Reply to Plan for kid's first time dc museums visit

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[quote=Anonymous]I think you can actually get into the Building Museum's atrium and gift shop without paying, but you do have to pay to get into the galleries and exhibits. There's a really cool kids' Building Zone with construction activities, playhouses, etc. that your son would probably love. With kids in tow, it's quite a trek if you want to do the Mall as well, so be aware that it might be better to do NBM on its own.

My DD always loved the Hall of Mammals at NatHist, but that museum gets *insanely* crowded on weekends, especially in the spring. I'd suggest hitting it first thing, right after they open, if you can.

I assume you're local? If so, I'd highly recommend skipping Air & Space and doing their Udvar-Hazy Center (near Dulles) on another day. Much less crowded, plenty of room to stretch little legs, and you can go up in the "control tower" and watch the planes land. Always a rainy-day favorite.  A&S on the mall is dark, cramped, and long overdue for renovation (did I imagine this, or is it really closing for renovation soon?).

There's a fun kids' area at the Native American museum, but the rest of the museum isn't really that exciting for little ones. I wouldn't recommend it for a "first museum."

Really, the only thing my kid liked at AmHist at that age was the transportation exhibit. She had no context for stuff like Fonzie's leather jacket or the First Ladies' dresses. But she did like "riding" the streetcar, and seeing all the ships and cars and trucks. There are some neat interactive things on the lower level, but I'm not sure how young they skew.

And +1 on checking the Cherry Blossom schedule. This Saturday is the kite festival, which is right on the Mall, and the parade and Japanese street festival are Saturday 4/13 (not on the Mall, but nearby). Peak bloom is currently predicted for 4/1, which means the Smithsonian Metro station is going to be crowded this weekend, no matter when you go.

The museum bathrooms always take the brunt of the Cherry Blossom crowds (as well as the lines to get into the museum itself, because of the bag checks), but the actual exhibits probably won't be much more crowded than usual.[/quote]

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