This building has amazing architecture and paintings. Get the free tour with a volunteer guide…read more She pointed out so many interesting facts that I would have missed on my own. You can also get a free library card if you want to do research or go into the reading rooms. First time visiting this beautiful building.

If you're in DC for just a few days, I'd add Library of Congress to the list. Note that you do need…read moretickets to enter, but the best part about the tickets is that it's free. The architecture is beautiful. There was a lot of thought that went into the structure and design of the building. I took the advice of one of the people and went into the viewing room first, but I wish I had gotten a later "timed entry" to see the library itself so that I could've taken the time to learn what I was looking at. If I were to do it again, I'd follow the order online of how to view the Library of Congress, and I'd time the viewing of the library itself to be the last part. Fun fact: you also can get a library card for the Library of Congress! As long as if you fill out the form and have an ID, you can get a library card the same day and it'll last for 2 years.

The Natural History Museum is one of many free attractions in Washington, DC. There are two floors…read moreof interesting exhibits to view. For instance, one room is dedicated to crystals and gems. See the lovely Hope diamond and exquisite jewelry from royalty. Another room shows taxidermy animals from the African Savannah. You can spend all day here if you can last. Parking is limited. Use Metro or ride share if possible.

The Smithsonian museums are some of the best parts of visiting D.C., and it's free!…read more Whether you're into history, science, art, or space, there's something for everyone! It's was a wonderful way to spend our day trip to DC and learn more about our history!

I really enjoyed the overall concept and creative vision of this museum. It has a lot going in its…read morefavor. It has a prime location within easy walking distance of Metro center, in the beautiful old Franklin building. The staff are friendly and helpful. There is no charge for entry although donations are very welcome. One could almost go exclusively to visit the gift shop and the museum cafe as they are both so nice and full of fun things to feast the senses on. But for now I will stick to the museum. You start on the third floor and work your way down. There are displays for all ages and levels of interest, from very technical linguistics to basic "repeat after me". There's karaoke for the brave, joke telling for the dads, a Photo Booth for the tweens and an absolutely epic library in which fairy tales come to life. There's also a section on advertising and it's lures. The café is really fabulous and delicious and gives you a true taste of the global plate that America thankfully has adopted. I thoroughly enjoyed my West African chicken and shrimp curry. I was only sad that it was too early in the day on a weekday and with kids to enjoy one of their dozens of fantabulous looking cocktails! I'll have to go back for that!

We went here with some friend while visiting the DC. area. It was very fun and interesting I wish I…read moretook more pictures. They had a room with a digital globe in it where you learned about different languages. Another room talked about telling jokes and you would sit and tell jokes to one another. There was a karaoke room where you learned about how music is constructed. There was a library which is like a Harry Potter room with a hidden door to a poetry nook. I would definitely recommend this place for $15.

As a self-professed plant geek, I enjoyed my trip to the US Botanical Garden. They have curated an…read moreimpressive number of specimens, sorted by biome. While it is smaller than you might imagine, there is a nice indoor area with tropical, desert, Mediterranean, and other climates. I am a collector of Tillandsia species, and they had some nice ones in the tropical areas. Probably worth a few trips at different times of year to see the different blooms, etc. Free, like most DC museums.

I don't know how I hadn't visited the United States Botanic Garden until last weekend with how much…read moretime I've spent in DC in the last five years, but I hadn't! It's wild - because it's just off the National Mall, and I must have walked by dozens of times. I finally visited last weekend with a friend, and I had a pretty good time. It's free to visit, like a lot of the attractions on the Mall. We spent maybe a half hour to an hour exploring. This botanic garden is contained within two separate sections. The section that is north of Independence Avenue has some outdoor gardens and the conservatory. The section south of Independence Avenue has Bartholdi Fountain and another garden. They are connected, and you do have to cross Independence Avenue to visit both sections. It's not a large botanic garden; I've definitely visited larger. But as it's free, it's a great place to wander if you're in the area. The highlight for was actually the Bartholdi Fountain section. The fountain is beautiful and peaceful, and the Capitol building peaks through in the prettiest way in photos. If you visit lots of botanic gardens, this one might not wow as much as others. But it's yet another place that's worth a visit on the National Mall.

