Family Trip to D.C. Any Suggestions?

I live in the area! Go to the Spy museum, and the Air and Space museum! I know Air & Space is FREE =D

Find a hotel near a Metrorail station and it will make traveling much easier than taking a car. Contact your senator's office if you want to have a tour of the white house, etc. The national cathedral tour is really nice.

Not sure where you are staying, but if possible take the Metro (subway) into the city as parking/traffic is pretty bad.

I agree with everything above, especially parking elsewhere and getting an all day Metro pass. All of the Smithsonians are free. There is an aquarium which is in the basement of the treasury building or something, you have to pay for it and it is small and is not worth it!

You'll have long lines everywhere, because it's the beginning of peak tourist season, but I would check out the National Archives (7th and Pennsylvania NW) - you can see the Constitution and Magna Carta and the like. And there are always exhibits.

Depending on your other interests, there are various things to see - if you like mystery and crime, the Spy Museum and the Museum of Crime and Punishment are near each other, although both are pay museums.

You mention the Smithsonium - I didn't know if you were aware that the Smithsonium as an institution has several museums, and the Zoo. There's American History, Natural History, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, American Indian, Air and Space.... plan on spending a lot of time at each.

Plan on a huge budget for food. I see people in sticker shock over restaurant prices here. Teaism has three locations and is reasonably priced.

Otherwise, it depends on what you like, what kind of food you like, etc.

I agree, Air and Space is great, and if you want, there's an adjunct facility, the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum just outside of DC. They have a space shuttle there, and an SR-71! If you had to pick one Smithsonian (and didn't go with Air and Space), I would absolutely recommend Natural History--it is absolutely an all-day, amazing trip. Parking and Metro is a good idea, though, if we're only into it for a few hours, we've been known to find parking early in the day on a Saturday or Sunday, then get out and move the car (or leave) after three hours to avoid the tickets. But at a Smithsonian you've never visited? You're not likely to want to leave after three hours, and finding a second parking spot after moving the car is often impossible. Sometimes we park as far out as the Vienna Metro station and take the train in. If you like hiking/walking about, there's a lovely park in DC that's not far from the zoo and is also free (free parking, too) http://www.nps.gov/rocr/index.htm. There's a small nature center there, and even stables. You could head a little farther afield and check out Bull Run/Manassas Battlefield in Manassas, which has a great "old town" area with nice diners and cafes.

Edited to say that, being the frugal miss I am, I listed the free and cheap places (parking at Udvar-Hazy and the zoo is pretty steep, though). We went to Mt. Vernon and were floored by the price (but wowed by the drive along the Parkway!)--wound up leaving without touring because it would have been 15 bucks a pop just to look around. So we've put that off until next year when the cash flow is a little less strangled.

Kris

The Air and Space Museum is my favorite. I also enjoy going to the Korean War Memorial at night. The way they light it is really cool.

Watch the changing of the guards at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier and the Vietnam Memorial.

^^ This.

I second the Air and Space Museum near Dulles airport http://www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy/

Fantastic one day (or longish half day) experience.....

I took a trip to D.C last March and some great places are the Holocaust museum, the play Shear Madness at the Kennedy center I believe, then the subway is a great experience, then the monuments are really cool, and China town is awesome:) Have fun!