Beltway Bambinos

What: Madame Tussauds

Where: 1001 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004

When: Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-5pm

Why: In the capital city with millions of things to see and do, there is only one place where your group can meet all 45 U.S. presidents, the world’s most fascinating celebrities, influential world leaders, historical figures, and sports icons. Walk the red carpet with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, shake it with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, and explore the nation’s history with George Washington and Barack Obama. I’ve lived in DC for ten years and never visited Madame Tussauds in Chinatown. My initial thought was that I didn’t think it would be a great spot to take my kids– after all what would they gain from looking at a bunch of wax people? I was incorrect in assuming this was a place to skip. It is definitely suitable for children. We took our three and six year old. It was surprisingly informational for our six year old. He read descriptions of people and was interested in when they were relevant while our three year old enjoyed seeing the wax figures and participating in the many interactive areas. There are areas that ask questions and you open a frame to see the answer- his favorite was determining the President’s Pets based on a photo. There were several areas where visitors could add flair or props to take a photo, grab a piece of equipment that went along with a player, read a famous speech or listen to an audio clip from an era– many compliments to the wax figures that really made the experience much better than just walking around reading about the person and moving along. The tour through the attraction is self-guided. It should take you approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete your tour. There is even a spot to stop and get a wax hand. (Purchasing Wax Hands separately is $10 at the door; with the purchase of the Extreme Value Ticket Online, wax hands is automatically included with your admission ticket.) An employee will take your hand or fist and create a cool, colorful wax impression. My six year old was brave enough to do it and it serves as a memory from our trip to Madame Tussauds.

Tickets: Prices vary depending on the package you choose

See more of our photos from our trip to Madame Tussauds on our Instagram page