Tag Archives: Things to do in DC

September 23, 2013 · 2:38 pm

Free Admission at the Smithsonian and Beyond During Museum Day Live!

Dumbarton Oaks Gardens is among the many places where admission will be free during Museum Day Live!

One of my favorite things about this city is the free admission to so many amazing collections of art, nature, science, and culture through the Smithsonian Institution. Besides the obvious benefit to the wallet, it’s a wonderful perk for us as parents: We can take our tykes to the museums without feeling like we need to pack it all in on one day’s entrance fee — a nice thing with young museum-goers who may easily get antsy. It also makes repeat visits to the kids’ favorite exhibits easy to accommodate. (Trust me, I know this from LOTS of “Dinosaur Museum” experience.)

However, there’s a small downside: With all this free access, it can be easy to overlook the places that do charge admission, many of which are fantastic. But thanks to Smithsonian Magazine, we’ll have an opportunity to check out some of them the way we’re used to: Free of Charge. This Saturday, September 28, is their annual Museum Day Live!, when many museums that usually charge an entrance fee will waive it for guests. All you have to do is register to get your ticket and you can visit a participating museum of your choice for free. Tickets are good for two people, and you must print it and bring with you to receive gratis admission.

These are some of the participating area museums (that usually require a fee) that families will enjoy:

DC:
DAR Museum
Dumbarton House
Dumbarton Oaks Gardens
National Building Museum
National Museum of Crime & Punishment
National Museum of Women in the Arts

Maryland:
Annapolis Maritime Museum
Baltimore Museum of Art
Chesapeake Children’s Museum
College Park Aviation Museum
Ladew Topiary Gardens
Port Discovery

Virginia:
Alexandria Archaeology Museum

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Filed under All ages, Annual, Art, DC, Educational, Exhibit, Fall, Free, Maryland, Museums, Outdoor, Virginia, Weekend

Tagged as DC Museums, DC Weekend Activities, DC Weekend September 28-29, DC with kids, Free Museums, Maryland Museums, Museum Day Live!, Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day, Things to do in DC, Things to do with Kids in Maryland, Things to do with kids in Northern Virginia, Virginia Museums

June 25, 2013 · 11:06 am

The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Last year’s Festival spotlighted the 25th anniversary of The AIDS Memorial Quilt

I think the late end to the school year has thrown off my mental calendar, because until I happened upon the clusters of white tents and construction of several interesting wooden structures on the National Mall yesterday, I completely forgot the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival begins this week!

The 10-day celebration of living cultural heritage begins tomorrow June 26 and runs through June 30, then again July 3-7. Generally, the festival is divided into three programs focusing on a nation, region, state, or theme. This year will spotlight “Hungarian Heritage: Roots to Revival,” “One World, Many Voices: Endangered Languages and Cultural Heritage,” and “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.”

Festival preparations include the construction of several wooden stuctures for “Hungarian Heritage.”

Visitors of all ages will have many opportunities to discover and explore all three areas through special exhibits, workshops, performances, exhibits, demos, and more, including plenty of activities especially children. For specifics, see the festival schedule.

This will all take place on the National Mall just past Smithsonian Castle. Festival hours are 11am – 5:30pm with special events and performances taking place later most evenings. And in true Smithsonian spirit, just about all of it is free and open to the public. Concessions will be available for purchase, including fare inspired by the festival themes.

If you plan to go… Be aware that the National Mall will likely be crowded during this time. Besides the influx of tourists to DC during the summer, the July 4th celebration draws even more crowds, especially in the days leading up to the Independence Day event (on the day of, it’s jam-packed). That said, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival definitely is worth checking out. We go at some point every year and always find exhibits and activities that are interesting for the whole family. Generally, I always recommend taking Metro to the Mall. The Smithsonian stop on the Blue/Orange line and L’Enfant on Blue/Orange & Yellow/Green is also nearby.

Open House Weekend at Historic DC Sites

The inspiration for Sousa Palooza at Congressional Cemetery this weekend

Last week I blogged about Partners in Preservation, a community-based initiative by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to raise awareness of the importance of historic places. Twenty-four of those sites in the Washington, DC, area have been chosen to compete for $1 million in grant funding to help support their maintenance, renovations, and/or programming.

To help get the public excited about the initiative, all of the sites will be participating in an Open House weekend this coming Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5. Each place will be doing something special — it might be free admission, a behind-the-scenes tour, food, a performance, etc. — to encourage people to come out and vote for their site at partnersinpreservation.com.

