DC Is Home To More Than Just The White House. Check Out Our Guide
Family vacations in Washington, D.C., can be rewarding experiences or absolute disasters -- it all depends on pretrip homework. To make planning easier, we've done all the preparation.As part of a Huffington Post Travel serieson traveling with children, here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Washington, D.C., family vacations.
White House Easter Egg Roll
Address:1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20500
Phone:202-456-1111
Hours:The first Monday after Easter.
Price:Free, but tickets are necessary and can be obtained online at a designated time.
The National Mall & Memorial Parks
Lincoln MemorialVietnam Veterans MemorialThomas Jefferson MemorialNational MallWashington Monument
Address:900 Ohio Drive, SW, Washington, DC 20024(mailing address)
Phone:202-426-6841
Hours:365 days, 24 hours a day. Rangers are on site at the memorials between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m.
Price:Free
Sandy Point State Beach
Address:1100 East College Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21409
Phone:410-974-2149
Hours:Jan. 1 to March 31, 7 a.m. to sunset; April 1 to Oct. 31, 6 a.m. to sunset; Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price:Admission is free, but parking is $3 per vehicle from Nov. 1 to mid-April; $5 from mid-April until end of October
National Arboretum
The Smithsonian’s National Zoois one of the few zoos in the United States to have giant pandas on exhibit, making it a must see. In addition, the zoo has many other endangered species on exhibit. A big hit with kids is the naked mole rat exhibit, which is located in the small mammal house. Tip: This zoo is built on a hill. Plan your trip so that you are walking downhill at the end of the day when you or the kids may be the most tired.
Address:3001 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008
Phone:202-633-4888
Hours:Open every day except for Christmas. From April to October, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; November to March, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Price:Free, except for parking, which is $15 for the first three hours. $20 for more than three hours.
Water Mine Family Swimmin' Hole
The Water Mine Family Swimmin' HoleLake Fairfax Park
Address:1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Phone:703-471-5415
Hours:Open generally from 10 a.m. to between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Opens for the season on Memorial Day weekend and closes after Labor Day.
Price:$13.50 for over 48 inches tall, $11.25, under 48 inches tall; 2 years and under, free; after 5 p.m., $8.25, except for weekends and holidays
Smithsonian Natural History Museum
National Museum of Natural History
Address:10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20560
Phone:202-633-1000
Hours:Open every day except for Christmas Day. The museum is open at 10 a.m. and usually stays open until 5:30 p.m. On some holidays, the museum stays open until 7:30 p.m.
Price:Free
Ford's Theatre
In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Boothe while watching a play inFord's Theatre. Today, you can still visit this site of the tragic occurrence in our nation's past. The tour of Ford’s Theatre takes you past the box where Lincoln sat when he was shot and you can see for yourself how for the assassin leapt from the box to the stage, making his escape.
Address:511 Tenth St., NW, Washington, DC 20004
Phone:202-347-4833
Hours:Typically, the box office opens at 8:30 a.m., and the site opens at 9 a.m. Final entry is normally at 4 p.m. for the museum and 4:30 p.m. for the theater. As it is still an operating theater, it does close from time to time for rehearsals and performances.
Price:Advance tickets are $2.50. A limited number of first-come, first-serve free tickets are available at the box office each day.
What's your favorite vacation spot in Washington DC?
Lead photo:schindler_project; Flickr
Mid photo:krow10; Flickr
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
