As ya may know, since I already published a food post, we went to D.C. last summer! Washington D.C. is a perfect family vacation or short-notice trip. There are sooo many things to do, and many of them are free! It’s a really walkable city that also has great public transit, lots of great food, and a ton of history and opportunities to learn.
We did go to two museums with a ticket charge. Lots are free, which either makes for a very low cost trip or frees up cash for some splurges! When I visited D.C. on a school trip in 8th grade, my favorite attraction was the Newseum, a collection of news and media-related artifacts and exhibits. I’m so glad we got to see this, as it closed last December! According to their own site, it seems that the Newseum couldn’t afford their building anymore and sold it to John Hopkins U. They’re currently hosting traveling exhibits and their website states that they hope to someday find a new site and be able to reopen. When that day comes I will absolutely visit the new museum- it was so cool. Below are some Newseum pics- first is a broadcast antenna mangled by the events of 9/11, set against a backdrop of front pages from other countries spreading the news of the attacks. Next is Jon Stewart’s desk, from The Daily Show. This was from a whole Daily Show exhibit, which made me cry a couple times. I love political late night, lol. Last is a typewriter used by Pauline Frederick, who is credited as the first woman to report on TV (in the 1940s).
The other paid attraction we visited was The International Spy Museum. This was super fun, and is kind of an interactive experience. They assign you an identity and there are spy-related activities as you move through the museum, as well as the artifacts and mini-docs you’d expect. This museum also had a really great gift shop, if that interests you!
Of course, it’s free to walk around, and there is a TON to see all around the city. The first pic below is from a walk through Georgetown. This is so historical and beautiful, and the streets are lined with amazing shops and restaurants. The next two are from around the National Mall, which is host to most of D.C.’s major monuments. I highly recommend seeing these at night if you can- they seem much more beautiful and impactful when lit up. We visited in July, so it was also a much more tolerable temperature to walk around in at night than it was during the day!
All of the Smithsonian museums in D.C. are free, and amazing. First we visited Air and Space. They had an awesome planetary exhibit, and of course tons on flying. There were many great airplanes and spacecraft on display, as well as tons of informative exhibits.
Below are photos from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, which is one of my top top very favorites. They have exhibits on fossils and animals, but my favorite section is Geology, Gems, and Minerals.
The newest Smithsonian is the Museum of African American History and Culture. This is a really cool and important museum. The underground floors, where you start your tour, cover slavery and Jim Crow. Once you get above ground you see the exhibits on progress toward equity as well as exhibits on culture.
Another of my top favorite spots is the American History museum. It’s got such a huge range of exhibits and artifacts, from politics to culture including pop culture and media, fashion, and various types of public figures.
Another paid activity we did was a Big Bus tour. This was great as a fun means of transportation from site to site, and we got to gain some extra information and get great views of the city. The downside to this, if you’re using it as transportation to something you have scheduled, is that you can’t really control how long it takes to get places as the busses make frequent stops and sometimes stay stopped for a little while. We also, of course, visited Ford’s Theatre. It is free to look at, but it’s only $3 for a ticket to see inside the theatre, several exhibits on topics like Lincoln’s life, the investigation into the assassination, and the aftermath of the assassination, as well as the house across the street from the theatre where Lincoln actually died.
D.C. is an amazing city to travel to. There are plenty of fun things to do, it’s a gorgeous city to walk around in, and, of course, it provides opportunity you can’t find anywhere else to learn about America both in history and in the present day.
If you’re interested to hear about what I ate in town, click here!
where-we-gonna-eat.com 
Leave a reply to The Best Free (!) Souvenir – Where We Gonna Eat? Cancel reply