The Smithsonian Institute is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. Anyone who has visited a Smithsonian museum knows that they offer an unparalleled opportunity to see just about everything from dinosaurs to America’s founding documents and all at the low low price of free. Yes, in case you did not catch that, the Smithsonian museums are free (including the National Zoo)! I’ve already featured visits to the various Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC, including the Udvar-Hazy Center, the Portrait Gallery and the Botanical Gardens, but today, I want to encourage those contemplating a visit to Washington, DC to move beyond the more popular Smithsonian tourists offerings and explore a hidden gem that those of us who live in DC love and visit: The Renwick Gallery with kids!
The Renwick Gallery is a relatively “young” museum by Smithsonian standards. Having just re-opened in November 2015, the Renwick is home to the Institute’s contemporary craft and decorative art collections. While housed in a gorgeous historic building located just a block away from The White House, the Renwick’s exhibits change frequently and the exhibits typically take over the entire museum. Indeed, the Renwick is currently scheduled to close from February 20 – March 30 for the building take over of No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man.
Even if modern/contemporary art is “not your thing,” I highly recommend the Renwick Gallery as an ideal location to visit with kids because of the large scale nature of the exhibits. From November 2015-July 2016, the Renwick was home to WONDER, which my then-18 month old toddler absolutely adored. Unlike traditional art museums with paintings and objects behind glass, WONDER’s three dimensional creations and vibrant colors really brought art to life for my toddler.
We took a little break to enjoy this colorful red chair!My toddler, standing in the middle of the room and taking in the whole experience.
The upstairs level was overtaken by a large rainbow display suspended in the air and filled with people of all ages, just sitting and enjoying the way the light and the colors interacted. As you can imagine, my toddler felt right at home in this setting!
Practical Tips:
The Renwick is not stroller friendly. There is a entrance located off 17th street (not the main entrance) where you can stroller your child in and park the stroller downstairs, before taking an elevator up to the main level.
The Renwick is located only a block or so from The White House, so it’s an easy walk over to the White House for a photo opportunity. While you’re there, be sure to pop into St. John’s Episcopal Church, the yellow church across Lafayette Square from the White House. It’s a beautiful, historic church that every sitting president, since James Madison, has attended on at least one occasion.
A photo opportunity in front of the White House.
Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Washington, DC with kids! We are so lucky to call this place home and hope that our tips and tricks come in handy as you plan your own adventure in Washington, DC!
Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fabulous locations, please check out our other Spotlight features!
Located in Chantilly, VA, a quick 30-45 minute drive from Washington, DC, the Udvar-Hazy Center or, as we locals like to call it, “the Dulles Air & Space Museum” is an off the beaten path destination that I highly recommend for anyone visiting Washington, DC. Let’s face it, the weather in Washington, DC is fickle and there are many days during heavy tourist season where the weather is just too unpleasant to be outside. If you’re tired of being drenched in sweat the minute you step outside your hotel room, Dulles Air & Space is the place for you!
Dulles Air & Space has two large hangars, displaying thousands of aircrafts and space ships. When my kids were early walkers, we frequently took advantage of Air & Space’s wide corridors and open expanse of space to let our kids run and burn off their energy, especially in the winter or spring when the weather was frequently too cold or too wet for us to be outside.
My now eight year old started visiting Air & Space when he was just getting on two feet!
If you have any experience visiting museums with young children, you know that it can frequently be a harrowing experience to actually get anything out of it yourself. Between maneuvering the crowds, chasing little feet, and reminding sticky hands not to touch, we frequently find that we, as the adults, miss out on a lot of the experience. I’m happy to report that the Dulles Air & Space museum is different because the nature of the exhibits (airplanes and space shuttles!), makes it easy for even the adults to catch as glimpse before eager little feet run off. The Blackbird, the Concorde, the Enola Gay, and the Discovery Shuttle are all located at Dulles Air & Space and they’re impressive enough to catch the fancy of even the youngest museum goers.
Things to Note:
The museum is open daily from 10am – 5:30pm and although admission is free, there is a parking fee of $15 per vehicle before 4pm.
There is a McDonald’s cafe located on the second floor so if you get hungry and need to catch a bite to eat, that’s always an option.
If you have older kids, there is also an IMAX Theater and Planetarium that may be of interest. My children also love to watch the preservation and restoration activities taking place in the Restoration Hangar, where there are frequently specialists working hard to assess and preserve artifacts for everyone’s enjoyment.
