Smithsonians
The Smithsonian Museums are a huge complex of museums, research centers, and galleries. Most of them are located in and around DC, particularly on the National Mall (not to be confused with a shopping mall). James Smithson, a British scientist, left his entire estate to the United States Government, with instructions to establish an institution for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge.” Lucky for us, the government finally got their act together and created it as a trust, to be run by a board and a secretary in 1846. Don’t ask why a British man who had never been to America left us a huge sum of money to establish museums; no one really knows for sure. But I’m certainly glad he did.
Admission is free for most of the Smithsonians- check the website for exceptions. However some activities and exhibits inside the museum they charge for- so make sure you double check before you tell your kids they can see the butterflies or whatever. Word to the wise- the museums are much farther apart than Ben Stiller made them appear. Be ready for a lot of walking. For food, there are plenty of cafes located in the museums, as well as carts and stands on the mall for cold drinks or snacks halfway through the afternoon.
You could spend days at a single museum that is part of the collection, so if you’ve only dedicated one day, watch the time. It will be gone before you can count the airplanes in the Air and Space Museum, and someone will be upset that you didn’t see the ruby slippers or the dinosaurs.
Hours: 10 am- 5:30 pm, some extended hours in the summer
Metro: Smithsonian stop on the Orange and Blue lines
The Castle
Despite being featured prominently in the film Night at the Museum 2: Battle for the Smithsonians, the Castle doesn’t have that much in it. There is one exhibit. Its really just a primer for the other museums, and has a small gift shop and café. If you’re in a time crunch, skip it and take the pictures of the building- it’s the most exciting part.
Natural History Museum
This museum has dinosaurs and the ice age creatures, the hall of mammals, human evolution, the ocean, bugs and butterflies, anthropology exhibits, space exhibits, gems and minerals exhibits, mining, as well as gift shops, cafes, and an Imax theater. It’s a pretty easy place to get around- exhibit entrances set in a circle around the main entrance hall, or rotunda. This is where the Hope Diamond is- the 45.2 carat blue diamond, now set in a necklace. Harry Winston, famous jewelry designer, donated it to the institution in 1958. There are also lots of other sparkly things to lust after in the gem collection, like Marie Antoinette’s earrings, emerald necklaces, and amethyst heart brooch. This happens to be my favorite collection in the museum.
Kids will enjoy the hall of mammals, which displays stuffed creatures from all over the world, with favorites like lions, giraffes, and polar bears, along with some creatures you probably haven’t heard of, like the galago and okapi. The hall of dinosaurs is neat too, but its always crowded. This is where the t-rex skeleton is, much to the delight of Night at the Museum fans. The only downside to this exhibit is its pretty much perpetually crowded, because, well, who doesn’t love dinosaurs?
They also have lots of anthropology exhibits, which I thoroughly enjoy. There is a hands on exhibit where you can look at bones and solve murder mysteries and the like, just looking at the bones. The exhibit on human evolution is also quite fascinating, as long as you aren’t bothered by the whole concept of human evolution in the first place.
On a time crunch, hit hall of mammals, dinosaurs, and the gems and minerals.
American History Museum
This museum contains our nation’s history, covering the ones you’d expect- all the wars, the presidents, important events- to exhibits on pop culture, medicine, and Julia Child’s kitchen. The most popular exhibits include the First Lady’s Dresses, which chronicles the fashion history from Martha to Michelle. Many inauguration gowns are displayed, as well as shoes, jewelry and other personal effects. Girls will adore this exhibit. Its one of my favorites as well.
Like I mentioned, there is plenty of exhibits from every major conflict as well, including the flag that flew over Ft. McHenry, and inspired the national anthem. There is also an exhibit on the presidents themselves, with many personal items used in office, from pajamas to chess sets and Abraham Lincoln’s top hat.
The most famous items in the museum, though are probably the ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in the Wizard of Oz. Many other items of movie and television memorabilia are on display as well- the exhibit, with the exception of the slippers, rotates periodically.
While there are tons of other exhibits, the highlights would be the First Ladies Dresses and the Ruby Slippers. On a time crunch, pick your next favorite exhibit to see- the presidents, the wars, the coins, the ships. This museum also has the best design, in my opinion- all the elevators are in the middle gallery area, with east and west exhibits on three floors. They also have an excellent gift shop- the best one is on the bottom floor, behind the stairs. They also have a military gift shop and a pop culture gift shop. In case anyone’s wondering, this is where I got my Kissing the War Good-bye poster, which is one of the best pictures ever. It’s also a handy poster if you can’t remember when VJ was.
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