|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
White House – The White House, home-office for
presidents, and residence for first ladies and presidential families, is
currently closed to general tours for the public. Of course, the White House
is visible from outside, so just imagine all the exciting things going on
inside, every day, in this historic complex. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
For an introduction to the White House, drop into the White
House Visitor Center (on Pennsylvania Ave. South in the Commerce Building).
The 30 min. video is a "virtual tour" of the White House, plus
kids will enjoy the exhibits of first families and a history of horses over
the years at the White House. (The exhibits in the Visitor Center are primarily
wall displays, nothing hands-on for kids, but it's a great place to escape
the heat, and there are restrooms.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Old Post Office Tower – Ride to the top of the
Old Post Office Tower for great views of The Mall, and Washington, DC overall.
If you go at night, you can see the buildings lit up. The Tower isn't as
high as the Washington Monument, but it's a great alternative – you
don't need reservations, and the Old Post Office Tower isn't crowded. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
The inside of the Old Post Office is impressive too –
a 12 story open interior, covered with two huge glass ceilings. On the ground
floor, there's a food court for quick bites to eat. At noon, listen to live
music on the small stage. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
FBI Building – Tours of the FBI, Federal Bureau
of Investigation, have been suspended indefinitely. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ford's Theatre – On April 14, 1865,
John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln as he watched a
play in Ford's Theatre. The theatre has been restored as it was in 1865,
and kids will be impressed by the flag-draped presidential box where it
all happened. The theatre is open all year, but the 30 min. talk by a National
Park Ranger really makes the event come alive, and don't miss all the goodies
in the museum in the basement. Also, Sept. to May, there are live performances
in the theatre (click
here for the schedule). And be sure to walk across the street to see Petersen House, where Lincoln died. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
International Spy Museum – Do your kids wonder
about being a spy? The International Spy Museum is the perfect place to
find out (and there are more spies in Washington, DC than anywhere on earth).
Kids can pick their cover and see how they do as a spy – discover tricks
of the trade, try to break the codes, learn about bugging, disguises, microdots
and secret inks, flashlight guns and lapel knives, surveillance, and the
history of spies, including lady spies, spies in World II, Berlin and the
Cold War. The Spy Museum is great for older kids and teens. |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Get the scoop
on the presidents and their families inside the White House – Abigail Adams
hung out her laundry in the East Room, Jefferson met people in his
bathrobe and slippers, Woodrow Wilson kept sheep on the lawn. Fun
caricature illustrations. (Picture book)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Fun facts about the U.S. Presidents, each with a matching sticker. Over 60 reusable stickers of each president, seals, campaign pins and posters, presidential places. (Sticker book)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
KayKay Granger has just moved into the White House (her mom is the new president), and she’s eager to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom, to see if it’s haunted by Lincoln’s ghost. A humorous story filled with White House legends and lore. (Chapter book)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
A
humorous look at presidential pets – grizzly bears, alligators, a herd of elephants, bald eagles, a garter
snake named Emily Spinach, tigers, parrots, opposums, lizards, pygmy
hippos, the First Fish, best-selling dog, and more. (Picture
book)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Mini-biographies
of each first lady, and fun facts – Martha Washington missed the inauguration,
Dolley Madison served ice cream in the White House for the first
time, Grace Coolidge loved baseball. Cartoon-style illustrations. (Picture book)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Fascinating
novel of Lincoln's assassination in Ford's Theatre – what
if the plot was discovered and Lincoln survived? A young stage
performer, Joseph Ehrlich, rubs elbows with the actor John Wilkes
Booth, but it's Joseph's friend Cassandra who sees events in the
future, and changes the course of history. (Chapter book)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(More children's
books on other Washington, DC pages) |
