On November 20, 2021, the Arts & Industries Building reopened with The Futures, an exhibit focusing…read moreon the future of life through innovative art and interactive stations. I visited with my four-year-old daughter on opening day. Here's our experience: 1) Entry: It's free and tickets aren't required. Despite a healthy crowd on opening day, we walked right in and could keep our distance from others since the building itself is huge. 2) Exhibits: It's the most unique of the Smithsonian museums and worth visiting to learn how technology could influence our future from transportation to gardening yo doing laundry. Like many museums, there's a lot of reading, but many are also interactive. For example, there's a sculpture that moves with you, a virtual reality station and circular chairs that rock (popular with kids). 3) Kid-Friendly: There's enough for kids to enjoy, but it skews older. For example, the virtual reality experience was popular with kids eight and older. There's a guide book for younger kids to beat explore the museum. 4) Amenities: The building itself is beautiful and inspiring quotes are painted on the walls. There are restrooms and places to sit and read. There's also a wall asking people to write down how they will act to make a better future for all. 5) Transportation: It's on the National Mall so Metro is best and the Smithsonian and L'Enfant Stations are nearby. If you drive, you can find street paid parking near L'Enfant Plaza. If you drive, go before 10 a.m. to increase your chance of finding parking.

The AIB opened a new exhibit today (Nov. 20, 2021) called FUTURES which provides an eclectic and…read morethoughtful display on potential futures that can inspire, work, and unite us. First, the only entrance is on the mall side, so if you're walking along Independence Ave., expect a long walk. Second, the building does have a restroom hidden along the left wall after you enter the building. Third, you will find at least one thing to enjoy, whether it's the fun display of sculptures, a thoughtful quote on the future, or the display of modern advances in vehicle technology, including the Virgin XP-2 hyper loop transporter (which is like a capsule) that shoots you at speeds up to 670 mph in a vacuum-filled tunnel. It's really cool! Apart from the FUTURES display, the interior of the building is marvelous. It's supposed to evoke the colors and grand design of international fairs from the 19th century. It's worth taking 30 minutes to take a quick scan of the exhibits. Hopefully, the Smithsonian will keep this building open to the public after the July 2022 end date of the FUTURE exhibit.

A free and excellent view of Downtown Washington DC can be viewed from the Old Post Office and…read moreClock Tower, which is the 3rd tallest structure in DC. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it was completed in 1899. This is attached to the (now) Waldorf Astoria, however the Tower is manned by the National Parks Service. The entrance is in the back of the hotel, and the elevator looks out into the hotel's atrium. When you reach the open air top floor, you'll look out for a 360 degree view. One lonely park ranger is up there, and they are there year-round. When we visited, it was completely empty and we had the space to ourselves (and the ranger).

Actual rating: 3.5/5…read more Ok so in fairness, I have never cared for panoramic views. I came here with my friends on a day trip to DC after seeing a post about this place on social media. The entrance to the this place to see the views is incredibly tricky to access. The Waldorf took over and shut down the way to access through the building so you'll have to walk around and find the nearly completely hidden from street view entrance. For ease, I have linked the approximate location from Apple Maps below. There is a small historic background museum when you enter following the bag search and this is part of the National Parks stamping service so if you collect those speak with the nice ranger on duty. There are two elevators to travel to get to the top, the first takes you up to see views of the Astoria and the second will show you the rooftop from the Old Post Office Tower. This view is obscured by bars that make photography challenging. Would I, who does not like views, come again? No. But!!! If you are into views this is quite nice and free so I would recommend.

I like SAAM because the works are modern, recent. There are traditional paintings here, to be sure,…read morebut also photography; art produced by self-taught artists; "arts & crafts"; creations made for specific eras, such as New Deal, Gilded Age; media art; etc. It's a lovely hodgepodge of America, and certainly not stuffy. I often feel like a kid when observing the exhibitions. The pieces are sometimes playful, sometimes eccentric, at times sinister, but always thought-provoking. Does it speak to you or doesn't it? You get to decide! We all live in the world of the present--it's a pretty crazy place, too. The art at SAAM represents this to a certain extent, perhaps more relatable than you might expect. Give SAAM a try. It has a little bit of everything.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm pretty much uncultured swine when it comes to art. I'm not a…read morefan of art where I can't distinguish whether it was done by an amateur or professional. I dislike when art is more about the concept or the context over skill and beauty. I understand that beauty's in the eye of the beholder, but I'm just saying that this beholder was unimpressed. I will say that a portion of the museum was closed - maybe that's where the more impressive art pieces were held. If you aren't a fan of contemporary or modern art, I don't think you'd enjoy this museum.

