The Mansion on O Street is a museum, antique store, hotel and secret door experience that also functions as a venue for special events. It’s located near DuPont Circle, at 2020 O Street NW, Washington, D.C. This unique experience has many events throughout the year, some which cater to older children and others specifically for adults.
The mansion is actually five interconnected townhouses, that now include 100 rooms and over 80 secret doors (if you find more than two of these doors, you’re above average). We found eight!
We visited for the secret door tour. As with most attractions, it’s best to purchase a timed-ticket on their website to ensure there is space available for your visit. We specifically waited to enjoy this unique attraction until our youngest child was older, as antiques are throughout the mansion and within a kid’s reach. The mansion staff ask that there should be at least one adult for every four kids.
Parking near the mansion includes on-street parking, though it may be difficult to find. We parked along the street near Rose Park. It may be useful to check out the parking apps available for Washington, D.C. to reserve a spot.
After entering the mansion, you’ll be greeted by a host to show your tickets and then be ushered into one of their gathering rooms where you’ll watch a short film about the mansion. It explains the history, and what you are about to experience. The film was about five minutes. At the end, the host will add their own instructions about how to find secret doors and their advice on how to start exploring. This is a great time to ask questions.
After the introduction, you are free to explore each of the four floors of the mansion. Note that the mansion also functions as a hotel, so some of the rooms may be off limits depending on their number of guests at the time.
There’s also an outdoor garden area to explore, keep looking for those secret doors! Plan to explore the museum for at least 45 minutes. With two kids, we stayed to explore for about two hours. In the middle of our exploring, we took a break on the main floor. There’s a bar on this floor where they also sell some snacks. A variety of sodas are for sale for the kids.
Rosa Parks stayed at the mansion for a quite some time, so don’t miss her special room filled with items from her time at the mansion.
Keep in mind one room in The Mansion on O Street is Halloween-themed year-round, so if you are visiting with children who may be freighted, avoid this room. It’s possible to hear it before you see it, and it’s labeled clearly to let everyone know the scary contents!
More Fun Places to Visit in Washington, D.C.
While you’re visiting Washington, D.C. be sure to check out these other fun playgrounds and attractions.
Best Playgrounds Near Washington, D.C.
