Tourist Attractions
Family- Friendly Tourist Attractions
Air and Space Museum | 600 Independence Ave SW
The most visited museum in the world. See planes and rockets from the Wright Brother’s airplane to the spirit of St. Louis (Lindbergh) and Apollo. Don’t forget to touch the moon rock on display to get a set of customized Dog Tags made to remember your visit to the museum. There is an IMAX movie theater and a planetarium.
Air and Space Museum Annex: The Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center | 14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy
This museum houses over 200 aircrafts and 135 spacefects when filed to capacity. The Space Shuttle Enterprise, an SR-71 Blackbird, the Enola Gay and an Air Franc Concorde are all on display.
National Museum of Natural History | 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW
Hold giant insects, eyeball all kinds of mammals, learn about human origins, and, of course, explore the recently reopened Fossil Hall at the National Museum of Natural History. And there are tons more fascinating exhibits to tour while you’re there, including Qrius, the impressive interactive and experimental learning space.
International Spy Museum | 700 L'Enfant Plaza SW
Nurture the next 007 at the International Spy Museum. With interactive exhibitions and installations, the foremost collection of spy artifacts in the world, and first-person accounts from top intelligence officers and experts, the new Museum places visitors in the shoes of a spy.
Museum of American History | 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
See the Star-Spangled Banner, Dorothy’s ruby slippers, The American Presidency (extensive exhibit), First Ladies: Political Role and Public Imagine (including some inaugural gowns and political memorabilia), and famous television memorabilia. Don’t forget to visit the simulators where you can drive a racecar or ride a roller coaster!
National Geographic Society | 1145 17th Street NW
Step right into this famous magazine! Exhibitions at the National Geographic Museum showcase bold people and transformative ideas in the fields of exploration, scientific research, storytelling, and education. With a wide range of changing exhibitions, the National Geographic Museum is a perfect destination for all ages.
U.S. Botanic Garden | 100 Maryland Ave SW
Get in touch with nature at the U.S. Botanic Garden, where many of the plant collections make you feel like you’re not just outdoors, but in a whole other region altogether. Be sure to pick up a passport at the information desk on your way in and stamp it as you locate different flora on your tour.
Washington National Cathedral | 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Marvel at the beauty and magnificence of the Washington National Cathedral, one of DC’s most iconic attractions. Both guided and self-led tours are available, and the stained glass windows and gargoyles are especially interesting for kids. The observation gallery on the seventh floor also showcases interesting architectural designs, stunning bird’s eye views of DC, and an exhibit about the 2011 earthquake in DC.
National Archives | 701 Constitution Ave NW
Peek into American history all the way back to pre-Revolutionary days. America’s most important documents are housed here, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the newly renovated grand rotunda.
Washington Monument | 2 15th St NW
Get a bird's eye view of the nation's capital from the Washington Monument, the nation’s grandest memorial to the Father of His Country! Timed tickets are required to ride the elevator to the 500-foot observation deck.
Private Guided Tours
Government Works (A Crash Course in United States Government): $288 and up (3 hours)
Learn how US politics works (or doesn’t work) on this three-hour Washington DC City Tour focusing on the political process and insider intrigue, led by a local historian or journalist. You will walk down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol, visiting places along the way significant to all the three branches of government, including the Senate Buildings and Supreme Court. You will also visit the lead-lined vaults of the National Archives and the Federal Trade Commission. You will also have the opportunity to visit the National Archives to examine “founding” documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, or discuss public demonstrations and landmark court cases on the steps of the Supreme Court.
This tour is fully customizable to whatever you and your daughters would like to see and do.
The National Mall Tour for Kids: $288 and up (2 hours)
From the Capital Building o the Potomac River, the National Mall stretches over two miles in length, covers over 300 acres and serves as the nation's front yard. On this Washington DC tour for kids, in the company of a guide trained in interactive techniques, you’ll learn how a canal originally ran along the Mall to help transport building materials into the city. You’ll discover how the grass changed from a pasture for sheep, to a wooded park and now a field for concerts, demonstrations, and frisbee tournaments. You’ll talk about why there are so many important buildings and what role they play in the city and the country as a whole, painting a picture of how Washington, DC has changed and evolved over hundreds of years.
America’s Collection: the National Gallery of Art : $289 and up (3 hours)
Created with a gift from financier and art collector Andrew W. Mellon, the National Gallery of Art opened its doors in 1941 as a museum devoted to the people of the United States of America. Mr. Mellon believed that the nation deserved a collection, open and free to the public, that could hold its own with the greatest collections of the world. In the company of an art historian, we'll explore highlights by Van Eyck, Rembrandt, and a host of American masters during this three-hour National Gallery of Art tour.
Custom Tour of Washington DC: $620 and up (4 hours)
Drawing on an extensive network of experts in Washington DC, including historians, journalists, and architects, we can design a wide range of customized, expert-led private Washington tours.
(This tour would be fully customizable to anything you and your girls would like to do!)
