Overview :
Visiting Washington, D.C., can feel like the school trip from hell: No matter who you are, no matter what you're interested in, you're ... more »stuck with the same obligatory sights. We say, table that notion!
The city is more varied than guidebooks let on, and a whole lot more fun—especially if, like most residents, you have a clear-cut agenda. Travel + Leisure has taken the liberty of dividing families into four special interest groups—political animals, diplomats and spies, history geeks, and artists and aesthetes—and mapped out lots of activities for each. You can even eat and sleep staying true to character. So skip the forced march, the civics-teacher gulag. Take your cue from your family's temperament, then take on the town—your way.
Art lovers background check:
You are: More interested in the pursuit of beauty than in the pursuit of power. Prouder of the kids’ graffiti than of their report cards. Planning to get "The Da Vinci Code"—because you think it's an art book.
Fortunately, the federal government's Hoover-like ability to vacuum up treasures has turned D.C. into an art mecca.
This tour references the Travel + Leisure article titled "How to Do D.C.," by David Plotz. less «
D.C. For Art Lovers
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D.C. For Art Lovers
Overview : Visiting Washington, D.C., can feel like the school trip from hell: No matter who you are, no matter what you're interested in, you're ... more »
Tips: The 19 museums in the Smithsonian system and the National Zoo offer free admission.
Take this guide with you!
- 1. Download the EveryTrail app from the App Store
- 2. Search for the D.C. For Art Lovers guide
- 3. Enjoy your self-guided tour
Points of Interest
The National Museum of the American Indian, the Mall's newest landmark, could do a better job teaching Native American history and culture, but it does have beautiful craftwork, such as beaded Lakota buckskin dresses and Cherokee wasp-nest masks. Plus, the museum's Mitsitam Native Foods Café is the standout cafeteria on the Mall. Buffalo burgers, a... More
Just down the hill from the Capitol--but a galaxy away--is the National Gallery of Art. The I.M. Pei-designed East Building, its pink marble bringing a rosy glow to the otherwise alabaster Mall, houses a modern art collection with Calder sculptures that will thrill your kids (look for a fish fashioned out of wire, perched on tiny hands). The enormo... More
The Penn Quarter is a former no-man's-land that's now ground zero for the gallery scene, concentrated on Seventh Street. The neighborhood also encompasses Chinatown, the place to eat bohemian-style. Chinatown Express has a free sidewalk show: You can watch chefs in the window stretching and cutting soup noodles, then go in and slurp.
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Adults have to pay to get into the Phillips Collection in Dupont Circle--it's not part of the free Smithsonian system--but it's worth it, and your teens will identify with all of those rebellious Impressionists.
This is the one stop on the tour that you may be too far to walk to. It's about a 10-minute drive from Chinatown Express or t... More
Set in the converted 1839 General Post Office, the boutique Hotel Monaco has palatial hallways and rooms with 20-foot ceilings, DVD players and the bounciest beds your kids will ever jump on.
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700 F St. NW
202-628-7177
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Rates
Doubles from $229
D.C.'s best barbecue is at Capital Q, which specializes in Texas-style brisket.
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707 H St. NW
202-347-8396
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Cost
Lunch or dinner for four $30
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Hours
Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm
Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm
Sunday Noon-8pm
Slightly fancier, the Spanish tapas bar Jaleo has enough variety to please even the most finicky squirt, and its brightly colored murals are nothing if not artistic.
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480 Seventh St. NW
202-628-7949
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Cost
Dinner for four $60
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Hours
Sunday-Monday 11:30am-10pm
Tuesday-Thursday 11:3... More
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