Things to do with kids in Arlington
Arlington's specialty is the Potomac and the planes: at Gravelly Point jets land 100 feet over the lawn, the elevated esplanade at Long Bridge Park watches airplanes on one side and the Capitol on the other, and Theodore Roosevelt Island is an entire forested island reached by a footbridge. The free Mall museums are ten minutes across the river, and the Clemyjontri playground in McLean is fifteen minutes west.
A perfect toddler day: turtles on the Roosevelt Island boardwalk in the morning, a picnic under the planes at Gravelly Point, then storytime at Arlington Central Library and the playground outside. Big kids ride Metro across to Air and Space, or in winter skate at the outdoor rink at Pentagon Row.
- 14 places
- 13 free
- 14 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
14 places
Drive times from Arlington
Arlington Central Library
5.0Arlington · 5 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot beside the library; Metro Orange/Silver to Virginia Square and a 5-minute walk
Gravelly Point plane watching
5.0Arlington · 10 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot reachable only from the northbound GW Parkway, packed on sunny weekend afternoons
Smithsonian National Museum of American History (Wegmans Wonderplace)
5.0Washington · 10 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Metro to Smithsonian or Federal Triangle and a 5-minute walk; street parking is free on weekends but hard to find
Theodore Roosevelt Island
4.0Arlington · 10 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot reachable only from the northbound GW Parkway, full after 10am on weekends; or Metro to Rosslyn and a 10-minute walk
Long Bridge Park plane and DC views
4.0Arlington · 10 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Park garage and street parking on Long Bridge Dr, free on weekends (check the signs); Metro to Crystal City and a 10-minute walk
Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium
5.0Washington · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free nature center lot, plenty of room on weekend mornings
Smithsonian National Zoo
5.0Washington · 15 min drive
3.5 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
Free · Parking: Zoo lots $30/car and often full; Metro Red Line to Woodley Park or Cleveland Park and a 10-minute walk (downhill from Cleveland Park)
Kogod Courtyard (American Art Museum)
5.0Washington · 15 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Downtown garages about $15–25; Metro to Gallery Place-Chinatown puts you at the door
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (DC central library)
5.0Washington · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Downtown garages from $15; easiest by Metro to Gallery Place-Chinatown or Metro Center, 3-minute walk
United States Botanic Garden
5.0Washington · 15 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Street parking around the Mall is free on weekends but hard to find; Metro to Federal Center SW and a 5-minute walk
National Building Museum
5.0Washington · 15 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Metro Red Line to Judiciary Square puts you at the door; admission about $10–12 adults, about $7 ages 3–17, free under 3 (check the website)
Yards Park canal and fountains
5.0Washington · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Navy Yard garages about $10–15 on weekends; easier to take the Metro Green Line to Navy Yard-Ballpark and walk 5 minutes
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
4.0Washington · 15 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Street parking around the Mall is free on weekends but nearly impossible; Metro to Smithsonian or Federal Triangle and a 5-minute walk
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (National Mall)
4.0Washington · 15 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
Free · Parking: Easiest by Metro to L'Enfant Plaza and a 5-minute walk; street parking is free on weekends but almost impossible to find
💡 Good to know
- The Gravelly Point and Roosevelt Island lots are reached only from the northbound GW Parkway; miss the turn and it's a long loop back. Both fill after 10am on sunny weekends.