> As for the pendulum, I think that go shortened and moved somewhere else but I > can't remember where. That's another favorite of mine but I am a science > educator. Even as a kid, I was always facinated by how it swung so perfectly > and knocked down the little red pegs. Here's my argument for keeping the pendulum (besides there's an odd round hole in the floor at NMAH now) many of my friends who are DC natives grew up going to NMAH and their strongest memory is the pendulum. Sure it's scientific, but it's also a part of the history of the building. And neat to see. And doesn't take up much room at all! > If you're there on a weekend, brunch at the Castle is fabulous and the > dining > room is worth the entire trip. You get the feeling that you really are in a > Castle. I'll second that! The Commons is a bit more pricey than other brunches, but so good you could eat a day's worth of food in that one meal. And the room is amazing! And it is a hidden secret around town, so it is one of the few brunches that doesn't have long lines (so do Eastern Market on Saturday and the Commons on Sunday-- you'll learn why we Americans love our breakfasts so much! And you'll walk off the calories) I did the Castle tour several years ago and as I remember, it's neat and you feel special to walk into such special areas, but if you have a limited amount of time in town, I wouldn't waste it on the tour. Go into the Castle to see the Great Hall and the Commons and that's it. Also, African Art and the Sackler connect underground through the Ripley Center which currently has an exhibit on women from the National Portrait Gallery. I recommend asking for this connecting pathway (I always stumble onto it) because it will save alot of stair walking time. ========================================================= 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).