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
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