After being a "local" for so long, I'm surprised that I hadn't been to here before. Check the entry…read moreprices online as there are discounts for seniors, military, students and members. There is parking below ground however the closet metro stop is Le'Enfant Plaza. This area can become congested with traffic and there is very little street parking. Upon entry, I was pleased to see the James Bond "007" car. Depending on your age, you may remember the movies and how "advanced" his cars and gadgets were. There are five levels and an opportunity to explore as a "Spy" or soak in some of the educational parts of tools, people and significant events in spy history. There are elevators that take you up/down. I do not recall wheelchair access for those who require ADA compliance. There are exhibits that have corresponding films. This is a kid friendly and interactive. I do recommend coming here to explore and challenging yourself to learn something new. Wear comfy walking shoes and pay attention to the things hiding in plain sight.

This was my first time visiting this museum…read more It is just minutes away from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station, walking distance. It is in a high traffic area given that it is D.C. There is an option to purchase tickets online and select a time, but not necessary We came on a Friday evening and were let in immediately. Expect to spend anywhere from 2-4 hours. Upon purchasing a ticket, they escorted us to a room where we each had our own Undercover Mission cards to scan on screens, which show us access to our spy name, mission and other information. There was a short video, then we were given access to the showcases. The experience varies from display cases to videos to interactive screens. I was more interested in hearing the different spy stories. The gift shop had some great items consistent with the spy-theme including (but not limited to): t-shirts with a variety of images, pens, books, games, hats, etc. Given that it is a museum gift shop in D.C., the prices were fairly high, but not surprising, but I bought a t-shirt for someone. The staff here weren't particularly friendly, some were standing around on their phones or chatting with each other. Would I return? Maybe, I don't feel the need to re-visit once i toured the full museum, unless I'm bringing someone new. I would highly recommend at least one visit to this museum!

The Holocaust Museum was the most moving experience of our trip to DC. Seeing the photographs,…read morepersonal belongings, and stories made the history feel incredibly real and personal. These weren't just numbers--they were families, children, parents, and people with lives and dreams. It's difficult to walk through, but I'm so glad we went. I left feeling very emotional and grateful that these stories are being preserved and shared. On our way out, I had the chance to meet two Holocaust survivors. I was so honored to meet them and thank them for being there and sharing their stories. It really meant a lot to me. Their stories are so important, and I hope they continue to be shared and passed down for generations.

Allow more time than you would think for this museum. This is my second time here and I still…read morehaven't seen it all. It takes a lot of time to absorb the atrocity and horror. I did not take any pictures as the images will forever be burned in my mind. I will never forget this tragedy. Many of the news films are marked as too graphic for some patrons.

Was so happy we were able to visit here while we were in DC. Entry is free, but I reserved us…read moretime-entry tickets online for $1/each. We ended up showing up a little early, but they still let us in without a problem. There was an entry line queued up outside and they had shade and fans available because it was so hot. Security was similar to airport TSA, but moved fairly quickly. They have several exhibits, but we were primarily interested in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, which is obviously the most crowded/popular area. Just be patient and hop in line. It moves slowly, but does move. There are guards that keep people from touching or getting too close to the glass. No flash photos to help preserve our country's documents. Very cool to be able to see these historical documents!

The National Archives was another one of those places that exceeded my expectations…read more Seeing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights with my own eyes was surreal. You can read about them your whole life, but standing in front of the actual documents just hits differently. It really makes you stop and appreciate the history, the sacrifices, and the foundation our country was built on.

To me the Smithsonian can do no wrong. The exhibits are so well curated and really hold your…read moreattention. I probably love the Henry Winston Gallery the most...I mean who doesn't love seeing the Hope Diamond in all of its glory? Can't forget the ginormous elephant there to greet you in the lobby. Love that thing! It's really cool getting to see tools and such from ancient times and ponder how humans were able to accomplish all they did with what they had. Another museum where I could spend hours getting lost in all of the collections and exhibits. And, as always, free admission.

You really can't go wrong with any Smithsonian museum, especially when admission is free, but we…read morereally enjoyed the Natural History museum. We got through security quickly and found the museum very clean and easy to navigate considering how much there is to see inside. You could easily spend several hours here and still not see everything. We spent most of our time in the fossil and gem sections. My favorite was definitely the Hope Diamond. If you're visiting Washington, DC, I would absolutely go to the Natural History Museum but give yourself plenty of time because there is a lot to see.

Its all about the Monet, Monet, Monet…read more... I've always enjoyed the works of Impressionist Claude Monet, and here you get to experience his works projected on floor to ceiling screens. There's a short section with informational panels about his life and his process (TL:DR- LOL). Unexpectedly, there is also a section that recreates his studio and his garden at Giverny. (Note: I visited his house several years ago and obvs they have taken liberties here). Enough about this, what about the immersive experience? If you've attended the Van Gogh experience, I think that was superior. Maybe it's Monet's artwork, but projected like this, it's not as interesting. Maybe it has to do with the proportions, but it's a lot more impressive when there are just a few large paintings than several. And the music quite frankly was putting us to sleep. However, it is quite interesting when he revisits the same location and repaints it over the years. And of course the water lilies are gorgeous. The abrupt ending with caricatures of (famous?) people was a strange choice to end this experience. The projection area is set up nicely with chairs, benches and bean bags and everywhere you sit is a good spot for viewing. Just settle in and get comfortable. Optionsl to purchase a VR experience. The gift shop is tasteful and has lots to choose from. When is the Klimt show, I'm still waiting.

