Washington DC- "fun" for a 13 year old?

[soiree]

My 13 YO dd has fall break in 2 weeks. We were supposed to go to Maui but I had some things come up at work and I cannot be gone the full week  
I've looked at a few options in the Caribbean and Costa Rica (Papagayo) but I'm afraid it will be a washout. We have 2-3 full days. She has been to NYC and Boston and has no interest in returning. She doesn't love cities (which kills me bc that's my favorite vacation.) I mentioned Washington DC and she's a little intrigued. She loves bike tours, food tours, but doesn't love days of sightseeing. I think she would like a night bike tour of the monuments. Is the Spy museum really cool? What else would be fun for a 13 year old? 

[Bookshelves]

The Spy museum is fun and interactive.

You can take boat rides on the Potomac (I believe they’d still be operating in October); can visit Mount Vernon and Alexandria that way. That’d be a fun way to spend one of your days. Gadsby’s Tavern in Old Town Alexandria is a way to absorb some history just by having lunch. The Tall Ship Providence tour there is fun, too, and geared toward an interactive experience that my son enjoyed.

[cakewench]

Monumenting at night was one of my favorite things to do in DC in college. It's also a great time of year for a haunted walking tour, too! (And if you can get to Old Town Alexandria, there's good haunted tours there as well.)

I know you said she doesn't love days of sightseeing but try to fit in at least one of the Smithsonians, they're so great (and free). I haven't done the Spy Museum in forever but that was fun (not free though).

Food here is excellent, I know a bunch of us local ladies could give you some recommendations. I just ate at Zaytinya by Jose Andres on Friday and it was really good.

[soiree]

Sept 30, 2024 7:47:48 GMT -6 cakewench said:

Monumenting at night was one of my favorite things to do in DC in college. It's also a great time of year for a haunted walking tour, too! (And if you can get to Old Town Alexandria, there's good haunted tours there as well.)

I know you said she doesn't love days of sightseeing but try to fit in at least one of the Smithsonians, they're so great (and free). I haven't done the Spy Museum in forever but that was fun (not free though).

Food here is excellent, I know a bunch of us local ladies could give you some recommendations. I just ate at Zaytinya by Jose Andres on Friday and it was really good.

Oh she would love a haunted walking tour!! Great suggestion. Which one is best? She does not frighten easily. 
I haven't been to Washington DC since I was in 8th grade so I'm excited. I just have to make sure she has a great time, otherwise it will be the last city she lets me take her to. 
Yes to the food recs please- we like it all.

[cakewench]

Sept 30, 2024 8:11:17 GMT -6 soiree said:

Sept 30, 2024 7:47:48 GMT -6 cakewench said:

Monumenting at night was one of my favorite things to do in DC in college. It's also a great time of year for a haunted walking tour, too! (And if you can get to Old Town Alexandria, there's good haunted tours there as well.)

I know you said she doesn't love days of sightseeing but try to fit in at least one of the Smithsonians, they're so great (and free). I haven't done the Spy Museum in forever but that was fun (not free though).

Food here is excellent, I know a bunch of us local ladies could give you some recommendations. I just ate at Zaytinya by Jose Andres on Friday and it was really good.

Oh she would love a haunted walking tour!! Great suggestion. Which one is best? She does not frighten easily. 
I haven't been to Washington DC since I was in 8th grade so I'm excited. I just have to make sure she has a great time, otherwise it will be the last city she lets me take her to. 
Yes to the food recs please- we like it all.

Here's a few ghost tour recs:

Alexandria:
alexandriaghosts.com/
www.alexcolonialtours.com/

DC:
ghostcitytours.com/washington-dc/

ETA - Haven't done a haunted DC tour in a long time, but definitely check Yelp/Trip Advisor too.

[willow]

I would say of any museum, the African American History Museum is the best museum I have ever been to. HIGHLY recommend it.

[sweptaway]

1. I'm really sorry your original trip won't work. I would be heartbroken if that happened.
2. Where are you travelling from? If she doesn't love cities, maybe we could offer some other good choices?

[soiree]

Sept 30, 2024 8:52:18 GMT -6 sweptaway said:

1. I'm really sorry your original trip won't work. I would be heartbroken if that happened.
2. Where are you travelling from? If she doesn't love cities, maybe we could offer some other good choices?

Thank you. We are really disappointed. We’re actually coming from Kansas City; we don’t live there, but will be there that weekend for a wedding.
I also thought she might enjoy San Francisco, but she shot that down. I think Washington DC interests her because it’s a city her older sister has never been to lol.
She loves to be active; she would love going horseback riding, zip lining or a ropes course, etc.

[mrsweasley]

We went to DC in Feb 2023 for a wedding and the hotel offered tickets to a few attractions, including the Spy Museum, definitely check if the hotel you stay at offers any "perks" like that.

