The #1 question in my inbox this week is, "I have family visiting Washington DC for Christmas, what's the best place I should take them?" I hope this list below is a great starting place to share our family's favorites in 10 categories. Yes, some of these ideas are touristy but that's the point sometimes when you have out of town visitors! We've been to all of them and all are free except the light shows and the restaurant.
Table of Contents:
- Best Indoor Holiday Spot
- Best 'Holiday' Restaurant to Take Visitors(hint: near White House)
- Best Light Shows in the Area (Virginia and Maryland)
- Best Outdoor/Indoor Holiday Afternoon (Market + Museum)
- Best Smithsonian for Under Age 5
- Best Smithsonian for Elementary
- Best Smithsonian for Ages 8+
- Best Interactive Museum for the Whole Family
- Best Free Holiday Performances
- Best Holiday Stroll in a Neighborhood
#1 Best Indoor Holiday Spot - US Botanic Garden Washington DC
Visiting the US Botanic Garden's Conservatory is a family tradition for good reason! We visited when I was pregnant, with babies, and now with elementary-age kids. There are 2 spots to check out and an add-on idea!
- Visit the Conservatory with hundreds of poinsettias and DC landmarks made from plants and trees. You can see the monuments, museums, and memorials all made by plants!
- Go outside and see their model trains in the gated outdoor gardens which will run between 10 AM and 5 PM daily. Please note the train may not run during bad weather. Here's a post with pictures from our visit last year.
⭐️ - Add-On Idea: Walk 5 minutes to the US Capitol's Christmas tree which is stunning day or night.
📍- 100 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC 20001
⏰- Open daily from November 24 to January 2nd from 10 AM to 5 PM.
🚻 - Free and clean inside the Conservatory
🅿️ - Parking can be a bit tricky since the Garden is on the US Capitol's grounds but I have had luck with street parking closer to the American Indian Museum or on 2nd St. SW. Also, SpotHero has been helpful in the past for parking downtown (not sponsored!)
🚆- Almost equidistant from Federal Center SW and Capitol South Metro Stations.
♿️ - Yes! The US Botanic Garden is fully accessible inside the Conservatory and the paths around the trains outside.
#2 Best Holiday Restaurant to Take Visitors in Washington, DC - Old Ebbitt Grill
This is the touristy one on the list but if you have out of town guests, you can't go wrong with taking them to Old Ebbitt Grill across from the Department of Treasury and the White House and the Ellipse. It is a staple in DC for a reason and is decorated for the holidays with 2 giant nutcrackers at the entrance!
It has that DC-lobbyist feel but I found is also kid-friendly. We took our baby there when my husband's boss visited from out of town and it went great. Its a lively and loud restaurant so no one looked twice when my daughter squealed :) Check out the menu ahead of time to make sure there are foods your kids would like. Includes burgers, sandwiches, pasta in addition to their famous oysters.
⭐️- Add-On Idea: Walk 5 minutes to the White House Ellipse and see the National Christmas Tree and the 58 trees that surround it from US states, territories and schools.
📍- 675 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005
⏰- 8 AM to 2 AM except weekends 9 AM to 2 AM.
💵 - Free and no passes needed!
🚻 - Restrooms
🅿️ - The restaurant has valet or you can use Spot Hero to find a downtown spot.
🚆- Federal Triangle Metro Station is closest to the National Christmas Tree and Ellipse
♿️- Yes, the restaurant is accessible.
🔗- Check out 20+ Kid-Friendly Restaurants in DC here.
#3 Best Light Shows in Virginia and Maryland - Meadowlark (VA) and Brookside (MD)
We've been to many light displays in the DMV but Meadowlark Botanic Gardens in Vienna Virginia and Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland remain our favorites. The cost is not too high for families ($10-$15 per person in comparison to $35+ for others) and its a beautiful setting to be in gardens. I love the extra touches that each garden has added these past years from s'mores over a bonfire at Meadowlark to bubbles at Brookside. Check out the more in-depth reviews for Meadowlark here and Brookside here.
#4 Best Holiday Outdoor/Indoor Afternoon - Christmas in DC
We had so much for going to the Downtown Holiday Market this year with our out of town family! They have lots of local artists and vendors plus German food and mini donuts for sale. Check out their website for their live entertainment schedule. When we went they had snow bubbles falling from 5-5:05 PM! (See a reel here).
The Holiday Market is right next to the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum and you have to check it out! The Kogod Conservatory is amazing (with a water feature the kids can touch!) and the museum is amazing. As of this December, the Presidents portraits are not on display as they are renovating but Michelle Obama's is on display on the second floor. More on this museum in my DMV with Kids Database.
📍- F Street NW between 7th and 9th Streets NW Entrance is outside the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum
⏰- Market is open Nov. 18 thru Dec. 23 : 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Museums are open daily 11:30 AM to 7 PM. Closed December 25th.
💵 - Free and no passes needed!
🚻 - Clean restrooms in the Smithsonians American Art Museum right behind the main stage (and they are open until 7 PM!)
🅿️ - 2 of our family found street parking but we gave up and parked at 620 F Street. 1 hour for $15, day max $25.
🚆- Near Chinatown Metro Station.
♿️- Accessible!
#5 Best Smithsonian for Babies and Toddlers (Under 5) in DC
Hard to pick a favorite Smithsonian so I split them up by age and for babies and toddlers, have to recommend the American History Museum. I wrote about my kids 3 favorites in this blog post entry (including play room!) and this week they are opening a new pop culture exhibit, Entertainment Nation!
📍- 1300 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560
⏰- Open daily 10 AM to 5:30 PM. Closed December 25.
