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    Smithsonian National Zoological Park

    4.1 (1.4k reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

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    Panda
    Kenneth K.

    What a lovely zoo. Went back last month. Loved the pandas, sloth bears, and baby elephant Linh Mai. Wife got to see other animals last week like sea lions and great cats. The membership is nice and has many perks while the zoo is free such as parking passes, food, drink, and merch discounts, member exclusive events, and discounted admission to over a hundred other zoos.

    Great selection of food trucks and venues for drinks , food and ice cream
    Ricarta C.

    We had to come back as this is my little ones favorite zoo! We spent just a few hours wondering and feeding animals before heading out to the national mall. This zoo is amazing and we love the pandas !

    Rachel N.

    For late April, this was quite a hot, sunny day! This zoo is very accessible as they have ramps and stairs. I like how there are multiple entrances and it's free!! Tip: buy parking ahead of time. I believe it was so big that we didn't end up seeing everything. A good mix of outdoor and indoor creatures. I'd definitely come back

    Linda O.

    This zoo is a challenge to see all in one day unless you want to do a bit of "speed-zooing" (think "speed-dating"). There's just a lot here. Remember that U.S. tax dollars built this place, and keep it running to this very day. So, pat yourself on the back, taxpayers. I know that I do! It used to be that you could just "walk in" the zoo. That's no longer the case. Every person who wants to visit has to have an entry pass. And it's easy to acquire one. It's done on-line, at the zoo's website. I always take Metro, and get off at Woodley Park stop, however it's also possible to get off at Cleveland Park stop. The zoo is midway between the 2 stops, and about the same number of blocks to walk (6 or so). I like to go in the main pedestrian entrance; there are others too. I've been to the zoo probably 25 times and only seen the giant pandas 3 or 4 times! I love the gorillas, they're magnificent. I've come to know Baraka just a little bit. He's the zoo's largest gorilla, a male, obviously, and the troop's silverback. These are 2 of the larger animals that I never fail to try and see with every visit. Since I'm a birder, also think the avian collection is fantastic. The flamingoes are a pink that seems other-worldly, and come in so many hues--such a delight. As other yelpers have noted emphatically: The zoo is FREE!

    Melodie M.

    This zoo was definitely the highlight of all the free Smithsonian experiences we attended in DC. We arrived just after it opened, and it was already packed! There was so much to see, so many creative and wild-looking enclosures with beautiful plants and walkways. My kids loved the fishing cat. I loved seeing pandas. The aviary area was comprehensive (though part of it was closed). Seeing orangutans in the air-conditioned think tank exhibit was also very cool. The reptile exhibits were pretty awesome with so many types of interesting species with enclosure where we could actually see the animals! This is a large zoo with a lot of walking in between exhibits. In the end, we were too tired to visit the elephants. I'm giving it 5 stars, but I will say that I wish I had packed lunch. My kids were hungry after just an hour, but we were not near a food spot. The next food spot we landed at had a giant line- for a food truck, eating outside with little shade. More than one spot on the map listed food but was closed. We trucked on to the next indoor dining area, but there was a huge line there as well, and packed tables. Thus we were all hungry and now had passed by many exhibits without stopping. We also got lost multiple times. Signage was missing or hard to miss- and the map didn't seem to help us at all. We ended up staying all day but didn't see eveything!

    Victoria A.

    Amazing zoo! Parking is $30 for advanced reservation and $40 without advanced purchase. Entrance to the zoo is free. What I love is that each habitat or cluster is housed in an enclosure that's strictly climatized to their environment. Very walkable zoo with handicap access for each enclosure. We came with a person in our party using a non-motorized wheelchair. For the person pushing the wheelchair that task is cumbersome and tiresome (especially in the long inclines). If you stop at customer service, you can rent a motorized wheelchair at $40.00 for the day. We didn't get to use this service but I saw a couple of people on them and I asked (their wheelchairs had a sign: rent me) them. Shaded paths for the most part with parking lots not too far from the zoo entrance. Perfect experience for the first time visit to this zoo.

    Kelly B.

    The zoo was really big and it had a lot of empty space. There weren't a lot of animals out or in their exhibits. I expected more from this zoo. It was not as modern as I was hoping. The place was packed. It was free to get in but you had to have a pass. Parking was 30$ which is a little steep. The paths had direction, it was easy to miss large sections of the zoo if you aren't paying attention. I have definitely been to better zoos.

    Denise C.

