Wednesday December 17, 2008
Museums
There are museums throughout Washington, DC., and you are likely to find at least one that will interest you. I have included a short description of some of the exhibits that you will find at each, along with hours of operations and admission information. For museums that specialize in art, visit the Art and Art Museums section on this site. Please use these links to find out more about museum offerings in and around D.C.
| Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum (202) 628-1776 1776 D Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006 9:30am-4pm Monday-Friday; 9am-5pm Saturday; closed Sundays No admission charged |
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Self-guided and guided tours available in this 1910 Beaux Arts building, which emphasizes the role of women throughout American history. Exhibits include everyday items out of America's past (generally up to 1840), including a four-sided mousetrap that guillotines its captures. A Touch Area is available for children. You can also tour period rooms. | |
| Ford's Theatre/Petersen House (202) 426-6924 511 10th Street, NW, Washington, DC Ford's Theatre and museum: Closed for renovation until February 2009 Petersen House: 9am-5pm daily No tickets needed for museum; admission charged for performances |
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The site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April of 1865 has been open to the public since 1968. The building itself has a colorful history, having started as a Baptist church. After Lincoln’s assassination, the theatre was closed, but served intermittently as a museum, office space and storage facility. A restoration effort started in 1954 brought the theatre back, and theatrical events still performed on its stage. At the museum located in the theatre, you will find artifacts related to the assassination, including the gun and knife used by John Wilkes Booth in the attack. The Petersen House, where the mortally-wounded Lincoln was taken after the attack and later died, is located directly across the street from the Theatre. |
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134 N. Royal Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 838-4242 November-March: 11am-4pm, Wednesday-Saturday; Sunday 1-4pm; closed Mondays and Tuesdays April-October: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday and Monday 1-5 pm; closed January 1, Thanksgiving, December 25 Admission charged |
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Visitors will get a “slice of life” picture of what life was like for everyday early Americans. The Gadsby’s Tavern Museum consists of two buildings, a 1785 tavern and the 1792 City Hotel. George Washington’s Birthnight Ball and an inaugural banquet for Thomas Jefferson were held at the location, which is now a National Historic Landmark in Old Town Alexandria. | |
International Spy Museum |
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The International Spy Museum puts its visitors into the shadowy world of espionage with exhibits and programs about the role that spies have played in history. Interactive exhibits invite visitors to try their hand at spycraft; displays give context and understanding to spy activities. | |
Marian Koshland Science Museum (National Academies of Science) |
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Museum highlights the role of science in our daily lives using interactive displays. Current exhibits include infectious diseases, global warming, scientific research and DNA sequencing. This museum is recommended for those 13 years and older. | |
National Air & Space Museum on the Mall (Smithsonian) |
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With hundreds of historic aviation and space artifacts on display, including space capsules from America's first astronauts, Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, and the Wright Brothers aircraft, this museum is among the most popular in the country. You can explore the history of flight, how things fly, learn about the effort to land a human on the moon, experience a flight simulator and many other interesting subjects. The museum also has a five-story IMAX theater. |
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National Air & Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (Smithsonian) |
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One of the most recent additions to the Smithsonian museum system, this is a companion facility to the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. With the space provided in the Boeing Aviation Hanger in Chantilly, Virginia, thousands of aviation and space artifacts that could not be exhibited in the D.C. building are on display. It features three levels with aircraft hanging from an arched ceiling. Exhibits include the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the Boeing Dash 80, the Enola Gay, the Mobile Quarantine Unit used by the Apollo 11 crew, the Gemini VII space capsule and other aircraft. The space shuttle Enterprise is the centerpiece of the museum. | |
| National Building Museum (202) 272-2448 401 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 10am-5pm Monday-Saturday; 11am-5pm Sunday; closed January 1, Thanksgiving, December 25 No admission charged; donation ($5) suggested |
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The National Building Museum opened in 1985 with a mission to celebrate architecture, design, engineering, construction and urban planning. | |
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11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA (703) 267-1600 10am-4pm daily; closed major holidays No admission charged |
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| Located in Fairfax, Virginia, this museum is focused on America’s heritage of firearms. Its exhibits include artifacts that date back to the Pilgrims landing in America. The various galleries throughout the museum trace the history of firearms through the New World, the exploration of the West, the wars in which America has fought and modern times. | ||
| National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall (202) 857-7588 17th and M Streets, NW, Washington, DC 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday; 10am-5pm Sunday; closed December 25 No admission charged |