Do not confuse the Dulles Air & Space Museum with the National Air & Space Museum in Downtown, Washington, DC. Both are operated by the Smithsonian, but are uniquely different. The downtown museum has traditional exhibits and a children’s science area that is fantastic for children ages 3-6. The downtown museum, however, can get extremely crowded during busy tourist season as it is located on the mall and within walking distance to most major tourist sites. The Dulles Air & Space Museum featured in this post can mostly be described as “a bunch of cool airplanes and space craft hanging out in giant hangars.” In other words, super awesome for little kids who need to burn off energy in sub-optimal weather conditions. It’s also a wonderful place to visit with older children, especially as they learn more about air and space travel. My oldest son is not quite at the age where the Enola Gay or the Concorde means anything to him – but you can be sure we will visit when he is!
Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Washington, DC. We are so lucky to call this place home and hope that our tips and tricks come in handy as you plan your own adventure in Washington, DC!
Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fabulous locations, please check out our other Spotlight features!
Virginia has nearly 300 wineries and dozens of wine trails sprinkled throughout the state. There are 10 general wine regions in the state, ranging from the Blue Ridge region to the Northern Virginia region, very close to our home in Washington, DC. Do we really visit wineries with kids? Yes, yes we do!
Virginia wineries are, for the most part, child friendly. We have been visiting wineries in Virginia since before my oldest son was born and we continue to visit wineries even though we now have two kids (and sometimes a dog!) to bring along for the ride.
The wineries we tend to visit most often are located in two different regions: Northern Virginia and Central Virginia. The Northern Virginia wineries are located just about an hour away from home and are an easy activity for a leisurely Saturday or Sunday when the weather is nice. The Central Virginia wineries are usually reserved for our fall getaways when we rent a cabin for a long weekend and sneak off to the greater Charlottesville region.
Northern Virginia Region Wineries
If you find yourself in Washington, DC and searching for a day trip away from the city, the Northern Virginia wineries are truly a treat. Just a short one hour long drive from DC (traffic depending, of course!), we frequently drop into a winery as part of another event or activity. Our favorite wineries are:
Chester Gap Cellars – Family owned and operated, Chester Gap is a small producing vineyard with incredible white wines. We visited years ago when the winery was just getting started, and we have loved seeing their wines pop up on finer restaurant menus throughout town. We have met the winemaker and his lovely wife (they also have a son who we met ages ago but is probably a grown man by now!), and the staff in the tasting room is always happy to entertain well behaved children.
my son hanging out on a barrel in the tasting roomour hostess was so enamored by my son that she held him while my husband played with the grape cultivator model
The Winery at La Grange – The Winery at La Grange is one of our favorite wineries to visit because the tasting room is set in the historic Manor House at La Grange.
The house itself is fun to explore, but my kids particularly love to run around in the expansive outside space. We frequently stop at La Grange for a glass of wine and then sit outside to enjoy the outdoors, while our kids take a much needed car break.
Barrel Oak Winery (“BOW”) – Barrel Oak is probably not the best place to visit for those seeking an exclusive wine experience. But, if you happen to have kids or dogs and enjoy a fermented grape or ten, BOW is a GREAT place to visit. I’ve been fortunate to attend many events at BOW, including a morning yoga class followed by a wine tasting. The winery really does emphasize fun and unlike some wineries that have been restricting crowd side and hinting that children are not welcome on weekends, BOW is committed to having fun with friends and family, including your favorite four legged dependent!
Bluemont Vineyard – Like BOW, Bluemont Vineyard is truly a family friendly place and it is conveniently located literally around the corner from Great Country Farms, a local U-Pick farm with abundant activities for children. I highly recommend spending a morning at Great Country Farms with your little one and then driving down the road to Bluemont for lunch (the Tasting Room offers simple eats like flatbreads and sandwiches, perfect after a few hours of strawberry picking) and some wines before heading back to DC – truly a perfect day trip and a little something for everyone.
strawberry picking before a visit to Bluemont Vineyardsample menu offering at Bluemont Vineyard
Our favorite Virginia wineries are those in the Charlottesville area, mostly because of the breathtaking landscape. Located approximately three hours away from Washington, DC, the Charlottesville wineries certainly are more of an investment in terms of time and effort, but if you happen to be visiting for the weekend, you absolutely should pop in and get a sip or two.
