Best Smithsonian Museum for teenaged girls?

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We are taking a trip to the east coast and have 2- 1/2 days in Washington DC. One daughter wishes to see the Holocaust museum, plus we will of course see the Capitol Rotunda, the Library of Congress building, the Supreme Court building, and the White House from the outside, without the tour.

That will leave us time for one Smithsonian museum. Which one would you all recommend for teenaged girls?
 
Middleman said:
We are taking a trip to the east coast and have 2- 1/2 days in Washington DC. One daughter wishes to see the Holocaust museum, plus we will of course see the Capitol Rotunda, the Library of Congress building, the Supreme Court building, and the White House from the outside, without the tour.

That will leave us time for one Smithsonian museum. Which one would you all recommend for teenaged girls?
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I haven’t been to all the Smithsonians but…

I was there in the spring with an 8th grade class trip (13 and 14 year olds). We went to the Museum of American History which has a lot of exhibits to interest teen girls. That’s where the exhibit of First Ladies’ dresses are. There is a entertainment/pop culture section which is fun and the original flag that was flying when the Star Spangled Banner was written. They also have a Julia Child’s kitchen exhibit and the lunch counter where in the 60’s African Americans protested for civil rights. Have fun!
 
Holocaust Museum is VERY sobering. Plan to spend a whole day.

I agree that Museum of American History is fun. Unless they are into animals and that kind of stuff, then the Museum of Natural History is also fun.
 
The Natural History museum … You can also go to the Zoo (nice place) in N.W. area (near Dupont circle area). Also, take the girl to the Basilica (I know it is not a museum 🙂 )
 
The American History museum is a very popular choice for teens like yours. I will only warn you that it gets very, very crowded on weekends during the summer…
 
My girls last went to the National Portrait Gallery and enjoyed it.

American History is always fun. The local schools go there for field trips. It can also be a “game day” decision. You stand on the Mall, and just start walking in the direction you want.

Stop and say hello to Mr Lincoln, at least.
 
I will apologize that I cannot remember the exact name, but it was basically the American Indian museum. When I was there a couple of years ago, they had an exhibit of original clothing items – including some of the most beautifully-beaded dresses I’ve ever seen. My friends and I did that in the morning and ate at their cafe which has American Indian cuisine from the different regions of America. Then you could do one of the other museums in the afternoon. My vote would be the American History Museum because it was closed when I was there and I only got to see a few select exhibits.
 
Middleman said:
That will leave us time for one Smithsonian museum. Which one would you all recommend for teenaged girls?
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Since I’m not a teenage girl and my little brother was far more interested in the Smithsonian museums than my little sisters, I can’t say much, but as a quasi-native I offer the general advice…

The zoo (which, surprisingly is part of the “Smithsonian”) could be more interesting than being inside for them (and for you!). The National Portrait Gallery or the Museum of the American Indian could also be very interesting for them. It really all depends on what kind of stuff their interested in. I suggest a look at the Smithsonian museum website and see if there’s anything that strikes you as particularly in their interests.

Good luck!
 
We were in DC as a family, with 3 daughter’s last summer. A few thoughts–

First, why not let them pick what they want to see? Two of my three favored the natural history museum, one loved air and space. The american history one was closed at the time. Or since they are all close, you can do combinations-- we did only the 1st floor of natural history (roughly all things animal, skipping all things rock), then went to air and space. Check content online, and see what you want… its all free.

A few other oddments-- we only let 2 of our 3 see the holocaust museum, one is too young. They didn’t love it. I went to the washington monument with the 3rd… and we both loved it. For either, look up online to get tickets in advance. Its a small mail-order fee that saves you the hassle of standing in line for tix. All my family enjoyed the Lincoln memorial end of the mall. Make sure to find time to do that. It’d be my opinion you’d be better served seeing the lincoln memorial and taking a drive to arlington nation cemetery for the changing of the guard… but that’s my opinion alone.

And for anyone reading considering a DC trip… remember, you have to write your congressman or senator for white house tour tix and capitol tours now. Allow 4 mos, minimum. White house tours, to us, were good… capitol tours are at the whim of an intern… and ours wasnt worth the time, sadly.
 
They love the idea of going to the zoo. Now they’re having second thoughts on the Holocaust museum, which is fine with me, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of going there. My daughter said her friend liked it.

Does the zoo there still have the giant Pandas?
 
FWIW, I found the Holocaust Museum very moving – as soon as I got away from the lady talking on her cell phone, that is. If your girls are old enough, it would be something that I would highly suggest.
 