Heart this museum that use to be the Riggs National Bank built in 1899 and is also known as the…read morepresidents bank of which over half of the U.S. presidents use to bank. It's steps from the White House and U.S. Treasury. Heart the interactive museum that celebrates the successes of entrepreneurs and the opportunities, innovation and statements and videos of personal achievements. The museum has photos, original documents from the past history of the bank, and two original bank vaults. The tree of generations greets you as you enter the main floor and is interactive, so you and your family can post instantly your digital pic. I recommend this museum to everyone and you'll feel inspired & motivated after visiting this new museum.

I visited the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream last weekend with my husband, and it…read morewas interesting. So what is it? It's a new museum that opened in the fall of 2025, just steps from the White House and the U.S. Treasury. It touts itself as an interactive museum which highlights the successes of American capitalism, entrepreneurship, and financial and banking institutions. The museum's namesake is Michael Milken, who partly curated and controls the museum. Located in five historic buildings, rumor has it the museum cost $500 million. Exploring the museum, I was conflicted. I love museums, and I think you should keep an open mind and learn what you can everywhere, from anyone, for your whole life. I value curiosity and critical thinking above many other things. However, this is definitely a museum with a point of view, and it's probably good to know that going in. Michael Milken is an American financier mostly known for his role in the development of the market for high-yield bonds (junk bonds), leading to his reputation as the "Junk Bond King," and his conviction and sentence on felony charges for violating securities laws. He was sentenced to 10 years (he served 2) and fined $600 million. He was pardoned by President Trump in 2020 and is considered to be one of the wealthiest people in the world (with an estimated net worth of $6 billion). None of this is to say you can't enjoy or learn from or even love the Milken Center. I just think it's relevant information to know going in as the museum deals with American financial markets and capitalism. I certainly wouldn't recommend taking your most progressive or democratic socialist friends to this museum. The museum is free to visit, but you do need to make an reservation for a timed entry (I'm not sure why, because they were not busy at all on a Sunday afternoon when we visited). There is an add on experience (the Holodeck Experience) which has an associated cost of $15 per person. We probably spent an hour and a half at the museum. You can certainly see where they spent the alleged $500 million. It's shiny and new and has lots of interactive aspects and exhibits. If you're into historical artifacts, this is not the museum for you. (They did have an iron lung, and since I'd only ever seen one other, that was a pretty interesting artifact to see.) This museum is full of videos and holograms and signs (and some art as well) but light on artifacts for sure. We wandered around the museum, not really sure what the highlights were that we shouldn't miss (we ended up missing the hologram gallery that many other reviews mention). Most of the financial floors of the museum weren't of very much interest to me, although I could see how it would be interesting/educational for kids (for example, there was an interactive quiz where you choose how much a young person with their first job should save, spend on trips, etc., and then you see how well they're doing after a bit of time). The highlights of the museum for me were the building itself and the art. The Basil Kincaid quilts are massive and and jaw dropping where they hang over the Tree of Generations. And two art-related exhibits really caught my attention: "Celebrating 250 Years: A Journey Through America with Robert Freimark" (which showcased abstract prints the artist made, each representing one of the 50 states) and "Visualizing Impact" (an exhibit showcasing art made by young artists in grades 6-12 focus on unsung heroes in history). We also did the Holodeck Experience - the add on experience for $15 per person. From their website: "It's more than just a movie--it's an unforgettable multisensory adventure held in a unique 360-degree megapixel environment. You're invited to embark on a new journey in the Perpetual Story Machine by Moment Factory, a mind-bending fusion of technology and imagination. Dive into stories of perseverance, innovation, determination, and mentorship at the breathtaking Kenneth C. Griffin Holodeck Experience. Are you ready to take the leap?" That's vague, but it's a hard experience to describe. I actually think children might enjoy it more than adults, because we found it a little silly (especially the parts where you have to "help" the Machine before the more movie-like part begins). We were alone at the experience, so it there were two staff members for the two of us. I did learn about three very different and interesting American experiences, but ultimately I found it a bit cheesy. The Milken Center is free, so I encourage anyone with some spare time to check it out for themselves. But it's not the museum for me. Some of the smaller art exhibits caught my eye, but the majority of the museum felt a bit off to me. Maybe I'm just not into these newer "museums" without artifacts. More like immersive experiences with informational signs. I doubt I'll be back, but you might get more out of it or enjoy more than I did. Who knows?

