Good fun things for kids ages 5 and 7 to do in Baltimore Inner Harbor area (renting, live)

[parenting]

we are planning to go next weekend March 23,24.
in addition, how long will it take to drive from Inner Harbor to DC on Saturday morning. is there traffic on weekends going?

[GunsMass]

There's something called Port Discovery and there's also a huge Aquarium.

Driving to DC will be painless on a Saturday morning.

[KLynch10]

Science Center, plenty of ice cream, paddle boats. Great view from a top federal hill, where there is a play ground. There is usually shows in the middle of the inner harbor pavilion as well.

[carroll4628]

Go on the USS Constitution - the old sailing ship in the harbor. If you have time, the Pirate ship is fun for kids as you 'sail' around the harbor. The Aquarium is nice and the Science Center is really good. I'd skip Port Discovery with your kids as it's a zoo on the weekends. (OK, the aquarium and science center are a bit crowded as well, but not as bad IMO.)

From the Inner Harbor to the Mall in DC is going to be about an hour - we always take 295 to US50 and you won't hit traffic until you're by the National Arboretum.

[parenting]

are the boats open now? We are thinking of coming next weeknd.

also when is a good time to leave for DC> will w hit traffice if we go Saturday morning around 10am? if we will what time is best to leave?

is the pirate ship open now as well.
where do you recommend visiting in DC. there are so many things to choose from so I am trying to gear it to what the kids will like. (anything except the national zoo) as we are already near the Bronx Zoo.

[dogpark]

Originally Posted by parenting

are the boats open now? We are thinking of coming next weeknd.

also when is a good time to leave for DC> will w hit traffice if we go Saturday morning around 10am? if we will what time is best to leave?

is the pirate ship open now as well.
where do you recommend visiting in DC. there are so many things to choose from so I am trying to gear it to what the kids will like. (anything except the national zoo) as we are already near the Bronx Zoo.

In DC the Smithsonian museums are very cool, Air & Space and Natural History (dinosaurs, animals etc). Also the National Zoo in DC.

[carroll4628]

Sorry, the pirate ship doesn't start until April. The USS Constellation is open.

DC and the Mall. Not be be completely sexist, but my girls (6 & 8) LOVE the Natural history museum and are so bored at the Air & Space museum (they really liked the sister museum in Chantilly, VA). The Museum of American History is great for adults and older kids. (We know our kids would be bored.) But since it's free, you can just walk in, look around and if it's not your cup of tea, just move on. I'd say the same thing about the Senate building. You can walk in and wander about, but most younger kids would get bored with the tour. If the weather's nice, you can walk around the Vietnam memorial and the WWII memorial - the kids can run around a bit and perhaps wonder "why are all these people crying" or if you have a relative, you can have them "search" for a name (there are websites that can tell you where the name is so you can give them hints).

You can also check out TripAdvisor.com for reviews of all sorts of kid friendly places.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Two often overlooked places: The Baltimore Museum of Industry

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (U.S. National Park Service)

[GunsMass]

Driving to and from DC on a week-end shouldn't be a problem. The only thing I could imagine is that on Saturday night ~8pm, 495 could possibly get congested.

That being said, this weekend (17th) there's going to be a National Marathon and going to DC would be an horrendous exercise.

[dogpark]

I live close to Fort McHenry; we take kites when we go there. There is always a great breeze for flying kits and the monument is basically a park with the fort inside. Also great for a picnic.