Catch a sporting event
Downtown DC’s Verizon Center plays host to pro basketball action from the Washington Wizards (NBA) and Washington Mystics (WNBA), along with professional hockey from the Washington Capitals and men’s college basketball from the Georgetown Hoyas. Same-day tickets are often available; stop by the box office to see what’s on. Tickets are frequently available for the Washington Nationals baseball team and the DC United professional soccer team as well.
Take a tour
DC’s breathtaking monuments and memorials are even more spectacular when lit up at night. Bike and Roll, Old Town Trolley, City Segway Tours and Tourmobile offer special moonlit tours of DC’s highlights. Or, join one of Washington Walks’ evening neighborhood walking tours.
Get active
Let the kids burn off their energy with some friendly competition. Go bowling at Lucky Strike Lanes in downtown’s Gallery Place development. In the winter, you can also go ice skating in Pershing Park or at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden and Ice Rink. Or, take a walk around Georgetown or Dupont Circle for great shopping and people-watching.
Extended hours
If you’re visiting in the spring or summer, you may be able to take advantage of special seasonal hours at DC attractions like the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the National Archives, the International Spy Museum and more. Catch the presidential portraits and other kid-friendly art at the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Both stay open until 7 pm nightly.
Performing Arts and More
DC’s theatres and performing arts groups serve up family-friendly theatre and music most nights of the week. The Smithsonian’s Discovery Theater and the Kennedy Center’s family theatre both cater to young audiences. You can also catch free performances nightly at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. Older children and teens may enjoy the participatory comedy whodunit, “Shear Madness!” performed daily at the Kennedy Center. Budding politicians and news junkies will enjoy the Capitol Steps, a musical political satire troupe of former Congressional Staffers-turned comedians– which performs every Friday and Saturday evening in the Ronald Reagan Building Amphitheater. Other theatres such as Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre Company and Folger Shakespeare Theatre also present family-friendly productions; check what’s playing during your visit.
