What is the budget? Some of these museum restaurants are pricey. How old are the kids?

Ronald Regan building does vouchers for big groups. So kids don’t need to carry money. They have to order from a set menu at each place in the food court though.
https://rrbitc.com/meal-voucher-program/

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone eaten at the Museum of African American History and culture recently? If we broke into smaller groups for lunch and staggered times, would that be doable?
Thanks for all the replies!

The food it rely varied and good! Why leave the museum if you don’t have to. Contact event services or the restaurant itself. Maybe they’d do boxed lunches at a set price.

Anonymous wrote:Our school is taking a field trip to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, and the cafeteria there only seats 400, and we're concerned that as popular as it is, it will be a logistical nightmare with a 100 person school group.

Would the food court in the Ronald Reagan building be better?

Anywhere else near 14th and Constitution?

The museum doesn't allow outside food, and the weather will probably be too cold for eating outside, which is why I don't think bagged/boxed lunches are a good option.

The restaurant in the museum is pretty amazing! Communicating w them ahead of time might be helpful if you want the kids to eat there. Would they be willing to prepare a lunch for you all?

Also, when is the visit? If it's in the March-June, just assume there will be 3-5 other major school groups visiting that day with a similar number of kids as well...plus Spring Break family groups, etc. Can you somehow have the kids have a heavy breakfast or snacks right before and then once you're done with the museum let them do food trucks between the NMAAHM and Natural History if the weather is nice or RR foodcourt if not. There's no re-entry at that museum.

Our kids took bagged lunches and they ate within their smaller chaperone groupings.

Anonymous wrote:I think the Ronald Reagan food court would be better. Just a heads up that everyone will need to go through security (just a metal detector) so factor that into timing. However, I’ve been there recently and there is more than enough space and good options.

The Ronald Reagan (RRB) food court gets completely full with other school groups and building employees. You'll never get 100 seats at 12 noon. I work in the building.

If you want to go to RRB:

(1) Go for an early or late lunch (11ish or after 1pm).

(2) Plan for the time it will take to get 100 kids through metal detectors.

(3) Contact the building managers to buy lunch tickets ahead of time -- school groups can get a set price meal and drink and "pay" the vendors with the lunch ticket. It's easier than having kids handle cash.

(4) Maybe encourage the kids to eat somewhere besides Sbarro and Subway. Most kids head there so the lines get long. There are other non-name brand places that serve wraps, burgers, sandwiches, etc.

You can reserve a time:

https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/sweet-home-cafe/dineshoppass

Or, call them and see if they have prearranged group lunches.

I did this before covid with my students and we went to the Ronald Reagan food court. One thing: you have to walk them there and also there can be long lines if there’s other nearby tour groups since you have to go through security to get in. So budget that time into your plans for the day. We waited at least 30 minutes to get in and then there were of course waits at all the eateries.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure a school group can't bring their own lunch? We have done bagged lunches in the cafeteria at Natural History Museum with a group of a 100. It was fine. Or just eat outside, unless its a super cold day it will be fine.

I like how OP specifically addressed this, and people post stuff like this without looking at the web page, like OP apparently did, to their credit.

https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/frequently-asked-questions

"Visitors may bring a bottle of water into the museum. All other outside food or drink must be properly closed and secured and may not be consumed in the Museum.  Visitors may enjoy bagged lunches outside on the National Mall. "

Hasn’t your kid ever taken a field trip? They bring the lunches and leave them on the bus. Then they eat outside somewhere. They aren’t lugging them all around the museum.

"the weather will probably be too cold for eating outside, which is why I don't think bagged/boxed lunches are a good option."

Seems pretty reasonable to me! The eating on the bus idea that another person posted isn't bad.

Can they eat a bagged lunch on the bus?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure a school group can't bring their own lunch? We have done bagged lunches in the cafeteria at Natural History Museum with a group of a 100. It was fine. Or just eat outside, unless its a super cold day it will be fine.

I like how OP specifically addressed this, and people post stuff like this without looking at the web page, like OP apparently did, to their credit.

https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/frequently-asked-questions

"Visitors may bring a bottle of water into the museum. All other outside food or drink must be properly closed and secured and may not be consumed in the Museum.  Visitors may enjoy bagged lunches outside on the National Mall. "

Hasn’t your kid ever taken a field trip? They bring the lunches and leave them on the bus. Then they eat outside somewhere. They aren’t lugging them all around the museum.

Those food courts are going to be a madhouse if you bring 100 kids in there! They’re already busy and I would be terrifyied of losing kids because it’s very unlikely that all kids in a chaperone group would want the same food! With most field trips, kids bring their own lunches.

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure a school group can't bring their own lunch? We have done bagged lunches in the cafeteria at Natural History Museum with a group of a 100. It was fine. Or just eat outside, unless its a super cold day it will be fine.

I like how OP specifically addressed this, and people post stuff like this without looking at the web page, like OP apparently did, to their credit.

https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/frequently-asked-questions

"Visitors may bring a bottle of water into the museum. All other outside food or drink must be properly closed and secured and may not be consumed in the Museum.  Visitors may enjoy bagged lunches outside on the National Mall. "

Are you sure a school group can't bring their own lunch? We have done bagged lunches in the cafeteria at Natural History Museum with a group of a 100. It was fine. Or just eat outside, unless its a super cold day it will be fine.