Come Visit the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC

Washington, DC is loaded with tourist attractions. The Washington monument, the White House, and the Lincoln Memorial are some of the biggest attractions in our nation’s capital. The Smithsonian Institution – made up of many museums – draws a huge crowd as well. There are many museums that make up the Smithsonian institution. This article features the museums that are on and around the National Mall in Washington, DC. Seven of the ten most popular museums are located on the National Mall, where the biggest crowds are during the summer and fall seasons.

Three stories below the downtown mall are the Author M. Slacker Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art that has over 30,000 pieces of Asian artwork. Artist Author Slacker and art collector Charles Lang Freer donated these collectibles that were created and found in Asia. Some of the collectables include priceless paintings and sculptures from China and Japan. Both Museums offers concerts, short films, and lectures that focus on the history of East Asia and the significance of the Museums collectables. The Author M. Slacker Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art are free of charge and metro assessable. Both Smithsonian Art museums open at 10am and close at 5:30pm.

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gallery is another one of the Smithsonian institutions that represents the arts. Open to the public from 10am to 5:30pm, this circular shaped museum features 12,000 pieces of artwork donated by art collector Joseph Hishhorn. Exhibits from the Hirshhorn Museum include paintings from Picasso and sculptures from Auguste Rodin, and Alberto Giacometti. The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum is geared towards hand-made art work such as pottery, quilts, and useful tools.

A museum that I often visit whenever I go the Smithsonian Institution is the National Museum of African Art. The collectables represent the ancient African culture long before slavery existed. Here, you can find rare hand carved sculptures and instruments used by African nations as well as different countries within the continent. There is also a variety of paintings from African and African American Artist. Portraits of some of the world’s famous people can be found at the National Portrait Gallery. This place is pretty neat, that’s if you are into looking at pictures of the same people that you’ve seen on television and magazines a thousand times before. However, there are rare photos of famous people that have never been publicly available before.

The Smithsonian Institution offers more than artwork, portraits, and sculptures. One of the most popular attractions is the National Air and Space Museum. The Air and Space museum is geared towards the history and science of Aviation. Some of the exhibits include the first plane (Created by the Wright Brothers) to ever be operated and the Apollo 11. Visitors can also see and touch actual moon rock. There are always lectures and short films available for those who wish to know more detail about the science of space and travel. The National Museum of American History is more like the storage room in the basement than a Smithsonian institution Museum. Anything that had to do with the progression of America History is in this museum. From famous television show props to inventions that we still use today, the National Museum of American History has everything you can imagine.

I love going to the National Museum of Natural History. Their exhibitions focus on the wildlife, anthropology, and mineral sciences (to name a couple) all around the world. Each wildlife exhibits are stuffed replica’s of the animals that roam or used to roam the earth. They look so real as if they were frozen in time. The Anthropology exhibits are interesting as well. This part of the museum focuses on the some of the greatest nations in world history such as the Native Americans and the many Ancient Asian Nations. The National Museum of Natural History is open daily from 10am to 7:30pm.

Did you ever want to find out what happens to the piece of mail that you slipped into the mail box the other day? At the National Postal Museum – one of the newest additions to the Smithsonian Institute – visitors can see the entire process of the United States Postal Service. This museum also displays the first methods of processing mail, way before mailboxes, stamp machines, and mail trucks.

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery – Smithsonian Institution
1050 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20013
202-633-4880, 202-633-1000
http://www.asia.si.edu/

Freer Gallery of Art – Smithsonian Institution
12th Street and Jefferson Drive SW
Washington, DC 20560
202-633-4880
http://www.asia.si.edu/

Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden – Smithsonian Institution
Independence Avenue at Seventh Street SW
Washington, DC 20560
202-633-1000

National Museum of African Art – Smithsonian Institution
950 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20560
202-633-4600
http://www.nmafa.si.edu/voice.html

National Museum of American History – Smithsonian Institution
14th Street and Constitution Avenue
Washington, DC 20560
202-633-1000
http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/

National Museum of Natural History – Smithsonian Institution
10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20560
202-633-1000
http://www.mnh.si.edu/

National Portrait Gallery – Smithsonian Institution
Eighth and G streets NW
Washington, DC 20560
202-633-1000
http://www.npg.si.edu/

National Postal Museum – Smithsonian Institution
2 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20560
202-633-1000
http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/

Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20003
202-633-1000
http://americanart.si.edu/index3.cfm