The spy museum had a LOT of stuff to look at, if she's into that kind of stuff I think it'd be a good choice. The FBI office also has some type of museum thing, but you have to request through your US rep's office

We also did one of the hop on/off bus tours because those were offered by the hotel too, it was good for a rainy day (and free). The night bike tour sounds even more fun

The Library of Congress was stunningly beautiful and much less busy than the museums, it required free timed tickets but I think I booked them the night before

[bart]

Sept 30, 2024 8:25:49 GMT -6 cakewench said:

Sept 30, 2024 8:11:17 GMT -6 soiree said:

Oh she would love a haunted walking tour!! Great suggestion. Which one is best? She does not frighten easily. 
I haven't been to Washington DC since I was in 8th grade so I'm excited. I just have to make sure she has a great time, otherwise it will be the last city she lets me take her to. 
Yes to the food recs please- we like it all.

Here's a few ghost tour recs:

Alexandria:
alexandriaghosts.com/
www.alexcolonialtours.com/

DC:
ghostcitytours.com/washington-dc/

ETA - Haven't done a haunted DC tour in a long time, but definitely check Yelp/Trip Advisor too.

I can vouch for the Alexandria Colonial Tours ghost tour. My friends and I did that one in 2020 and it was super fun! Not really scary, but lots of history with some spooky stories about the buildings I passed by everyday.

[Bookshelves]

I loved the Library of Congress!

[sweptaway]

Sept 30, 2024 9:19:44 GMT -6 soiree said:

Sept 30, 2024 8:52:18 GMT -6 sweptaway said:

1. I'm really sorry your original trip won't work. I would be heartbroken if that happened.
2. Where are you travelling from? If she doesn't love cities, maybe we could offer some other good choices?

Thank you. We are really disappointed. We’re actually coming from Kansas City; we don’t live there, but will be there that weekend for a wedding.
I also thought she might enjoy San Francisco, but she shot that down. I think Washington DC interests her because it’s a city her older sister has never been to lol.
She loves to be active; she would love going horseback riding, zip lining or a ropes course, etc.

Since your other destinations were sort of Northeast I was going to suggest catskills/hudson valley/berkshires, if you wanted other options for her. But DC would also be great and obviously tons to do. My friend just stayed in VA near DC  and did a Capybara encounter at a wildlife rescue there. 

[4speedy]

 My 14 yo loved the spy museum.  When you enter, you are assigned a character to play.  As you walk though the museum and learn about coded messages, etc, there are stops along the way for you to solve puzzles, or observe what you see in a photograph, etc.  I can’t remember how, (Maybe QR code with info about your character or something?). But at the end, depending on how you completed all the interactive parts, it will tell you if your mission was successful.

My DD is a freshman at George Washington university.  If your daughter would like an unofficial college visit, I could ask my daughter to show her a dorm, attend a class, whatever works out on the days you’re there.
(fall break is Oct 10 and 11 so those days wouldn’t work out).  Or if you don’t feel comfortable doing that, you can sign up online at the GW website for an official college tour.  (My son attended his first college tour as an 8th grader as a tag-along with my older daughter.  It made an impact on him and has been a game-changer as far as his effort in school. I highly recommend kids doing at least one early rather than waiting until the summer before senior year)

we’ve done a lot of the Smithsonian.  We LOVED the African American museum.  One of the best ones there.
That one might have a timed entry, I can’t remember.  The museum that houses the First Ladies inauguration dresses and the pop culture exhibit is also fun for a young teen.

you can get a pretty good private tour of the capitol if you book through your representatives office.  You’re right about at the time limit for that so contact them today through their official websight.

Monuments at night is fun.  They do a Segway tour, a coach bus tour or kind of an open air trolly tour.  The weather would probably be perfect this time of year for one of the open air options.

wlking ghost tour was fun.

There is also a scandals of dc tour that talks about various assasinations, affairs, bootlegging, etc.  watergate hotel was on it.

Free tickets to go inside the Washington Monument is fun.  But if you are less than 30 days out, advance tickets will already be sold out.  They hold some back that will be release at 10am the day before.  You need to be online exactly at 10am to get those, if you are interested.

walking and shopping with lunch in Georgetown is fun.

[soiree]

4speedy That is so kind, thank you! Great suggestions and dd and I are really excited. In fact, we got a little too excited talking about our trip and dd#1 told us she really wanted to do this trip with us. She's my "city slicker" and I am kind of forcing this with dd#2. DD#1 would LOVE the unofficial college visit.

So we're pivoting to the opposite coast and going to Los Angelas. I am saving all these suggestions and hope to go with both girls soon.

Staying in Huntington Beach and going to Disneyland 1 day. It's not my thing but dd#2 is really stoked!

[4speedy]

Oct 3, 2024 11:23:21 GMT -6 soiree said:

4speedy That is so kind, thank you! Great suggestions and dd and I are really excited. In fact, we got a little too excited talking about our trip and dd#1 told us she really wanted to do this trip with us. She's my "city slicker" and I am kind of forcing this with dd#2. DD#1 would LOVE the unofficial college visit.

So we're pivoting to the opposite coast and going to Los Angelas. I am saving all these suggestions and hope to go with both girls soon.

Staying in Huntington Beach and going to Disneyland 1 day. It's not my thing but dd#2 is really stoked!

Let me know when you head east!