We were biking around the area looking for a fun neighborhood park that offered some low key fun…read morenearby! This park definitely hit all the high notes! It's conveniently located near all the popular stores without feeling like it's wedge unsafely or unnaturally in the area. We stayed on the playground portion but the water area also looks cool & refreshing on those hot days of summer! Highly recommend checking out this park with your little one.

this park appears to only be open if you participate in a paid preschool co-op. We are visiting. It…read morewas locked when we came at 8 AM on a Tuesday in May.

The museum remains where other things have changed over the years. Notably, you can walk into the…read morebuilding without buying a ticket but most of the exhibitions require a wristband. I unintentionally stopped in on a day when they were offering free tickets. I don't think they ever open every room in the building for exhibition at the same time, so the amount of stuff on display is less than you'd think looking at it from the outside. However, my visit did yield some intriguing finds including a hall on contemporary southern architecture that hits much harder if you've actually been to the places (which by and large I now have), and a historical exhibition on schoolhouses for black people in the South, which provided an interesting window into history. I wouldn't count the Building Museum among the top tier of attractions, but it's a good landmark and worth visiting.

The building is so beautiful that it was clearly not designed for this recent use case but had some…read moreother function - and indeed it was a post-Civil War pension office grander than any bureaucratic office building these days. The artistry isn't necessarily the best for a museum, but it works pretty well. The best part of the museum was the tour which is free because you aren't going into the exhibits but learn about the architect, his choices, and the history of the building from its inception to inaugural balls to now. Our tour guide was Gene who was incredibly knowledgeable and able to answer everyone's questions. On the tour you're also guided up to the upper floors that you would not typically have access to. The exhibits require a ticket but it's still pretty cheap and even though it's federally owned, it still requires funding, so it's worth the ticket. The exhibits range on topics from the types and reasons for different shelters including videos, dioramas, and artifacts. They are visually appealing and informative. There is also an exhibit on buildings made out of Legos which is fun for all ages. There are a large gift shop and a small cafe for quick bites. If you've hit all the big iconic DC museums, this museum is a great one to hit to fill out your learning experiences.

My daughter loves her weekly class with Mr. Tony, great confidence booster, skill development and…read moregreat in preparing my daughter on taking instruction and being in a class with other little ones like her before she starts school!

My five-year-old daughter and I attended a birthday party at the Little Gym and it was a fantastic…read moreexperience. The birthday family rented the space on a Sunday evening from 5-6:30 p.m. The first hour, the 12+ girls played in the gym space. The first few minutes was free play, but then the staff took over, creating obstacle courses, setting up a blow-up trampoline, etc. The staff created order where each girl patiently waited their turn to go throughout the space. The rings were especially a hit. After an hour of play, the kids moved upstairs to the birthday room. The birthday family brought in pizza, juice/water, and doughnuts. It was a blast!

I love the history of this carousel but it doesn't compare to the one at the zoo! Most of the…read morehorses need some serious cosmetic help - it's just so sad to see this bit of history on the Mall lacking the maintenance it seems to need. I don't know if or when the policy changed (as one of the photos here shows credit card signs for payment at the ticket booth), but when we were here after the Smithsonian Kite Festival last month, we were (rather rudely) told that it was strictly cash only. That is not listed anywhere, and much to our daughters' relief, we had enough cash to cover one ride ($3.50 per ride but littles need to be accompanied by an adult). This carousel also has an unfortunate policy of letting riders with multiple tickets just stay on instead of getting off and giving the next round of people first pick at the horses (as they make you do at the Zoo). This caused a fair amount of anguish for one of my daughters who had her heart set on the dragon - we were the first in line, but because a boy the turn before us had another ticket, he just stayed on and stayed on the dragon. Small potatoes in the long run, I know, but kind of an annoying policy.

If I were to collect something creepy it wouldn't be dolls, or clowns, or Precious Moments…read morefigurines...it would be carousel horses. But, I would not collect one from the Carousel on the National Mall. These poor phillies have seen better days. The only super cool one isn't even a horse, it's a dragon and it's pretty awesome. Despite the wear and tear, it's a carousel and it's on the National Mall so it wins on location, location, location! I had a grand ole time riding in a tea cup with one of my boys while the other rode the cool dragon. It only costs $3.50 per person and we walked away with cute pictures that are worth much more than that.

Sherwood Recreation Center is a recreation center just south of H Street along 10th and G Streets…read moreNortheast. The rec center itself is large, but it's closed due to the pandemic. What is open is the playground and it's spacious leaving room for families to safe distance. Still, masks are required. Near the tennis courts (yes, the courts are open too) are a few D.C. statehood murals part of the mayor's campaign to make D.C. the 51st state. There's a rainbow-colored mural, a rose mural (D.C.'s flower) and a few others by local artists.