After being a "local" for so long, I'm surprised that I hadn't been to here before. Check the entry…read moreprices online as there are discounts for seniors, military, students and members. There is parking below ground however the closet metro stop is Le'Enfant Plaza. This area can become congested with traffic and there is very little street parking. Upon entry, I was pleased to see the James Bond "007" car. Depending on your age, you may remember the movies and how "advanced" his cars and gadgets were. There are five levels and an opportunity to explore as a "Spy" or soak in some of the educational parts of tools, people and significant events in spy history. There are elevators that take you up/down. I do not recall wheelchair access for those who require ADA compliance. There are exhibits that have corresponding films. This is a kid friendly and interactive. I do recommend coming here to explore and challenging yourself to learn something new. Wear comfy walking shoes and pay attention to the things hiding in plain sight.

This was my first time visiting this museum…read more It is just minutes away from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station, walking distance. It is in a high traffic area given that it is D.C. There is an option to purchase tickets online and select a time, but not necessary We came on a Friday evening and were let in immediately. Expect to spend anywhere from 2-4 hours. Upon purchasing a ticket, they escorted us to a room where we each had our own Undercover Mission cards to scan on screens, which show us access to our spy name, mission and other information. There was a short video, then we were given access to the showcases. The experience varies from display cases to videos to interactive screens. I was more interested in hearing the different spy stories. The gift shop had some great items consistent with the spy-theme including (but not limited to): t-shirts with a variety of images, pens, books, games, hats, etc. Given that it is a museum gift shop in D.C., the prices were fairly high, but not surprising, but I bought a t-shirt for someone. The staff here weren't particularly friendly, some were standing around on their phones or chatting with each other. Would I return? Maybe, I don't feel the need to re-visit once i toured the full museum, unless I'm bringing someone new. I would highly recommend at least one visit to this museum!

The Smithsonian Institution is often referred to as the "Smithsonian Castle" since the building…read morelooks like a building from Downtown Abbey. It's the original Smithsonian Museum and quite a large one for its time. However, as other Smithsonians opened up, this one lost its place as one of the biggest museums in the city. Now it houses a few smaller exhibits, a cafe with plenty of seating, and offices for a few of the Smithsonian staff. If you want to get away from the crowds, it's a good spot to retreat to with food, water, bathrooms, and AC.

It is the freaking Smithsonian! Holy crap ya'll! This is it! Fantastic, just breathtaking. Here is…read morethe best advice I can give. Don't act like you're the star here. Dress comfortable. Wear the most comfortable shoes you own because you WILL travel. Don't be so cool and above it all that you Lose the wonderment and majesty of everything there. Pace yourself, and realize that you're not going to see everything unless you move to DC and dedicate your life to the place. Yes,.... they have that many exhibits and artifacts. Enjoy ya'll. This is a real treat!

We recently visited the Museum of Illusions in DC, and overall, we had a fun time! First of all,…read morethis place is a little hidden. We literally walked right past it before realizing where it was, but once we found it, we were ready to explore. There are a lot of really cool optical illusions and interactive exhibits, and some of the effects make for really fun pictures. Since it was just me and my daughter, there were a few exhibits where having someone else around to take the picture would have been helpful. You can certainly ask other visitors, but sometimes everyone is so busy enjoying their own experience that it's not always easy. There was also some confusion with figuring out how certain exhibits were supposed to work. Even though there are instructions posted, sometimes they didn't immediately make sense. There were staff members walking around who were happy to help, but there were only one or two people on the floor at a time. One of the employees mentioned that they were short-staffed, which explained why there weren't more people available. That said, whenever we did need help, someone eventually came over and assisted us. My biggest issue is the size. The museum is on one floor and is pretty small, so I was expecting a little more for the price. I definitely think it's something worth doing once, especially if you've never been, but I'm not sure I'd pay full price to do it repeatedly. We did take advantage of their September special, where first graders were free, so that definitely helped! Overall, I'm glad we went. We had fun, got some cool pictures, and my daughter enjoyed herself. I'd recommend it as a fun DC activity, especially if you can catch a discount or special.

