• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Bring the baby to Washington, DC. There's lots to see and do, and most of it is free!

For general information, contact the Washington DC Convention and Tourism Corporation at 800/422-8644. One of DC's unique perks for families is Children's Concierge (877/888-5462) a special service that plans individual, supervised itineraries for visitors of all ages, all needs, and with all interests.

National Air and Space Museum
6th St and Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20560
202/633-1000
Open Daily: 10am to 5:30pm. Anyone with even the slightest interest in flight or space travel will be more than satisfied with an afternoon spent at the National Air and Space Museum. From the 1903 Wright Brothers flyer to the Apollo 11 command module, there's tons to explore. Recently opened at Washington's Dulles International Airport in nearby Virginia, the new Udvar-Hazy Center offers a spacious facility for the display of even more of the collection of the Air and Space Museum. On view is the Space Shuttle Enterprise, an SR-71 Blackbird and the B-29 Enola Gay, as well as helicopters, rockets, and experimental aircraft. Call the Udvar-Hazy Center for details about the collection and presentations at (202/633-1000), or follow the link from the NASM website above.

National Museum of American History
1400 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC  20560
202/633-1000
Open Daily: 10am to 5:30pm.  This amazing collection of artifacts is the attic of the United States, except everything is on display.  You can find almost anything here, from printing presses to toys, from locomotives to lunch boxes.  The popular culture section presents Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz and the original Kermit the Frog.

National Zoo
3001 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008
202/673-4800
Open Daily: 10am to 6pm from April-October, 10 am to 5pm from November- March.
Established in 1889, the National Zoo is home more than 2,000 of 400 species of animals, many of whom are rare or endangered, including the Giant Panda. Young children love wildlife, but you'll have to bring a stroller to enjoy one of the nation's largest zoos. It's a beautifully maintained, landscaped 163-acre park, not far from the center of the city. A note of advice though; during the summer months, when Washington is hot and humid, the zoo is not the place to be. Trust us on this.

Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave., NE
Washington, DC 20002
202/633-5555
Open Daily: 10am to 5:30pm. Blessedly far away from the tourist masses huddling on The Mall, this is a fascinating and engaging small museum where your kids can climb into an original Pony Express mail wagon, make their own photo postcards and learn some trivia about stamps, their design, and how the postal system changed America's history. Follow up your visit with lunch at the historic Union Station train terminal across the way. 

Washington Monument
15th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20001
202/426-6841
Open Daily: 9am to 10pm. Rising 555 feet above the ground, the Washington Monument stands as a symbol of the capital city. A painless elevator ride to the observation deck at the top offers a magnificent view of the entire city, and all of the other landmarks that will be part of a DC visit. Tickets can be reserved at (877/444-6777) or earlybirds can get free tickets the morning of their visit at kiosks on the grounds.