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This museum is a very effective memorial to the Holocaust and its victims. It does the work of a...
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This museum is a very effective memorial to the Holocaust and its victims. It does the work of a quarter's worth of historical classes on the event (if you can call it that). The subject matter is very sobering, but it is well worth the visit.
There are many quotes as you move throughout the installations, but this one summarizes part of what the architects and many people behind the museum have set as its purpose. “We who did not go their way owe them this. We must make sure that their deaths have posthumous meaning. We must make sure that from now until the end of days all humankind stares this evil in the face...and only then can we be sure it will never arise again.” (Reagan) The removal of human dignity and rights is documented here.
When you enter, you are given a card with a photo or even just a name of a person who actually went through the concentration camps. It contains some of their statistics, and you take it through the exhibits.
The reality that this person existed and had to live in these times/conditions is driven home by the cards.
The exhibits take you through different aspects of the camps. They have one that shows you the living conditions, and another of the tattoos and different insignia’s for those who were imprisoned there- gypsies, political prisoners,homosexuals, jews, the mentally retarded. Pay close attention to the architecture, even the elevator and changes in flooring... almost everything represents something tied to the Holocaust.
There is a particularly moving display of a hall, filled with photos of families and people before they were sent to the camps. There is another one of just piles and piles of shoes of humans who were killed in the camps, which devastatingly humanizes this particular exhibit.
So much information and so many artifacts are contained here; the website also has a lot of useful info about both the exhibits and the Holocaust itself. http://www.ushmm.org/ While it is full of sad and moving exhibits, it is a museum that makes its point vividly.
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The Air and Space Museum is one of the best in DC! There are many hands on activites that both...
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The Air and Space Museum is one of the best in DC! There are many hands on activites that both children and adults enjoy. The area where the retired space shuttle and rockets is amazing! There is also a life size control center for a aircraft carrier that you can explore and push buttons. This museum will take quite a while to get through so if you want to see everything it has to offer you should plan to stay the whole day.
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This is a one of a kind museum, with a lot of information on espionage. The tickets are slight...
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This is a one of a kind museum, with a lot of information on espionage. The tickets are slight expensive. Of course, they do provide a lot of information and visuals. They can have more sit-down visuals, rather then standing up and reading displays. Its a lot of information for one day.
I recommend this place, but come early and wear good, supportive shoes.
Customers aren't allowed to take pictures inside. Ofcourse, there is vent inside the museum, which customers are allowed in, and if you can't resist, you can take a picture there.
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National Gallery of Art
Category:
Art Galleries & Dealers
6th & Constitution A
Washington,
Dist. of Columbia 20001
(202) 842-6249
The National Gallery of Art is a must-see for visitors to Washington. It reminds me a lot of the...
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The National Gallery of Art is a must-see for visitors to Washington. It reminds me a lot of the Art Institute of Chicago, only it's always free to the public. The NGA is divided into two buildings, one which has older artwork and another with a traveling exhibit gallery and more modern works. Crowds pack this place in all seasons, but the size of the individual galleries keep backups to a minimum. The two buildings are connected by an underground moving walkway, gelato café, and bookstore. The sandwiches at the café are delicious but very expensive for counter service.
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Phillips Collection
Category:
Museums & Galleries
1600 21st St NW
Washington,
Dist. of Columbia 20009
(202) 387-2152
Many of the great works in this still-intimate museum, despite a major expansion, were lovingly...
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Many of the great works in this still-intimate museum, despite a major expansion, were lovingly and sometimes shrewdly acquired by the institution's founder, Duncan Phillips, who is credited with introducing modern art to America. This is an especially good time to visit the Phillips because 60 of its masterworks, including Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party," have been reinstalled after a four-year tour to museums elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad. Coinciding with the reinstallation, is the reopening of the relocated Rothko Room in the Phillips' Sant Building. Mark Rothko's four large color field paintings are positioned exactly as they were in the former, identically sized space -- "to overwhhelm the walls, saturating the room with color and sensation," according to the museum.
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The National Air & Space Museum is a must-see for all visitors to Washington, DC. Even if...
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The National Air & Space Museum is a must-see for all visitors to Washington, DC. Even if you're not a huge aeronautics fan, there is something for everyone here. Huge planes hang from the atrium ceiling, and a recreated Space Lab lets visitors get and up-close perspective of the insides. Individual galleries highlight aviation, aeronautics, and space travel. There's an IMAX theater (which isn't free), two fantastic gift shops, a full-service restaurant, and a McDonald's/Starbucks. You can easily spend an entire day here if your feet and back can handle it. I suggest taking a curator-led tour of part of the museum, which is really helpful in understanding the history behind some of the planes.
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The Pope John Paul I I Cultural Center is one of the most wonderful museums in the DC area. A...
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The Pope John Paul I I Cultural Center is one of the most wonderful museums in the DC area. A beautiful tribute to a future saint! The Pope John Paul I I Cultural Center features exhibits on the pope's life, a chapel, interactive exhibits on the Catholic faith, and much, much more. Located just blocks from the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, it's a fantastic place for all ages.
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Outside it looks like just another office building in D.C., inside however it is a grand beauty....
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Outside it looks like just another office building in D.C., inside however it is a grand beauty. What was a former Masonic Grand Lodge, the National Museum of Women in the Arts has crystal chandeliers and a grand staircase. Encompassing four stories of art and sculpture, I recommend using the elevator to go straight to the top of the building and just working your way down.
My favorites are in the middle levels. On the second floor there is a balcony with the temporary exhibits. I like the diversity and the talent projected and the way that it is presented to the viewer. On the third floor there is the permanent collections. Celebrating women artists from the 16th century to the present, there are some real beauty trapped in the canvases. The museum is home to works from such women as Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo.
There are self guided tours and while there is no admission charged to the Museum, there is a donation request. Usually the donation is around $3 for an adult and $2 for children and students. It is located a little out of the way in downtown, and is hard to get to. I believe it is worth it to give kudos to the fine women that have graced our senses with these paintings.
Pros: good history for the empowerment of women
Cons: very underfunded it seems
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If you are in Washington, you must visit the National Museum of American History. This museum is...
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If you are in Washington, you must visit the National Museum of American History. This museum is one of the many Smithsonians in the DC area, which means free admission and absolutely fantastic exhibits. You'll find everything from Mr. Roger's sweater and Archie Bunker's chair to gowns worn by many First Ladies. The traveling exhibits have ranged from the history of computers to a tribute to paint-by-numbers. You'll need most of a day if not a full day to visit, but no need to hurry. It's free!
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It's fun to walk by International Art and Framing because they always have beautiful and unique...
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It's fun to walk by International Art and Framing because they always have beautiful and unique prints in the windows. They sell more of the same in the store where they also do a brisk business in framing posters and paintings that customers bring in, in addition to selling already framed and ready to go prints. The prices are pretty reasonable for this area of DC.
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