Would you like to visit Washington DC as a family with children? Then you shouldn’t miss the following attractions.
- International Spy Museum: The International Spy Museum is located on L’Enfant Plaza on the Southwest Waterfront. It is a state-of-the-art museum that has plenty of spy-related intrigue and interactive fun for the whole family. Among other things, you can take part in an undercover mission there.
- Children’s Garden: Created specifically for children at the USBG Conservatory, this garden is a popular getaway for families with children from the district, the states of Maryland, and Virginia. Not only the residents themselves, but also visitors from all over the world feel at home here.
- imagiNATIONS Activity Center: At the National Museum of the American Indian, kids can explore ancient cultures at the imagiNATIONS Activity Center, play traditional percussion instruments, visit a traditional home, and take an interactive quiz to earn a badge.
- National Zoo: The National Zoo is considered one of the most kid-friendly places in town. There you can marvel at more than 400 different animal species.
- Beauvoir Outdoors Playground: Sometimes you just want to let the kids run and play. If you feel the same, then why not pay a visit to the Beauvoir Outdoors Playground. The playground is open to the public when the National Cathedral Elementary School is closed, usually after 6 p.m. on weekdays and weekends.
Washington’s cultural offerings
The capital of the United States of America has various cultural offers its own. To be mentioned here are for example the Discovery Theater, the Signature Theater and the National Theater several theaters. But also that Artechouse, the Mead Center for American Theater, the Long View Gallery and the Washington Ballet promise unforgettable hours. The largest cultural center in the city is that John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Washington’s history
Washington can look back on a rather short history. In the area in which the district is located today, the Indians of the Nacotchtank tribe once settled on the Anacostia River. In 1749 the city of Alexandria was founded here on the Potomac as part of Virginia and in 1751 finally Georgetown as part of Maryland.
After signing the Declaration of Independence, James Madison argued in the Federalist Papers (No. 43) in 1788 that the federal government must have control over the federal capital. This gave Congress the right to define a district the size of 10 by 10 miles. Parts of the states of Maryland and Virginia were selected as the area for this district by President George Washington. It was planned that the congress would meet in the new capital on the first Monday in December 1800. Washington is thus a city that did not arise naturally, but was planned in its present form.
Construction began with the White House on October 13, 1792, and Washington finally became the permanent capital on June 11, 1800. The date for the congress could also be kept. Its members met on November 17, 1800 for the first time in the new capital. Today the District of Columbia is under congressional administration. In 1814, during the British-American War, the city was conquered, the Capitol was destroyed and the White House damaged. The National Mall was created in the early 20th century. In addition, many other buildings were built from the 30s of the last century.
The most beautiful parks in Washington DC
There are also numerous beautiful parks to be found in Washington DC, including this one:
- Rock Creek Park: The Rock Creek Park is a real gem in the capital. The city park was officially approved in 1890, making it the third park of its kind to be designated by the government.
- Meridian Hill Park: The US government bought the site in 1910 and had landscape architects George Burnap and Hornace Peaslee build an Italian-style garden that is still enjoyable today.
- Lincoln Park: Lincoln Park is the largest of Capitol Hill Park and is home to the monuments of two of the nation’s greatest leaders, President Abraham Lincoln and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune.
- Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens: Thousands of aquatic plants, water lilies, lotus flowers, water hyacinths and bamboo grow in ponds along the Anacostia River.
- United States Botanic Garden: It is the oldest continuously operated botanical garden in the United States of America and offers an impressive flora on almost 2,700 square meters.
