terrytrailertrash wrote:
Thanks DTA. Is it helpful to do it like Disney and be there 1/2 hour before “rope drop”?
We've found that visiting the lesser know attractions earlier in the day means avoiding some of the crowds at the major museums. Places like the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Castle and the Post Office Museum. Or visit some of the outside places like Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Memorial or the MLK Memorial. Later in the day while the major museums may be busy, the lines outside have slackened off a bit.
For instance we've been by the National Archives and seen lines out to the street in the middle of the day. But a couple of times we've gone in after 4:00 p.m. and waited less than five minutes.
As a side note, we were waiting at the Archives one time to see the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. It was late in the day and the 8 year old boy in front of us had obviously had enough. So he sighed and asked his dad what they were going to see. I chimed in and said that what he was going to see would make this the most important stop of his entire vacation.
Different places have different hours. For instance, check out the
hours for the various Smithsonian buildings here. You'll have to look up some of the hours for other places you might want to visit like the Botanic Gardens or the various art museums. Check back as your vacation approaches as they often have extended hours (maybe until 7:00 p.m.?) in the spring and summer.
While it means getting in the vehicle and driving, I hardily recommend the Udvar-Hazy Center south of Dulles Airport. It's a companion to the Air and Space Museum on the mall, but a much larger facility with room for big items. The Discover shuttle, a Concorde, an SR-71, and the Enola Gay are just some of the things on display. Worth the drive and dealing with the traffic.
