National Museum of African American History and Culture National Gallery of Art Inside you’ll find more than 36,000 artefacts and see how history and culture has shaped America. It’s covered in bronze coloured aluminium lattice which filters light into the building, symbolizing light coming into the dialogue about race and to promote healing and reconciliation. “A people’s journey, a nation’s story”, the National Museum of African American History opened in 2016 and its architecture is unlike any other building you’ll find in DC. (Much to his descendants chagrin I’m sure!) National Museum of African American History and Culture In 1949 New York gem merchant Harry Winston bought it and donated it to the Natural History Museum in 1958, where it has been on display ever since. What we see today is the “Hope” diamond that popped up in 1839, owned by a London family. It was then stolen in 1791 and recut to 45.52-carats. The stone originated in the Kallur Mine in India and was purchased in 1666 by a French gem merchant who cut it and sold it to King Louis XIV. The Natural History Museum is also home to the Hope Diamond, one of the most famous pieces of jewellery in the world. It was massive! (And no, I did not witness it eating a bird. I remember the time I went I couldn’t take my eyes off the bird-eating spider. Not only are there fun interactive exhibits and fossils, but there’s also a live insect “zoo” where you can see tarantula, hissing cockroaches, stroll among live butterflies and more. The National Museum of Natural History is one the whole family will enjoy. To help you decide which museums to tackle on your first visit to DC, here are the top 7 museums as rated by TripAdvisor, which clearly means they’ll be busy – but there’s a good reason for that. The brilliant thing is most of Washington, DC’s museums are free to enter! Plus monuments and even more historical sites, like Ford’s Theater where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. There are also other museums that are not part of the Smithsonian that you’ll want on your list too. So don’t be fooled into thinking you can see them all in a week – or even in a month! There are 17 museums, galleries, and the National Zoo, that make up the Smithsonian Institute. The Smithsonian Institute is a collection of the best museums in the world. I was here in time to see the installation of the famous Whitehouse Christmas tree! Visit some of the Smithsonian Museums I enquired of the New Zealand Embassy for my recent visit but they said they can’t get allocations. Note: if you’re not a US resident it’s not likely you’ll get on a tour as residents take priority. They’re filled on a first-come first-served basis and numbers are limited. International visitors need to request via their country’s embassy in Washington, DC. You need to make your request via your Member of Congress up to three months in advance. Remarkably, tours of the White House are still available, although it is quite the rigmarole to make it happen! If you’d like to see all these things on a tour with transport to get around and include skip-the-line entry tickets into the Washington Monument, I like this half day tour. The 19 stainless steel statues, each seven feet tall, have been made to represent the 5.8 million Americans who fought in the 3-year war. Then located on the left of the Mall as you continue towards the Lincoln Memorial, is the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Look down the National Mall towards Abraham Lincoln sitting knowingly in his massive monument, the Lincoln Memorial, watching over the 2000 ft long Reflecting Pool, but first take a left and walk through the WWII Memorial. The renos included adding an elevator which takes a full two minutes to get to the top, enough time for you to appreciate the internal architecture lined with stones commemorating George Washington. You can buy tickets to ascend to the very top (you used to be able to climb the stairs). It is the tallest building in Washington, DC, surrounded by 50 flags, one for each state, and was closed for three years for renovations, but reopened in 2021. There are incredible significant and famous landmarks in Washington DC and one of the best places to get some great photos is from the top of the Washington Monument, named for America’s first president. WWII Memorial, Washington DC Stand at the top of the Washington Monument Or if you don’t want to get on a bicycle, you can take a night tour by trolley bus and learn all about the history of these monuments, presidents and other historical events as you tour. You can buy your Monuments by Night tickets online here. The weather was a little chilly, but still and calm and perfect for a night on a bike. Vietnam War Memorial with 58,000 names of fallen men and women
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