It is a must see if you're in town, but the lines are long, even if you booked a ticket to do a…read moretour. So if possible, come early. Otherwise, prepare to wait outside, and make sure you look up what is or isn't allowed in. I did not pre-book a tour, but there are still exhibits worth seeing inside. There's an exhibit on the Capitol and Congress, a couple videos on how the two branches work, and right now a temporary exhibit on how America celebrated some of its previous anniversaries. The exhibits were very engaging and probably take an hour of time if you're into it. The line could also take about an hour. So come early and try to book a tour beforehand online or else take your chances on site. It's one of the most important buildings in the city, so it's worth the time, even if it's a bit of a wait.

Not to be missed. I highly recommend booking a tour that includes timed tickets to the US Capitol…read more I used DC by Foot. Reason for using a tour guide is It's extremely crowded at the Visitors Center, and constant crowds of students on field trips to learn about our branches of government. The DC by Foot guides are very knowledgeable, they know where to go in the Capitol. The guide I had got House Gallery passes for our group and the commemorative 250 yr (US Semi quincentennial) admission tickets. I learned you can tell if the House or Senate is in session by looking to see if the flag is raised or not on the House or Senate side. The other part of the tour is watching a presentation then going with the US Capitol guides in red jackets and using audio to view the art and history. I also liked the souvenir shop there too so I got commemorative 250 items.

This is hosted by the National Park Service so service and experience similar to what you'd see at…read moreother NPS sites. I went here to go get the commemorative ornament that has the declaration of independence for the 250 anniversary and to look around the exhibits. I'd go back again, it's small but something to see if you have some time.

The White House Visitor's Center has a lot of potential, but it needs some TLC…read more Reservations are not required, and admission is free, but you must pass through security. I was surprised, as I thought this would be a glorified gift shop or place to learn about the area. If you are looking for a good gift shop, they do have one with lots of merchandise from the White House Historical Association. The exhibits and replicas are fun and would be interactive, but many screens were broken. One area featured a spot where you could write down an idea of what the president should do, but there were no pencils or paper. The suggestions were from many years ago, mostly the Obama administration. On the other hand, the staff members were incredibly nice! They are National Parks Employees and showed me an authentic piece of the White House that broke years ago. His enthusiasm for his job is the big reason why I'm giving the center four stars instead of three. I worry that with the current Republican administration's budget cuts for national parks and sites, the museum may not get the fixes it needs to continue to educate people about the White House.

Didn't do the tour this time. Like the White House, the interior isn't worth the wait (we didn't…read moresee the chambers of the deliberative bodies) Glad I did I it before though. My rating is for the building. This is architecturally the most breathtaking building in our great country. Worth going up to take a picture or just take it in If a natural beauty site can be five stars why can't this sublime building? Sigh

The United States Capitol is one of those places that is hard to put into words even after I have…read morebeen there. Standing in front of it for the first time, the scale and the history of what the building represents hit differently than any photo or textbook ever prepared me for. The exterior alone was worth the trip, but stepping inside was where it really got me. Tours are free and worth booking in advance through my representative's office if I wanted a more personal experience, though the general public tours are well organized and cover a lot of ground. Security moved quickly and the process for getting in was straightforward. The viewing gallery pass system is a separate step that felt a little clunky, so I factored that in and did not expect it to be seamless. Inside, the dome area is the centerpiece and genuinely one of the more impressive architectural spaces I have walked through in this country. The statuary hall has pieces representing every state, and the artwork throughout the building carries a lot of the same weight I would expect from a place this tied to American history. It did not feel exactly like a museum, more like a building that happens to have centuries of context built into every room. I would plan for a couple of hours at minimum to take it in properly rather than just moving through. Weekdays tend to feel calmer and the guided tours give a lot more context than wandering on my own would.

Fun for a free experience. The crèche display was neat but the room was small so the line took…read moreforever--not ideal with kids. The lights are beautiful but it's a short walk around. Magical for a few minutes.

It's a beautiful church very pretty.I hear they decorate it during the holidays.For christmas so I…read morecan't wait to come back.And visit it.They have a nice gift store to check the inside of the temple.

Walking to visitor office, since this is my first time to this park. The Billy goat trail was…read moreclosed due to the heavy rain we had for the past 10 day from September to the beginning of October, I was a bit disappointedI was hoping to climb.all 13.8 miles up, but I made it to the observation deck to see the Potomac River overflow which was a spectacular view. I managed to walked over 17K steps. I recommend going to this National Park, I paid $20 for the year and I can visit all National parks in the DMV area.

On Sunday during Tony's Birthday Trip, We stopped at Great Falls Tavern Visitors Center. The Great…read moreFalls National Park can be seen on both sides of the Potomac River Gorges, Virginia and Maryland. The fee is $20 per car. Once you pay, your receipt is good for 7 days at any park entry points, including both sides, either states. There is plenty of parking spots and bathroom facility near the parking lot. We went inside the Visitors Center to look at the museum displays, get literature about the park, trails and sites. We took the 1 mile Falls Overlook Trail that took us past the Canal Boat on display. There was many Visitors milling around, biking, walking and enjoying the beautiful weather.

Wow! Attached to the parking garage this place is great! There are restrooms and a lovely group of…read morepeople ready to help and share their insights of the area. Very knowledgeable and helpful. We were able to get maps, magazines, bus info (free shuttle), etc. For sure stop in here if in the area. Wealth of information. You can tell the employees truly love their beautiful city.

