Washington DC Unveils ‘DC Cool Kids’ Activity Guide for Family-Friendly Adventures in Nation’s Capital

Kids can get engaged in a tug of war with an Orangutan at Washington DC’s National Zoological Park, where you can visit its unique primate cognitive research center. A new DC Cool Kids guide lets you know the best times to visit © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Destination DC, the official tourism and marketing office for the District of Columbia, kicks off their summer 2014 with a new 8-page DC Cool Kids Activity Guide that highlights the many budget-friendly, only-in-DC experiences on and off the National Mall.

A printable PDF version of the guide and expanded editorial content can be found on Washington.org/DCcoolkids.

“Travel + Leisure Magazine ranks our city as the #1 destination in America for culture, and with more than 30-plus free museums, dozens of theaters and festivals including the Fourth of July, there are many compelling reasons for families to visit throughout the summer,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, president

and CEO of Destination DC. “Our DC Cool Kids Activity Guide, online content and booking engine connects families with expected and lesser known experiences from the moment they decide to enjoy a summer getaway in Washington DC.”

Packed with class DC-themed puzzles including connect-the-dots and word search challenges, the colorful DC Cool Kids Activity Guide also spotlights family activities at five popular DC-area attractions:

George Washington’s Mount Vernon: Explore the estate with an adventure map (for ages 8 and under) or a spy map (ages 9 and over) to fill in clues and solve puzzles.

National Air and Space Museum: Experiment with the four forces of flight, fold and fly a paper airplane and discover the problems that the Wright brothers faced in the How Things Fly Gallery.

National Museum of American History: Take an American personality quiz and then use the results to discover more about your inner naturalist, innovator, storyteller, discoverer, ambassador or activist as you encounter objects.

National Zoological Park: Coordinate your visit with the daily schedule to meet a giant panda keeper, watch Asian elephants in training, witness a lemur feeding and look out for orangutans overhead.

Newseum: Kids are invited to be an anchor in front of a green screen in the NBC News Interactive Newsroom and review clips of their broadcast.

To further inspire visitors, guide-holders are encouraged to visit all five venues, collecting a DC Cool Kids stamp at each attraction. Participants who collect five stamps will be eligible to enter a sweepstakes to win a summertime trip for four to Washington DC in 2015. DC Cool Kids Activity Guides will be distributed around the city at member hotel concierges and street-side boxes along with Washington, DC’s Official Visitor Guide. The guide is supported online with family-friendly content from DC Cool Kid insider picks to free things to do on Washington.org/DCcoolkids.

“Our goal for DC Cool Kids is to engage more families with Washington, DC,” said Elliott Ferguson. “This summer we’re celebrating the new developments such as the Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, the Cambria Suites at CityMarket at O and the reopening of the Washington Monument that help us to attract visitors, drive the local economy and create jobs. We’re looking forward to a busy summer travel

season filled with exciting events and milestones such as the 10th anniversary of the DC Jazz Festival, the 200th anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner and of course, July 4th in our nation’s capital. Summer 2014 should be DC Cool.”

For more information about what’s cool in DC this summer and to take advantage of hotel deals, and to access tips from local experts, itineraries and destination round-ups like top hands-on museums, free summer festivals, and family-friendly dining, visit Washington.org.

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Mount Vernon Offers Glimpse of Holiday Celebrations in George Washington’s Day

Mount Vernon decks the hall with themed Christmas trees on the estate and festive greenery in the Mansion from Nov 29, 2013 through Jan 6, 2014, and hosts special candlelight evening tours Nov. 29, 30 & Dec. 1 (Friday – Sunday), and weekends Dec. 7 & 8, 14 & 15 and 21 & 22 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

During the Christmastime event, visitors can get to tour the rarely-opened third floor of the Mansion; learn how chocolate was made in the 18th century with live demonstrations; hear engaging tales from Washington’s time in special weekend story hours and meet Aladdin the Camel and see the National Thanksgiving Turkey after its official “presidential pardoning” at the White House.

Candlelight Tours

For the candlelight evenings, you join “Mrs. Washington” as she hosts an enchanting evening of candlelight tours!  Tours include merry music, dancing, and characters from Washingtons’ world guiding visitors through the first and second floors of the home, adding ambiance and authenticity to a traditional Christmas evening at Mount Vernon.

On the Mount Vernon by Candlelight tour, visitors will meet a cast of friends and family of the famous founding couple. In the kitchen, the final stop on the tour, guests will hear about 18th-century holiday cooking, see a reproduction of Martha Washington’s Great Cake, and be given a complimentary copy of the recipe to try at home.  Following the Mansion tour, guests are invited to stroll candlelit walks, join in fireside caroling, and visit Aladdin the Christmas camel.

Since 1860, more than 80 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens the most popular historic home in America.  Through thought-provoking tours, entertaining events, and stimulating educational programs on the Estate and in classrooms across the nation, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.”  Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, America’s oldest national preservation organization, founded in 1853.  A picturesque drive to the southern end of the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, Mount Vernon is located just 16 miles from the nation’s capital.

Candlelight tours of Mount Vernon are offered on Nov. 29, 30 & Dec. 1, 7 & 8, 14 & 15, 21 & 22 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.  Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Ford Orientation Center or through MountVernon.org/Christmas. Admission is $22 for adults and $15 for children under 12. You can purchase tickets online (www.mountvernon.org/christmas). For information, 703-780-2000; http://www.MountVernon.org.

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