Weekdays July 23-27 | KidFriendly DC

A tower of books all about Abraham Lincoln is part of a Ford’s Theatre tour

There’s a lot of rain in the forecast this week, so along with these daily recommendations, I suggest keeping The Great Indoors list in your back pocket, too!

Monday – Locate secret doors, see outrageously fabulous themed rooms, and browse a trove of secondhand treasures on a tour of The Mansion on O Street. The Dupont Circle landmark is a mansion, museum, restaurant, vintage store, and hotel all in one. And visitors are welcome to explore (and shop!) it all. Tours are offered 11am – 3pm. Self-guided tours start at $15. Purchase tickets in advance online.

Tuesday – Learn about Abraham Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre. Self-guided tours of the National Historic Site include the museum, theatre walk-throughs and a presentation, and Petersen House across the street where Lincoln died. It’s open daily 9am – 4:30pm. Tickets can be reserved online in advance for $3, or same-day are available for free at the Box Office, which is open 8:30am – 5pm. (FYI: This is still the busy season, so they recommend reserving in advance.)

Wednesday – See the SWAGFUNK Band perform their musical mix of funk, jazz, rock, pop, R&B, and reggae at Discovery Theater! Recommended for ages 5-16, showtimes are 10:30am and 12pm. Tickets are $3-8. Plan to spend some time exploring the Freer|Sackler Gallery before or after — the venue is located in the Smithsonian Ripley Center connected to the museum. (And note that there are shows Tuesday – Friday.)

Thursday – Play paleontologist for a day at Purse State Park, where you can hunt for fossilized shark teeth and other fragments of prehistoric sea creatures. Be sure to check the tides before you go (look for Potomac River and Liverpool Point), as there’s not much beach at high tide. There are no concessions or facilities there, so plan accordingly. Admission is free.

Friday – Roam around the gorgeous grounds, view wildlife in the ponds, visit the Korean Bell Garden, and check out exhibits in the Visitor Center at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. Hours are 10am – 8pm this time of year. Admission is $5/adults, $2.50/ages 7-17 and seniors, free for ages 6 and under.

The time is ripe for peach picking at area farms.

Monday – Go peach picking at a local farm! The fuzzy fruits are ripe this time of year and ready for picking at just about all of the farms listed in this post from last summer. However, it’s always a good idea to check websites or call ahead to confirm availability the day you plan to go.

Tuesday – Drop in for play date at the National Children’s Museum Launch Zone. Kids can experience a fantastic day of playing and building with foam blocks and other loose parts in the Imagination Playground. Hours are 11am – 4pm, and admission is free. For afternoon entertainment, head to the National Portrait Gallery for Portraits Alive!, a theatrical tour of the museum’s collections performed by teens from DC’s Summer Youth Employment Program. Everyday through August 3, visitors can join the group on a journey that explores a variety of works as the students become the portraits — performing original, student written play, they will portray the people represented in the photos, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints displayed in the museum. Sessions begin at 2:15pm, and admission is free.

Wednesday – Celebrate Peruvian culture at the National Museum of the American Indian as the 2nd annual Kaypi Perú Festival kicks off for six days of performances, hands-on activities, animal exhibitions, and traditional food. Be sure to stop by the imagiNATIONS family activity center on the third floor for programs especially for kids. The festival runs daily through July 30. Museum hours are 10am – 5:30pm, and admission is free.

Thursday – See The Puppet Co.’s latest production, Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, a fun, sideways view of the classic fairytale. Showtimes are 10am & 11:30am (Thursdays and Fridays). Tickets are $10.

Friday – Take the kids to play amid the lovely wooded setting of Cabin John Regional Park. They can climb, swing, jump, slide, and run on the sprawling Adventure Playland. And don’t miss a ride through the woods on the Miniature Train, just $1.75 per passenger.