We do this frequently in the winter with our 2.5 year old but we live much closer to the city- bring stroller, arrive at American history museum right before it opens, go to wegmans wonderplace until he’s bored, see the batmobile, go to America on the move exhibit, maybe grab lunch at the cafeteria, go home for nap! Baby #2 was just born, plan to wear her when we go from now on!

Don’t do too much. 45 minutes walking around air and space is great. Metro will definitely be his favorite part of the day. . Go on a nice day so he can run around on the mall.

Be prepared for lines. There was a 30 minute line to get into Natural History last Saturday. We got there just before 10, the line was longer by the time we got in at 10:30. Security takes awhile.

Anonymous wrote:Weekdays are a bit lighter if you have flexibility to do that. I’d plan a trip just with three year old the first time. The National Gallery people mover an sculpture garden is a big hit. Also carousel and the Ocean Hall at Natural History. I agree metro and just running around on mall might be entertainment enough. If it’s chilly we like the atrium at the Portrait Gallery. Air and Space is kinda boring for little kids.

Kids love the atrium in the summer, when there's that barely there river flowing through it.

Anonymous wrote:Weekdays are a bit lighter if you have flexibility to do that. I’d plan a trip just with three year old the first time. The National Gallery people mover an sculpture garden is a big hit. Also carousel and the Ocean Hall at Natural History. I agree metro and just running around on mall might be entertainment enough. If it’s chilly we like the atrium at the Portrait Gallery. Air and Space is kinda boring for little kids.

PS the butterfly pavilion offers free passes on Tuesdays, but you need to be there when museum opens to snag them (first come basis).

Weekdays are a bit lighter if you have flexibility to do that. I’d plan a trip just with three year old the first time. The National Gallery people mover an sculpture garden is a big hit. Also carousel and the Ocean Hall at Natural History. I agree metro and just running around on mall might be entertainment enough. If it’s chilly we like the atrium at the Portrait Gallery. Air and Space is kinda boring for little kids.

11:44 here. I didn’t mean to bring their own food, although she could bring some snacks to supplement whatever they buy. I figure it’s a contribution to the museum, which is free, and it’s eady. When my kids were little they loved picking out their “delicious” cafeteria food.

Bringing your own food into the museums is not allowed, on,y water

Anonymous wrote: I might plan something short and sweet for the first trip. If you’ve got a runner who likes spaceships, then air and space is the best bet. I’ve never met a kid who didn’t like the natural history Museum, which, come on!, has animals and dinosaurs. Automatic win! The Native American museum has a fun place space for kids but I don’t know if he’s too young for most of what they have. So in your shoes I’d leave the baby at home, take the 3yo to natural history, plan to spend an hour looking at stuff and then eat in the cafeteria; look at stuff for another 30 minutes then leave. Run around on the Mall on the way back to the metro.

FYI, I think what this PP may have meant is to bring your own food (which is allowed) and eat in the cafeteria. Unless you're willing to shell out for waaaaay overpriced wraps and salad, even by DC standard.

I might plan something short and sweet for the first trip. If you’ve got a runner who likes spaceships, then air and space is the best bet. I’ve never met a kid who didn’t like the natural history Museum, which, come on!, has animals and dinosaurs. Automatic win! The Native American museum has a fun place space for kids but I don’t know if he’s too young for most of what they have. So in your shoes I’d leave the baby at home, take the 3yo to natural history, plan to spend an hour looking at stuff and then eat in the cafeteria; look at stuff for another 30 minutes then leave. Run around on the Mall on the way back to the metro.

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.

Be careful of museum of the american indian if your child has a peanut allergy. They sell giant bags of whole peanuts in the cafeteria. My child had a small reaction just being in there.