Mommy FTW

Sunday morning my husband, Cameron, and I headed over to the National Zoo (part of the Smithsonian in Washington DC – and FREE) in search of something to do. Cameron and I go to the Zoo lots – and I knew there were indoor exhibits we could check out, and mostly avoid the freezing cold weather.

We parked in Parking Lot D (at the bottom of the hill,) and headed to check out Amazonia, which is about a 5 minute walk from the lot. The exhibit is made of two levels – the bottom level which you enter on has aquariums with HUGE (as big as me – no joke) fish and turtles, as well as sting rays. It’s really amazing to look at – Cameron was enthralled. By the way, at 11am they do the feedings, which are pretty fun to watch. Workers at the Zoo hang out by the aquariums to show and tell the kids examples of what the fish are eating and answer questions.

At the end of the hallway on the aquarium level is a set of stairs and elevator which take you up to the forest floor level. Here you see all the trees of the rain forest, and you can look down into the pools which make up the aquariums which you just saw below. None of the kids that were in the exhibit found this to be nearly as cool as the aquarium level, but it’s still neat to check out. Cameron loved the big trees, the flowers, and the birds that were there. You can also see monkeys if you look closely. Watch out, it occasionally rains a little!

As you exit the other side of the forest level you can take the elevator back down and there is a section that has some frogs and other creatures in aquariums. There is also a bathroom and water fountain. And then, you’ve made a loop and are back to the beginning.

Overall, it was an amazing exhibit for kids and adults alike, it kept Cameron perfectly occupied for nearly 2 hours, and it was nice and toasty warm. So, if you are looking for a FREE indoor winter activity in Washington DC, check out the Amazonia exhibit at the National Zoo!

By the way, if you live in Washington DC I highly recommend becoming a FONZ (Friends of the National Zoo) member.  Being a member has lots of benefits which you can read about on the Zoo website – but the one that was most important to me is that it allows you to park for free at the Zoo.  This means you can easily come and go and stay for as long as you want.  The FONZ membership pays for itself after just a few visits.