Why You Should Take The Family To The US Botanic Garden On Your Next Visit To Washington, DC
Visiting our nation’s capital in the summer can be a test of your tolerance for crowds, long distance hiking, and for dehydration. I love DC and its plethora of fantastic museums but the thought of standing in line outside the Air & Space Museum in July in 100 degree weather, waiting for an opportunity to shuffle between thousands of other sweaty tourists while craning to see a glimpse of a rocket, is enough to keep me at home.
Luckily, the immense amount of things to see in DC means that there are plenty of smaller museums and memorials to see that are overlooked by the vast majority of fellow tourists. Many of these smaller places are wonderful and well worth a visit in their own right but they are made even sweeter by the lack of crushing crowds.
It Is Less Crowded Than Other DC Sites Despite Being Super Interesting
The US Botanic Garden is one of those places. Despite its location next to the Capitol Building, it is still skipped over by the majority of tourists who focus on the bigger museums and the more famous monuments. They are making a mistake. This is a fun stop for the whole family--full of cool plants (carnivorous pitcher plants, poisonous herbs, and chocolate!) that will grab kids attention plus a semi- tranquil ambiance that parents will appreciate.
It Is Peaceful And A Little Rejuvenating
Plants are supposedly calming and I can definitely say that the thousands of plants here and their skillfully designed groupings make the Botanic Garden a peaceful oasis in what can be a hectic and tiring day spent visiting DC. It is quiet enough that I spotted several people reading books on benches during what looked to be their lunch break. If I lived/worked in the area, I would definitely be doing the same thing.
It Is Super Kid Friendly
Besides just all the neat plants and different environments to explore, there is a cool 2nd story catwalk in the Tropics section in the Conservatory that is always a hit because you get to see the trees and plants from a squirrel’s perspective. Be sure to find the Venus flytrap pot as well, everyone seems to be fascinated with this one.
The Children’s Garden in the Conservatory lets kids participate in some hands-on fun (open seasonally spring- fall).
Plus, you can check out several kids activity books and even a Junior Botanist backpack from the Visitor Information Desk that were pretty fun to do. Most of the activity books focus on the plants in the Conservatory but you will also find a Field Journal for kids to fill out when you visit the outdoor National Garden adjacent to the Conservatory.
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Inside the 93 foot tall Tropics exhibit in the US Botanic Garden. There’s a creek running through the middle and you can take the stairs up to see the place from a bird’s eye view (or a monkey’s). The kids thought it was so cool.
What To See In The US Botanic Garden
The gardens consist of the Conservatory, the National Garden, and Bartholdi Park. The Conservatory and the 3 acre National Garden are adjacent to each other while the small Bartholdi Park is across the street. (You can also see the map on this link to the Visitor Brochure.)
The Botanic Garden has sections on either side of Independence Ave and is very close to the Capitol as well as to the Air and Space Museum.
Image courtesy of the US Botanic Garden brochure
The Conservatory
The Conservatory is the large greenhouse in the Botanic Garden. Inside, you’ll find its large collection of plants arranged into several super cool rooms, including the Tropics, a Primeval Garden (complete with miniature dinosaurs), World Deserts, a whole section on Orchids (my favorite!), Medicinal Plants, and Endangered Plants among other exhibits.
Map of the Conservatory, courtesy of the US Botanic Garden website
Click on pictures below to enlarge
One of my other favorite sections in the Conservatory is Medicinal Plants, a large room stuffed with plants common and uncommon, from which we derive lots of useful medicines, like digitalis for the heart (from foxgloves), aloe vera for burns (from the aloe plant), and quinine for malaria (from the bark of the cinchona tree). And of course, my morning must-have, coffee.
The spectacular Angels Trumpet is used by native people in South America as a hallucinogen in rituals. It can also kill you. So there’s that.
And then there are the kids’ favorite things in the Conservatory, like the Venus Flytrap, the Children’s Garden, and the catwalk above the Tropics. Plus, all the activity booklets.
The kids spent forever looking at each flytrap to see if there was anything in there.
The National Garden
The 3 acre National Garden is just outside of the the Conservatory and it focuses on plants native to the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It may be small but the garden manages to cram a lot of variety into its little footprint with a butterfly garden, a stream and lily pond, a rose garden, and lots of little nooks that kids will love to pop in and out of.
