Washington, D.C. Museums: The Smithsonian Institute

Washington D.C., the capital of the United States of America, may well be the museum capital as well. Washington D.C. is filled to the brim with places to explore and ingest fascinating information. There are hundreds of museums to choose from, so whether you’re a history buff, a fashionista, or an architecture or animals guru, Washington D.C. can provide you with multiple choices for absorbing knowledge.

The Smithsonian Institution is possibly the most famous museum in Washington D.C. It is the world’s largest museum complex; in it, you will find nineteen different museums and nine research centers. These museums include the following, among others.

1. African Art Museum
2. Air and Space Museum and Udvar-Hazy Center
3. American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery
4. American History Museum (closed for renovation until summer 2008)
5. American Indian Museum
6. Anacostia Community Museum
7. Arts and Industries Building
8. Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
9. Freer and Sackler Galleries
10. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
11. National Zoo
12. Natural History Museum
13. Portrait Gallery
14. Postal Museum
15. Smithsonian Institution Building, the Castle (visitor information)

The National Museum of American History (NMAH) holds over three million artifacts in their various collections and exhibitions, some of which are permanent and some of which change. Collections run the gamut from agriculture to military to food, and everything in between. The basis of these artifacts and collections is to form a record of American history. Because this building is closed for major renovations until the summer of 2008, other Smithsonian museums are housing a few exhibits for them. Two of the guest exhibits include “Treasures of American History” (at the National Air and Space Museum) and “Legendary Coins and Currency” (at the Smithsonian Castle). Treasures of American History includes 150 objects from four categories of American life: Creativity & Innovation, American Biography, National Challenges, and American Identity. In this exhibit, you will see Dorothy’s red slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” Abraham Lincoln’s top hat, Lewis and Clark’s compass, and much more. Legendary Coins and Currency includes many rarely viewed artifacts from NMAH’s collection, such as coins, bills, and medals. All are irreplaceable and interesting, including hand-made clamshell coins from the Great Depression.

The National Portrait Gallery in the Smithsonian Institute is located in the same building as the American Art Museum. This building is a National Historic Landmark itself, built in 1836 to house the U.S. Patent Office. Through its collections of paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, and drawings of people who shaped American culture and development, TheNational Portrait Gallery imparts American history to its viewers. Permanent exhibitions include: “American Presidents,” “Twentieth-century Americans,” and “Champions,” among others. The National Portrait Gallery also hosts many temporary exhibits.

Both adults and children will be fascinated with the National Air and Space Museum. The National Air and Space Museum prides itself on having the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. In its building on the National Mall, you will be treated to exhibits of hundreds of original artifacts, two of which include the actual “Flyer” built and flown by the Wright brothers, and Charles A. Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis.” The National Air and Space Museum contains approximately twenty-two exhibits, multiple flight simulators, a planetarium, and a giant IMAX theater. A few of the permanent exhibits include: “America by Air,” “Milestones of Flight,” “The Wright Brothers & the Invention of the Aerial Age,” “Space Race,” and “Exploring the Planets,” among many others.

If it’s a sunny day and you (or the kids) cannot stay indoors any longer, a trip to the National Zoo, will captivate anyone’s attention. Amazingly, inside the National Zoo you have the opportunity to view over 2,000 animals from around 400 species, many of which are rare or endangered. Some spectacular sections of the zoo include the African Savanna, Amazonia, Asia Trail, Asian Elephants, and the Great Apes and other Primates. If you prefer to learn as you observe animals, the National Zoo offers many daily programs, such as animal feedings, tours, and zoo keeper talks. Although many of these change throughout the year, examples of these programs include: Asia Trail Interpreters, where you can learn about the Pandas, leopards, and the seven other animal species living in Asia; and The Great Cats Keeper Talk, which allows you to listen to the cat keeper discuss Sumatran tigers and African lions.




Virginia Tourists Guide - Virginia Museums