Spy Museum: Unlike most of the museums in DC, you’re paying to get into this one. It’s pretty neat to see- I don’t know that I’d go twice- but, I’m glad to say that I saw it. There is a huge portion of this museum that is dedicated to James Bond and a lot of interactive things to do and touch. When we were there, we did see quite a few children there, but I just don’t know that it’s worth paying admission for kids to see unless YOU really want to. They do have a really cute gift shop that has a lot of things that kids (and adults) would love. I remember picking up spy glasses and notebooks for my kids that they thoroughly enjoyed.
- Jefferson Memorial: So, we made the mistake of walking here. Haha! Oh geez, it is quite a walk. If you have kids with you, I’d definitely recommend not walking. Even for adults, it’s a bit much. My kids are troopers and averaged about 25,000 steps per day in DC and even they were complaining on this walk. I will say that it is very scenic though! If we had more time and it weren’t so hot, I would have rented one of the paddle boats to take along the river. It is a beautiful site to see, but there isn’t a whole lot over by the Jefferson Memorial.
- National Archives: The National Archives is home to a lot of interesting things. Most popular, of course, being the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They are located in an absolutely beautiful room with incredible artwork. In order to see these documents, you’re going to have to wait in line inside of this room to get up close. And there is NO photography. Let me repeat that, NO photography. These documents are obviously very old and very sensitive and the people working in this building are very serious about preserving them. They also really enjoy making fun of Nicholas Cage and the movie National Treasure. It’s really fun to see these historical documents up close and personal, but I will say that I was very surprised at how faded they were. You can barely make out anything that they say anymore. While this should definitely be on your list of things to do, know that this is probably more for your enjoyment than your kiddos. Also, depending on when you get to the Archives, the line can be quite an extra wait.
Only pic of the National Archives that I got.
Let me end by saying, that we absolutely loved DC! It is a fantastic place to visit for people of all ages. There are an endless amount of things to see and do. I don’t think that you necessarily have to totally plan out your visit before coming, but I would make a list of the places that you’d like to see the most and start there!
Welcome to Cupcakes and Sarcasm! My name is Maggie and I am the creator of C & S. I am a wife and mom of two beautiful kiddos. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and now live in Northeast Ohio with my family. I have been cooking and baking since I was a kid. I decided in 2017 that I wanted to share my passion (and recipes) with all of you! On this site, you’ll find easy and delicious recipes- both savory and sweet. I’ll also sprinkle in some stories of parenting and our adventures along the way.