# Free things to do with kids in Washington DC

Parks, playgrounds and other things to do in Washington DC that are free to get into. 30 listed.

Last updated 2026-10-12, from the newest confirmation among these places.

## The list

1. [The Fields at RFK Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/the-fields-at-rfk-playground-washington-dc) (playground, Washington DC). Free playground beside a large complex of sports fields, with shade and picnic tables. Has: free to enter.
2. [Palisades Community Center Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/palisades-community-center-playground-washington) (playground, Washington DC). Fully fenced and shaded by trees, with a climbing rock for bigger kids and a canoe slide for smaller ones. Has: free to enter.
3. [Stead Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/stead-park-playground-washington) (playground, Washington DC). Two fenced play areas, one for ages 2 to 5 and one for 5 to 12, so a toddler and an older sibling each get their own space. Plus a big field for running. Has: free to enter.
4. [Georgetown Waterfront Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/georgetown-waterfront-park-washington-dc) (park, Washington DC). A labyrinth set into the ground for kids to trace, and wide paths along the river. Has: free to enter.
5. [Lincoln Memorial - Main Chamber](https://ourplayday.com/places/lincoln-memorial-main-chamber-washington-dc) (attraction, Washington DC). A huge seated Lincoln with his famous words carved on the walls beside him. Kids can read along while you look up. Has: free to enter.
6. [National Archives Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/national-archives-museum-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). The founding documents themselves, with interactive displays that explain them. Has: free to enter.
7. [National Gallery of Art](https://ourplayday.com/places/national-gallery-of-art-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Galleries inside and a sculpture garden outside, with room to walk among the big pieces. Has: free to enter.
8. [Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History](https://ourplayday.com/places/smithsonian-national-museum-of-natural-history-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Dinosaur skeletons, animal halls, minerals and ocean displays under one roof. Has: free to enter.
9. [Smithsonian's National Zoo](https://ourplayday.com/places/smithsonians-national-zoo-washington-dc) (zoo, Washington DC). Giant pandas, a kids' farm of cows, goats and alpacas, and a carousel. Has: free to enter.
10. [United States Botanic Garden Conservatory](https://ourplayday.com/places/united-states-botanic-garden-conservatory-washington-dc) (garden, Washington DC). A glasshouse of tropical plants and desert displays, so kids can go from jungle to cactus in a few steps. Has: free to enter.
11. [Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens](https://ourplayday.com/places/kenilworth-aquatic-gardens-washington-dc) (garden, Washington DC). Boardwalks run out over the ponds, so kids can look straight down into the water. The lotus blooms are a summer thing. Has: free to enter.
12. [National Portrait Gallery](https://ourplayday.com/places/national-portrait-gallery-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Portraits and a courtyard, plus Explore, a hands-on space for 18 months to 8, so the youngest have their own room. Has: free to enter.
13. [Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/smithsonian-national-air-and-space-museum-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Landmark planes and spacecraft overhead, and a gallery on how flight works with a plane kids can sit in. Has: free to enter.
14. [Smithsonian National Museum of American History](https://ourplayday.com/places/smithsonian-national-museum-of-american-history-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Wonderplace for small kids and Spark Lab for young inventors. Has: free to enter.
15. [Smithsonian National Postal Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/smithsonian-national-postal-museum-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Mail trucks, stamps and interactive stories about how a letter gets to the door. Has: free to enter.
16. [United States National Arboretum](https://ourplayday.com/places/united-states-national-arboretum-washington-dc) (garden, Washington DC). Wide green grounds to run on, garden paths and a bonsai collection to see up close. Has: free to enter.
17. [Eastern Market - Indoor Food and Weekend Outdoor Market](https://ourplayday.com/places/eastern-market-indoor-food-and-weekend-outdoor-market-washington-dc) (attraction, Washington DC). Historic market hall with food stalls, where the blueberry buckwheat pancakes are a kid favorite, and crafts and produce outside on weekends. Has: free to enter.
18. [Folger Shakespeare Library](https://ourplayday.com/places/folger-shakespeare-library-washington-dc) (library, Washington DC). Hands-on family workshops split by age, inside a beautiful library built around Shakespeare's plays. Has: free to enter.
19. [Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial](https://ourplayday.com/places/franklin-delano-roosevelt-memorial-washington-dc) (attraction, Washington DC). Free outdoor memorial of rooms, sculptures and fountains, one for each of the four terms. Has: free to enter.
20. [Hirshhorn Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/hirshhorn-museum-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Free modern art museum full of strange, big works to talk about. Has: free to enter.
21. [Library of Congress](https://ourplayday.com/places/library-of-congress-washington-dc) (library, Washington DC). Family days with hands-on activities drawn from the collections, inside one of the most beautiful buildings in the country. Has: free to enter.
22. [Martin Luther King Jr Memorial](https://ourplayday.com/places/martin-luther-king-jr-memorial-washington-dc) (attraction, Washington DC). Free memorial with a huge carved statue and a wall of his quotations. Has: free to enter.
23. [Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Library](https://ourplayday.com/places/martin-luther-king-jr-memorial-library-washington-dc) (library, Washington DC). Free central library with a big reading room and art on the walls. Has: free to enter.
24. [National Museum of African American History and Culture](https://ourplayday.com/places/national-museum-of-african-american-history-and-culture-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Free museum of African American history and culture, with galleries on music and sports. Has: free to enter.
25. [Planet Word](https://ourplayday.com/places/planet-word-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Free language museum with voice-activated exhibits, karaoke and word games, best for ages 10 and up. Has: free to enter.
26. [Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art](https://ourplayday.com/places/smithsonian-national-museum-of-asian-art-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Quiet galleries and an art workshop where kids look closely at a piece, then make their own in the studio. Has: free to enter.
27. [Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian](https://ourplayday.com/places/smithsonian-national-museum-of-the-american-indian-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Artifacts and stories from Indigenous cultures, plus the imagiNATIONS activity center where kids get to try things with their hands. Has: free to enter.
28. [Thomas Jefferson Memorial](https://ourplayday.com/places/thomas-jefferson-memorial-washington-dc) (attraction, Washington DC). Free round memorial with columns and a tall statue, on the edge of the Tidal Basin. Has: free to enter.
29. [United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Daniel's Story](https://ourplayday.com/places/united-states-holocaust-memorial-museum-daniel-s-story-washington-dc) (museum, Washington DC). Holocaust history told through one boy's life, made for kids eight and up. Has: free to enter.
30. [World War II Memorial](https://ourplayday.com/places/world-war-ii-memorial-washington-dc) (attraction, Washington DC). Free memorial of pillars for every state around a big fountain plaza. Has: free to enter.

## Other lists for Washington DC

- [Changing tables](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-changing-tables) (6)
- [Kids' menu](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-kids-menu) (14)
- [Wheelchair accessible](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/wheelchair-accessible) (12)
- [Cribs](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-cribs) (28)
- [Pool](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-a-pool) (16)
- [Free breakfast](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-free-breakfast) (3)
- [Connecting rooms](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-connecting-rooms) (19)
- [Fridge in the room](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-a-fridge) (23)
- [Separate bedroom](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-a-separate-bedroom) (26)
- [Restrooms](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-restrooms) (4)
- [Shade](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-shade) (6)
- [Water play](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/with-water-play) (28)

## About this list

Every place here is a listing on Play Day, and a place is listed only when something positive is known about it for kids. Each listing carries the kid facts (high chairs, changing tables, kids' menus, wheelchair access) A list needs at least three places to exist.

Page: https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc/free-to-visit. All of Washington DC: https://ourplayday.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington-dc