While the Smithsonian is free, many of the other excellent museums in the DC area are not, so take this opportunity for a whirlwind tour of some of those other options:

• Become immersed in the world’s greatest news stories with four general admission tickets good for two consecutive days at the Newseum.


• Using four general admission tickets to explore hundreds of interactives and artifacts covering three floors, you'll have no less than a criminal amount of fun at the National Crime and Punishment Museum.


• Adopt a cover identity with two general admission passes to the International Spy Museum and delve into the shadowy world of espionage.


• Spend your weekends in a mansion-turned-museum featuring the most comprehensive collection of Russian imperial art outside of Russia, a distinguished 18th-century French decorative art collection, and twenty-five acres of serene landscaped gardens and natural woodlands with a family membership to the Hillwood Estate Museum.


• Come face to face with jellyfish, shark, and dolphins (or tamarins, two-toed sloths, and tarantulas) with two tickets redeemable at either the Baltimore or DC National Aquarium.