Barboursville Vineyards – Our favorite winery to visit is Barboursville. Arguably one of Virginia’s most well-known wineries, Barboursville is frequently extremely crowded and elbow room only, but the wine and the space easily make up for the crowds. The winery has an outstanding restaurant, Palladio (which I wouldn’t recommend dining at with small children as it is definitely high end dining!), and a small herb garden where they grow items for the restaurant.
The garden at Barboursville
The flagship wine at Barboursville is Octagon, which is stored in the Octagon room and is available for peeping.
my toddler, running amongst the aging barrels of Octagon
On weekends, Barboursville offers a vertical Octagon tasting, which takes place in a more private, less crowded environment. I highly recommend this experience!
The Octagon Tasting Area
Grace Estate Winery – Grace Estate Winery is a great winery to visit if you’re looking for simple snacks and some outdoor space for your kids to run around. We have visited Grace and taken advantage of the small snacks they offer to feed our children.
The winery also has gas grills, free wifi, and outdoor games (like corn hole), which makes it a lovely place to spend a few hours on a nice afternoon.
Final Thoughts
I would not say that Virginia wineries make an effort to cater to children – they do not offer grape juice or playground space, and you’d be lucky to find outdoor activities like the corn hole set we found at Grace Estate. The most you’re going to find is a sad bucket of toys that won’t even hold a toddler’s attention.
A pretty sorry excuse for a kids’ toy basket, if you ask me!
But, I have never hesitated to visit a Virginia winery with my kids because by and far, the winery experience is just fine for kids. There’s always ample space to run around outdoors and plenty of indoor stuff to keep a child’s attention for a few minutes. Of course, you’ll want to come prepared with snacks, treats, and even a iPad (heaven forbid!) just in case things get rough, but it is possible to visit wineries and have a good time with kids!
Living and working in DC, it is rare that my family takes the time to visit the museums, monuments, and landmarks. Work, schedules, and activities get in the way and we always just figure that we will go and visit someday. Recently, my eight year old and I had the opportunity to spend the entire day together, without my toddler, and we decided to take advantage of the glorious 50 degree day in the middle of December and spend some time exploring downtown! Here are the top Washington DC kids activities that we took advantage of on our stolen day together!
We left our home at 9:30am and, a short metro ride later, found ourselves in DC, just four blocks away from the Spy Museum.
Unlike many museums in DC, the Spy Museum is not free and admission is steep at $21.95 / adult and $14.95 / youth (ages 7-11). The Museum offers a number of Interactive Spy Experiences, such as Spy in the City and Operation Spy, which you can add on a la carte, or combine with the price of admission for a slight discount. The Operation Spy experience is limited to ages 12+, so, by default, we chose to add Spy in the City to the price of admission for later in the afternoon.
After purchasing our admission tickets, we were told to wait for the elevator ride to the start of the museum exhibits. We had no idea, but the Spy Museum has timed entry in an effort to minimize traffic and manage crowd control. We took the elevator up to the third floor of the museum where we were deposited into a room that introduced us to spy agencies all across the world. We were also encouraged to choose an undercover identity from one of the many “covers” posted on the beams throughout the room.
After selecting our identities, we were allowed to enter the galleries, which were more standard museum fare. We poured over the exhibits of espionage artifacts. I personally loved seeing the old style hidden cameras tucked away in buttons, shoes, pens, and more.
As you wind your way through the exhibits, there are a number of interactive opportunities for visitors to test out their spy skills. My son loved looking for clues on the interactive light-up maps and he also enjoyed practicing his hand at deciphering codes.
Although we enjoyed the modern spy section, my son found the historical spy section to be underwhelming. There is a section on the origins of spying, beginning with Sun Tzu and The Art of War, and also an extensive section on James Bond, which went entirely over my eight year old’s head.
Overall, I enjoyed the Museum and it was a great way to spend 90 minutes of our day, but my son did not enjoy it as much as I hoped as he isn’t one to be particularly fascinated by espionage and has not ever seen any of the James Bond movies. As we made our way out of the exhibits, we emptied into the gift shop, which is where we picked up our tablet device to do our Spy in the City interactive adventure.
The Spy in the City interactive adventure is a guided “spy” adventure that takes you around 7-8 blocks of Washington, DC. The rental tablet provides visual instructions and cues that direct you along the way.
