You will never ever have a shortage of free activities in DC. Many of our activities are free, which is, of course, one of the many reasons why DC is the best place to live! But if you have little ones and are looking for an activity that the whole family can enjoy, you might want to skip the quiet art museums or symphony performances. Instead take your family to the National Zoo, DC’s best free activity.
The zoo is awesome first of all because it’s absolutely free. 364 days a year, you can just stroll right in and visit the animals. (They are closed on Christmas).
You might be thinking that because the zoo is free, it’s not a very good zoo. But the zoo in DC is amazing. There are over over 1,800 animals of 300 different species here! You can see almost every type of animal at the National Zoo.
Of course, perhaps the animal with the biggest following are the giant pandas. These beloved creatures even have a panda cam where you can check in on them anytime of day from the Zoo’s website.
There are also many other animals and species at the zoo. On the American Trail, you can see and learn about seals, otters, sea lions, bald eagles and wolves.
While you’re walking around, you definitely want to be looking for any live demonstrations. The staff holds different daily demonstrations throughout the day. You can watch elephant training, lemur feedings, Amazon fish feedings and meet the animal exhibits.
In addition to being a zoo, the National Zoo is also a Conservation Biology Institute. The scientists and conservation professionals there work behind the scenes to save species around the globe. You can learn about the conservation efforts at the different exhibits throughout the park.
While you’re visiting the zoo, you may get hungry. There are a variety of restaurants and snack stands at the zoo. You are also allowed to bring in food and non-alcoholic beverages and enjoy a picnic in one of there designated picnic areas.
The National Zoo is located 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008. There is a parking lot where you can pay to park or you can take the Metro to the Woodley Park stop.