If you went to the Van Gogh exhibit, you should know what to expect: A room with information on the…read moreartist's life, information on his painting style, and lots of reproductions of his art. This exhibit was different from the Van Gogh in some respects. The first room we entered a Victorian-like parlor with furniture and artwork. From there, you go into a garden with hanging flowers and blue and green lights. From there, you go into the main room with the artist's works animated in a half-hour loop. There are bean bag cushions on the floor and numerous sling chairs on which to sit. From there you go into the last area, where you can select a drawing based on the artist's paintings and color it in. (The crayons were clearly left over from the Van Gogh exhibit and needed something to make the points finer.) Unlike the prior exhibit, there was as scanner we used to take a picture and display it on a screen. You can also pay extra to do a VR experience, but as my boyfriend and I didn't care for it the last time we went, we skipped it for this exhibit. Feel free to take as many pictures as you want; just don't use your flash or disturb other people at the exhibit. Although I didn't like the Monet exhibit as much as Van Gogh (maybe because I like Van Gogh's oeuvre better), it's still worth a visit and a nice experience. I hope to see this type of exhibit with more artists.

One of D.C.'s more obscure museums is in a 1904 rowhouse in Dupont Circle. The home of L. Ron…read moreHubbard starting in 1955, the building is now a museum about Hubbard, the founder of Scientology and the world's most prolific fiction writer. (It's an actual Guinness World Record.) Tours are given daily from 10am to 6pm, but it's best to call in advance to secure a spot. One day, I walked in and they didn't have availability for that day so I made a verbal reservation for the next week. The tour is guided by their tour guide and lasts around 90 minutes. The guide shows you four floors of rooms with artifacts. You'll learn about Rob Hubbard's impressive life, see his office with original artifacts inside including a Mongolian drum from Genghis Khan's army that's over 800 years old. You'll also see a library with his books, see where he recorded his lessons, and learn about Scientistology. As someone who is not part of their church, I didn't feel evangelized to during the tour. The guide was very nice.

The restoration and history on display is exquisite. Bill was charming and really have a personal…read moretouch to L. Ron Hubbard and the humble beginnings of Scientology. We intended to spend an hour going through the house museum and ended up being there for 3 1/2 hours. There is just so much of Mr. Hubbard's life chronicled here. I am told you can move through the whole museum in 20 minutes if you are short on time, but I highly recommend taking a longer tour.

Came here with my fiancé on Groupon. We are surprised to have a museum that is such close distance…read moreto us. We are both White and me Jewish myself but both both appreciate the work of HBCUs as we are both disabled so educating historically disadvantaged populations is very important to us. Walking in it is a small museum (only two rooms) and not ADA accessible but has a lot of depth and artifacts and the guide was great. They have many images and a few captions. The walls were very covered in images and artifacts so be sure to look carefully. The second room has a well designed wall of portraits of where famous African Americans who graduated from HBCUs. The Black Hills portrait that had Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and W.E.B. DuBois at Mount Rushmore particularly stood out to me as we went back to the first room. Our guide really enjoyed hearing our stories and wanted to connect with some of our connections. He also di The larger museum will open in Atlanta and will have larger exhibits and restaurants on site as well as hotel rooms. If and when we visit Atlanta we would be sure to check it out and would encourage people of all backgrounds to check out the small museum here in the Shepherd Park neighborhood of DC (where many influential African Americans reside) and support their work.

HBCU along George Avenue NW is one of D.C.'s off-the-beaten-path museums. It's small, but might…read more Here's my experience going on a Wednesday afternoon in December 2021: 1) Ticket: No need to reserve them. I walked in and paid $8 for a self-guided tour. An extra $2 gets you a tour guide. 2) Exhibits: The story of HBCU institutions and their alumni are told through photographs and mementos. Each wall has a yellow poster that goes into detail about each exhibit, including fun facts. It's very informative. The back room is small, but includes a restroom where the exhibit continues. Take the time to read everything. It took me 30-45 minutes to soak it all in. 3) Store: In the front is a small gift shop with swag and goods made by local makers. If you're hungry, walk down Georgia Avenue NW to Moh Moh Licious for dumplings.

The museum exhibit starts from history of the community digs on its (Lee Street) past which also…read morestarted the background of The City of Alexandria became a leader in historic preservation. We found a hidden gem that located on the 3rd floor of Torpedo Factory Art Center which provides historical stories in a quaint space. Not only that, it's also can be an interesting short archeology field trip for certain ages kids. The museum gift shop available as the museum time. Come and check it out, you won't be disappointed!

On the third floor of Alexandria's Torpedo Factory, an old torpedo factory that's now the country's…read morelargest collection of working-artists' open studios, is a one room-museum about the city's history and archaeology. With free admission, take the time to read about Alexandria's archaeology and look at some historic artifacts. There's a small store and several interactive exhibits that teach kids about archaeology. They even have free coloring pages for kids!