    The zoo is well maintained and clean. It's on a hill so wear your best walking shoes for comfort. Admission tickets are at no cost but you need to request them online in advance along with parking. I was unable to get zoo parking so I had to look nearby. It was a bit tricky so expect to walk a little. Once on property it was all worthwhile and I spent a very pleasant 3ish hours just enjoying the zoo. Of course like most folks I was there to see the pandas which was at the other end of the park. No matter though as it's a really nice walk and you got to see most everything. Highly recommend and a must visit!!

    Dhara L.

    FREE! We arrived right when the doors opened, and it was practically empty--possibly the best time to visit! The animals were absolutely beautiful, and my daughter and I were able to walk through the zoo at a leisurely pace and truly take our time. It was such a peaceful and enjoyable experience. Just look at the pictures!

    Marie S.

    Big zoo and took about 3 hours to cover everything at a quick pace. They didn't have many gelato flavors, but $5 for a big slice of pizza seemed reasonable. Again, tickets are free but must be reserved ahead of time. The pandas were definitely my favorite. Unfortunately, the African exhibit was closed so no zebras or giraffes or the bison and the elephant house closed early. I liked some things better at my home zoo (penguins, bigger reptile house, the apes being in more of a social setting), but overall was a nice way to spend the afternoon 2026 #22

    Panda Enclosure
    Weston P.

    Checking out zoos is one of my favorite traditions whenever I travel, no matter the state or country. It's pretty incredible that the Smithsonian National Zoological Park is free, but honestly, that may also be part of the problem. Compared to other zoos, this one falls short when it comes to the quality of some animal enclosures. I'd gladly pay a small admission fee if it meant better habitats and overall improvements. As the nation's zoo, I expected it to set a higher standard. That said, I do appreciate that it's free, but not if it comes at the expense of the animals. One frustrating issue was access to basic amenities, we had a tough time finding bottled water, with the first four vending machines we tried completely sold out. The grounds themselves are nice and mostly well maintained, though staff presence inside the zoo was minimal (possibly due to light rain). The giant pandas, the zoo's biggest draw, were definitely a highlight and fun to watch. At the end of the day, if you've got some time to spare, it's worth a visit, especially given the price, but there's room for improvement.

    Adam C.

    With the cutest baby elephant and the pandas this zoo is hard to beat - especially at the cost: zero. The Smithsonian zoo is maintained well and the animals have some room. The best time to go is during feeding time. In the middle of a hot day it is harder to find some animals. There are food and snacks available. This can be a very fun day.

    Hili N.

    The zoo was amazing! It was such a wonderful experience, especially getting to see the pandas, birds, and elephants. Everything was beautiful, clean, and well maintained. We had a great time and would definitely recommend visiting!

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    Smithsonian National Zoological Park Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Smithsonian National Zoological Park

    How is parking on weekdays? Is there a parking lot or paid ones nearby? Plenty of street parking close by? Want to take my toddler but concerned with crazy parking situation in the city.

    How much is the tickets?

    They are free (as are all Smithsonian museums)! You just have to reserve your day/time online. Have fun!

    What type of things are there to eat in the zoo or around (outside) the zoo?

    Mane Restaurant (as in lions) is located near the barn. It is approximately 1 mile from the main (as in front) entrance. There are burgers, sandwiches, fries and fruits. There are usually kiddie meals. You will pay theme park prices (but cheaper… 

    How long does it typically take to see everything in the zoo? Am i able to spend an entire day there or would half a day be enough?

    I would allow for about 4 hours at a minimum to see everything (and go earlier in the day - as soon as they open). You could spend a whole day there, but it's not necessary. I was in by 8AM and done by 12PM, having seen everything (except the… 

    I'm visiting next week and bringing my toddler... how is the weather like right now? Should we skip the zoo?

    The weather has been a bit inconsistent recently. Inconsistent as, it was in the 10's a few weeks ago and in the 60's last week. The 10 day forecast looks pretty good with some days with highs in the mid 50's. There's also a lot of opportunities to… 

    Can you bring your own food in?

    Yes, and there are plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces for eating the food. There is even a water refill station inside the Mane Grill.

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    Review Highlights - Smithsonian National Zoological Park

    With the cutest baby elephant and the pandas this zoo is hard to beat - especially at the cost: zero.

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    United States Botanic Garden - Annual holiday train set

    United States Botanic Garden

    4.6(630 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    As a self-professed plant geek, I enjoyed my trip to the US Botanical Garden. They have curated an…read moreimpressive number of specimens, sorted by biome. While it is smaller than you might imagine, there is a nice indoor area with tropical, desert, Mediterranean, and other climates. I am a collector of Tillandsia species, and they had some nice ones in the tropical areas. Probably worth a few trips at different times of year to see the different blooms, etc. Free, like most DC museums.