The weather was beautiful that day, so we greatly enjoyed the walk through the City. My son, a total iPad/screen junkie, loved following the clues and deciphering code along the way. I enjoyed the opportunity to stretch my legs and to see some of downtown DC at a leisurely pace.
Our journey took us past the FBI building, the Department of Justice building, the Trump Hotel (where we peeked inside to see the lobby decked out for Christmas), and much much more.
The FBI BuildingDepartment of JusticeThe Trump HotelThe lobby of the Trump HotelSt. Patrick’s Church
Although it was a fun walk and my son enjoyed the “mission,” I was honestly disappointed that the “mission” did not incorporate more of the historical landmarks in DC. Given that we were in DC and walking right past the FBI building, I expected more than to be directed to a random plaque in a plaza as the site of the next clue. The mission could have taken place in any city USA and no one would have been the wiser. Although it was worth the $7 to include the Spy in the City adventure with our admission ticket, I don’t think it is worth the $14.95 on its own and I would not go out of my way to do this experience if time was limited. Moreover, my son and I happily shared one tablet and unless you happen to have two children who are adamantly against sharing, I would not recommend renting more than one device as the instructions would be identical and we had no trouble hearing the instructions via the tablet’s speakers.
Finally, the Spy Museum has an excellent gift shop so if you happen to be looking for a spy-themed gift but don’t have the time or desire to visit the exhibits, you can visit the gift shop via the separate outside entry.
Direct entrance to the gift shop.Sign indicating that admission is required to enter the exhibits from the gift shop.
It would also be remiss of me not to mention that the Shake Shack is located right next door to the Spy Museum. It’s an easy and convenient place to grab a bite to eat but note that it’s more expensive than your usual burgers and fries joint AND lines can get out of control very quickly.After the Spy Museum, we headed across the street to the National Portrait Gallery. As a Smithsonian, admission is free and it was completely deserted when we visited. There was no line to enter and security was a breeze. We had the entire presidential gallery to ourselves and my son loved the open space.
We particularly enjoyed seeing the evolution from traditional oil paintings to more modern portraits and I loved the placement of the Bush presidents across from each other with Clinton in the middle.
Although we did not visit the actual galleries on the third floor, we did head up there to peek at the stained glass ceiling which was stunning.
Finally, no visit to the Portrait Gallery is complete without a glimpse at the atrium – the largest public enclosed area in DC.
As the original home of the Patent Office, the building has served many purposes and the former courtyard has now been enclosed into a beautiful garden with ample space for kids to run around, people to lunch, and just generally enjoy a reprieve from the elements (humidity and heat in the summer, rain/cold/sleet in the winter).
My coworkers and I used to regularly take lunch breaks in the Portrait Gallery, including packing in our lunch from the outside to eat in the atrium. There’s also a little self-service cafeteria, if you’d like to grab a bite to enjoy.
From the Portrait Gallery, we headed off to our final destination of the day: the Botanical Gardens. Unlike most of the museums located near the mall, the Botanical Gardens are located across from the Capital and thus about a one mile walk away. For this reason, it’s a bit off the beaten path and not a place that many have visited. Along the way, we enjoyed the view of the Capital with the bright blue sky and also spotted the great blue chicken that has been roosting at the National Gallery of Art.
The 15-foot blue chicken, roosting at the National Gallery of Art.
Visiting the Botanical Gardens is an annual holiday tradition for my family. My kids started visiting the Botanical Gardens as young tikes with daycare and between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, there is an annual exhibit featuring model trains and replicas of DC landmarks made entirely of plant based materials. We have visited when the line to enter has been wrapped around the building, but on the day we visited this year, there was no line and we walked right in.
He may be 8, but he still enjoys a good tunnel.
After winding our way through the seasonal exhibit, we took a quick tour of the regular gardens, including the desert and rain forest.
Well marked ramps, wheelchair and stroller accessible!
After our brief walk through the gardens and having walked extensively downtown, we decided we were too tired to ride public transit home and called a Lyft instead. All in all, it was an action packed day in downtown DC and I am so glad we had this opportunity to explore the city in ideal temperatures. There is so much to do in DC it can be overwhelming to decide on the actual museums and activities. We had no real set itinerary or plan and just let the weather and crowds dictate our agenda and we managed to pack in more than I thought – a pleasant surprise! Moreover, because admission to the Smithsonian museums and the zoo is free, it is a very affordable way to spend a day with the family.