This park is SOOOO COOL! Especially for kids of different ages. There's multiple swings (although…read morethe baby swing is broken right now - if that doesn't get fixed I'll update this review accordingly), multiple play areas, outdoor musical instruments, and SO MANY SPOTS FOR CLIMBING especially for bigger kids. There's a bug field with a walking path. We will definitely be visiting this park more often!

I loved the idea of the setups provided by Fiesta Kidz but unfortunately they arrived over an hour…read morelate for the setup and they were not completely setup until 30 minutes after the party started. I had an event starting at 12 and they had an arrival time of 10am because I wanted them to be set up first and I had other vendors arriving later that had to set up other areas around them. Additionally, I got the white soft play setup, as well as tables and chairs, and it was clear the items were not cleaned in a long time. I definitely expected better. For transparency, I complained directly to the company and got a $50 discount - but honestly I didn't feel like that was enough.

The Fiesta Kidz was amazing. On time and perfect service and setting! They went above and beyond…read morefor us to get extra balloons! Our kids and guests loved it.

What a great recreation center! Parts of it are outdated like the entrance and check-in area to the…read morepool, but overall, it's an excellent recreational center. Here's why. 1) Indoor Pool: The indoor pool is kept clean and is pretty big with half of the pool shallow for kids to play in with splash areas and a water slide. The other half is laned for adults to swim. There are always lifeguards there and the space provides life jackets for kids and adults if needed. There are changing rooms with lockers too. 2) Amenities: Inside is a gym with treadmills, weights, and more, and other rooms for classes, etc. With a permit, you can rent their multi-purpose room for birthday parties and it comes with a small kitchen connected to the room. Inside are murals of the neighborhood by local artists. Outside is a field, a rocket ship-themed playground, a statue of a dap, and a field. 3) Parking: Free street parking is easy to find just outside the rec center. 4) Staff: I always find the staff to be friendly and reasonable. They are great!

I've been twice to use the gym, and I must say it's pretty decent. I'm a little hesitant to post…read morethat here because I don't want it to get too crowded, but it has everything I need for good workout. 3 treadmills, an eliptical (maybe 2), free weights, kettle bells, a bench and one of those weight machines that has lat pull downs and like 3 other machines in one. Also full length mirrors and good lighting so the gym selfies are always popping. My friends go to the indoor pool and they love it and when I pooped my head inside the gym, it looks pretty nice too. The facilities are super clean and the staff (that I've encountered) is really nice. They've really done a nice job updating this center. It's also free with a dc license so enjoy your tax dollars at work!

An institution on Capitol Hill, my elementary school aged daughter has taken a few after school…read moreclasses here. A CHAW van picks her and others up and takes them to the art and theater classes. She loves each class and enjoys the instructors. There's easy street parking nearby making pick up seamless.

CHAW is a really positive contributor to the Capital Hill community, in art, music, drama for all…read moreages and experiences. In particular I have been participating in the open figure drawing sessions for several years and really enjoy the atmosphere and the creativity. The organizers of this group are knowledgeable and always helpful.

Indeed a hidden gem! Playground, lots of space for kids (and adults) to run around, splash pad in…read morethe warm months, and a very nice building with restrooms, meeting rooms, and more. You have to sign in to use that facility but the staff was friendly and it's no big deal. As a parent I also appreciated that you have to enter a gate and it's a little bit outside (or inside, rather) the rest of the neighborhood. Great place to host an outdoor birthday party.

If I could give zero stars, I would. This place is disgusting. There is absolutely no soap or paper…read moretowels in the bathrooms, and they are so f'ing lazy that the toilet paper is on the floor - not properly refilled. That is unsanitary and disgusting! Second, the people at the front desk are incredibly unprofessional. How are they still employed?

This place was amazing. It's a great museum for all ages. There is so much to see and I would plan…read moreto spend at least 2 hours or longer if you come with kids. Like all of the Smithsonian museums it was free. Parking around the area wasn't that bad either. Highly recommended.

Any place that allow free entrance, and that is educational and at the same time cool, is most…read morelikely to get a visit and 5 stars from me. I know it is bugs, not the coolest creature in our planet. Really? Not after you visit the insect zoo. I am shocked by how much I didn't know about bugs (and I am an animal lover and try to learn about them as much as I can). But after visiting this "zoo" I am going to look deeper into them. Fun place. Bring the kids here. If they will not be scared, they will learn a lot.