MomsTribute
School spring breaks were always a highlight of my childhood. Every April, my parents would pack us all up in the car and drive south eight hours to visit my mother’s family. As a kid, it was always a treat to see our grandparents, but these annual trips were made even more exciting because we got to see our relatives at their home in Washington D.C., which is such an interesting place to visit!
Over the years, we spent lots of time visiting Washington’s many museums, monuments, and historical sights, but the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History was one museum that we always returned to year after year. I have so many great memories of wandering around the museum and discovering fun facts about fossils, gems, and other natural artifacts.
This past winter, after many years, I was able to return to Washington, this time on a long-weekend trip with my own children. We had a lot planned for our short vacation, but we made sure to include the Museum of Natural History on our itinerary. I really hoped that my family would enjoy the museum as much as I had during my childhood visits.
One of the best things about this kid friendly venue is the fact that it is a part of the Smithsonian Museum Complex. All Smithsonian museums in Washington DC, including the Museum of Natural History, are always free of charge and are open almost every day of the year. The Natural History Museum is located on the National Mall, which is close to many other attractions, so it was easy to work a trip into our day’s itinerary.
Upon arrival, we excitedly walked into the museum and were all a little bit awestruck. It seemed to be even bigger and more exciting than I had remembered it to be. The historical building was simply beautiful and there were amazing and interesting exhibits everywhere we looked. There was so much to see that we could have easily spent the whole day exploring the three floors of exhibits. However, we had packed a lot of sightseeing into our Washington D.C. trip, so we picked out a few key exhibits that everyone in the family was interested in seeing using maps given to us by very helpful staff.
Our first stop was the bone hall on the museum’s second floor. On display were so many skeletons of animals such as monkeys, dogs, birds, whales, and even a giant sea turtle! My kids were fascinated to observe the bones of all these animals up close and it was fun to compare the size and shape of all the different species of creatures. It was like being in the middle of a real-life Halloween display times ten!
Next, we went to see the mummies (yes actual mummies), that were part of the Eternal Life of Ancient Egypt Exhibit. This exhibit had always been one of my favorites and I was so glad to see that it was still on display! While my little guy was a bit apprehensive and didn’t want to get too close to the very well-preserved mummies, my tween was fascinated by the mummification process and spent a long time gazing into the exhibit as well as reading the descriptive information that went along with it. This was definitely a new experience for her!
Our favorite part of the museum was the Hall of Fossils, which seems to be one of the most popular exhibits at the museum, and for good reason. We entered the exhibit and were surrounded from every direction by amazing fossils! It was like a throwback to prehistoric times! There were small fossils of insects and plants as well as massive fossils of extinct dinosaurs and other creatures. Everyone’s favorite was an enormous Tyrannosaurus Rex which appeared very life-like. The whole display was incredibly well done and super informative.
There were so many amazing artifacts and interesting displays throughout the museum that we wished that we could have spent more time exploring. Additionally, for a complete hassle-free day with your children, the museum has some other great family friendly amenities including:
The museum was about to close and we had more sights to see, so we headed out having made great memories and future plans to return again on our next trip to the nation’s capital. For some fantastic family fun and learning adventures, I highly recommend taking a trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. It is definitely one of the best places to visit with kids in Washington! I gave it a five-star rating on the KidFriendlyVenues website. For more information on the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and other kid friendly venues, search our free kid friendly venue app.
Kim F
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