Washington is the rare big city where a family can fill several days without buying a ticket to anything: the National Mall and all of its monuments are free, so is the National Zoo, so is the U.S. Botanic Garden, and so are a string of National Park Service sites most visitors never reach. What actually decides whether a DC day works with children is the logistics — which free things secretly need a pass, how a stroller moves through the Metro system, which museums are closed midweek, and where you're allowed to eat. This guide is built around those, with the specifics checked against the operators' own pages rather than a decade of copied listicles. It also links out to the rest of our DC guides — the zoo, the free museums, the parks, and the seasonal ones — and ends with a live grid of the family events actually happening this week.
- Free: The National Mall and its monuments, the National Zoo, the U.S. Botanic Garden, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and Theodore Roosevelt Island
- Metro with kids: Up to two children age 4 and under ride free with each fare-paying adult; weekend rail fares are $2.25–$2.50
- Strollers: Roll straight onto Metrobus unfolded; on rail, escalators require a folded stroller — an occupied one means the elevator
- Washington Monument: Free, but a timed ticket is required for everyone age 2 and up ($1 reservation fee on Recreation.gov)
- Gone: The DC Circulator ended service December 31, 2024 — there is no $1 Mall shuttle any more
Start with what's free
There are no fees to enter the National Mall and Memorial Parks or most of its hundreds of sites; the Mall and its memorials are open 24 hours a day with rangers on duty 9:30am to 10pm. Two exceptions need a free timed ticket: the Washington Monument, where everyone age two and up needs one (reservations on Recreation.gov carry a non-refundable $1 service charge, release 30 days ahead and sell out fast, with same-day tickets from the Washington Monument Lodge window at 8:45am), and, since June 25, 2026, the Lincoln Memorial's new museum and undercroft — though the memorial steps and main chamber remain free and ticket-free. The National Zoo is free but requires entry passes for all guests including infants, 8am–6pm with last entry at 5pm. The U.S. Botanic Garden is free with no tickets required at all, and has a Children's Garden with hands-on watering. Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens at 1550 Anacostia Avenue NE needs no entrance pass and its lotus ponds bloom through the hot humid summer months. Theodore Roosevelt Island is free and about a 10-to-15-minute walk from Rosslyn Metro across Key Bridge — and here is the trap worth memorizing if you drive: the parking lot can only be reached from the northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, so southbound drivers have to cross the river and double back. The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land at 1400 Quincy Street NE opens its gardens daily 9am to 4:45pm, free with donations appreciated. Georgetown Waterfront Park is free NPS land with a fountain, a labyrinth and stepped “river steps” seating — and no playground, which parents should know before promising one.
Getting around: Metro, strollers, and the shuttle that's gone
Metro is cheap with small children. Up to two children age four and under ride free with each fare-paying adult, on both rail and bus; from age five everyone pays and needs their own payment method. Weekday peak rail runs $2.25 to $6.75 by distance, but after 9:30pm on weekdays and all weekend it compresses to $2.25–$2.50, and regular bus is $2.25 flat. A new SmarTrip card costs $2 in either physical or digital form, or you can skip it entirely and tap a contactless credit card, phone or watch straight at the faregate. Note that DC's own Kids Ride Free program is a different thing and not for visitors: it covers District residents aged 5 to 21 enrolled in a school inside the District, and requires a specific card from a school administrator. Strollers cut both ways on the system. Open strollers have been welcome on Metrobus since 2023 — use the priority seating area with the brakes locked — but on rail only folded strollers are allowed on escalators, and if the stroller is occupied you must use the elevator. Metro runs 320 elevators, more than any transit system in North America, and publishes a live elevator and escalator outage page; check it before you leave rather than discovering an outage at platform level. Finally, the correction that half the DC guides on the internet still need: the DC Circulator ceased all operations on December 31, 2024. There is no $1 hop-on Mall shuttle, and no dedicated replacement route was created for the Mall. The one free connector still running is the Wharf's own shuttle, a continuous loop linking The Wharf, the SW Duck Pond, L'Enfant Plaza Metro and the National Mall.