Visiting Washington, DC, is something everyone should do at least once in their life. There are tons of guidebooks and websites with detailed information about all there is to do in DC and no first visit to DC is complete without a visit to the National Mall, an obligatory family photo in front of the White House, and a visit to one of the many Smithsonian museums that offer free admission and easy access via Metro!
Having lived and worked in DC for nearly a decade, I’d like to share with you five off-the-beaten-path Fun Family Activities! These are activities and places that those of us who call this beautiful place a home enjoy visiting on weekends and days off with our kids.
#1: Gravelly Point
Gravelly Point is managed by the National Park Service and is located in Arlington, VA just south of DC. It’s a wonderful place to spend the afternoon, picnicking, biking, and plane spotting, as the Park is located just north of Reagan National Airport. Although the parking lot can fill up very quickly and there are no amenities other than restrooms (so pack in your own food!), it’s a wonderful place for budding aviation fans to spend an afternoon outside. Note that the planes are close and very loud, so if your child is sensitive to loud noises, the Park’s proximity to the airport may be a deterrent.
#2: The Tidal Basin
Nearly every visitor to DC makes a point of visiting the National Mall and the monuments, but I’m always stunned by the number of people who skip the Tidal Basin. In my humble opinion, the Tidal Basin offers some of the best views of the Washington Monument and it’s worthy of a visit even when it is not cherry blossom season (although if you have the opportunity to visit during cherry blossom season, please do! Despite the crowds, it is gorgeous and worth the walk). The Tidal Basin offers a small refreshment stand, restrooms, and paddle boat rentals, so this is a great way to enjoy a nice day outside with the family.
View of the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial from the Tidal Basin.Paddleboat in the Tidal Basin during peak cherry blossom bloom.
#3: Hiking Trails
Catching a glimpse of the Potomac River
Washington, DC is home to a great number of hiking trails. The Billy Goat Trail is one of the most popular trails in the DC Metro area. The trail itself can be challenging due to rocks, but if your kids are older (I’d recommend a minimum of five+, depending on maturity and previous hiking experience) and up for the challenge, it’s definitely a worthwhile experience. If the Billy Goat Trail sounds like too much, plan a visit to Rock Creek Park, which boasts over 32 miles of trails. The Park also offers a number of activities, such as horseback riding lessons, golf, and a boat house where you can rent paddle boats, kayaks, and canoes. Finally, Theodore Roosevelt Island is a national memorial located in the Potomac River. No cars or bicycles are permitted on the Island and access is via a footbridge. If you’ve ever spent time in DC visiting the National Mall and museums, I encourage you to take a hike and explore one of the many areas maintained by the National Park Service! You’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll forget that you’re in the Nation’s Capital!
#4: Go for a Bike Ride!
The Mount Vernon Trail is an 18 mile paved multi-use trail that stretches from Mount Vernon to Theodore Roosevelt Island. At any time of day and in any kind of weather, you can find people on the trail biking, running, or just walking along the Potomac River. Happily, a local company, Capital Bikeshare, offers a safe and relatively inexpensive way to explore the trail as you can rent both bicycles and helmets from the company and drop them off at any one of 440 Capital Bikeshare stations located in the DC metro area.
Mount Vernon, George Washington’s country estate, is located just 18 miles south of Washington, DC and is a fantastic way to spend the day for the entire family! Although the Estate is highly recommended as a place to visit in many tourist books, its distance from DC likely causes many to pass it over as an option during a quick visit to DC. I am here to encourage you to go! Visit! Over the years, we have visited Mount Vernon many times and it is one of our favorite places to take out of town guests. Not only does the Estate allow you to visit the Mansion that George and Martha lived in, but the Estate also boasts farm animals, gardens, stables, and live demonstrations by period actors. Throughout the year, the Estate will offer special programs that coincide with the season. For example, one year we visited one early December and happened to catch the Pardon Turkey!
We have also visited during the Fall Harvest Family Days, which feature hands on 18th century activities and demonstrations. It’s a great way for the family to experience a little bit of Colonial America.
My mother and son, roasting apples dipped in caramel water over an open fire.
