A Washington D.C. vacation with teenagers is a like a taking a toddler to Disney World for the first time. Seeing their eyes while history came to life was inspiring to us. If you have teenagers, now is the time to take them to Washington D.C. for a “field trip” they will never forget! With so many free things to do here, it is a must-see spot for all students. Here are our top 10 sites to see.

1. commemorative memorials

Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial 

I wanted to start with our veteran’s. They deserve all of our respect. The Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, November 1, 1955-April 30, 1975, honors those who fought in the Vietnam War and those who are still unaccounted for. We believe it’s important for our kids to see and experience this for themselves so they never take freedom for granted and respect those who are currently in the armed forces and those who have passed on. This memorial, along with the Korean War Memorial, the Lincoln memorial, and the WWII memorial are all free and can be seen from dawn to dusk. They are all within walking distance so they can be all seen in one morning or afternoon.

Korean War Memorial

June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953

These ghostly statues fill this space with a somber atmosphere. The Korean War killed over 50,000 soldiers and to this day there are over 7,000 soldiers unaccounted for for this war. It is truly sad to see so many lives gone with all of these memorials. Loved ones and ancestors of those gone were leaving flowers and notes near the names of those gone at the Vietnam Veteran’s War Memorial.

Lincoln Memorial

Abraham Lincoln was truly a man that set a precedent for the United States. After seeing this monument in many movies, television shows, and magazine articles, it was truly inspiring to see this for ourselves.

WWII Memorial

September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945

The WWII Memorial is visible next to the beautiful fountain located directly in front of the Washington Memorial. It is centrally located on the National Mall. This war was one of the bloodiest wars with over 400,000 casualties.

2. arlington national cemetery

I know what some of you are thinking. Arlington National Cemetery is in Virginia, not Washington D.C. Well, for me every time I see our veterans, it reminds me of my freedom. That’s why. I have a lot of respect for our veterans! If you think your teenagers will be bored here, do not think that. There is so much to see here and it is in close proximity to our capital. My suggestion is to take a look at the map and make your way to those tombstones that interest you. If you don’t have trouble walking, tour the cemetery yourself. However, if you’d like a tour visit here. If you’ve never been here and visiting for the first time, you will be in shock of how many graves there are here. Buried here from the 1860’s, there are over 400,000 gravestones!

Our first stop was at the tomb of the unknown. There really is no bad view to watch this. However, if you go during peak season it can fill up and you will need to wait for the next changing of the guard. We arrived early in the morning and there were only a few people.

“Beneath this stone repose, the bones of 2,111 unknown soldiers gathered after the war…”

The Kennedy Family

The Lincoln Family

Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial*

Situated overlooking the Potomac River and the National Mall, Arlington House is the place that Robert E. Lee lived in. Today it is open for tours to reflect, contemplate, and learn about this rough history of the United States.  While we were there, we were the only ones that took the attic and basement tour. The attic and basement tour was unique as not many people know about it, per our guide. So we felt very honored to take it. When you arrive, ask about it. *Currently Arlington House is closed for renovations until Fall 2019.

The Attic

The Basement

The Indoors

3. washington monument

The Washington Monument* was built to honor our first president, George Washington. It is located directly across the National Mall/Lincoln Memorial. Grab some lunch and have a picnic on the green lawn. The monument is elevated and sitting here to eat lunch gives you a great view of the surrounding areas. There is an elevator that will take you all the way up. *Currently the Washington Monument is closed for renovations until Spring 2019.

4. ford’s theatre

Marked down in our history books is the infamous venue called Ford’s Theatre. It is here where Abraham Lincoln was watching a play and then got shot. Interestingly enough, this is not the place Lincoln died. People carried him a back bedroom, located across the street, to the Petersen’s house where he later died on April 15, 1865. To learn how to book your tickets and for more information visit here.

Petersen House

5. the capitol building

In order to visit the Capitol Building, you will need to book your guided group tour in advance here. I can tell you from experience because this is not the first time we go here, that you will most likely not get in if you don’t plan ahead. You will need to get gallery passes from your state representative to get into the House or Senate chambers. You can get these passes by visiting their office when you are here in Washington D.C. Since we are from Florida, we visited Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Charlie Christ. We were able to enter Charlie Christ’s office. It was funny because my husband and I took turns being in power.

The tour guides have extensive knowledge of the Capitol Building. They will a group about the size of 15-20 and explain in detail the statues, architecture, and paintings throughout the rotunda. It is great to learn the history of our capital!

6. the white house

I know many people have their political views and opinions about the president. However, it is still interesting to see the home base of our country’s leader. It is part of our history nonetheless. It really is a beautiful house surrounded by a huge gate and armed guards. 

We were on the rooftop of another building across the way and we noticed guards on the rooftop of the White House. They truly have high security on the grounds! There have been tours of the White House available and we did ask for one many months ahead, but we were denied. They only let in a certain amount so it is limited.

7. the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian is a collection of 17 museums, galleries, and the national zoo. The bad part is that if you go during the summer (like we did), you will encounter crowds. The good part is that it is all free of charge. The crowds, however, weren’t that bad because since there are so many buildings and things to see & do the crowds are spaced out. Go to the Smithsonian with a plan. It is way too much to take in. Choose the museums you want to visit and just go there. We visited the Air and Space Museum because of our historical fascination. It was a great experience for our boys and my husband especially! Teenage boys will really enjoy this museum! You have a choice of whether to see the galleries on your own or go with a group tour guide. The group tours are also free! We started on our own but then decided to join a group tour.

8. Library of Congress

We had not anticipated visiting The Library of Congress. The Supreme Court was what we were trying to find and when we stumbled upon The Library of Congress. We started, to what we thought was the Supreme Court still, a guided tour when to our surprise our tour guide mentioned: “Welcome to the Library of Congress.” We made a decision to stay and what a great decision that was! 

Many things in Washington D. C. are free, including The Library of Congress’ one hour guided tour. Self-guided tours are not allowed. You will definitely want to stick around for this tour because we discovered so much that we didn’t know existed here. For instance, the original Gutenberg Bible manuscript is here. It is in a glass case with lasers!

Thomas Jefferson’s personal library collection is here. The books that were originally his are marked with a green bookmark. All of these books are behind a glass wall for no one to touch. We found this collection amazing!

The architecture of this building is beautiful as you can see.

Just down one of the hallways are two very important rooms.

One is the actual library. It is here where “National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets” was filmed. Did you know that the public cannot “check out” any books from The Library of Congress?” It is true. They’re for research use only. 

The second room is the librarian’s office. 

9. national archives

The National Archives in D.C. has free admission and is the home of the original Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. If you skip any of the sites at D.C. this is NOT the one. Photos are not allowed inside and it is heavily secured, rightfully so. Your teenagers will be inspired by viewing these documents up close after studying them, possibly memorizing sections of them, in school!

Replica documents, photos taken by Cynthia Mackintosh

10. supreme court

Our final stop of suggestions for you to take your teenager is to pay a visit to the Supreme Court. This is the building that we were looking for before we ran into the Library of Congress. Be aware of the buildings because many look alike! The court was not in session when we were there, but we were able to get a sneak peek of the room. Visit here for more information about visiting the Supreme Court. 

Final Note

As a parent and a teacher, I highly recommend all of these sites to teenagers. Bringing history to life is amazing to see from a teenagers perspective. If you have a teenager, whether a child or as a student, that’s been to Washington D. C., what was their reaction? What was their favorite part?

For another great trip with teenagers, visit my precursor post of this vacation to Virginia | Not “Just” For Lovers.