Sunday, August 17th
City Museum of DC
801 K Street, NW
After a short Metro ride from the orange to the red line, I hopped off at Gallery Place and walked three blocks to a small building - the City Museum of D.C. The museum, which opened in May, looks like a tiny baby compared to the big mama Smithsonian that most D.C. natives are used to seeing. The museum is run by the D.C. Historical Society, which has compiled its collections to provide a view of D.C. beyond the government, White House and security. I scratched my head, wondering what exactly is beyond politics in D.C. But I paid my $2 entrance fee and was ready to find out.
I entered the first exhibit room. This is by far the busiest exhibit with the most information crammed into one room from the ceiling to the floor. Even on a Sunday afternoon, the museum wasn't crowded at all, so luckily I never had to wait. As I entered the room, I noticed the few people crouching down, finger tips to the floor, trying to find their office or home on the huge map that also serves as the floor. I decided to be a crouching tiger too and quickly found H Street, GW and, finally, New Hall.
I then started out at one side of the perimeter looking at pictures of the Pentagon. Without another inch, I was moved to the Kennedy center. In a total of 30 feet, I had moved from Pentagon to the Kennedy Center to Martin Luther King and civil rights to the fight for the metro to music. Phew, that was more information than one of Sodaro's political science lectures. But that wasn't it-I started the same walk of information all over, because although it was only 30 feet, it was filled, practically busting from the seams with more information. I still had to open all of the drawers below the displays to find even more info. The drawers were stacked three high and were filled with even more display subjects.
While most museums are filled with memorabilia and donated items, the City Museum is filled with prints of photographs and quotes. This room was more like an open encyclopedia than a museum.
City Museum of DC
801 K Street, NW
After a short Metro ride from the orange to the red line, I hopped off at Gallery Place and walked three blocks to a small building - the City Museum of D.C. The museum, which opened in May, looks like a tiny baby compared to the big mama Smithsonian that most D.C. natives are used to seeing. The museum is run by the D.C. Historical Society, which has compiled its collections to provide a view of D.C. beyond the government, White House and security. I scratched my head, wondering what exactly is beyond politics in D.C. But I paid my $2 entrance fee and was ready to find out.
I entered the first exhibit room. This is by far the busiest exhibit with the most information crammed into one room from the ceiling to the floor. Even on a Sunday afternoon, the museum wasn't crowded at all, so luckily I never had to wait. As I entered the room, I noticed the few people crouching down, finger tips to the floor, trying to find their office or home on the huge map that also serves as the floor. I decided to be a crouching tiger too and quickly found H Street, GW and, finally, New Hall.
I then started out at one side of the perimeter looking at pictures of the Pentagon. Without another inch, I was moved to the Kennedy center. In a total of 30 feet, I had moved from Pentagon to the Kennedy Center to Martin Luther King and civil rights to the fight for the metro to music. Phew, that was more information than one of Sodaro's political science lectures. But that wasn't it-I started the same walk of information all over, because although it was only 30 feet, it was filled, practically busting from the seams with more information. I still had to open all of the drawers below the displays to find even more info. The drawers were stacked three high and were filled with even more display subjects.
While most museums are filled with memorabilia and donated items, the City Museum is filled with prints of photographs and quotes. This room was more like an open encyclopedia than a museum.
