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You have to buy plane tickets, food, and sleep some where (Andy and I have camped in a minivan at the Grand Canyon)… but the daily activities don’t have to break the bank! Here are 29 fun, free, family friendly things to do in Washington, DC!
Here is a map of all 19 museums… these could keep a person busy for days… most of them surround the National Mall… you can walk to all of them pretty easily… 
Sadly, we did not make it to the zoo… but according to the website there are pandas, elephants, white-naped cranes, gorillas, tigers, and cheetahs!
21: Walking Tour with DC by Foot with a guided tour for FREE (guides work for tips)! There are 4 tours to choose from, be sure to check the schedule. reservations of 6 or less are not required.
22: See how money is made for free! There are different policies for peak (march-aug.) and non peak times (sept.-feb.) It’s 40 minutes and free all year round, but you need tickerts for the peak time. This another thing I will do next time I go (hopefully, when those cherry blossoms are blooming!)
23: Play Frisbee, throw a football, have a picnic, fly a kite, or take silly pictures in the Washington Monument field. You can not go to the top right now because of damage from the earthquake.
24: You have to see the white house which is walking distance to the Washington monument and National Mall. Be sure to check out the front and the back side of the White House. If you want to see the inside, you have to request a tour through a member of congress. See the details here. Lafayette square is directly in front of the White House and has really tame squirrels that are fun to see.
This is actually the back of the White House (I feel like it is always the view on tv?)
You know I like squirrels
25. 4 must see Memorials: Lincoln, MLK, Korean War, WWII… all free you could do all of these in an an hour walk! The reflecting pool was under construction while I was there 
26. Cherry Bloom Festival (March 20- April 27, 2012) I really want to see these suckers in bloom! There’s a parade, performances, and music
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27. Visit the National Archives (for free) and view the original Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence! There are different times for different seasons, be sure and check it out.
28. Tour the capitol building- Tours are M-F from 8:50-3:20. Passes are required, but free
29. Old Post Office Clock Tower Tour- Since the Washington monument is closed, this is the next best option in DC for a birds eye view. It’s free and open 7 days a week!
Have you been to DC? Did you know ALL of the Smithsonian museums are free! That was such an exciting surprise Check out 30+ cities on the Creating Really Awesome Free trips List !
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I went on a trip to Washington DC years ago but I would love to go back. There's so much to be seen! I love your The Washington Monument pic!
We just moved to the DC area last spring, and I was surprised about the free museums as well. I was really hoping to see the cherry blossom festival this year since we missed it last year due to the move, but this time (the 100th anniversary by the way) we have a baby due the day before the parade! Hopefully we'll get to participate at least a little before the bundle of joy (and sleepless nights) arrive ; )
I actually live in DC (actually right outside of the city but I work in the city). The free museums are awesome. Yep, the zoo is free…just pay for parking…or take the metro and walk!
The Cherry Blossom Festival is a must. They are so gorgeous!
Looks like you had a great time on your trip.
Um, you forgot the Vietnam Memorial. There's tons more to do for free, as well. 6 pm concerts at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage are free, there's hiking on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal towpath, Arlington Nat'l Cemetery, checking out the fish market, exploring neighborhoods like Georgetown and Eastern Market…
I love DC! We used to live in Maryland so I feel lucky to have seen so much of the capitol. If you do decide to host a month of really awesome free trips I'd be happy to write one about Portland, Ore.
I'm not a DC pro… I was just going with what I saw in a weekend
I'm sorry I forgot the Vietnam Memorial… I will definitely check it out on my next trip to DC, hopefully when it is not so cold 
I would love for you to write a post about Portland…that is one city I'd love to visit
Next time you go, you have to find the Albert Einstein monument which is a little hidden but a gem! If you stand on the North Star and talk to Albert it is in stereo!
I live about half an hour from DC and I think you've seen more of it that I have! lol Eventually we'll get to all of those museums. The zoo is great, but it's an all day thing. I'm glad you had a good visit!
On my last trip to Maryland, we took a day to see some of the Smithsonian Museums we missed on our last trip. Being from Ohio, I got chills standing next to the original Wright Flyer. It's amazing that little plane started it all.
The Spy Museum isn't free, but it's fun for kids and adults. The best part of the trip was seeing the Korean Monument at night. It adds a lot to an already moving memorial.