KidFriendly DC is helping support Mount Vernon, where they will be hosting special Preservation Weekend activities. There will be exclusive behind-the-scenes tours led by archaeology, preservation, and collections staff. Inside the Mansion, you’ll get to see conservation in action as experts tackle Mount Vernon’s most extensive preservation project to date, the restoration of Washington’s Large Dining Room, or “New Room.” Children can enjoy preservation-themed activities in the Hands-On-History room inside the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center.

Another great family event will take place at Congressional Cemetery. On Saturday, from 10am – 4pm, Sousa Palooza will include an all-day Scavenger Hunt, performances, wine and cheese, tours pointing out some of the famous “residents,” and even a spaghetti sauce judging contest.

To see what other sites are participating in the Open House weekend and other activities taking place, visit the Partners in Preservation website. And don’t forget you can help the sites earn points by voting online and mentioning them via social media. So, even if you can’t make it to any of the sites this weekend, you can still help your favorite historic DC locale win the $1 million grant!

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Filed under All ages, DC, Educational, Free, Live Entertainment, Outdoor, Spring, Weekend

Tagged as Congressional Cemetery, DC Family Activities, DC Kids Activities, DC Weekend May 4-5, kids in DC, Mount Vernon, Partners in Preservation Open House weekend, Things to do in DC

September 25, 2012 · 1:49 pm

A Free for All at Local Museums

We Washingtonians are spoiled when it comes to museums. Not only do we have some of the nation’s — no, make that the world’s — most wonderful museums right in our backyards, but many of them are free. It is one of the things I most appreciate about living in Washington, DC, and raising a family here.

However, there’s a tiny downside: With all this free access, it can be easy to overlook the places that do charge admission, many of which are fantastic. But thanks to Smithsonian Magazine, we’ll have an opportunity to check out some of them the way we’re used to: free of charge. This Saturday, September 29, is their annual Museum Day, when many museums that usually charge admission will waive the entrance fee for guests. All you have to do is register to get your Museum Day Ticket and you can visit a participating museum of your choice for free. Tickets are good for two people, and you must print it and bring with you to receive admission.

These are some of the participating area museums (that usually require a fee) that families will enjoy:

DC:
Dumbarton House and Gardens
National Museum of Crime & Punishment
Newseum
The Kreeger Museum
The Phillips Collection

Maryland:
American Visionary Art Museum
Annapolis Maritime Museum
B&O Railroad Museum
Chesapeake Children’s Museum
College Park Aviation Museum

Virginia:
Alexandria Archaeology Museum
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum

The 2012 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

View of a past Smithsonian Folklife Festival (Photo: Jeff Tinsley, Smithsonian Institution)

Lots of white tents are starting to pop up on the National Mall. Which, around this time of year, can only mean one thing: The 2012 Smithsonian Folklife Festival is about to begin. From June 27 – July 1 and July 4-8, the National Mall will become the stomping grounds of folks from around the globe to celebrate living cultural heritage and community traditions.

Focused on a few main themes every year, the festival has three in 2012: Campus and Community commemorates the 150th anniversary of the founding of land-grant universities and the USDA. Citified celebrates arts and creativity east of the Anacostia River. Creativity and Crisis spotlights the 25th anniversary of The AIDS Memorial Quilt and 30 years of life with AIDS.

Visitors of all ages will have ample opportunity to discover and explore all three areas through special exhibits, workshops, performances, exhibits, demos, and more, including plenty of activities especially children. For specifics, see the festival schedule.

This will all take place on the National Mall just past Smithsonian Castle (and all of the construction) from June 27 – July 1 and July 4 -8. Festival hours are 11am – 5:30pm with special performances taking place later most evenings. And in true Smithsonian spirit, just about all of it is free and open to the public.

If you plan to go… Be aware that the Mall will likely be crowded during this time. Besides the throngs of tourists that visit DC during the summer, the July 4th celebration draws even more crowds, especially in the days leading up to the event (on the day of, it’s jam-packed). That said, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is definitely worth checking out. We go at some point every year and always find exhibits and activities that are interesting for the whole family. Generally, I always recommend taking Metro to the Mall. The Smithsonian stop on the Blue/Orange line lets out right by the Festival, and L’Enfant (Blue/Orange/Yellow/Green) stop is also nearby.