Rainy days, and the closed-day trap
Two of DC's best indoor options for young children are closed on days you would not expect. The National Building Museum at 401 F Street NW, across from Judiciary Square, is open Thursday through Monday only — closed both Tuesday and Wednesday. Its ticket is $18.95 for adults and $15.95 for youth and seniors, but the vast Great Hall and the museum shop are free to walk into, which is a good ten minutes of ceiling-gazing at no cost. The National Children's Museum at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, three blocks from Metro Center, is closed Tuesdays and runs 9:30am to 4:30pm at $18.95 for adults and for children aged one and up, under-ones free. The free indoor fallback is the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory: warm, free, no tickets, 10am to 5pm daily. The Smithsonian museums are open daily 10am to 5:30pm and closed only on December 25, with the American Art Museum running a later 11:30am–7pm schedule that makes it the useful late-afternoon option. Whatever you pick, sort food out first: most Smithsonians prohibit outside food entirely, there is essentially no coat check anywhere, and you will carry everything all day. Picnicking on the Mall needs no permit for a family — small groups are welcome at the picnic tables and benches on a first-come basis, alcohol prohibited — and Guest Services runs nine food kiosks on and around it.
A day that actually works
Here is the shape that survives contact with a four-year-old. Be at one museum's door at 10am, when the Smithsonian's own guidance says the crowds are thinnest — they build from around noon and peak between 2 and 4pm. Do that one museum properly and leave by noon rather than trying to add a second. Eat a packed lunch outside on the Mall between 12 and 1, because you cannot eat it inside anyway, then treat 2 to 4pm as outdoor time: the monuments, the Washington Monument Lodge for a reliable bathroom, or the Botanic Garden if the weather turns. Head home before the evening rush rather than after it. Two things to slot in ahead of time: if the Air and Space Museum is on the list, reserve its free timed passes and remember there is no re-entry on one pass; if the Zoo is, reserve entry passes for everyone including the baby, and go at 8 or 9am when the animals are most active. And if you have more than a day, the rest of our DC corpus goes deeper — the National Zoo with kids, the free museums, the best parks and playgrounds across the DMV, and the seasonal guides for Halloween, fall festivals, holiday lights, holiday markets, Christmas and the cherry blossom festival.
Family events in Washington this week
Live from our catalog — 19 upcoming, refreshed weekly.
These 20-30 minute story times are full of books, songs, rhymes and fingerplays for children from birth to three years old. Baby & Toddler Story Time is a fun way to introduce your child to language and literacy skills through an interactive experience for children and caregivers alike. Space is limited. Tickets will b…
Join Us for Toddler Story Time! Bring your imagination and let the magic unfold as we dive into tales of wonder, adventure, and fun! Space is limited. Daycare and school groups, please contact us separately to schedule a story time.
Get up and get moving at our Preschool Storytime! Designed especially for children ages 18-36 months and their grown-ups to enjoy together, these 20-30 minute interactive programs are full of books, songs, and fun activities that promote language and motor skill development. If you would like to request an accommodatio…
Story time program for children ages 0 to 12, involving music, dancing, storytelling, and early literacy concepts. Tuesday story times are held in the reading area on the 2nd floor of the Francis Gregory Neighborhood Library at 10:30 AM. Wednesday story times are held in the 2nd floor Meeting Room at 10:30 AM and are f…
Share the joy of reading with your children ages 3-5 years! In these 30-40 minute programs, preschoolers and their grown-ups will explore stories and activities designed to promote language and listening skills, expand children’s imaginations, and arouse their curiosity about the world around them.
Story Time helps to foster a love of reading and early literacy skills in your little one through books, songs, rhymes, and movement. Register to stay informed of any changes.
Join this 30-40 minute story time designed to be enjoyed by all ages. Promoting early literacy skills through books, songs, rhymes, and movement, Family Story Time is a great way to further your child’s lifelong love of reading and learning. The whole family is encouraged to participate!
