12 Free Things to Do in Washington DC with Kids

Every year, 16 million people visit Washington, DC. While travel and accommodations can sometimes be pricey, once you are in DC, you will find there are find hundreds of free things to do in and around the nation's capitol.

Monuments at night.
More by Flickr user Studiojmm.

All 19 museums that make up the Smithsonian Institution, including the National Zoo, are free for admission. The Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorials are free. The Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol tour, and White house tour are all free, though require tickets or advanced appointments.

This month's About.com Parenting and Family blog carnival theme is Cheap Fun, so I thought we should explore the many free things to do in Washington DC that you may not have thought of. And, many of these free things to do in Washington DC are kid-friendly and easy to get to by public transportation.

1. Take in a free performance at the Kennedy Center

The Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center offers free performances at 6 p.m. every night of the week. Concerts are held on the river side of the Kennedy Center and are accessible by shuttle bus from the Foggy Bottom metro station.

There are always kids at Millennium Stage performances. School age kids are most common but the setup up of the performance space is conducive to bringing babies and toddlers as well. The lobby is enormous and there is terrace access right by the stage. It would be quite easy for Mom or Dad to take a fussy tot away to run around while the rest of the family finishes the show.

Monthly performance schedules are posted online. Performances are popular for both tourists and local fans of the performing groups so arrive early if you want to be sure of a seat.