The National Garden is is a fairly recent addition, opening in 2006, so if you haven’t visited DC in awhile, it might be new to you.
Scenes from the National Garden, click on pictures below to enlarge
Bartholdi Park
The centerpiece of this 2 acre park across the street from the Conservatory is the Fountain of Light and Water, a large water fountain sculpted by Auguste Bartholdi. (Most people know him by his most famous work- the Statue of Liberty.)
While the large water fountain is beautiful, the rest of Bartholdi Park is also worth exploring. It was renovated in 2016 to be a sustainable garden, incorporating ecological techniques such as preventing stormwater runoff, fixing the soil onsite instead of bringing in new topsoil, and using resilient plants that do not need as much fertilizer and watering. The park is well worth crossing Independence Avenue to see.
You’ll find nice shaded tables around the fountain that are perfect for a picnic. You will have to bring food with you though, as there is not anything near the gardens besides an occasional hot dog stand. The nearest cafes/restaurants are by the Federal Center Metro stop, several blocks away from the gardens.
Where To Eat Near The Botanic Garden
My first choice would be to bring some to go sandwiches or pastries and grab a table in the National Garden or around Bartholdi Fountain. I finished my coffee at one of the tables overlooking the fountain and have to say it was a nice start to the day.
So bring something from home or stop on the way. There are several sandwich places plus a Starbucks around the Federal Center metro stop (I recommend 2 Sisters Deli) as well as a Korean rice bar. (See the map below under ‘Getting There’ for the Federal Metro stop location.)
If you want more choices than what is found around the Federal Center metro stop, I would walk 0.5 miles east on Independence Avenue (up the hill past the Capitol) and and veer slightly right onto Pennsylvania Avenue. You will find lots of fast casual restaurants and cafes here.
We are partial to Good Stuff Eatery for their delicious burgers (including an excellent vegetarian mushroom burger and I don’t even like mushrooms) and shakes (the toasted marshmallow is amazing). We also like We The Pizza for an inexpensive yet tasty slice of pizza or Santa Rosa Taqueria. All 3 of these restaurants are next door to each other on Pennsylvania Ave. (Full disclosure- I am related to the owners of all 3 of those places but I think I would still suck down that toasted marshmallow shake in about 2 minutes even without the family connection. But if you want something else, this strip of Pennsylvania Avenue has lots of other places to choose from.)
The Details
Hours
The Conservatory is open every day 10am-5pm, including holidays and weekends.
The National Garden (the outdoor garden adjacent to the greenhouse) is open 730am- 5pm everyday plus extended hours until 7pm during the summer.
The Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens is open from dawn to dusk everyday.
See the website for detailed hours and directions.
Admission
FREE
Getting There
Metro
I would definitely take the Metro as street parking is awful unless you plan on being here super early in the morning, way before the gardens open and even then there is a 2 hour limit. The nearest Metro stop is only 3 blocks away- get off at the Federal Center which is served by the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
Car/ Share
Uber/Lyft is also a good option or take a bikeshare/scooter share.
Map of the Metro stop nearerst to the Botanic Garden
More Information: The blog, The Horticult, has lots of lovely pictures from the Botanic Garden if you want to see more of what to expect.
Final Thoughts
I hope you have a chance to visit the US Botanic Garden on your next DC trip, especially if you have never been there before. It’s an opportunity to take a chance on something a little bit different from the usual (and crowded) popular sights.
I have family members who live in DC and their kids’ school takes a yearly field trip to the Botanic Garden that their kids always enjoy. That is a pretty good locals’ recommendation in my book.
We thought the Botanic Garden was interesting and refreshing after so many museums and well worth the hour or so we spent exploring. Next time I will make like a local and bring a book with me or at least lunch. Can’t ask for a prettier setting.
For goodness sake, even the bathroom at the Botanic Garden had gorgeous plants in it! Plus, it was really clean- you might stop in for this reason alone.
Where To Stay In DC
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My Two Cents On Where To Stay
DC has a reputation for being unsafe and although I do not find it much different than any big city in the US, there are certain areas that are more tourist friendly than others. Generally speaking with 0.5-1 mile of the National Mall is a good rule of thumb.
