We stayed at my aunt and uncles house in Alexandria VA. I recommend staying out of Washington DC and using the mass transit or drive into the city. We were dropped off at the Air and Space Museum, but you could use the train or the Spot Hero  www.spothero.com to find parking.

The National Air and Space Museum was really fun for my boys. My husband loved the planes and space shuttle exhibits. My boys loved the flight simulator, we sat 10 feet away and watched the machine turn them upside down and we could hear them giggling the whole time.

National Holocaust Memorial Museum Was very educational. I was fortunate to meet a Holocaust survivor years ago and this museum was very emotional for me. My children were engaged in David’s Story exhibit. They read the diary entries, could see his living conditions and listened to his voice tell his story with a slide show at the end.

Then we had a little fun with the Washington Monument.

Smithsonian’s National Museum of History was like a walk back in time. From fire wagons, massive train  engines, to the invention of modern cars, everything was under one roof.

We went downstairs to the cafeteria and spent $60 on pizza slices, pulled pork sandwiches, and 2 sodas! I highly recommend eating outside at the food trucks. We were hot and wanted the cool air, big mistake! Since all of the museums are free admission they have to make money on food and gift shops.

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History was our last museum of the day and our favorite. If you have ever seen The Night at the Museum movie you will enjoy looking for your favorite characters from the movie. My boys loved the Dinosaurs IMAX 3D movie, I have to admit it was cool, dark, and comfortable so I fell asleep. I couldn’t help it. I was so tired.

After the long day of walking and museum hopping I highly recommend wearing running shoes, light comfortable clothes, bring a water bottle, and dress your children in bright colors. It’s so easy to loose them in these large museums!

Happy Touring!