Although portions of the Estate are wheelchair (and stroller) accessible, the vast majority of the grounds are not (and the Mansion itself is not). The Estate also has as excellent gift shop, a food court, and a sit-down restaurant that serves hearty and satisfying food.
I hope you enjoyed my off-the-beaten path list of Five Fun Family activities and encourage you to think outside the box next time you are in DC!
My husband is an avid fly fisherman and for years, many of their family vacations centered around fly fishing. At some point in our relationship, I accepted that fly fishing was always going to be a part of my life and I began keeping an eye out for new locations where my husband and my father-in-law could go fly fishing, while at the same time providing my mother-in-law and me with other distractions and things to do!
Rose River Farm in Syria, VA in located near some of the very best fly fishing in Virginia. The farm was purchased and built with the intention of providing a “fly fishing getaway” close to Washington, DC that offers the same uncrowded fly fishing experience to those who enjoy fishing in Colorado and Montana. In 2011, the Farm added two modern Mongolian Yurts, to provide sleeping quarters for both fishermen and their families. I personally find the notion of a yurt to be fascinating (bordering on a hobbit house like experience), so when I realized that I could combine both my yurt fascination along with my husband’s intense love for fly fishing in one fall getaway, I immediately booked us for a weekend at Rose River Farm.
The Farm now has a total of three yurts which are available for booking year round. Each yurt is just over 1,100 square feet, has central heating and cooling, two full baths and two full bedrooms (each with double beds). The yurts are fully equipped with just about everything you can think of for a fly fishing vacation, including washing machines, however, I must note that the yurts are not equipped with dish washers, which may be a dealer breaker to some.
The major benefit to my family, of course, was that the yurts provided close proximity to excellent fly fishing. By staying at the Farm, you have access to fish a stretch of the Rose River that is private access only. It is $95/day/person to reserve the right to fish the stream and the Farm limits access to five rods a day (if your party books four rods, they will reserve the entire stream for your use). My husband and his father loved being able to fish the reserved stream that was located just minutes away from the cabin and, when they were ready to take a break, they came back to the cabin and walked our son down to the pond so he could practice his own fly casting.
There are a number of nearby attractions in addition to fly fishing, such as wine tasting. My mother-in-law and I spent a lovely afternoon wine tasting while my son napped. If you’ve never been wine tasting in Virginia, it’s not quite the same as wine tasting in California, but there are a number of excellent wines (and ciders) that you can sample throughout the state.
The Farm also provides a list of other activities nearby, including guided kayaking trips, horseback riding, and fishing on public waters. Although having a three-year-old in our party meant that we could not participate in many of those activities, I would definitely explore more active activities now that our kids are older.
Finally, I would love to return to Rose River Farm, especially now that my oldest is 8 and could learn to fish on the relatively calm stretch of the river they offer private access to, but, unfortunately, the Farm does not allow pets. While this may be a benefit to some, with three cabins available for rent, I sure would hope the Farm reconsiders the policy and allow pets perhaps in one of the three cabins! I have no problem traveling without my pet when the need arises, but for fall weekend getaways close to home, it just doesn’t seem right to leave our four-legged child behind. Nevertheless, if you aren’t limited by this factor, I highly encourage you to getaway to Rose River Farm and experience a yurt, as well as excellent fly fishing, wines, and more, just two hours from DC.
My three-year-old daughter and I were recently sitting at the puzzle table of a nearby library while waiting for her story time to begin. I was making small talk with another mom sitting with her young sons, and she came to my rescue and directed me to the ABC books when I could not locate Chica Chica Boom Boom on the shelves. I explained that my daughter had listened to the book when she attended Art Stories at the Cleveland Museum of Art the day before with her nanny and was desperate to read it with me. The other mom responded with, “my kids are too young for the art museum.” I was not exactly sure how to respond because the thought of being “too young” to visit any museum had never crossed my mind.
Not Too Young
My husband and I really enjoy visiting art museums. My daughter visited her first art museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, when she was two months old. Since then, she has made a repeat trip to the Art Institute of Chicago and also visited the Cleveland Museum of Art many times as well as the Tate Modern, the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery in D.C. While she clearly does not remember those early trips, she gained familiarity with art museums in the process. At the age of three, my daughter now walks around the Cleveland Art Museum, holding my hand and discussing which paintings catch our attention.
