Titania by John Simmons
Things to do in Washington, DC
DC Museums
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Titania by John Simmons |
Things to do in Washington, DCDC Museums
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Smithosonian Museums |
Other Museums |
| Cost: | Free |
| Location: | Independence Ave at 4th Street,
SW (On the right side of the Mall as you face the capitol, the last museum on the right facing the capitol.) |
| Metro Stop: | Smithsonian (Orange or Blue Line) or
L'Enfant Plaza (Green or Yellow Line) |
| Description: | Artifacts from the history of aviation and space flight. |
| Comments: | This is Barb's favorite museum! Be sure to visit the Explore the Universe exhibit. Also check out the scale of the solar system exhibit on the sidewalk from the Air and Space Museum and the Castle. This museum is a favorite of families and children. |
| Cost: | Free |
| Location: | 10th Street and Constitution Ave.,
NW (On the left side of the Mall as you face the capitol, directly across from the Castle.) |
| Metro Stop: | Smithsonian or Federal Triangle (Orange or Blue Line) |
| Description: | Collections include fossils, dinosaurs, and artifacts from early human civilization. |
| Comments: | This is a favorite of families and children. |
| Cost: | Free |
| Location: | 14th Street and Constitution Avenue,
NW (On the left side of the Mall as you face the capitol, the closest one to the Washington Memorial.) |
| Metro Stop: | Smithsonian or Federal Triangle (Orange or Blue Line) |
| Description: | Collections from American History, including the flag that inspired our national anthem |
| Comments: | Along with the large collections, nooks and crannies hold such fun artefacts as Fonzie's jacket and Archie Bunker's couch. We've particularly enjoyed the First Ladies and The American Presidency exhibits. |
| Cost: | Free |
| Location: | 1050 Independence Avenue, SW (On the right side of the Mall as you face the Capitol. If you face the Castle, it's the smaller building to the right.) |
| Metro Stop: | Smithsonian (Orange or Blue Line) |
| Description: | Collections include Asian art and a specialized collection of American art |
| Comments: | This is a small, intimate-feeling museum, unlike most of the Smithsonian museums. |
| Cost: | Free |
| Location: | Seventh Street SW and Independence
Avenue (On the right side of the Mall as you face the Capitol. Just before the Air and Space Museum.) |
| Metro Stop: | Smithsonian (Orange or Blue Line) or
L'Enfant Plaza (Green or Yellow Line) |
| Description: | Collections include modern and contemporary art |
| Comments: | There is also a fun sculpture garden outside the Hirshorn |
| Cost: | Free |
| Location: | 950 Independence Avenue, SW (The museum is behind the Castle.) |
| Metro Stop: | Smithsonian (Orange or Blue Line) or
L'Enfant Plaza (Green or Yellow Line) |
| Description: | Collections of African art |
| Comments: | We have not yet visited this museum. |
| Cost: | Free |
| Location: | 1000 Jefferson Drive S.W (This is the castle-like building on the right side of the Mall as you face the Capitol.) |
| Metro Stop: | Smithsonian (Orange or Blue Line) |
| Description: | The Castle mainly houses information about the Smithsonian Institution. |
| Comments: | Even if you don't go in, we recommend taking a good look at the Castle from the Mall -- it's an impressive building, and a Washington landmark. |
| Cost: | Free |
| Location: | 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW (There is parking at the zoo, though it's not a fun neighborhood to try and navigate and the parking is not free.) |
| Metro Stop: | Woodley Park/Zoo/Adams Morgan or Cleveland Park (both on the Red Line; according to the zoo's web page, both require about a four block walk, but the walk from Woodley Park to the Zoo is uphill) |
| Description: | It's a zoo! |
| Comments: | This is a lot of fun for the kids! Be sure to stop and see the pandas before you leave. Beware, though, that the zoo requires a fair bit of walking, and much of it is hilly. |
| Cost: | Free |
| Location: | 2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E. (This is just across the street from Union Station.) |
| Metro Stop: | Union Station (Red Line) |
| Description: | Collections highlighting the history of the US National Postal System |
| Comments: | We have not yet visited this museum. though I've noticed that there is a Duck Stamp exhibit, so we may need to visit soon. |
| Cost: | $13 (adults) $12 (seniors 65+) $10 (kids 5-18) free (kids under 5) |
| Location: | 800 F Street, NW |
| Metro Stop: | Gallery Place/Chinatown (Red, Yellow and Green Lines; the museum is only about a 2-block walk from the Metro station) |
| Description: | Artifacts from the world of espionage, both real and fictional |
| Comments: | This was a fun museum, though very busy. It's also not free (unlike the Smithsonian Museums). We recommend calling ahead and geting advanced tickets if you plan to go on a weekend day, otherwise you might find yourself in line for 3 or more hours(!). |
| Cost: | $4 (adults) $3 (seniors) $2 (kids under 12) |
| Location: | 5236 44th Street, N.W. |
| Metro Stop: | Friendship Heights (Red Line; the museum is about a 2-3 block walk from the Metro station) |
| Description: | Collection of furnished doll houses and old toys |
| Comments: | This is a fun museum that you may need to walk around twice to feel like you've seen it all. There are fun touches in each doll house (be sure to look for all the cats). Pictures are not allowed in the museum, so be prepared to buy a postcard or two. Also, it is not open on Mondays, so plan ahead. |
| Cost: | Free, though timed-entry passes are necessary. Call the tickets.com (800-400-9373) the day before your visit to get tickets. |
| Location: | 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, S.W. |
| Metro Stop: | Smithsonian (Orange and Blue Lines) |
| Description: | This museum is a memorial to those whose lives were lost during the Holocaust, and to honor those who survived. |
| Comments: | We have not visited this museum yet; however,
here are a few notes on the museum:
Unsurprisingly, a visit to this museum is a moving and unsettling experience. The architecture is quite appropriate, feeling heavy, industrial, slightly gloomy, yet also airy and open. There's an exhibition suitable for elementary-level students called "Daniel's Story"; children should be 11 years or old before letting them see the permanent collection. There are special exhibitions as well as the permanent collection. For special exhibitions, all you have to do is line up outside and wait to get in, but to see the permanent collections you need a timed pass. The museum is very busy, so all the passes are usually gone by 7 or 8AM (and the pass you get might be for 3PM). The museum's site suggests calling tickets.com at (800) 400-9373 on the day before your visit. |
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Last updated: 01 May 2004