Free Museums in Washington DC

Has the Hope Diamond, a T. rex, a live butterfly pavilion ($1 extra), an insect zoo, and an ocean hall. The Discovery Room lets kids touch things. Free, no tickets. Go at 10am sharp or the crowds pile up.

Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer, Apollo 11 command module, and Space Shuttle Discovery (at the Udvar-Hazy annex in VA). About half the museum is open during a multi-year renovation, but the new galleries and planetarium are worth it. Free, but you need timed-entry passes. Book up to 2 months ahead.

163 acres, 2,100+ animals, completely free. Pandas, elephants, great apes, big cats. The Kids' Farm lets children get close to farm animals. Everyone (including babies) needs a free advance pass. Woodley Park-Zoo Metro stop is right there.

The actual Star-Spangled Banner, Dorothy's ruby slippers, Julia Child's kitchen, and the First Ladies' gowns are all here. Wegmans Wonderplace is a free play space for ages 0-6. Spark!Lab lets older kids invent and build. Free, no passes needed.

Free museum about language and words. Karaoke, poetry creation, word-origin games across multiple floors. Free with a suggested $15 donation. Reserve a pass online to guarantee entry. Closed Tuesdays.

Two buildings connected by an underground walkway kids love running through. 141,000 works, all free. Daily guided tours, weekend film screenings, family programs. First Saturdays have free art-making for kids. Sculpture Garden has wading in summer, ice skating in winter (~$10). Friday evening jazz with a sangria cart in summer.

300+ miniature trees inside the 446-acre National Arboretum. Kids activity pamphlet available. The grounds also have 22 original Corinthian columns from the US Capitol, a koi pond, and open meadows. Rarely crowded. No Metro access, so drive or rideshare. Bring food. Pair with Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (also free) for a full day.

Where Lincoln was shot. Still an active theater. The basement museum has the actual Derringer pistol, Lincoln's coat, and Booth's diary. Includes the Petersen House across the street where Lincoln died. Free with advance timed-entry. Same-day tickets drop at 8:30am and go fast. No large bags.

Largest library in the world. The Thomas Jefferson Building's Great Hall and Main Reading Room viewing gallery will stop you in your tracks. Jefferson's personal book collection is on display. Free one-hour tours Mon-Sat. The Capitol is right next door (also free, book through your representative).

Underrated Smithsonian next to Union Station. Kids sort packages, design stamps, climb in a stagecoach, fly an airmail biplane simulator. Free, never crowded. When the Mall museums are packed, come here.

The actual Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights are here. Older kids who've studied them in school lose their minds. Discovery Center has interactive stations on how government works. Free, but $1.50 timed-entry passes recommended on busy days. Walk-up when capacity allows.

African American history from slavery through civil rights to today. Upper floors cover music, sports, and food and are especially engaging for older kids and teens. Free but timed-entry passes required. They release monthly and go fast. Same-day passes sometimes available at 10am.

Two buildings, both free. The West Building has European masters including the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Americas. The East Building is modern and contemporary. Sculpture Garden outside has jazz in summer and ice skating in winter.

Massive collection of American art from colonial portraits to contemporary work. Shares a building with the National Portrait Gallery. The Kogod Courtyard between them is a glass-covered atrium worth seeing on its own. The Renwick Gallery (one block from the White House) is a satellite space for craft and decorative arts. All free.

Five floors tracing African American history from slavery through civil rights to today. Free but timed-entry passes are required and sell out immediately when they release monthly. Same-day passes sometimes available at 10am. Plan at least 3 hours. It will move you.

Free jazz every Friday evening, Memorial Day through Labor Day, in the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden. Bring a blanket. Sangria and snacks from the garden cafe. 5-8:30pm. Get there by 5 for a good spot.

Modern and contemporary art in the round concrete building on the Mall. 12,000+ works in the permanent collection plus rotating exhibitions. The sunken outdoor Sculpture Garden is quiet and free. No tickets needed. Way less crowded than Natural History or Air & Space.