Baby & Toddler Story Time is a fun way to introduce your child to language and literacy skills through an interactive experience for children and caregivers alike. Space is limited. Daycare and school groups, please contact us separately to schedule a story time.
Listen to a wonderful tale about a little bear whose shadow scares away the fish he's trying to catch, leading him on a humorous quest to get rid of that pesky shadow in this book by Frank Asch. Create your own shadow puppet after the story. Takes place at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center each Tuesday and Thursday at 11…
Designed especially for children ages 18-36 months and their grown-ups to enjoy together, these 20-30 minute interactive programs are full of books, songs, and fun activities that promote language and motor skill development. If you would like to visit with a school, childcare, or camp group, please call ahead to make…
As we celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, Mark Bradford’s Pickett’s Charge (2017) helps us reflect on American history and how it is shaped over time. Join us to create your own artwork “painted” with paper inspired by your personal history. — ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, e…
Listen to stories, sing songs, dance, and learn during our bilingual story time. Our English/Spanish story time introduces children to the Spanish language through books, rhymes, and songs. Escucha cuentos, canta, baila y aprende durante nuestra hora de cuentos bilingüe. La hora de cuentos introduce el idioma español a…
Connect with other parents/caregivers and bring your little ones together to play with toys, make friends and have fun. Register to stay informed of any changes.
Enjoy this drop-in program every Thursday from June 4th to August 27th. A wide variety of games will be provided, including but not limited to: Chess, Connect 4, Jenga, Battleship, Apples to Apples, Sorry!, Uno, Monopoly, Dominoes, etc
These 25-30 minute story times are designed to be enjoyed by all ages. Promoting early literacy skills through books, songs, rhymes, and movement, Family Story Time is a great way to further your child’s lifelong love of reading and learning. The whole family is encouraged to participate! If you would like to visit wit…
Calling all tiny fashionistas! Now's your chance to strut your stuff. Join us for our first ever Northeast Library Toddler Runway Show. You bring your child dressed to impress, and we bring the lights, camera and "press". Children who are able to move independently ages 4 and under are welcome to participate. Slots are…
Toddler Explorations is an open interactive engagement program for young children and caregivers that uses play and exploration to develop pre-literacy and social skills. Join us in the big meeting room in the basement! Otherwise, if weather and temperatures permit, join us outside in the garden!
This is a drop-in event intended for young children (and their engaged adults) to develop literacy, motor, and social-emotional skills through interactive play and discovery.
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FAQ
What can you do in DC with kids for free?
The National Mall and every monument on it, the National Zoo (with a free entry pass for each guest, infants included), the U.S. Botanic Garden and its Children's Garden, Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, Theodore Roosevelt Island, the Franciscan Monastery gardens and Georgetown Waterfront Park. All the Smithsonian museums are free too, though Air and Space needs a free timed pass.
Do kids ride the Metro free in DC?
Up to two children age four and under ride free with each fare-paying adult, on rail and bus. From age five, everyone pays a regular fare and needs their own payment method. DC's Kids Ride Free program is separate and covers District residents aged 5 to 21 enrolled in a District school — it is not available to visiting families.
Can you take a stroller on the Metro?
On Metrobus, yes — open strollers have been allowed since 2023, in the priority seating area with the brakes locked. On Metrorail, only folded strollers are permitted on escalators; if the stroller is occupied you must use the elevator. Check WMATA's live elevator and escalator status page before you set out.
Is there still a bus that loops the National Mall?
No. The DC Circulator, including its National Mall route, ceased operations on December 31, 2024, and no dedicated Mall shuttle replaced it. Families now use Metro, walking, Capital Bikeshare or paid tour buses. The one free connector left is The Wharf's shuttle, which links The Wharf, the SW Duck Pond, L'Enfant Plaza Metro and the Mall.
What's the best rainy-day option with young kids?
The U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory — free, warm, no tickets, 10am to 5pm daily. If you want a paid option, the National Children's Museum is purpose-built but closed Tuesdays, and the National Building Museum is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, though its Great Hall is free to walk into any day it's open.