Washington DC - when to visit?

[SamiHami]

Thanks MagicDomino!  Air and Space Museum is high on our list, so I will keep school tours in mind.  Crystal City is a great recomendation!  And the DC metro website is SOOOOO good!

Okay...so maybe instead of mid-june annivarsary trip, we'll do mid/late april for my bday.

April is my favorite time of year there. I have family and friends in the area so I've been a few times. One word of warning, though-bring clothes good for all weather. One April in DC I got snowed on, and hadn't brought appropriate clothes...had to borrow a coat from a cousin.

There's so much to do in DC that's it is almost impossible to recommend one thing over another, especially since you'll only be there a few days. If I were you, I'd see what festivals/events are going on during the dates you want to be there and plan around any you want to attend and work in any museums/monuments around that; but that's me...if there's a music festival going on, I'll almost always make that my first priority then do the other stuff!

[Winterlight]

April is a good time- it's warming up and the flowers are out, but it's not insanely crowded.

My favorite place for cherry blossoms is Dumbarton Oaks gardens. There's a fee, but it's something like $8 so pretty reasonable. They have a cherry hill which is lovely, and quite peaceful. The Tidal Basin WILL be packed. It's always packed.

Also, if you like Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art, the house has a great collection and it's free.

If you're interested in George Washington, Tudor Place down the street is a fun stop. It was built by Martha Washington's granddaughter and stayed in the family until 1983, when the last owner died and his will opened it to the public. There are several pieces owned by Washington in the collection. It also has a small but exquisite garden.