    I don't know how I hadn't visited the United States Botanic Garden until last weekend with how much…read moretime I've spent in DC in the last five years, but I hadn't! It's wild - because it's just off the National Mall, and I must have walked by dozens of times. I finally visited last weekend with a friend, and I had a pretty good time. It's free to visit, like a lot of the attractions on the Mall. We spent maybe a half hour to an hour exploring. This botanic garden is contained within two separate sections. The section that is north of Independence Avenue has some outdoor gardens and the conservatory. The section south of Independence Avenue has Bartholdi Fountain and another garden. They are connected, and you do have to cross Independence Avenue to visit both sections. It's not a large botanic garden; I've definitely visited larger. But as it's free, it's a great place to wander if you're in the area. The highlight for was actually the Bartholdi Fountain section. The fountain is beautiful and peaceful, and the Capitol building peaks through in the prettiest way in photos. If you visit lots of botanic gardens, this one might not wow as much as others. But it's yet another place that's worth a visit on the National Mall.

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    Botanical Garden main entrance

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    International Spy Museum - Plastic tank, exhibit on the "Ghost Army" of WW2

    International Spy Museum

    3.6(1.3k reviews)
    3.4 mi

    After being a "local" for so long, I'm surprised that I hadn't been to here before. Check the entry…read moreprices online as there are discounts for seniors, military, students and members. There is parking below ground however the closet metro stop is Le'Enfant Plaza. This area can become congested with traffic and there is very little street parking. Upon entry, I was pleased to see the James Bond "007" car. Depending on your age, you may remember the movies and how "advanced" his cars and gadgets were. There are five levels and an opportunity to explore as a "Spy" or soak in some of the educational parts of tools, people and significant events in spy history. There are elevators that take you up/down. I do not recall wheelchair access for those who require ADA compliance. There are exhibits that have corresponding films. This is a kid friendly and interactive. I do recommend coming here to explore and challenging yourself to learn something new. Wear comfy walking shoes and pay attention to the things hiding in plain sight.

    This was my first time visiting this museum…read more It is just minutes away from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station, walking distance. It is in a high traffic area given that it is D.C. There is an option to purchase tickets online and select a time, but not necessary We came on a Friday evening and were let in immediately. Expect to spend anywhere from 2-4 hours. Upon purchasing a ticket, they escorted us to a room where we each had our own Undercover Mission cards to scan on screens, which show us access to our spy name, mission and other information. There was a short video, then we were given access to the showcases. The experience varies from display cases to videos to interactive screens. I was more interested in hearing the different spy stories. The gift shop had some great items consistent with the spy-theme including (but not limited to): t-shirts with a variety of images, pens, books, games, hats, etc. Given that it is a museum gift shop in D.C., the prices were fairly high, but not surprising, but I bought a t-shirt for someone. The staff here weren't particularly friendly, some were standing around on their phones or chatting with each other. Would I return? Maybe, I don't feel the need to re-visit once i toured the full museum, unless I'm bringing someone new. I would highly recommend at least one visit to this museum!

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    International Spy Museum - Cool store full of gadgets for your next mission

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    National Cherry Blossom Festival

    National Cherry Blossom Festival

    4.1(196 reviews)
    3.2 mi

    The DC Cherry Blossom Bus Tour with Tidal Basin Guided Walk…read more I've been a resident of the DMV for 15 years and welcome the opportunity to show the highlights of D.C. when members of my family come for a visit. My sister Mary lives in Delaware and had long wanted to experience the color and drama of the Cherry Blossom Festival. These visits can be frustrating - we never really know when the blossoms will be in full bloom, and how long they'll be pretty and photogenic. This year (2026) was no different. The DC Cherry Blossom Tour, hosted by USA Guided Tours, was our go-to provider for this outing. After I ordered our tickets for a mid-week 10 a.m. four-hour tour, I received a prompt acknowledgement from TripAdvisor that the reservations were ready. I made the reservation just a few days earlier, so it was great to see the email that acknowledged our tickets and told us where to go to join the tour. The logistics involved in getting to the correct bus were easy: my sister and I showed up at the Navy Memorial, across the street from the National Archives (which is on the Yellow line Metro). A tour representative was already there and did a great job of getting us into the proper queue for our tour (USA Tours had four different tours departing that morning). The tickets were scanned and we were on our way, right on time. Highlights of the tour included walking through the cherry trees with abundant blossoms, photographers everywhere, and really pretty expressions of an early summer day in the District. We could see across the tidal basin to the impressive carved statue of Martin Luther King, Jr., which we headed to after spending the first walking excursion in the tidal basin and then the FDR Memorial. Our guide did an outstanding job of providing backstories and context to the places we visited, including the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memoria. We had ample opportunities to stretch our legs, take free bottles of water, and use restroom facilities (as the bus did not have one on board). Both driver and guide handled their responsibilities very well, and we all had an excellent opportunity to see the blossoms. And, just as our guide had predicted, a severe thunderstorm rolled through the tidal basin later that day and wiped out 100 percent of the blossoms we enjoyed earlier that day. Luck of the draw!

