Here at Thrifty Trekkers we like to travel anywhere, even for just a small weekend jaunt to see some of our country’s coolest places. With friends and family all over the country it gives us a good excuse to see more of our country. Today we’re going to give you an overview of our Nation’s Capital, Washington D.C., and all the exciting things you can expect when you plan your trip there.
Travel Plans
The D.C. area has 3 major airports, however Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (airport code DCA) will be your best bet if you’re planning on staying in the capital. Here is a link to DCA’s wiki for airlines and destinations. See our guide on the tips and tricks we recommend for planning your trip and our Google Flights guide in case you missed it!
Museums
The National Mall houses some of the most famous museums. The National Mall is a large green space in the middle of D.C. with the Lincoln Memorial on one end, the National Monument in the middle, and the US Capitol Building at the opposite end. You can walk the entire thing and also see the White House across from the National Monument.
Smithsonian
Down either side of the National Mall is the museums of the Smithsonian, which is the institution that runs 19 museums and galleries. These include:
- African American Museum
- Air and Space Museum
- American Art Museum
- American History Museum
- American Indian Museum
- Freer Art Gallery
- Hirshhorn Contemporary Art
- The National Zoo
- Natural History Museum
- Portrait Gallery
- Postal Museum
- Sackler Gallery
- The Smithsonian Castle & Gardens (you can see the Hope Diamond here!)
All museums in the Smithsonian are free to enter. Certain exhibits that require a small fee if you want access, however these aren’t required to explore the majority of the exhibits. Talk about being thrifty!
The Newseum
The Newseum is near the Capitol and right off the National Mall. This museum uses news headlines and stories to depict history and how the media impacted the public’s perception of the events. We didn’t know what to expect with this museum and thought it would just be a half day visit. However, the tickets are valid for 2 days – we thought “this is crazy who would spend 2 days in a museum?” We quickly found out that two days wouldn’t be enough time!
We don’t want to get too much into the intricacies of this museum because it is amazing and you should go. Some of the exhibits are so thought-provoking that we still think about them to this day (and it’s been 2 years since we went!). It will cost around $25 for an adult (but they do have a AAA discount along with some others so check their website).
International Spy Museum
A disclaimer for this one: we only went to the old International Spy Museum and they recently rebuilt it so they have expanded their exhibits exponentially.
The International Spy Museum seems like it would be great for kids, and you’re right! But it is also a blast for the adults. From the moment you enter they treat you like a spy, you get a briefing and new identity to memorize. You’re given background stories and a new favorite color.
When the elevator drops you at the top floor you begin to learn about the early days of spying and see the tools they used. There are interactive exhibits where you decode messages and use actual equipment. There is also a lot of history sprinkled into the exhibits that provide insight into the history of espionage.
This museum really has everything for a family or just adults! We cannot wait to see the new and improved museum because the reviews are off the charts. It is a must do!
Holocaust Museum
The Holocaust Museum is a sobering but important place to visit. They do have a shorter, less explicit tour for children. The main museum is multiple floors that take you from the beginnings of Nazi Germany through the liberation of concentration camps and repercussions for Germany after the War. This museum has strong content and they do their best not to censor what happened. However, it is an amazing museum that is thorough and has fantastic content that we recommend everyone visit at least once.
Tours and Attractions
There are enormous amounts of tours to choose from in the D.C. area. We always recommend to do a tour of the whole city on the first day in a new city to get a lay of the land. Tour guides might also point out an area of interest you’ll want to see later.
We went on a nighttime tour of D.C. and would recommend doing this. Seeing the city at night was a whole different experience. It was also the Christmas season so the city was lit up and cheerful.
There are ghost tours in Georgetown (a few miles from the city center of D.C.) that are truly spooky. These tours typically leave at night and take you to places such as the stairs that were in the Exorcism movie and the house that was used in the movie. Georgetown is also home to a lot of famous people in the D.C. area so there’s a good chance you’ll see someone exciting!
Another fun tour in Georgetown if you’re a Kennedy fanatic is the Kennedy Georgetown Tour. This tour takes you to all the famous places that the Kennedy’s were photographed as well as their previous homes. It is a fun and informative tour.
Ford’s Theater is the theater where President Lincoln was shot. The theater is still an active theater to this day and they offer tours to see it. The boarding house across the street where President Lincoln actually died is also open and available for tours.
Mount Vernon is George Washington’s estate that overlooks the Potomac. It provides a glimpse into what life was like for our first President, and is an easy drive from D.C.’s city center. The small fee to enter is well worth the cost.
Government Tours
If you have the foresight it is an incredible experience to visit the White House. Generally you have to request tickets through your congressperson a few months in advance (we requested 6 months in advance). The process is tedious to get tickets – each person who wants to go on the tour has to provide their SSN and other information for a background check. You give a date range of when you will be in D.C. and about a month beforehand they will give you a date and time for your tour. It is a long process but definitely worth the trouble. You see the entire first floor and bottom floor. We went at Christmas time which was particularly beautiful since the White House was all decorated. It also costs nothing – just a little bit of time!
The US Capitol building also provides tours that you can book beforehand. You do not need as much time to book as the White House, but there are no “day of” tickets. The US Capitol tour is shorter than most tours; you start with watching a video in a large auditorium, then are led throughout the main floor of the Capitol.
Beyond D.C.
You can expect D.C. to be crowded especially throughout the summer time. The best way we’ve escaped the crowds is to visit cities within the D.C. area such as Arlington, Alexandria, and Purcellville. We spent an afternoon visiting wineries throughout this area and fell in love with the countryside.
There is an overwhelming amount of places to visit in Washington, D.C. Hopefully our post will give you a jumping off point to start planning your trip; it is truly a place that you can immerse yourself in history to learn how our country was founded!
