Museums, Tours, & Attractions including Fun Things for Kids

Added by Karen Huffman, last edited by Lisa Pogue on Jun 09, 2009  (view change)

We've listed below a handful of interesting attractions and some new places of interest to visit while visiting Washington, DC. Please consult local tourism sites for a full range of activities.

Table of Contents

Legend

$$ = Costs involved

 = New since last SLA annual conference in DC

= Fun things to do with children

Attractions

  • The White House self-guided tours are available on a first come, first serve basis from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Fridays, and 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturdays (excluding federal holidays). For groups of 10 or more, you must arrange the tour through your Congressman ahead of time. Visit their website and/or listen to the 24-hour line at 202-456-7041 for more information.
  • The U.S. Capitol and The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center which just opened December 2, 2008.
  • Union Station (shopping, food, and beautiful architecture)

Zoo, Gardens & Green Spaces

Special Offering for SLA Members Only


Our Kids Activities & Resources  $$
If you are bringing your whole family and looking for things to do with your children, check out  Our Kids site. From March until the end of June, Our Kids site is offering SLA members only FREE access to their wonderful resources. To access the secured area on Our Kids site, sign into the following page with your SLA Membership ID and password to retrieve the secured information: http://units.sla.org/division/dkm/2009OurKids.cfm.

Monuments & Memorials

Museums & Historical Places

Sports

Tours & Other Fun Activities

  • Building Stones of Washington Walking Tour
  • Capital Segway  $$ - Glide around the nation's capital on a state-of-the-art Segway PT.
  • DC Duck Land & Water Tours (leaves from Union Station)  $$
  • Paddle boat in the Tidal Basin and around the Jefferson Memorial  $$
  • Tourmobile Sightseeing 202-488-5218  $$ - As a concessionaire of the United States National Park Service, Tourmobile Sightseeing offers all day free re-boarding with an exclusive view of Washington, DC and Arlington National Cemetery. Additional tour options include the following:
    • The American Heritage Tour stops at major sites along the National Mall, Union Station, Lincoln Memorial, and the WWII Memorial.
    • Seasonal tours to Frederick Douglass Historic Site, Mount Vernon (home of Martha and George Washington) from June 15 through Labor Day
    • Twilight tours of the illuminated monuments and memorials in Washington, DC will operate beginning at 6:30PM from March through December.
  • The U.S. Capitol Tours. Make arrangements before you come to DC.
  • The White House Tours - In person and virtual tours. Make arrangements before you come to DC. 

Breaks, Mini-breaks, & Excursions

Take a break, or even a mini-break, from the conference. Breaks take a half-day, day or an evening.

Quick Links to Additional Resources

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