Washington DC with kids

[countthestars]

We are going to take a long weekend in DC with our kids in November. Kids are 8 and 6. We fly in on a Thursday at 2pm and out on Sunday early.

We’re hoping to do a few museums and monuments but don’t have any structured plans yet.

I’m looking for recommendations in hotels (pref with indoor pool, close to the action) and kid friendly restaurants (one extremely picky eater). I’d also love recommendations on which museums we should hit and if there are any monument tours or anything else you’d recommend. We are very comfortable with public transport or could use Uber/Lyft/taxis with bubble bum car seats

[hermione]

For sure do a night tour of the monuments! It’s our favorite thing. We typically just ask the hotel concierge which one they recommend and they handle booking for us.

[aspentosh]

This is going to be really dependent on what your kiddos like. Natural History is always a hit here, especially if they like animals. Air and Space is another favorite. I've been meaning to go to the Building Museum but it hasn't worked out just yet. There are also a ton of outdoor areas to walk with gardens and structures to enjoy. Maybe a little less pretty in November though.

My daughter's favorite monument is the Washington Monument for some reason, lol.

No idea on hotel because we're local so don't stay in DC proper.

[raangoli]

I've not stayed there but I have eyed the Mandarin Oriental in DC bc they have an indoor pool.

As for food: we like Nandos - its chicken/fries, grilled cheese, etc. All things that kids like. We also liked Good Stuff Eatery. Pi Pizza is excellent as well.

We really want to go to the Udvar Hazy next time we go. We love the Air and Space Museum that is on the Mall as well. The last time we went BB loved the WW II memorial, but it was summer and she liked splashing in the water LOL

[midwestmama]

It's been a long time since I've been to D.C., but I think the Smithsonian Air & Space and Natural History museums would be interesting for kids of that age.

[savan]

We took our 5 and 7 year old to D.C. many years ago. We stayed at the embassy suites in Alexandria and used public transportation to get around. We visited the Natural History Museum and the Air & Space Museum. We spent a day at Arlington National Cemetery. We spent a day at the zoo. We also took a boat ride over to the National Harbor in Maryland. We crammed as much as we could into our time there.

No recs for eating as we did a lot of eating on the go and just went to someplace convenient.