I’ve been posting about amazing museums in Washington, DC. While the places I’ve profiled are amazing, they are also very serious and intense. Perhaps they are not everyone’s cup of tea. Today I want to talk about a couple of places in Washington, DC that are appropriate for everyone of any age. Kids and adults love animals, so I’ve got some fun information for you on the National Zoo. Some people don’t believe that they are “museum people.” The National Museum of American History will change the minds of those people. It’s a fun, quirky museum for everyone. All ages fun in DC is our topic today!
All Ages Fun in DC – The Zoo!
As Sophia Petrillo once said, “Picture it. The year is 1985.” For me, this was true. In the summer of 1985 my parents, my brother and I drove from New England to Florida to begin our new lives in the Sunshine State. As we drove down the Eastern coast, we stopped for one afternoon in Washington, DC. We had only one day before we needed to move on. Each family member selected one thing they wanted to see. I chose to see the pandas at the National Zoo. What else would you expect from a 12-year-old girl?
We went to the zoo and we waited for the pandas, but they were nowhere to be found. Whether inside for research purposes or taking a nap, I don’t know. We waited and waited and never saw a single, roly-poly bear. It broke my little 12-year-old heart.
Forty years later, I returned to DC hellbent on seeing some panda bears! While tickets are free, you do need to reserve passes for the panda pavilion in advance. I did so several weeks before my trip and then got up very early that morning. I stood waiting at the zoo gates when they opened. I wanted to see some pudgy panda tushy and I would not be denied!
Readers, I am so pleased to report that I watched the pandas for at least an hour, and they did not disappoint. I watched them climb a tree to retrieve an inflatable toy, get stuck, and dangle upside-down. I watched them nom-nom-nom on some yummy bamboo, and I watched them lumber, roll, and generally act just like a youtube video. I know as Bucket List items go, it’s a little silly, but it made me so happy. One woman in the crowd (a wise sage, if you ask me) said, “Everyone should start their day like this. . .with this much joy.” I couldn’t have said it better.
Yes, I also saw some cool elephants and other animals. But, for me, the focus of this zoo visit was Bao Li and his wife Qing Bao. They are, of course, on loan from China and researchers hope to breed them since pandas are endangered. They are both three years old and just arrived in October 2024. Seriously, everyone, get yourself some wiggly panda tushy. It will make your whole day.
American History Through the Lense of Daily Life
The Museum of American History is another Smithsonian Museum, so you know the experience will be flawless. It is also free. When we arrived, a docent invited us to join the one-hour overview tour. We opted to begin our visit with that tour. We were so glad we did! She showed us how the museum is laid out, pointed out a few cool pieces we might otherwise have overlooked (i.e. the lap desk that Thomas Jefferson used to write the first draft of the Declaration of Independence), and told us what we absolutely should NOT miss (i.e. the original flag that inspired Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner”).
Most significantly, the original star-spangled flag is gigantic, beyond threadbare, protected behind glass in a very dimly lit area, and will give you the biggest lump in your throat.
I said this museum is fun for everyone, and I truly believe it is. The exhibits are incredibly wide-ranging. For the traditional history buff: Abraham Lincoln’s top hat worn to Ford’s Theatre the night he was assassinated.
For the gearhead out there: the first car to ever drive across the North American continent and Robert Pirsig’s motorcycle from the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
For the fashion lover in your group, there is a gorgeous collection of gowns worn by First Ladies throughout history.
However, my personal favorite exhibit was Julia Child’s home kitchen. Having just finished all the episodes of “Julia” on Hulu, finding this exhibit amounted to an unexpected thrill for me. By the way, I will never understand why Hulu cancelled such a fantastic series after only two seasons. Anyway, Julia and her husband, Paul, often practiced making the recipes for the show in her home kitchen in Massachusetts. There had never been a cooking show on television before. She needed, therefore, to figure out how to make each recipe in an episode’s length of time. The original kitchen, in its entirety, was dismantled and reassembled at this museum. They brought every detail from the pots and pans to the wall art. Frankly, I think it is the coolest thing to see.
The Museum of American History truly is all ages fun in DC. If you are looking for other museums to please the entire family you might try one of these others: The Tampa Firefighters Museum, The Elliot Museum, or the Negro Southern League Baseball Museum in Alabama.
Whether you are heading out in search of all ages fun in DC this summer or later this winter, you’ll want a comfy hotel that’s near the metro. Marriott’s got you covered! Click the ad below to book your home away from home.
July 21, 2025 at 12:28 am
Both the National Zoo and the National Museum of American History are great and you can’t beat the price. I truly believe that everyone should visit Washington, DC at least twice, once as a child and once as an adult.
For the National Museum of American History, I also loved Julia Child’s kitchen. amThe exhibits on business and inventions were very interesting too.