💵 - Free and no passes needed!
🚻 - Clean restrooms on every floor.
🅿️ - See the blog post for my favorite parking tip or use SpotHero.
🚆- The Smithsonian Metro station is the closest to the museum.
♿️- All very wheelchair and stroller accessible.
🔗- Check out my updated Family Trip Guide to the American History Museum in my new Etsy store.
#6 Best Smithsonian for Elementary Age Kids in DC - Natural History Museum!
For Elementary age, hard to beat the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum! It has a huge Dinosaur exhibit, Oceans Exhibit, Bug Hotel, Gems and Minerals with the Hope Diamond and more! I wrote about my kids 3 favorites in this blog post entry (including Q?rius room)
⭐️- Add-On Idea: Go ice skating at the National Sculpture Garden next-door!
📍- 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20560
⏰- Open daily 10 AM to 5:30 PM. Closed December 25.
💵 - Free and no passes needed!
🚻 - Clean restrooms on every floor.
🅿️ - See blog post for my favorite parking tip or use SpotHero.
🚆- The Smithsonian Metro station is the closest to the museum.
♿️- All very wheelchair and stroller accessible.
🔗- Check out my updated Family Trip Guide to the American History Museum in my new Etsy store.
#7 Best Smithsonian for Ages 8+ - National Museum of African American History and Culture
If you have older kids and no kids at all and haven't already, please check out the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It is one of the most incredible museums as far as layout, exhibits and communicating history. I wrote at length about taking my kids twice (and parking tips!)
📍- 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560
⏰- Open daily 10 AM to 5:30 PM Tuesday through Sunday and Monday 12 - 5:30 PM. Closed December 25.
💵 - Free but timed entry passes needed. Reserve here (but don't worry, lots of tickets available now!)
🚻 - Clean restrooms on every floor.
🅿️ - See blog post for my 3 ideas.
🚆- The Smithsonian Metro station is the closest to the museum.
♿️- All very wheelchair and stroller accessible.
#8 Planet Word is the Best Interactive Museum for the Whole Family in Washington, DC
If you only have time to take your family or visitors to 1 museum in DC, I highly recommend Planet Word! I wrote all about our favorite parts in this blog post but suffice to say, its more than just a "language museum." Every room is highly interactive with a beautiful library, words to paint, karaoke and more! Reel of our visit here.
⭐️- Add-On idea: check out Franklin Park across the street!
📍- 925 13th St NW, Washington, DC 20005
💵 - Free but timed passes are recommended. If you come on the half hour they will also let you in if they have room.
⏰- Open Wednesday to Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and December 25th.
🚻 - Clean restrooms!
🅿️ - We went on a weekday so street parking was harder to find and since we were running late, I went ahead and parked at the closest parking garage next to the museum at 1225 I St NW (but entrance on 13th between Devon and Blakley and the Museum) No attendant so you just pay online. $10 for first hour $20 for 2 or more hours.
🚆- McPherson Square Metro is one block away on the other side of Franklin Park on the 🟠🔵lines.
♿️ - Very wheelchair/stroller friendly with elevators to each floor.
🔗- Planet Word is one of 51 Museums for Kids on theDMV with Kids Activities Database.
#9 Best Free Holiday Performances in DC - The Kennedy Center!
Photo by Mack Male under Creative Commons license. Link here.
The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage has free performances almost every night! Here's their schedule and below are some upcoming Holiday performances. Note: Some you need to reserve free tickets ahead of time and some are first come first served.
- Dec. 17 - Country Xmas Singalong
- Dec 22 - Holiday Swingin' A Kat Edmonson Christmas
- Dec 23 - Messiah Sing-Along @Kennedy
- Dec 25 - All-Star Christmas Day Jazz Jam
#10 Best Holiday Stroll in a Neighborhood
OK there are TONS of great neighborhoods to check out in DC but for the most "Free-activities-in-one" you have to check out in Georgetown:
- Georgetown Park - "Beginning November 20th, Grace Street Plaza will dazzle with over 15,000 multicolored lights and festive decorations. At the Pinstripes entrance of the Plaza, an oversized holiday ornament awaits the perfect photo moment." More pics on their instagram.
- Saturday, December 3, 10, and 17 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., passersby can take a holiday photo with Georgetown Park’s photo booth-style photographer and receive a complimentary copy.
- Georgetown GLOW - "Outdoor light art experience, returns with the stunning and whimsical exhibit Cloud Swing by Lindsay Glatz & the Curious Form New Orleans. This interactive installation, which features suspended multicolored swings, will be open to the public from November 26 until January 22." Website here and Daniya Tamendarova has a great instagram post here.
- Waterfront Wreaths - Check out Georgetown's waterfront for festive wreaths and ice skating!
All the Holiday & Christmas in DC, Virginia and Maryland Blog Posts
- 50 Free Holiday Events in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
- 20 Holiday Lights in the DMV
- 10 Things to do for New Year's in DMV and at Home
- Experience Gift Ideas
- Ice Skating in the DMV
- 3 Unique and Free Neighborhood Lights in Burke and Springfield
Outdoor Holiday Blog Posts
- Sledding Spots in the DMV
- Snow Tubing at Bryce Resort, Virginia
- Sledding at Blackwater Falls, West Virginia
- Modlin's Maryland Christmas Tree Farm
Visiting Washington, D.C. with Your Family
- Best Family Hotels in Washington DC for all Budgets
- 4-Day Itinerary in Washington DC (with morning, afternoon, and evening schedules matched with great restaurants)
- 30 Kid Friendly Restaurants in DC for Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner
- 15 Best Playgrounds in DC