I came by here on a Wednesday afternoon during my second visit to Annapolis. I collect stamps and I…read moredid not have one from Annapolis before and wanted to see if they had one. While alas, they did not have a stamp from their city for visitors, they did, after I inquired about them, have stickers! One of the employees came by with 4 different sticker options from me to choose from for free! This was so kind of them! They also have a ton of pamphlets about different tourism parts of the city you may be interested in such as historic sites to restaurants!

I'm fairly new to the area, and I am so glad that we found this diamond in the rough…read more We visited Colonial Beach (technically estuary, I think) during a weekday near the end of June, and it was exactly what we were looking for. During our four hours at the beach, I think we saw only 10-13 people in our area. This was absolutely perfect for me because I was looking for a quiet, chill beach experience. Since we visited during the week, parking was not a hassle. The walk from our parking spot to the beach was less than 5 minutes on foot. Also, parking was about $2 an hour, which is not bad because some places charge $5+ per hour. I would image that parking probably is a nightmare during the weekends. From other reviews, I guess we lucked out because we did not have any interaction with jellyfish. Although I saw information about shops and business along the boardwalk, we did not visit any local businesses during our trip. *Hopefully, we'll have a chance to check out some shops during our next visit.* However, I think a lot of places were closed anyway because we did not see many people on the boardwalk in general. If you are used to (or looking for) crystal blue water and fine sand on a beach, this beach might not before you. The water is dark (you're technically in the Potomac River) and the beach itself is quite rocky. I think if you visit without high expectations of experiencing a beach off of the Amalfi Coast or somewhere in the Caribbean, I think you will be fine with a very low-key beach/estuary/river adventure at CBVA.

It was quiet. It wasn't crowded. It was peaceful... BUT... it's so many rocks and bugs in the…read moresand... like millions of these sand flea black crab looking things... it was a very uncomfortable situation. So glad we had chairs because sitting on that beach blanket was awful. Probably won't be back... but it is okay

This is a beautiful and informative visitor center located at the inner harbor in Baltimore. It…read morehas several panels describing the various areas of Baltimore so you can go and explore all the neighborhoods and things to do and see in Baltimore. The building is located along the water at the inner harbor and has glass windows looking out to the harbor so the surroundings are bright and beautiful. They also have a small gift shop that sells merchandise.

This is great place to rest and relax in the busy inner harbor area. I appreciate that the…read moresouvenirs are affordable and the workers are very knowledgeable. I was looking for the Visit Baltimore sign and they gave easy and accurate directions on how to get there. Bathrooms are clean and brightly lit.

If you are visiting Old Town Alexandria for the first time, I highly recommend going to the visitor…read morecenter on King Street. There are public restrooms on the first floor. The second floor is the visitor center area. Jeff was very helpful, kind, and friendly in providing information and maps in the visitor center. I got a lot of pamphlets, info, and ideas of where to go and what to do in Alexandria there. They also sell tickets for ghost & historical tours in Alexandria. Overall, the place was clean, inviting, and informative.

Thank you to everyone who works or volunteers here! After a flight delay of a day from IAD, we…read morespent an unexpected day in Alexandria, VA. The airline put us in a nasty hotel about 20 minutes outside Alexandria but a friend alerted us that Old Town Alexandria was beautiful, historic, and a don't-miss. My husband and I and our five kids in tow ubered with all our luggage to Old Town and popped into the Visitor's Center. I begged to leave our bags with them so we could tour around. It isn't something they are used to doing but gladly helped us with the request and locked our bags safely away. Barbara came out from the back and asked if she could take us around on a one-hour tour. Best decision we made. What an amazing town! The people who work at the Visitor's Center were so sweet, kind, considerate and helpful and what could have been a chaotic and hectic day from our unexpected flight cancelation turned into a historic and memorable time for our family. Thank you Visitor's Center of Old Town Alexandria! Be sure to visit them and TAKE THEIR TOUR!

This museum is so magical!…read more Our group of nine had a blast weaving our way from room to room. The museum is equally fun for kids and adults with topics like language, reading, translation and karaoke to make a few. Everything was so well thought out and interactive. I couldn't get enough of the library room where books come to life with video-like illustrations building off the pages. It felt like we were transported into Belle's massive and dreamy library from Beauty and the Beast complete with a secret hidden room off the side (tucked behind a bookcase door). We had kids ages 2-5 and it was perfect for them. Note that you'll need to park strollers in the basement level. To top it all off, we had a fabulous lunch at Immigrant Food located on the lower level. Oh, how could I forget to mention that the museum is free? Amazing!

Funny story - I was looking for kid-friendly ideas of things to do in DC and asked ChatGPT for…read moreideas. One of the responses was the Planet Word museum, which I never heard of. I looked it up and decided to try it! They recommend you get timed passes online ahead of time; it's free but they do recommend a donation. This museum is SO COOL! As someone who loves different languages and words I loved everything about this place! My kids loved all of the interactivity. There is a room with an interactive word wall and you can interact and answer and request more info on the history of certain words. For example, I learned that "ketchup" was named after a Chinese sauce even though they are not similar. There is also a magical library room where you can pick a book off the shelf and place it on a book holder and the book is read to you. There are also mirror shadow boxes that come to life if you read the inscription. Finally, the kids loved the karaoke room - you select a song and as you sing along you see the types of parts of speech at play in the song. Great experience, would for sure recommend and go back!