Recently updated on July 17th, 2025 at 09:36 am
I know it’s rare to have your child suggest visiting historic cities, but that’s what got us to Washington D.C. My daughter Alex was a huge American Girl doll fan and thus at a young age grew an affinity to early American history.
When Alex was 10 years old, we visited the top presidential monuments in the city of Washington. From famous landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Capitol and the White House – we saw them all. And so can you on Trafalgar’s Trails of Liberty Family Experiences trip!
After you’ve seen all the headliners with Trafalgar you’ll enjoy some free time to explore D.C. further with your family. Not every child or teenager possesses Alex’s passion about history, so here are my top picks for what to do. While still historically oriented, they are interactive and will hold most family members’ interest.
1. International Spy Museum
Perfect for teens and is quite atypical of most museums. The interactive experiences here are not to be missed: Spy in the City is a GPS-based espionage and includes walking outside in a one mile radius; and Operation Spy provides plenty of opportunities to try your hand at cracking safes and decoding secret messages.
2. National Air and Space Museum
Three, two, one…blast off! My son was just a toddler when we first went to this unique museum. He was so into viewing the space ship and early modes of flight that we had to drag him out of there.
3. National Museum of American History
“Click your heels and repeat after me: There’s no place like home!” If anyone in your family is a Wizard of Oz buff like I am, then this museum is a must. On display are Dorothy’s original ruby slippers used in the film and there are other cool historic artefacts to see, such as Lincoln’s top hat.
4. Museum of Natural History
While this museum’s massive dinosaurs are one of its most popular exhibits, don’t miss the Sant Ocean Hall – an interactive exhibit that explores ocean life and what lies beneath.
5. National Zoo
The National Zoo is synonymous with giant pandas. After you see the star celebs, head to the Kids’ Farm where younger children can interact with gentle animals.
By Luisa Frey
Luisa, an accomplished travel writer is a regular contributor to blog.trafalgar.com