They might really enjoy the International Spy Museum. I don’t think it’s Smithsonian, but it opened a few years ago and I was almost able to take my middle schoolers on a trip there.

The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center is an old favorite of mine; it’s near Catholic University in Northeast. You can go to Mass there and everything. The Basilica is also a good choice.

The Museum of Natural History is also an old favorite of mine, but the Zoo might also be a good idea. The Holocaust museum is a good place for kids their age, too. This is where we ended up going for the field trip. Some of my students were very disrespectful and immature; I was completely embarrassed by some of their behavior. But if you feel your girls are ready (I don’t know how old they are), this might be a good place to take them.
 
Yes, you can still see the pandas, although there is currently a lot of construction around the panda and elephant habitats which is annoying. Like the American History museum, the zoo gets extremely crowded on weekends during the summer (if the weather is good.)

If you do go to the zoo, try to catch the elephants during their bath (the schedule is on the website.)
Middleman said:
They love the idea of going to the zoo. Now they’re having second thoughts on the Holocaust museum, which is fine with me, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of going there. My daughter said her friend liked it.

Does the zoo there still have the giant Pandas?
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pamnbam said:
They might really enjoy the International Spy Museum. I don’t think it’s Smithsonian, but it opened a few years ago and I was almost able to take my middle schoolers on a trip there.
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From what I hear (I haven’t been there yet) the International Spy Museum is tons of fun, but it is more “hollywood” than “educational”. Keep in mind that it is a commercial museum (not Smithsonian) and is VERY expensive.
 
If you go to the spy museum, definitely go to Ford’s Theater – they’re not that far apart. Then go across the road and see the boarding house where Lincoln died – both are free. There’s also a museum at Ford’s Theater that’s really very interesting.
 
Another thing to point out…

Your local senator or congressman can get you special VIP tour tickets for free, but you need to let them know ASAP. It can take 10 weeks to process them. They will take you around in a much smaller group, and you get to see many places that are normally off-limits. The places you can get VIP tours of include:

The White House
The US Capitol
The Supreme Court
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing
The Kennedy Center
The Library of Congress
National Cathedral
Mount Vernon
National Archives
The Department of the Treasury
The Pentagon
The State Department (“This is actually a fine arts tour, not recommended for those under the age of 12”)
(The FBI used to be offered, but is closed to tours right now)

Different congressmen and senators may offer different tours as well.

Some tours are better than others. A few are exceptional and really take you behind the scenes! Others are almost identical to the public tours. HOWEVER… even with those, you do get a definitive time, rather than having to wait in line, and that can be of HUGE benefit.

If you want to tour the White House, the ONLY way you can do this anymore is through your congressman or senator. A basic background check is usually required, and it can take about 6 months to process everything.

Your congressman will often also be happy to invite you by their office in Washington so that you can say hi, if you like.

I’ve taken several of these before. I recall that the US Capitol, Supreme Court, and FBI tours were exceptionally good.
 
DC can be very crowded and hot and muggy during the summer. The National Air Space Museum is the most popular followed by the Museum of Natural History. The National Gallary has the least crowded restaurant if you need lunch or a snack. Don’t miss the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials. The Holocaust Museum is very sobering and very crowded. Expect long lines. For the White House, Supreme Court, Congress, be sure to check out their official web sites. The White House had a dress code during the Bush (43) years. And, there are lists of forbidden items you cannot take with you. Rolltide (above) is right about VIP tickets.

Consider also the National Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. nationalshrine.com/site/c.osJRKVPBJnH/b.4719297/k.BF65/Home.htm

Two and a half days is just a blink of an eye in DC so plan your trip well. I really recommend getting a good guide book to plan your visit. This site has some practical tips frommers.com/destinations/washingtondc/35_indattr.html
 
Middleman said:
We are taking a trip to the east coast and have 2- 1/2 days in Washington DC. One daughter wishes to see the Holocaust museum, plus we will of course see the Capitol Rotunda, the Library of Congress building, the Supreme Court building, and the White House from the outside, without the tour.

That will leave us time for one Smithsonian museum. Which one would you all recommend for teenaged girls?
Click to expand...
depends on the girls
DD #1 always picked the science museum, air & space
DD#2 liked the art galleries
i like the history so they always had to trudge along after me
 
Take a look at the Smithsonian website and see what special exhibits are going on. There is one on illuminated manuscripts that we plan to see this summer. The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is amazing and I highly reccomend it. My kids love going there. Since your trip is short, plan ahead so you don’t spend the whole day criss-crossing the city. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes as there is a lot of standing and walking and the marble floors are very hard! 😉
 
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