<p>Whirlwind overnight stay in DC, no car. Staying at the Mayflower Resaissance Sunday night. Heading into the city Sunday morning, leaving Monday afternoon. </p>
<p>Will be focusing primarily on the Natural History and Air and Space Museums. Natural History has extended hours on Sunday evening.</p>
<p>Welcoming any and all advice on:
timing the museum visits
Exhibitions “must dos/sees”
dining tips</p>
<p>Natural History and the Holocaust (I know, not a Smithsonian) were are favorites. If you have not been to the Holocaust museum, I would say it’s a must do on a short trip. The National Archives are also very close to the Natural History (close for DC anyway). It would be worth getting a timed ticket to see those documents as well. You can easily do the the Holocaust Museum in the morning and the Archives and the Natural History museum in the afternoon.</p>
<p>Thanks, SteveMa. Will look into the possibility of fitting the Holocaust museum into the itinerary.</p>
<p>Ugh, also noticed I should have posted this in the cafe and I misspelled the hotel’s name:(</p>
<p>sorry.</p>
<p>Look up smithsonian website and pick your favorite parts of history. Look on website for “special exhibits” that may need scheduling or tickets. Way too much depends on your particular interests. Seeing the original American flag is worth the trip to me.
My FAVORITE thing (even after having several trips to DC) was to take a seg way tour of DC (about 60 bucks). We started about 6pm (after traffic has died down) and ran around the ENTIRE area (white house, capitol steps, washington monument, up and down the streets, the mall). I can’t tell you how much fun that was. It doesn’t take you into anything, true but it takes you everywhere on a whirlwind tour.
So, looking back for a one day tour–I would try to make reservations for exhibits etc, I really couldn’t live without, figure out what I needed to see and then schedule a seg way tour for fun for the early evening.
Good food is found at Bull Feathers!</p>
<p>gouf78–on my next trip I want to do the segway tour. Did you get to get off at the monuments? Our one son turns 21 in a few months and DC is on the list of places for a mom/son 21st birthday trip…</p>
<p>The best food on the mall itself, is the cafe at the American Indian Museum. The cafe at Natural History is not bad either. However, last time I was at Air and Space, it was just fast food. The kids all prefer dining from the food trucks when they go into town without parents.</p>
<p>Natural History Museum can be an all day event … just so much to see in there. Though on the eastside of the Mall, the Library of Congress is stunning … get a tour of it if you go there. Since you are there for only a short visit, spend some quality time in a few places versus trying to see everything. </p>
<p>For our family (since the weather was warmer when we went), seeing DC on a bike is the only way to go but that can be on your next visit; I highly recommend this if possible.</p>
<p>Holocaust museum is a must but you need reservations. Get them now. Same with Capitol tix, any chance at White house tours.
The international spy museum is totally fascinating for all ages. My favorite ever. And you may need reservations for that also depending on the time of year.</p>
<p>I would highly recommend going to the National Museum of American History- a lot of excellent and highly recognizable exhibits there. Unless you’re planning on spending some time in the Air and Space museum such as watching a show, it really isn’t that big from what I remember and you could definitely fit in other visits. The National Archives is also worth a visit if you’re planning a full day out in D.C. </p>
<p>As for dining, I ate at Union Station when I was in D.C and there are plenty of restaurants and a large food court. During the day, I recommend bringing /buying your own food/snacks or eating from the hot dog stands as museum dining is expensive. </p>
<p>At night, I went on a trolley bus monument/memorial tour that stopped at each of the major memorials (iwo jima, fdr, lincoln, vietnam veterans, korean war, MLK) and gave you time at each one to look around, take pictures, etc. That was a good tour and I recommend it if you have time.</p>
<p>You could spend a week at the Natural History Museum and not get bored. Though I’ve been many times, I have never been able to time my visit so that I wasn’t plowing through a crowd. Some suggestions from friends are the first week of school, before any field trips are planned, and the day before Thanksgiving. </p>
<p>But since you’re set for a Sunday, and there are extended hours, I’d decide ahead of time which exhibits are must-sees at both Natural History and Air and Space, then go right at opening to Natural History, proceed to Air and Space after a few hours, then double back to Natural History for the evening hours.</p>
<p>If you want to see the Hope Diamond, which is part of the wonderful Gem Gallery, I’d run right over to that first, at opening. The Hall of Human Origins, the Ocean Hall, the Paleobiology Hall, and the Ancient Egypt Hall are terrific and I’d try to see all of them. You can let the crowds of tourists force you out at some point, and then go back after 3:00 or so.</p>
<p>My two favorite museums in DC are the Newseum (amazing! wonderful! the admission charge is worth every cent!) and the National Gallery of Art, especially the West Building. I would duck in there for a welcome break from the crowds in between going to Natural History and Air and Space - it’s across the Mall from the latter. Have a wonderful time.</p>
<p>We actually had a great meal in the Library of Congress dining room :D. Found it kind of by accident.</p>
<p>OH, CJaneRead–you HAVE to go peek in the Library of Congress building. A tour is nice but doubt you will have the time. It’s WELL worth the walk over and just to look around. It’s probably the most beautiful building in the entire country. Just to look around will only take 15-20 minutes.</p>
<p>Steve–we stopped at each of the monuments/ sites for pix opportunities.<br>
It was a 2 or 2 1/2 hour tour. Started 6pm (summer so plenty of light)–spent 20-30 min getting on the segway, learning about it and running around–very fun in itself. Fun just interacting with other people there. We spent a few minutes in a public park running over unsuspecting people before we started out (LOL).<br>
Went by White House, Wash Monument, Smithsonium mall, Capitol steps (all over the place!), up and down major roads (which is why they waited until the traffic died) and learned about all the tourist spots inbetween. Stories and histories.
