Smithsonian- wHat should I make sure

[LaraK]

I was born in DC and the museums used to be my playground. I can't stand what they've done to the American History museum...it's lost so much with the renovations. The Star Spangled Banner exhibit is much nicer, but the rest stinks. They're only showing a portion of their other exhibits and "rotating" them through...awful!

That said, what they've done to the Natural History museum is wonderful. Get there early and hit the dinosaurs and Hope Diamond early (if you go through the dinosaurs and up the ramps in the back you'll end up in the gems). Both are great. If you have young children, expect to spend a lot of time in the bug zoo. My kids LOVE that part and we spend hours there. There are interactive exhibits and the kids can hold the bugs (yuck!). There is also an active bee hive that they have behind glass. You can watch the bees coming and going and doing their directional dances. That's a "don't miss" section that most people don't know about. Also up on the second floor of Natural History is a neat exhibit on the evolution of man and a "CSI" sort of exhibit. Neat.

Air and Space is a popular museum and usually very crowded. It's a "must see" (and I always get stuck there because that's where the husband and son want to go). Air and Space features wonderful movies. To Fly was one of the first movies that gave you the sensation of moving and I think they still show it. The movies do cost money, but it's worth it. I saw a great one on military jets the last time I went.

If you like art, the National Portait Gallery has some wonderful pieces and often has traveling exhibits (you need tickets for those). If you're into modern art, that is another whole museum. There is a wonderful little coffee shop in the basement between the two museums that is a nice break.

Best (least crowded) but very expensive cafeteria is in American History. If you want better food for the money (face it, everything in DC is pricy) I would recommend going over to China Town or to Union Station to eat.

The zoo would be another thread....another one of my childhood playgrounds...

 

[minniebeth]

We were at this museum a week ago. Excellent. Parking is $15, free after 4 PM. From end of Mayo beginning of Sept, museum is open until 6:30 PM. 2 1/2 hours is sufficient time.

Thank you SO much for this information, Dan Murphy!! This is why I love the Disboards so much! We used to live in NoVa and my DS has been asking to go here for a long time, we figured we would try to finally check it off the list. He'll be so excited! Thank you!

 

[luvmyfam444]

Thanks for the heads up on things - I can remember the old Am hist when I was a kid (lived in VA a couple years) & went back in the early 90s (I think) - dragging a friend with me to show her the 1st ladies dresses & I was DEVASTED to see a handful of dresses! Really I was just sick & embarrassed 'cause I had told her all about how awesome it was.

SOOO I'm not gonna get my hopes up & try not to say over & over "when I was here before" & try to look at it theu my family's eyes - its all new to them & enjoy it that way & try to hold my disappointment in - which will be hard!

 

[luvmyfam444]

Just so you're aware, not all of those are Smithsonian Museums. Here's the official SI site http://www.si.edu/museums/. Some of the places you plan to visit charge admission, so you're prepared

Yes - thanks - I meant to put the word and in there smithsonian &...

We have tickets for several things already - the only one we haven't been able to snag is Bureau of Engraving. Didn't know I needed tickets for that one - just stumbled over the info & then it was too late to get them early. SOOO someone gets to stand in line bright & early that morning -

 

[kaytieeldr]

Ah, bright and early's not so bad. It's cooler . Have you contacted your Senator's and Representative's offices, see if they might have tickets available? And if there's anything else with which they can assist during your visit? You ARE their constituent

 

[luvmyfam444]

Yes, I got tickets for everything they could get - still waiting to hear about White HOuse - they said that the chance is only 5% get in & we won't know til 10days out or so.

 

[karibritt01]

My kids were 6 and 11 when we went last year. We loved the American History museum (went twice) and the Air and Space Museum on the mall. We did a Capitol tour (free, just call your local senators office to arrange it) and that was awesome. Kids really liked visiting the monuments and war memorials. Go online and buy tickets for the Washington Memorial if you want to go up it, as they were always given out pretty quickly upon opening. Arlington Cemetery was beautiful. We never got a chance to visit the Air and Space in Virginia, but that would be fun. Didn't really care for the Natural History Museum except for the dinosaurs... maybe we were just too tired by that point in the trip, though. Zoo was OK, but I don't care if I ever go back.

 

[shortbun]

here's the deal. Notice that the above poster mentioned being too tired to enjoy the Natural History and the zoo. Don't try to do it all. It's horribly hot in the summer in D.C.
when we are there, we do one big thing per day and kind of wander or hit something else IF we feel it. We've had some wonderful times in the shade on the mall with the squirrels looking at the outside monuments and talking about presidents or wars that greatly impacted this country and the world. Take it easy, you don't HAVE to do everything. We LOVE the zoo and we come from Columbus, Oh. where exists one of the best zoos in the world.