Note: Did you know that we’ve got 30+ city guides with 10 fun, free family friendly things to do in cities all over the world! Check out the complete list of Creating Really Awesome Free Trips!
In honor of Independence Day weekend, I thought it would be fun to share a Washington, D.C. travel guide, I like to call it Creating Really Awesome Fun/Free Trips! There are so many fun, free, family friendly things to do in Washington DC,. A quick bit of history about out our capitol city to share with friends this weekend: According to Wikipedia, on July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a federal district to become the national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution. The District is therefore not a part of any U.S. state!
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21. Walking Tours: Explore Washington, D.C. for free by foot with a guided tour. Be aware that the guides are working for tips. There are 8 tours to choose from, check out the daily tour schedule.
22. See how money is made: Take a free, 40 minute tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and watch millions of dollars being printed right before your eyes!
23. Washington Monument: You can play Frisbee, throw a football, have a picnic, or fly a kite in the field surrounding the Washington Monument! Or you can get free tickets and go to the top of the monument for a beautiful view! The monument is open 7 days a week from 9-5pm. You can make advance reservations here.
24. White House: You can walk to the White House from the Washington Monument. Be sure and check out the front and the back side of the White House. If you want to see the inside, you have to request a tour through a Member of Congress. See the details here. Lafayette square is directly in front of the White House and has really tame squirrels that are fun to see. This is actually the back of the White House, but isn’t this the view you always see on TV?
Y’all know I have a thing for squirrels!
25. Lincoln Memorial: You can walk these next 4 memorials in about an hour, and they are all free to visit. No reservations required.
26. MLK Memorial: Free to visit 24 hours a day. Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9-11:30 pm.
27. Korean War Memorial: Free to visit 24 hours a day.
28. WWII Memorial: Free to visit 24 hours a day. Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9-11:30 pm.
29. Cherry Bloom Festival (March 20- April 17, 2016) I really want to see these suckers in bloom! There’s a parade, performances, and music.
30. National Archives: Open 7 days a week from 10am-5:30pm. Here you can view the original Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and tons more!
31. Tour the U.S. Capitol building: Tours of the Capital are conducted Monday- Saturday from 8:50am- 3:20pm.You can reserve a tour of the capital online. Same-day tour passes may be available at the “Public Walk-up”, but I would suggest booking a tour in advance!
32. Old Post Office Clock Tower Tour: The clock tower is currently closed for renovations until 2016, but this is a fun, free landmark that stands half way between the White House and the Capital building and has amazing birds eye views!
Have you been to Washington, D.C.? Did you know that all of the Smithsonian museums are free? I can’t wait to take Maxwell one day! If you liked this free travel guide, check out 30+ cities on the Creating Really Awesome Free Trips!
wow so much to do and see! great info, appreciate your doing all the research and sharing with us 🙂 We have talked about going up a few times so now I know what to do and am encouraged to get moving!! woot! thanks for sharing with Snickerdoodle Sunday!