Downtown with Kids

If you happen to time your visit with a monthly KidSpy workshop at the International Spy Museum, your junior James Bonds and young Nancy Drews can assume a new identity complete with disguise, go on a spy mission, meet real spies, and more. This is a great museum for tweens, but younger kids may not get it.

On Saturday morning at 9:30 and 11:30, the National Theater presents free shows for children ages four and up. Tickets are distributed 30 minutes prior to showtime.

Teens will relish the creepy interactive exhibits at the Crime and Punishment Museum.

The National Building Museum takes building blocks to new heights as kids can strap on a tool belt and design their own homes or even cities.

At the National Archives kids can gawk at the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights; suddenly school history isn't so abstract.

The Newseum lets kids experience the stories behind the headlines, and they can even "broadcast" the news in front of the camera.

Both the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum have something for everyone, from presidential portraits to art made from aluminum foil, bottle caps, and even television sets.