My sons also enjoy art museums and can distinguish a Monet from a Van Gogh (two of my favorites). Their favorite special exhibition was Cleveland Museum of Art’s “Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse” in the Fall 2015 that included pieces that influenced Monet’s garden painting and reunited CMA’s Water Lilies with the other two panels of the triptych and displayed them together (no photography permitted). On our first trip, I took all three kids, aged one, five and seven, alone. We all loved it so much that we came back a few weeks later with my husband. After going to the exhibit for the second time, my five-year-old son came home, asked for paints and created his own version of water lilies.
My five-year-old son’s Water Lilies painting
Kid Moments
If your children are new to visiting art museums, start with a short trip of about 45-60 minutes. We play a “game” when we enter a new gallery. I ask each kid which is their favorite piece. We then go and specifically examine each of our favorite pieces before moving on to the next room. Sometimes, we read the plaque on the wall, other times, we briefly discuss color choice or artist technique that made that piece stand out, but we try hard not to dawdle.
Kid Caution
While there is no age that is “too young”, it is necessary to be careful when bringing a child into art galleries as some art is accessible to small hands. The stroller or front carrier is the safest place for infants or toddlers. Many art museums do not permit backpacks or back carriers because the wearer could accidentally cause damage by brushing up against the art. Older children need to have enough self-control to understand that they must stay right with an adult and not touch the art work before going into galleries. However, many art museums have interactive child-friendly exhibits like the ArtLens Gallery at the Cleveland Museum of Art that everyone can enjoy.
Our Favorite Art Museums
We have visited many art museums with kids, but these are our favorites:
Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest art museum in the US and boasts a permanent collection of over two million works. The Met is located on Fifth Avenue in New York City. We were a few of the Met’s over 7 million visitors in 2016 that made it second to only the Louvre in number of visitors. Our boys were especially excited to find Seurat’s final study for A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Admission to the permanent collection is free, but the suggested donation is $25 for adults.
One of two lion statues guarding the Institute’s Michigan Avenue entranceGustave Caillebotte’s Paris Street; Rainy DayGeorges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
National Gallery (Washington D.C.) is the third largest art museum in the US. When we are visiting the Mall, we take a quick stop through the impressionist galleries and the outdoor sculpture garden. On our most recent visit, my husband was holding our daughter, who was then two. They stopped in front of a Degas, and she looked at the painted ballerinas and commented, “Daddy, I really like this painting” to the shock of the visitors around her who had no idea that she thought she was merely “playing” a familiar game. Admission is free.
The National Gallery, London is the fourth most visited art museum in the world with over six million visitors annually. It is located in Trafalgar Square and houses a relatively small collection of about 2,300 paintings, almost all of which are on permanent display.
The National Gallery, LondonVan Gogh’s Sunflowers
Cleveland Museum of Art is the art museum we frequent most often. CMA is located in Cleveland’s University Circle area on the near east side. A massive expansion project began in 2005 and was completed at the end of 2013 increased floor space by 65% and included the glass-roofed Ames Family Atrium. It has a permanent collection of 45,000 works and significant Egyptian and Asian galleries. We always make sure to spend a few minutes sitting on the bench in front of Monet’s Water Lilies (Agapanthus) and enjoy the Armor Court. Rodin’s Thinker, which sits outside the front entrance, was partially vandalized by a bomb in 1970, and the statue’s lower legs were destroyed and have not been restored. Admission to the permanent exhibitions is free, but there are fees for special exhibits.
Monet’s Water LiliesRodin’s Thinker with damaged legs
With some precautions and child-centric activities, art museums truly can be enjoyed by all ages. While infants and toddlers may not have specific memories of the museums they visit, those who go to art museums are more likely to grow into young children who enjoy art and visiting galleries.
As you wind your way through the exhibits, there are a number of interactive opportunities for visitors to test out their spy skills. My son loved looking for clues on the interactive light-up maps and he also enjoyed practicing his hand at deciphering codes.
Although we enjoyed the modern spy section, my son found the historical spy section to be underwhelming. There is a section on the origins of spying, beginning with 
After the Spy Museum, we headed across the street to the
Although we did not visit the actual galleries on the third floor, we did head up there to peek at the stained glass ceiling which was stunning.
The Farm also provides a list of other activities nearby, including guided kayaking trips, horseback riding, and fishing on public waters. Although having a three-year-old in our party meant that we could not participate in many of those activities, I would definitely explore more active activities now that our kids are older.