I was disappointed to find out that the Octagon Museum is not open to the public. This was…read morementioned nowhere on their website. You can schedule a tour for a group in advance, but unscheduled visitors are not allowed in. In fact, the building is locked. They have a gift shop in the building behind it, which is open to the public during business hours. I find this a little annoying since the museum itself isn't open to the public, but I'm giving the Octagon Museum two stars instead of one, because the gift shop was actually pretty good.

This building houses the American Architectural Foundation. The Octagon Museum is the oldest museum…read morein the country. Kind of neat-- a building that was constructed in the late 1700's still standing and functional right here in DC. This museum often flies the fifteen stars and stripes flag. The building itself was where President Madison lived when the British burned down the White House. Right now, there is a really cool exhibit celebrating the Willard InterContinental's 20th anniversary. The show features 30 or so color and black and white pics of the hotel at various stages of development and age. SPOOKY TIP: This place is one of DC's famous "haunted houses." It is said that Madison's wife hangs out here as well as one of the original owner's daughters.

My spouse and I call it the annual pilgrimage. We walk from the host hotel to the museum. It's…read moreabout an hour and a little more. The staff is wonderful, you do have to go through metal detectors. The cost worth the interactive experiences in the museum. You can learn the history of policing, see how it's evolved to include women and people of different backgrounds. They have a lot of interactive learning opportunities, and every time I go there's something new to see. We plan on going back next year.

We had the most amazing time at the Law Enforcement Museum in Washington DC. Instructor Charles…read moreHumphrey taught two classes; Use of Force and Driving. Charles has to be the most knowledgeable person in these subjects in the country! The classes were extremely informative and anyone in law enforcement would greatly benefit taking classes from Charles!!

One of the best museums I've been to in DC! Not only is it interactive, but every exhibit and…read moreinteractive activity is accessible, with ASL interpretation and braille, as well as an option to write accessibility needs when you book! Could not recommend enough during your next trip!

The National Geographic Museum of Exploration is a really interesting and neat museum! The exhibit…read morewas very engaging and well set up. It is really interesting how they travel around the world and take photos from cultures to different animals. I recommend visiting the Photo Ark where you can peek your head through these little openings where you can see moving images of animals. I also recommend this if you are into photography!

I visited here today & recommend it highly…read more The museum is in a very handsome house near the U.S. Capitol & is filled with engaging content. I particularly enjoyed all the wonderful photos of suffrage marches & protests. These activists sure knew how to get media attention. One of the women featured prominently is Alice Paul. She was a brilliant strategist. She lived in the house at one time. There is a wonderful marble bust of her in the main hall. My guided tour was very illuminating. It began with an informative video & then continued with a personally guided tour by a Park Ranger. All for free.

Where did women get the right to vote? Well, right here. The Equal Rights Amendment, was planned…read moreand drafted in this house. The Sewall Belmont House is the spot of a few other historic events like the signing of the Louisana Purchase. It was built over 200 years ago and was the home of Alice Paul. Ms. Paul was the founder of the National Women's Party (NWP) which was the fore-mother of the ERA. Now, it is a museum dedicated to women's suffrage movement. There is also an amazing amount of equal rights materials here including a feminist library. You have to attend a tour in order to see everything on display, but it is well worth the 5 bucks they suggest as a donation.