    It was pretty nice, fun and delightful. The costumes, foods,…read moremusics, colors, products, people, parade... all was really enjoyable! I can't wait for the next year! There is a band consist of Japanese Embassy stuff. They were good! I tried, kimono, hat,... There is a chopstick, origami, fan, anime characters, bowls,...all was from traditional Japan culture... Next year I will get ready with traditional Japan costume and make up!

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    National Cherry Blossom Festival - Blossom Kite Festival

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    National Cherry Blossom Festival
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    Smithsonian - The Wright Brothers..the origin story for this museum

    Smithsonian

    4.2(1.3k reviews)
    3.3 mi

    I've lived in the area for years but never made it out to this museum. I finally decided to come…read morehere a little early before the Formula 1 movie. There are street parking spaces on one side of the museum, but it'll be tricky to get a spot. They let people in at the top of the hour. You'll scan a barcode at the entrance to get to a website to sign up for free tickets. Then, you get ticket barcodes for them to scan at the entrance. Having been to the Chantilly A&S multiple times, I thought this museum wouldn't be anything new. I'm a little off here. The two A&S museums offer different things. The Chantilly one has a lot of space to house so many more planes. If you want to see the actual planes, Chantilly is the place. It's more complete in my opinion. The DC A&S is more educational. It offers a more complete history of human flight, but not a lot of space to show you that many planes. You'll find all the way from the Wright brothers' beginning, and space explorations to Star Wars X-Wings here. I like seeing the astronaut food section.

    We reserved timed tickets to explore the world renowned collection of air & space artifacts &…read morestories. We spent a lot of time getting through security at the door. Eight new galleries are now open & the museums renovation is scheduled to be completed next year. The vast 2 story gift shop offered unique amazing books, clothing, models, posters .... The Mars cafeteria offered expensive coffee, pizza, sandwiches & pasta. I was disappointed that the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater was closed. Planetarium tickets were sold when we entered. Some of the highlights of our visit were: 1903 Wright Bros. Flyer Apollo 11 module Star Trek's Enterprise Northrop Talon Mercury Capsule Ford - AT

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    Smithsonian - Mankind? That is an abstraction. 
 There have always been and always will be only individuals.
  ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    Mankind? That is an abstraction. There have always been and always will be only individuals. ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    Smithsonian - Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible.
    -M. C. Escher

    Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible. -M. C. Escher

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    Old Town Trolley Tours

    Old Town Trolley Tours

    3.7(594 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    Takes reservations
    Private events

    Took the Monuments by Moonlight Tour. Our tour operator was MJ and I can honestly say that he was…read moreAMAZING. He was very informative and knowledgeable. He literally commented on everything we drove past. He presented well with interesting facts and just the right touch of humor to keep us all engaged. It was HOT all week, but the weather that evening was perfect. What a beautiful way to see the sights. The trolley was stadium seating and everyone had a great view. I sat on the driver's side and felt I had a great viewpoint to see most everything without obstruction. There were three stops. MJ gave clear instructions on when to be back on the trolley. The timeframe for the stops was short (the total tour was about 2 hours) but just long enough to see the attractions at each stop. What a great tour!

    I booked directly from their website. Due to time constraints, I was able to change the tour date…read moreup to the day of the tour. With the amount of secret service activities, I'm sure the company understands the amount of time and brain power required to maneuver families around the city. We booked Arlington with the old town trolley tour. We combined the old trolley and Arlington tour. However, the website allows you to book separate dates for the 2 tours. Before you go on the tour, use the map trolley tracker to plan and track trolley live. It acts like a map and will guide you to the various stops. If you're driving, make sure to choose a stop and find the public parking closest to that area in order to return to your car after the tour. Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. The old time trolley will not drive you into Arlington. It will drop you at A1 spot to catch the Arlington trolley. Check the map consistently due to road closures. Other than that, I highly recommend you do this tour with the Arlington tour if you're tight on time in DC. Get off at strategic spot, see what you need to see, and move onto the next. From my observation, the trolley is not really wheelchair accessible. Person should be able to hop on and off without much assistance. There are other tour companies out there that might be better accommodating

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    Old Town Trolley Tours
    Old Town Trolley Tours
    Old Town Trolley Tours

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    Smithsonian National Zoological Park - zoos - Updated September 2026

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