Capitol Hill is my favorite (the area east of the Capitol building going about 10 blocks east and about 10 blocks north/south). Foggy Bottom around George Washington University is another good area with a lot going on and is pretty safe. Georgetown is good as well although it can be pricey.
The H street corridor just east of Union Station is a revamped area with good restaurants and a handy free streetcar running up and down. It is a little cheaper than many areas of DC. The Wharf near Jefferson Memorial is a new redevelopment spurring a lot of growth in that area. Good restaurants, lots of shops, and a couple of hotels there with a nice waterfront view.
You can also look across the Potomac River to Virginia for cheaper accommodations in Rosslyn, Crystal City and Arlington. It is an easy Metro ride to the main tourist sites (5 stops to the National Mall from Rosslyn, 3 from Crystal City) and these suburbs are often about half the price of hotels in the district. Plus, since the hotels here tend to serve mostly business travelers, weekend rates are even better.
Hotels
In Downtown
Staying near the Capitol is an expensive option, although it does keep you closer to the action. Good luck finding a room for a family of 4 under $400 a night in a name-brand hotel.
If you are up for a splurge though, there are several gorgeous historic hotels, such as the Intercontinental Willard, that are worth the money if you have it. (The lobby makes you ogle and also makes you wish you were a fancy enough person that didn’t do such uncouth things as ogle.) This 200 year old hotel is conveniently located near the White House and lives up to its 5 star billing. If you are in DC near Christmas time, stop in to check out its beautiful holiday decorations.
In Virginia
Try the Hampton Inn and Suites Arlington Crystal City DCA for good sized rooms, free breakfast, and free airport shuttle to Reagan which is so close, you could almost walk to it. The hotel is also in close proximity to “Restaurant Row” on 23rd Street south and there are even more choices around the corner from the row on Crystal Drive.
Vacation Rentals
If you want more room, try an apartment rental. Walking around all day looking at museums or even just exploring the Mall can be super tiring and it is really nice to be able to come back somewhere with a little more space than your typical hotel room. Plus, the ability to make dinner or breakfast at a vacation rental can save you some big bucks.
Many of the picturesque row houses found in DC have garden apartments or “English basements” (no idea where the name came from). These are partially below ground apartments on the ground floor of these row houses with their own entrances and are frequently rented out to Capitol Hill interns and as short- term rentals. They are often 1 BD/ 1 Ba but depending on how much money the homeowner has put into them, they can be quite nice. These places are often the best deals going for lodging if you don’t need a massive amount of room.
Fantastic historic English Basement Apt- Prime Capitol Hill Location! is a 2 BR/ 1 Ba basement apt in a row house with a separate, gated entrance, a washer/ dryer, and even a little garden in the back. Location is A+ as it is 3 blocks away from the Capitol. Great reviews and averages $220 a night.
Beautiful 2 Bedroom Unit is a gorgeous recently renovated 2 BR/ 2.5 BA row house in the Capitol Hill area with lots of space if you are looking for a home away from home while in DC. A little more expensive but looks like you are getting a lot of bang for the buck and the location is great. *Must have prior positive reviews on VRBO. Averages $375 a night and has glowing reviews.
Modern & Central to GWU, Natl Mall, Georgetown, Free Pvt Parking & EV Charging is a wonderful 3 BR/ 3 BA recently renovated townhome in Foggy Bottom with plenty of room for the whole family. Free parking is a definite perk in the city, let alone with a free charger, awesome if you have a Tesla (I am officially jealous). 5 star reviews and averages $478 a night.
Spacious Artistic Home Steps To Georgetown And The White House is a super cute 4 BR/ 4 BA rowhouse where every bedroom has a different theme. Also located in Foggy Bottom, this house has a parking spot and is very close to the metro. Fantastic reviews and averages $366 a night.
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Looking for 360 views from the shortest hikes ever? Look no further than Shenandoah National Park. We loved our day and half here, hiking and rock scrambling and exploring the awesome and appropriately named Skyline Drive. It is easy to get to Shenandoah from Interstate 81, has lots of hikes for all ages, 5 campgrounds or 2 historic lodges to choose from, and some of the best sunset views I have ever seen. Don’t drive past the signs for Shenandoah on I-81. Stop for half a day (or several days) and get to know this fabulous national park.