Most overrated kid-friendly attraction in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Zoo.

That's crazy talk. It's a free, large wooded place for my crazy toddler to walk/run herself into a sleepy daze.

+1 Why is the zoo, of all places, overrated?

Because a visit to virtually any other zoo in this country establishes how mightily this one sucks.

Nooooooope. In fact, I'm going to start a new thread and say that the zoo is the most UNDERRATED attraction in DC. So put that in your pipe and suck it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Air and Space on the Mall. I want to love it but most of it is really boring.

Nonsense - Our 3 yo loves this museum! So much to see and do for young kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Zoo.

That's crazy talk. It's a free, large wooded place for my crazy toddler to walk/run herself into a sleepy daze.

+1 Why is the zoo, of all places, overrated?

Because you have to pay $20 for parking and $6 for a basic hot dog!

^^Actual complaints I've heard.

(Never mind that there is no admission fee, saving you a bare minimum in other cities of $60 for a family of four-- maybe more than $80. Never mind that r/t public transport for four people anywhere in a major city is going to run you at least $15, and parking anywhere in a major city generally runs you at least $15 for six hours, if not much more. Never mind that same hot dog would still cost you $3 on the street and you're not forced to buy it anyway. Etc., etc.)

As a family of 5, we paid over $250 to go to the San Diego Zoo. Some people really don't know how good they have it.

I agree that calling the National Zoo "overrated" is ridiculous, especially since it is free & that the San Diego Zoo is a bit overpriced. That being said, however, you really can't compare the two. The San Diego Zoo is much, much bigger & is considered one of the best zoos in the world (& rightfully so, imo).

I'm not saying that the San Diego Zoo isn't better. I'm saying that in most places, you have to pay to go to the zoo and sometimes it's a lot of $$$$. In DC, there are many world class free museums, a great free zoo and tons of other free or nearly free things to do and yet somehow someone still wants to complain and say these things are "overrated". I find this kind of attitude annoying.

[Anonymous]

We live CLaude Moore farm! It's very inexpensive, it's not a huge time commitment, and the gift shop has all kinds of treasures. Sure the actors are hit-or-miss st times, but it's a great outing!

[Anonymous]

We love Claude Moore Farm as well. Outdoors in woods and low key is great for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Playseum. Ick.

I was going to say this, even though I feel bad for the nice owner, and my kid still really likes it. But I'm not sure it counts as overrated, when so many people Yelp about its... umm... threadbareness. It does feel overpriced for what you get. But then again, my kid really does like it, so go figure.

It's $9/head for both kids and adults, but they are in Bethesda with high rents and do need to pay to keep the doors open.. so I don't really begrudge them that. We got about once every few months so it's more like a special treat.

Similar to Mila's Playland in Gainesville. It's $10/head, so we go as a special treat not on a regular basis.

My kid likes vets this place and would spend hours there. I don't mind it however when we were there a few weeks ago the owner yelled at my child for not putting the cymbals back in the right place in the library and then told him not to go in 2 of the rooms because she had just cleaned them. He really wanted to go in this particular room and it was what he picked as his last thing to do. The owner was totally rude. We paid to be there and when I mentioned to her that I'd put away whatever he took out she said when looking at her watch, "we have really been here for hours and done everything". This was at 2:30pm not exactly closing time. I always put stuff away with my child and make clean up part of our time there. I respect the space and others and was sad that she said that to us and refused to let him in the room.

[Anonymous]

Building museum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Playseum. Ick.

I was going to say this, even though I feel bad for the nice owner, and my kid still really likes it. But I'm not sure it counts as overrated, when so many people Yelp about its... umm... threadbareness. It does feel overpriced for what you get. But then again, my kid really does like it, so go figure.

It's $9/head for both kids and adults, but they are in Bethesda with high rents and do need to pay to keep the doors open.. so I don't really begrudge them that. We got about once every few months so it's more like a special treat.

Similar to Mila's Playland in Gainesville. It's $10/head, so we go as a special treat not on a regular basis.

My kid likes vets this place and would spend hours there. I don't mind it however when we were there a few weeks ago the owner yelled at my child for not putting the cymbals back in the right place in the library and then told him not to go in 2 of the rooms because she had just cleaned them. He really wanted to go in this particular room and it was what he picked as his last thing to do. The owner was totally rude. We paid to be there and when I mentioned to her that I'd put away whatever he took out she said when looking at her watch, "we have really been here for hours and done everything". This was at 2:30pm not exactly closing time. I always put stuff away with my child and make clean up part of our time there. I respect the space and others and was sad that she said that to us and refused to let him in the room.

I'm guessing you mean Playseum right? I think she started it back when her kids were the age to go there, and now they're teenagers. She was pretty friendly last time we went a few weeks ago. Must've caught her on a bad day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was really super let down by the Claude Moore colonial farm. The actors were really bored and uninterested in talking to us our our child. It was a big letdown.

Any others?

Maybe your kid's just boring, OP. Claude Moore is a cool place to visit.

[Anonymous]

I wish we had an actual children's museum. Most other cities have awesome children's museums and I don't understand why we don't!

[Anonymous]

Wah, wah, wah. Bunch of big, entitled babies.

Oh, the national mall is soooo boring. Oh, the zoo is sooo boring. Insufferable!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Playseum. Ick.

I was going to say this, even though I feel bad for the nice owner, and my kid still really likes it. But I'm not sure it counts as overrated, when so many people Yelp about its... umm... threadbareness. It does feel overpriced for what you get. But then again, my kid really does like it, so go figure.

It's $9/head for both kids and adults, but they are in Bethesda with high rents and do need to pay to keep the doors open.. so I don't really begrudge them that. We got about once every few months so it's more like a special treat.

Similar to Mila's Playland in Gainesville. It's $10/head, so we go as a special treat not on a regular basis.

I actually don't begrudge her the $ either, but as someone with a background in a related "industry" and a small business owner, it makes me itchy to think how a strategic $500 spend could literally improve 3-5 of those rooms at least 50%. It's maddening, because it's a great concept.

[Anonymous]

For us it's the building museum!

[Anonymous]

Nook in Arlington. $20 per kid and just not that much to do unless there's a performer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was really super let down by the Claude Moore colonial farm. The actors were really bored and uninterested in talking to us our our child. It was a big letdown.

Any others?

Maybe your kid's just boring, OP. Claude Moore is a cool place to visit.

Not OP, but this is rude.