Thirty years ago, I was on my 8th grade field trip to Washington, DC. I fell in love with the history and architecture of our nation's capital. With my teenagers now around that same age, I felt like this was the perfect time to take our family to DC. This city is the perfect destination for kids of all ages.
Our first stop was the National Mall. We visited the Lincoln Memorial and looked out over the Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument. Although we didn't get a chance to go up the Washington Monument on this trip, I highly recommend it. It's a very cool experience to see DC from 555 feet in the air.
The National Mall doesn't look that big, but it takes awhile to walk around and visit all the monuments. Definitely take the time to visit the memorials because together they tell the story of the men and women that helped make our nation what it is today. Take a snack break at one of the many food trucks parked around the Mall.
A highlight of our trip was the White House tour. The tour must be requested between 21 and 90 days before your visit. You can find more information on the tour HERE. The tour is self-guided. One of my favorite parts was actually seeing a part of the garden that First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had installed at the White House.
We toured the Capitol Building, the National Archives, and the Library of Congress. Each of these is free admission. You can reserve entry times in advance. If it is not busy (it is very busy during Spring Break), you can walk up without a reservation. You can also walk into any of the Smithsonian Museums. We had to wait in a line for about 15-20 minutes to get into the Museum of Natural History.
Arlington National Cemetery is a must! Take the tram tour that visits the eternal flame at the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy. We passed by the gravesite of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which was special to see. The most special part of the tour is visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The changing of the guard (which happens every 1/2 hour in the warmer months and every hour in the colder ones) is the most sacred ceremony in the United States' Military. It is humbling to watch these soldiers and the care and respect they show.
We watched National Treasure before our trip, which was a fun way to get the kids excited. There was a replica of the Declaration of Independence in the gift shop and we almost bought it.
Accessibility notes: there is no place to park near the tourist sites. And I mean NO PLACE TO PARK. I recommend taking public transportation or using Uber. We used Uber Black SUV for our family of 6 as we needed a vehicle large enough to accommodate our big family but also my husband's lightweight electric wheelchair.
The national monuments are wheelchair accessible. In fact, we found most of the city very accessible. The only hiccup we ran into was that the elevator at the Lincoln Memorial was not working that day. Those of you who remember our Louvre experience last summer won't be too surprised about that.
If you are taking public transportation/Uber, I recommend staying near the National Mall. There are plenty of great hotels in that area. For big families traveling, you will need two rooms. We were not able to get connecting rooms, but they are available at some hotels.
We enjoyed a late breakfast at Founding Farmers one morning before we headed out for the day. They seemed to be serving breakfast all day, which our kids were a big fan of. The restaurant was a little tight for my husband's wheelchair, so we ate outside. The weather was amazing!
Although it is a busy time, if you can visit when the cherry trees are in bloom, do it! The cherry trees in the Tidal Basin bloom first, but there are other flowering cherries that put on quite a show in the weeks following if you miss the prime bloom time. We were able to get our pictures taken by the cherry trees. Tip: don't go on a weekend. There will be crowds everywhere. For fewer crowds, go on a weekday morning.
There is so much to see in Washington, DC! You could easily fill a week and not see everything. I recommend pacing yourselves. You don't want your kids (or you!) to get tired from all the walking there is. And you don't realize just how much walking you are doing until you get back to the hotel and crash. Let each member of the family choose something they really want to see. That way, you are covered for the essential stops and everything else is just gravy.
Don't worry about going to DC with a big family or multiple families. There is great public transportation and the Ubers all came very quickly. Get a few hotel rooms (we stayed at a Marriott with Club access and we were so grateful for the drinks and snacks they had available!) and spend the day walking around the city. There's so much history. It's amazing to see the historical buildings right next to new high-rises.
Don't forget to take some time to enjoy the nature of the Capitol. There are several green spaces around the city. And the riverfront of the Potomac is beautiful. You can't go wrong with a week in Washington, DC.