Famous buildings such as the Capitol and impressive monuments like the Lincoln Memorial draw crowds of tourists to Washington DC throughout the year. Although political and historical attractions are abundant, the nation's capital also offers tree-shaded parks, international cuisine and several educational and exciting places for kids to enjoy.
Your kids can spend the day with giant pandas, clouded leopards and marmosets at the National Zoo. They can watch orangutans make their way across the cables and towers of the Orangutan Transport System. The zoo's Amazonia Exhibit features spectacled bears, two-toed sloths and piranha in a tropical forest setting. The zoo offers a variety of demonstrations and educational opportunities throughout the year. Daily demonstrations include Eagle Feeding, Elephant Bath, Sea Lion Training and Giant Octopus Feeding. Interpreters and keepers give educational talks on exhibits such as the Cheetah Conservation Station, Asia Trail and Beaver Valley. Your kids can also meet and learn more about zebras, reptiles and anteaters. Admission is free and the zoo is open daily year-round.
Smithsonian Institution: National Zoo
3001 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
202-633-4800
nationalzoo.si.edu
Older kids can explore the world of espionage at the International Spy Museum. The museum features spy artifacts from around the globe, including secret writings, cipher machines and concealment weapons. The School for Spies exhibit contains more than 200 items, such as bugs, disguise techniques, buttonhole cameras and even invisible ink. Learn about the history of espionage dating back to Biblical times. Discover the technology and techniques used by spies over the centuries. The museum also offers interactive exhibits and educational films. Kids aged twelve and up can conduct a polygraph test, decode messages and crack open a safe in the Operation Spy adventure. The museum is open daily.
International Spy Museum
800 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
202-393-7798
spymuseum.org
Your kids can touch a lunar rock sample from the 1972 Apollo moon mission and see the Spirit of St. Louis at the National Air and Space Museum. The museum also features the command module Columbia from the Apollo 11 mission and the Wright 1903 Flyer. Your kids can learn all about the history of aviation and space travel through exhibits such as World War II Aviation and Apollo to the Moon. The How Things Fly exhibit provides a hands-on experience that lets visitors learn about rocket propulsion, supersonic flight and gravity. Take a trip through space or view the night stars at the Albert Einstein Planetarium. Admission is free and the museum is open daily.
Smithsonian Institution: National Air and Space Museum
National Mall Building
Independence Ave. at 6th St. SW
Washington, DC 20560
202-633-1000
nasm.si.edu
