United States National Arboretum

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United States National Arboretum

Photo: APK · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🌷 Garden · Washington

2.5 hours · Free · No reservation needed

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 4.0
1–3 yrs
★ 4.0
3–5 yrs
★ 4.0
5–10 yrs
★ 3.0
  • 🚗
    About 35 min drive
    From Rockville · Parking: Several free lots inside the grounds; driving from stop to stop is the easy way
  • 🍼
    Stroller-friendly
    Flat surfaces — bring the stroller
  • 🌳
    Some shade
    Great on sunny days · Good on cool days · Fine on cold days
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 2.5 hours
    Best seasons: Spring · Fall · Summer

A free 446-acre arboretum in Northeast DC with almost nobody in it: the 22 original Capitol columns stand on a grassy slope, a sacred spot for running wild and taking pictures; the bonsai museum has a 400-year-old tree, the whole hillside of azaleas blooms in late April, and the creek in Fern Valley is good for rock hopping.

💡 Tips
The grounds are too big to walk, so drive between the Capitol columns, the bonsai museum, and the azalea hill. A tram runs on weekends ($). Almost no food for sale, so bring a picnic. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is 10 minutes away.

What this place offers

✓free
✓Capitol columns
✓bonsai museum
✓big lawn
✓azaleas
✓drive-through
✓restrooms
✓picnic

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This weekend's weather in Washington

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

🌦️
Sat 10/17
Showers · 47–62°F · 56% rain
☀️
Sun 10/18
Sunny · 44–63°F · 4% rain

Location

Washington, Washington, DC

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