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| The National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall brings past and current expeditions, adventures and scientific research to life for its visitors. Exhibits cover weather, geography, astronomy, space exploration and much more. Children will enjoy a visit to this entertaining, high-tech museum. | ||
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Visitors Center |
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Somber memorial that honors all of our country’s law enforcement personnel. Wall contains the names of the more than 17,500 officers who have killed in the line of duty beginning in 1792. At an annual candlelight vigil held each year during National Police Week in May, the names of officers who have fallen in the last year are added. Visitors Center highlights the Memorial and contains more than 30 exhibits and an interactive video kiosk. Also display cases with mementos left at the Memorial. | |
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National Museum of American History (Smithsonian) |
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Among the displays: The Star Spangled Banner that served as inspiration for Francis Scott Key, Mister Rogers' sweater, and First Ladies Exhibit. "Treasures of American History," a collection of more than 150 objects from the museum, are on display at the National Air and Space Museum during construction at the American History Museum. |
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National Museum of Crime and Punishment (202) 393-1099 575 7th Street, NW between E and F Streets, Washington, DC 9am-9pm March-August; 10am-8pm September-December; Closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving, December 25 Admission charged |
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Opened in summer of 2008, this museum highlights the evolution of crime and the criminal throughout the ages. It includes medieval knights and greed-driven pirates down to gunslingers and today’s white collar criminals. Interactive exhibits include a safecracking exercise, computer hacking and a shooting gallery. A popular attraction is dedicated to America’s Dumbest Criminals. |
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National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian) |
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One of the first Smithsonian Museums opened on the National Mall, it houses exhibits focused on the natural world. That includes geology, dinosaurs, animal life, plants and insects. Among the displays you will find the Hope Diamond, a T-rex dinosaur display and Mammal Hall. There is also an IMAX Theater, which shows some of the films in 3-D. | |
| National Museum of the American Indian (Smithsonian) (202) 633-1000 4th Street and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20560 10am-5:30pm daily; closed December 25 No admission charged |
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One of the Smithsonian's newest museums on the Mall, this one specializes in exhibits that celebrate and commemorate the ideas and experiences in Native life and history. Its mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere. The exhibits include materials from North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean, and include clothing, baskets, textiles, precious metals, featherwork, ceramics and other objects that are associated with Native life. | |
National Postal Museum (Smithsonian) |
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You will find one of the world’s largest collections of stamps and philatelic materials. The museum has postal history material that pre-dates stamps, vehicles that were used to transport the mail, mailboxes and mailbags, postal uniforms and equipment. Visitors learn how the process of mail delivery has evolved and the importance of letters in our history. | |
Naval Historical Center/U.S. Navy Museum |
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Located at the Washington Navy Yard, contains displays on Navy ships, submarines, and various wars in which the Navy has played a role. Artifacts from Admiral Richard Byrd’s Polar Expedition, uniforms and weapons. For safety reasons, please do not use public transportation to get to the Museum; plenty of parking is available inside the Navy Yard. | |
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Newseum |
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This 25,000 square-foot museum, which bills itself as the world’s most interactive museum, opened in April 2008. It focuses on news and journalism, with 14 major galleries, 15 theaters, two broadcast studios and a 4-D time-travel experience. You can view five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and innovation. For an online tour, visit the Newseum’s website. | |
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Textile Museum |
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Housed in two historic buildings in the Kalorama neighborhood; one of the world’s foremost specialized art museums. Visitors are encouraged to touch, look and participate to learn about textile production and its role in cultural traditions, environment and the economy. Large gardens behind the building open to the public during museum hours. | |
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| U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (202) 488-0400 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024 10am-5:30pm daily; closed Yom Kippur and December 25 Free tickets required for admission and are available on site. You can also purchase tickets online for a small processing fee per ticket. |
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During World War II, approximately six million Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. The Holocaust Museum is America's memorial to those who were killed. Its goal is to stimulate visitors to confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity and strengthen democracy. Carefully-crafted exhibits carry stark reminders of what happened during the Holocaust. While this is a somber museum, it is an educational and personal experience that is unforgettable. Children's programs are available, along with a special exhibit directed at younger visitors. | |
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