Had to come here since I've always seen the pictures online! Plenty of things to do inside and look…read moreat, but you can be in and out very quickly if you came for photo ops and that's it. Employee at the desk upon entering wasn't very friendly or welcoming. Didn't have much to say and no personality, too busy on their phone. Please do better when you are working with the public! Cool experience if you're needing something to do to waste time on a trip out of town, otherwise wouldn't spend my money on this.

The Museum of the Bible is a very cool place with so much to see and experience! We visited on a…read moreTuesday, so general admission was free, which was a nice bonus. I did pay extra for the All Creation Sings worship experience and timed entry to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. All Creation Sings was a neat experience with great music and impressive graphics. I just wish there had been more music throughout the experience. Unfortunately, the interactive screens weren't really working during our visit either, which was a little disappointing considering it was a paid add-on. One of our favorite parts of the museum was walking through Nazareth. The setting was really well done, and interacting with the actors stationed throughout made it especially fun and immersive. I also really enjoyed seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls! It was incredibly cool to view them in person, along with so many other artifacts from biblical times. It was also really cool to be able to leave a prayer in the replica prayer wall. There is a lot to explore here, and we really enjoyed our visit!

We recently visited the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. for a special members-only event…read morefeaturing the Dead Sea Scrolls, and it was a wonderful evening. We took Metro from Loudoun County, and getting there couldn't have been easier. It's a direct ride on the Silver Line, and the museum is conveniently located right by the Federal Center SW Metro station. No need to deal with D.C. traffic or parking! We are members of the museum and were invited to this special evening event, which ran from 6-8 p.m., after the museum's regular 5 p.m. closing. The evening included a couple of very nice Dead Sea Scrolls-themed beverages and a lovely reception in the Gathering Room on the 6th floor. There was a generous selection of hot and cold appetizers, along with tables and plenty of space to mingle with other guests. The highlight was the guided tour. Our docent was extremely knowledgeable and gave us a fascinating history of the Dead Sea Scrolls along with a very descriptive explanation of the individual pieces and their significance. Having someone so well informed guide us through the exhibit really added to the experience. The museum itself is huge, with many different exhibits and areas to explore. Since this visit was specifically for the evening event, we didn't have an opportunity to see everything the museum offers.

I'm a plane nut so of course I'm going to rate this place pretty high. With three floors to…read moreexplore, there is plenty to see and do here. This museum is easily my favorite museum out of all the Smithsonian museums, hands down. So much amazing history is found here to witness with your own eyes. It really makes the monumental accomplishments that you read in books and online come to life. Unfortunately, my last visit was shorter than usual because a good chunk of the museum was closed for renovation so I wasn't able to see the historic WW2 war birds. Bummer. Hopefully, that section is back up very soon. Looking for a cool souvenir from your time in D.C.? The gift shop here is absolutely huge, three floors with all things space and aviation.

Space... the final frontier.... Whether you're a kid, or just a kid at heart, your mind will wander…read morewith the possibilities of seeing the actual vehicles and relics of historical significance and marvel at the drive of the human spirit to first take flight, then zoom past the curvature of the ocean until you hit new land, and, finally, break the bonds of gravity and stake your claim in the cosmos. I've been so many times, and it's free to go and see these incredible achievements of humanity in real life. You can look at the lunar capsule and imagine the bravery and ingenuity of the millions of people whose guts and brains it took, over thousands of years, to make such an achievement possible. This is the true legacy of humanity and it inspires while posing the question, what is next for mankind....

Seeing the pillow with Lincoln's blood was honestly one of the most vivid historical experiences…read moreI've ever had. It's one thing to read about history in a book, but standing in a place where such a major moment actually happened makes it feel completely different. Ford's Theatre does a great job of preserving the history and telling the story of what happened that night. Walking through the theatre and seeing the artifacts in person was honestly chilling, but in a really fascinating way. Definitely a place I'd recommend visiting if you're in DC and want to experience history up close

I am so glad that this theatre is still in operation…read more Also contains a first rate museum in the basement that includes the gun used to kill Lincoln and a pillow that still has dried blood on it So glad that I went!