Everybody had a head phone so you could hear the tour guide.</p>
<p>OP: When are you coming to DC? The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 20-April 14. [National</a> Cherry Blossom Festival: The Nation’s Greatest Springtime Celebration](<a href=“http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/]National”>http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/)</p>
<p>Another suggestion: the Mayflower hotel is only a few blocks from the National Geographic Museum (17th & M Streets NW)
[National</a> Geographic Events - National Geographic Museum](<a href=“Nat Geo Live! - National Geographic Society”>Nat Geo Live! - National Geographic Society)</p>
<p>You should have a lot of restaurant options near your hotel on Connecticut Avenue and Dupont Circle.
[Best</a> Dupont Circle Restaurants - Washington DC](<a href=“http://dc.about.com/od/bestofdc/tp/Dupont-Circle-Restaurants.htm]Best”>http://dc.about.com/od/bestofdc/tp/Dupont-Circle-Restaurants.htm)</p>
<p>Another area known for restaurants is the Penn Quarter, which is also within easy walking distance of the Mall, where the museums are located. [Penn</a> Quarter – A Washington, DC Neighborhood](<a href=“http://dc.about.com/od/neigborhoodprofiles/p/PennQuarter.htm]Penn”>http://dc.about.com/od/neigborhoodprofiles/p/PennQuarter.htm)</p>
<p>National History & American History museums are known for overpriced (& mediocre) fast food. The best museum food is at the National Gallery of Art (Cascade Cafe in the East Building [National</a> Gallery of Art - Restaurants](<a href=“http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/cafes.shtm]National”>http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/cafes.shtm)) or the Mitsitam Cafe in the Museum of the American Indian. [Mitsitam</a> Cafe](<a href=“http://www.mitsitamcafe.com/home/default.asp]Mitsitam”>Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe at the Smithsonian National Mall)</p>
<p>I could list more museums & restaurants but it doesn’t sound like you will have a lot of time in DC. Enjoy!</p>
<p>These are all great suggestions. I live here and I havent been to half of these places. I think we are going to stay home this year and be dc tourist. I love the vietnam memorial, world world ii, and Lincoln memorials at sunrise and sunset. I also love the air and space museum. I’ve never been to the Holocaust museum or Arlington cemetary or Nuseum. I asked my daughter did she want to go somewhere for spring break. she didn’t want to travel. I think we will visit the places mentioned here.</p>
<p>Remember to leave your pocketknife at home.</p>
<p>The Smithsonian museums are government buildings, and you have to go through a metal detector. You can’t bring certain things, like knives, inside.</p>
<p>My son, who habitually carries a pocketknife, forgot about this once. He had to go bury his knife in one of the gardens (as suggested by the security guard!) while we visited one of the museums. This is not good for the knife; gardens are damp places.</p>
<p>One of my favorite places in DC is Hillwood Museum, which is a well-kept secret, located near the National Zoo. [Hillwood</a> Estate, Museum and Garden: Where Fabulous Lives](<a href=“http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/]Hillwood”>http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/)</p>
<p>I’m a native and have been going to the Natural History Museum since I was a kid, then with my kids. There’s still new things every time I go! The Spy Museum is awesome, but not centrally located, and you really do need several hours. If you decide to try it definitely get tickets online. Do look for special exhibits during your visit. I saw the Jim Henson exhibit a couple of years ago at a museum I probably would have skipped otherwise. It was very moving. The original script/storyboard used to pitch the show was on 8.5x11 white paper decorated with colored markers and borders. It was so simple it looked like a 5th grade project from 1982, long before computers, clip art, and photoshop. </p>
<p>Enjoy your visit!! :)</p>
<p>Another vote for the cafe in the Museum of the American Indian! And if some reason your Smithsonian plans fall through, also agree with frazzled1 – the Newseum is the best thing in DC.</p>
<p>We loved the Newseum, the Archives, Ford’s theater, several of the Smithsonians and the monuments. I did the Holocaust Museum 9 years ago and, while absolutely fabulous, it was very disturbing to me. I didn’t get much out of the rest of my day because I was still immersed and affected by it.</p>
<p>I also like the National Cathedral, Arlington, and the Zoo, but they are off the main areas so best for a multi-day visit.</p>
<p>Just a counter-opinion - I found the Holocaust museum to be not worth visiting at all with the exception that there were a couple of Holocaust survivors at a table on the way out who I stopped to talk to and who were interesting but the museum itself had little to offer IMO.</p>
<p>Another museum I didn’t care for is the Spy Museum. It’s not a Smithsonian and it has an entrance fee but besides that, I found it kind of hokey.</p>
<p>In addition to some of the museums mentioned I find the American History museum interesting.</p>
<p>If you haven’t been there before make sure you wander around and see the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War, Vietnam War, WWII, Washington Monument, White House (from the outside), Capitol, and other monuments and scattered pieces of art.</p>
<p>The Bureau of Engraving was interesting as well. </p>
<p>Another interesting museum, but not easy to get to if you don’t have a car or aren’t flying in/out of Dulles, is the Udvar Hazy Air and Space museum by Dulles airport. It’s part of the Smithsonian Air and Space museum but has the Enola Gay, a space shuttle, and a number of other aircraft. It can be less crowded than the one on the Mall as well but they’re both worth seeing. If you happen to be flying through Dulles you might be able to swing it if you have some extra hours. </p>
<p>You’ll need to check hours on all of the ones you’re interested in to see if they match up with your availability. Wear comfortable walking shoes - you’ll likely be doing a lot of walking.</p>