Everyone has given you great suggestions, and as a resident of the area, let me offer a couple more suggestions: * Although the National Portrait Gallery is closed, it recently opened a wonderful exhibit on American women drawn from their collections. It is on exhibit in the Ripley Center, near the Smithsonian Castle. * The International Spy Museum just opened across from the closed National Portrait Gallery. It is being operated as a private, for-profit business and is receiving lots of attention in the press as an attraction for the family. Haven't seen it myself to offer an opinion. * Also closed: National Archives exhibits and Ford Theater are closed for renovation; White House and FBI closed for security reasons. * On Capitol Hill, you may also enjoy the Library of Congress (wonderful building, good exhibits on books, reading, and major collections) and the Folger Library (exhibits on Shakespeare, Elizabethan life). * And of course, I must include our two historic sites: Decatur House (near the White House) and Woodrow Wilson House (the only presidential home, located in Kalorama/Embassy Row). Washington doesn't seem as crowded as usual, but I'd still take the Metro, use the Tourmobile, and avoid the Mall-side entrances to the Smithsonian museums. Weather is changing continually, so wear shorts for the heat and bring umbrellas for the thunderstorms. Enjoy your travels! Max A. van Balgooy Director of Interpretation and Education Stewardship of Historic Sites National Trust for Historic Preservation 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 588-6242 Fax (202) 588-6232 [log in to unmask] ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).