Washington DC is one of those fabulous locations that is perfect to take your kids, large families, go on a couple’s get away, or even solo! Washington DC is a great, budget-friendly vacation spot for families as well because of all the free and low-cost options in the area. With so much to see in DC, this trip is barely going to scratch the surface.
For full disclosure, we were not able to do all of the things I had planned. Day one of getting into DC, I missed the last couple steps coming down the stairs at our AirBnB and sprained my ankle. Bad. But I wasn’t about to let that stop us from having a lot of family fun! So if you have mobility issues, this trip itinerary will detail how to get around this walkable city in the easiest way possible as well.
Day 1
We got an early morning flight out of Houston into Dulles Airport and hit the ground running. Our first stop was the National Museum of American History.
After checking into our AirBnB, we got on the subway and rail took us straight to the National Mall. The kids absolutely loved their first subway experience and thought they were so cool (can we say, country kids? lol) But you can easily buy an unlimited ride pass for a few days that will make it easy to hop on and hop off wherever you need to go.
National Museum of American History
This is such an eclectic (and did I mention free?) museum! It’s got fine art, pop culture, and patriotic displays. My favorite exhibit was the replica of Julia Child’s kitchen Every pot, pan, and wooden spoon were accounted for and it was just so neat to see! One day I’ll go to Paris and visit her real kitchen and take a cooking class there. Until then, this was a good substitute. My husband fought in the Iraqi Freedom War, and they currently have an exhibit on that particular war there which moved him to tears. Our kids loved the pop culture exhibits with R2D2, Lampchop, Bert & Ernie, and many more movie, music, and tv show paraphernalia. The museum is open 10am to 5:30pm, so plan to be there at least a few hours – you may even want to pick a couple exhibits that interest you and skip the rest if you’re short on time.
We didn’t end up making it to this one (hello, sprained ankle), but my parents and friend’s family said it was the best museum they visited during the whole trip. They have all sorts of neat artifacts and you can even go into C.S. Lewis’ wardrobe (like from the Chronicles of Narnia books). They don’t have free admission (it’s around $30 for adults and $20 for kids), but they do offer free days every now and then and Groupon offers as well if you can find them. They also offer half price tickets after 3pm every day. They’re open 10am-5pm if you’d like to check it out.
Day 2
This was the first full day that we were leaving the house with my new ankle situation, so we were able to rent a seated mobility scooter for the next few days where they delivered it right to our AirBnB and had it all charged up and ready to go. It was a life saver for the rest of the trip! Now let’s get this day started…
For this location, you need to prepare yourself mentally before going. Since it was the dead of summer and H-O-T, we opted to visit first thing in the morning, so we were there right at 8am when they first started letting visitors onto the property, but they’re open until 5pm so if you’d prefer to go later, you can do that too. When we first got there, we walked (and scooted) over to the area where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is. They change the guards every half hour and it is such a sight to see. The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I watched a video on all of the details involved in the sentinel’s uniform, number of steps they take, etc. It is such a beautiful and moving ceremony – especially after you’ve walked past thousands of gravestones of deceased military personnel. We felt this was an important stop for our kids as well. Was it fun? No. But it is an important reminder of the sacrifices many have made to ensure our country’s future.
Next up, the capitol! Tours are free, but it’s best to book a tour ahead of time to ensure you have a spot, because they’re first come first serve on site. They’re open 8:30am to 4:30pm and those tours start right on time. If you’re late – you’re out of luck. It’s best to get there early and look around a bit in the main hall while you wait for your tour time to start – plus, you have to go through airport-style security to get into the building, so be prepared for a line for that too. Once on the tour, you’ll watch a short video and then head into a few of the main halls where you’ll see statues for every state, paintings, and a whole lot of opulence. It’s only three rooms you really get to explore, but I thought it was worth it with it being free and all. All tours have a tour guide and they’re super knowledgeable about everything you see there.
Day 3
This was by far our kids’ favorite day.
We started the day by visiting the National Mall and instead of walking a million miles (it’s not really a million miles, but it could easily feel like it…), we decided to rent scooters. This particular company allows kids 10+ to ride stand up motorized scooters, so that’s why we went with them. They also dropped the scooters off at our AirBnB and picked them up there, so we didn’t have to worry about transporting them anywhere or arranging that. The kids loved scooting all over the city! Just make sure that you get off your scooter and walk it through monument locations – motorized vehicles of any kind are not allowed and it’s considered disrespectful if you ride through there (seated mobility scooters excluded).
The National Mall is the collection of the national monuments – think Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, WW2 Memorial, Washington Monument, and Jefferson Memorial. It’s totally free to see all of the monuments from the outside, but there is a charge to go inside each one.
Ronald Reagan Building & Internal Trade Center
There’s not much to see here, but I saw this tip online for a great, affordable place to eat in the city and it was perfect for us. The 1st floor has a food court with a wide array of restaurants to choose from. It was perfect to get something that each kids would eat and that wouldn’t break the bank. It’s also air-conditioned and has tables and chairs to sit at, so you can rest a bit before going back out. You will have to go through security to get in, so make sure you’re not trying to take anything into a government building that you shouldn’t be.
Bureau of Engraving & Printing
This is another stop that I was excited to see but we didn’t make it to. Tours are free and can (and should) be booked in advance. They have timed entry, so make sure you know what time you plan on visiting before you start to book your tour. They are open from 8:30am to 5pm and the last tour starts at 4pm.
Day 4
Since this was our last day in Washington DC and we needed to board a plan at 2pm, we had limited time. So we were able to drive out of the city a bit (and towards the direction of the airport) to the National Army Museum. I had to return my mobility scooter that morning, so I was so thankful that the museum had a wheelchair I could use while I was at the museum and they took me to the car in the parking lot via golf cart. They were so sweet and took such good care of me!
National Museum of the United States Army
Another free entry museum, this one was another crowd favorite – but we may be biased since we have an Army veteran in our midst. They had huge, elaborate exhibits for each war the Army branch of the military has been involved in. From real tanks and uniforms to guns and artifacts, the boys on our trip were especially enthralled at what all they had to offer.
Our family of 6 had the most amazing time in Washington DC and we would love to go back and visit sometime. There’s so much to see there and I’m hoping next time we visit we can mark a few more things off the list.
Happy travels!
Places I’d like to visit next time:
