Excellent opportunity for your son BigBear! I have to agree the price tag is a wee bit extreme. I took a school trip my junior year of high school that was by bus and we went to the various sites in DC, Maryland, Virginia, and NYC. I was 16 at the time. I know we all mature at differing rates, but even at 16 I don't think I was mature enough to appreciate the magnificence of the sites and sounds. I remember giggling past the Vietnam Memorial, and it wasn't until years later that I was able to understand how disrespectful I had been.

The reason I throw that tidbit out there is that I think there is a level of maturity that is appropriate for visiting the historical sites and being able to truly appreciate the experience rather than just being able to say, yes, I was there.