Everyone should visit our nation’s capitol. Full stop. Blog finished.

The Greatest Location

No doubt about it, no location has so much historical significance all in walking distance, all completely free, and all beautifully maintained. You HAVE TO spend at least one Labor in Washington DC. We have taken our kids several times, at different ages, and every single time was magical.

Whether it is the photo we have hanging up of Robbie walking the balance beam that is the low wall near the Capitol Building, or the Army Band concert we saw while we had a dinner picnic on the National Mall, or staring at Dorothy’s ruby slippers at the Smithsonian, we have enjoyed every minute of our time in Washington DC. You will, too.

Whether it’s a quick weekend add-on to a NYC trip, or a full week-long walking extravaganza, there is never enough time to see everything available to you in Washington DC. Just blogging about the basics of the trip won’t be nearly enough information, but I’m hoping it will inspire you to get out the calendar and put this one on the top of your “must visit soon” list. You have one of those, right? I have several…

How To Get There?

We have to fly

We live in Nevada—we have to fly. Knowing that is our reality, I also recognize that most of the people who do Labor Day in Washington DC are doing so either from a drivable city, or as part of a larger trip. The key to flying into DC—or anywhere else lately—is flexibility.

Not only do I recommend you looking at several different days of the week, I suggest you try different airports! Frequent flyers know that Saturday, and Tuesday through Thursday have the lowest prices for airfare, so take advantage if you can. What you need to get in the habit of is checking nearby airports. While Dulles or Reagan National might be closer to your chosen hotel, Baltimore-Washington (located in Maryland) might save you hundreds of dollars for very little inconvenience. 

Your own car

We drove to Washington the four hours from New Jersey when we lived there, and it was an easy and convenient drive. It was, however, relatively useless to have a car in that city. You won’t need it, and you will pay through the nose for parking at your hotel. When you price it out, I wouldn’t be surprised if flying in turns out to be the lower cost option.

Mass transit

If possibly, this is the most convenient and economical way to manage a trip to Washington. Taking a train from NYC was inexpensive and very relaxing. It doesn’t take any more time than driving—and could be significantly less given the incredible traffic you might face driving down the 95. This option is definitely worth looking into if you are near a mass transit hub. 

Where To Stay?

In DC

We mentioned the increased expense and lack of necessity of having a car in the city (especially on Labor Day in Washington DC). To avoid those costs, we fly into Washington THEN rent a car when we are leaving the city for the rest of our travels. Because we have no car while we are in Washington, we stay right in the center of the action. It absolutely costs more to stay within walking distance of the National Mall, but we offset that expense by not having a car rental, and finding a local store for breakfast and snacks to minimize costs. 

Staying in DC is one of the more expensive cities we visit, but since virtually all of the activities are free, it is worth it to us to budget our vacation dollars towards our hotel. As with virtually anywhere, the further you are from the center of the action, the less expensive the hotels, so look carefully at maps when you are choosing your location.

Outside the city

My college best friend moved to Maryland after graduation/wedding, and has lived there ever since. We spent several weekends with her, commuting into the city to do some touring. Staying in Maryland or Virginia in hotels is an awesome alternative to the excessive prices in the city (again especially on Labor Day in Washington DC).

While you will have commuting to do for your touring days, that will be offset by having larger and more comfortable rooms, potentially having free breakfast and a swimming pool, and being able to park your car for free and utilize mass transit. 

How Long To Stay?

As long as you can afford. Either with time or money—stay as long as you can.

There is just so much to do that you will need all the time you can put together, and will still have a long list for your next visit. Even revisiting places is like a new adventure, as the exhibits change in the Smithsonian’s, the trees blossom and grow, and everything looks different when your perspective changes every few years. 

Prioritizing Locations

Here is where the fighting started on our latest visit. Some people wanted to revisit places, while another person had a laundry list of new spots we needed to check out. This goes back to the fact that there are an incredible amount of things to do—everybody is going to have their own opinions. Our vacation plan includes everyone’s “must do” list no matter where we go, but that list has to be extremely small and specific. With six people in our family now, we can only guarantee that we will get your number one request done—anything below number three probably won’t make the cut!

So what are some of the main contenders for Labor Day (or whenever you are) in Washington DC …

Museums

You can’t go wrong with any of the Smithsonian museums, and the price can’t be beat! We revisit one or two each visit, and add at least one new one. When you factor in some of the other museums (that have an admission cost) your days will get filled up very quickly—every though the majority of the museums are around the same area! Don’t skip the Holocaust Museum or the Newseum, both of which are incredibly informative and interesting to people of all ages.

Federal Buildings

Would you believe our favorite building is the Library of Congress? Seriously. Those incredible marble steps with the carvings that you can reach out and touch are absolutely fantastic, and the site of a recurring picture we take. Don’t discount the free federal buildings—yes I include the Post Office!—in your travel plans. These are 100 year old architectural masterpieces that hold significant historical value for our country! 

Everybody wants to do the Capitol Building and the White House, but I recommend you fill in those in-between hours with a visit to any and every building on the National Mall that you can tour. Long walks – Some of our favorite times were just walking around the city, looking at lesser-known statues in between classic favorites. While we love the MLK exhibit and the Washington Monument, we equally enjoy the fountains and sculptures with small plaques to tell you their significance. Everything in this city is so foreign from what we are used to in Nevada that we are enthralled with everything. 

Make sure you allow time for these small discoveries as you are touring the popular tourist attractions. You won’t be sorry.

Things To Add On

We try to do new things every time we revisit a city, and Washington DC is the perfect city for this travel philosophy. Here are just a few of the things we have discovered were new favorites after a visit: 

Arlington Cemetery

Don’t miss visiting this holy place. Not only is it beautiful, with statues and fountains that are stunning, but it has historical significance. In my opinion, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the perfect metaphor for the US military. Watching the changing of the guard at this location is quite moving, and will reinforce the passion and commitment with which these young people serve our country. 

Night bus tour

I finally did this tour the last time I was in DC, and I loved it! Not only did it cover a lot of territory on my own terms, but it gave me beautiful night views of some of the most iconic statues. Doing this as an on- and off- bus tour will let you pick and choose what you want to visit with very little inconvenience or fuss. Sit on the top—your hairstyle isn’t that important!

The zoo

It isn’t a family trip for us if we don’t visit a zoo. Living in Nevada, this is one of our greatest shames—we don’t have a zoo. So, I add it here as a reminder to you to pay attention to the animals in our world. 

Whatever You Do…

Put Washington DC on your “must visit soon” list (which is getting bigger and bigger every day for us!!!). It is important for every American citizen to visit our nation’s capitol, and particularly important for our children to see this incredible city. Most of your activities will be free or inexpensive, and there is so much to do, you will need multiple visits, so start soon!

Maybe most importantly, you OWN this city. It is the center of our democracy, and needs to be enjoyed by all of us. Your tax dollars at work—take advantage! Make sure you comment your favorite part of this beautiful city below—I’m positive I missed tons of great locations.

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR

Thank you for reading all about how to spend Labor Day in Washington DC!!

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out some other tips, like how to solve common travel challenges, here, or how to see Mexico, here! Or, check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!

Please leave a COMMENT about any tips you may have!! Or comment with YOUR story! Where’re your next trip going to be? Let me know!

Please, feel free to contact me or leave a COMMENT with anything you would like to hear more about! Or reach out with any unrelated questions, comments, concerns, or random outbursts of excitement by clicking here.