Museum Rankings - D.C Version
I love to travel, I have been to cities all across America. Each one has its quirks and each one has its downfalls and I find myself constantly debating my favorite ones. When Katie and I decided that we were going to do a weekend getaway to Washington D.C, I wasn’t as thrilled as others options on our list. We were debating between Boston, New Orleans, even Austin was kicked around. All of these had a unique flair, where D.C seemed a little….. Bleh. Normal. The cardigan of cities. At the end of the day though, we decided that due to flight price, D.C it was… Gotta save that money.
Previous to this trip, my only experience in D.C was when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I had very few memories other than that the Lincoln Memorial was large. After a while of thinking about it and talking to friends who have been, due to my love of American History, I was absolutely thrilled about going. It was going to be a 48 whirlwind of history, viewing the city, and food.
We went with one agenda: See cool stuff.
Mission accomplished.
We arrived Friday evening and left Sunday morning. On the day in between, I found one of my top 3 favorite cities in the world.
Chicago.
Las Vegas.
Washington D.C
I was blown away by the intentionality of the city construction, the history that was in every corner, and the power that was in the air. It was incredible. With that in mind, I wanted to share my ranking of the things that we experienced.
National Museum of American History
What I loved:
This was the story of America… Which means in part it was the story of me. I felt a personal connection to this museum unlike the others as I found myself relating to inventions and moments that affected my life. The military section was particularly fascinating as equipment and artifacts were on display.
What I found interesting:
Going in, I would have assumed that the section that I would have never spent a lot of time in was the political history portion. It was interesting though because if you try, it’s pretty easy to ignore politics. In this situation though, they were right there and you could see how people and groups influenced the world. Really cool.
What I would have changed about my visit:
I do wish there was a way to walk through the museum based on time periods rather than “categories.”
2. National Archives Museum
What I loved:
I SAW THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, BILL OF RIGHTS, AND THE CONSTITUTION.
It was awe inspiring. We went to this museum on a whim as we couldn’t get tickets to Air and Space and I am so glad we did. I couldn’t help but think about the time and effort it took to cultivate these documents. I developed a new respect for those documents because I saw them in person.
What I found interesting:
Words on paper are powerful. That’s the message of the museum. If you can craft it through text, you can craft what you want out of the world.
What I would have changed about my visit:
I wish I could have taken pictures. However, totally understand why we couldn’t.
3. National Zoo
What I loved:
Katie and I were some of the first people in the zoo. While we were there from 8-10 am it felt like we were the only people in the facility. Due to that, we were able to slowly make our way through the complex. It was this beautiful, intimate moment in nature looking at God’s creation. So cool.
What I found interesting:
I had no idea how rare panda’s were. I also had no idea how electric they were. When I saw my first Panda I popped like the crowd for John Cena at the Royal Rumble in MSG.
What I would have changed about my visit:
Honestly? Not a lot. The zoo was really cool. The highs at the museums above were higher, but there wasn’t a miss at the zoo. Maybe could have used a snack.
4. National Museum of Natural History
What I loved:
I am a literature and history guy. For most of my life, I have discounted science. To clarify, not that I have disregarded the validity of it, I just haven’t put a lot of my personal brian power to it. This museum challenged me to look into and study science and math more. There is so much to learn that I have been missing out on.
What I found interesting:
Dinosaurs are crazy. I don’t waste a lot of brain power thinking about them, but when you really break down these animals and their existence, there is so much to learn. In fact it challenged me to get a good grasp on the Biblical timeline and dinosaurs, which is a great thing.
What I would have changed about my visit:
I had a bit of sensory overload. Maybe it was because of the layout or maybe it was because of the amount of people there, but I never felt settled. Which did in turn cause me to enjoy it less.
5. National Gallery of Art
What I loved:
The architecture of the building is fantastic.
What I found interesting:
The art was so freaking old. I couldn’t believe that they lasted as long as they do. I also couldn’t believe the talent of people of the past. So impressive!
What I would have changed about my visit:
Imma be real for a second. I don’t get art. It had good air conditioning though.
So there it is. My recommendation on which to go to based on our visit. D.C is an incredible city that drives us to reflect on our past while looking ahead to the future. This is a must visit city. It will bring about an appreciation ofr our country and our story that may not always be there. It is utterly inspiring. You will be challenged to grow in your knowledge to be the best that you can possibly be.
Bonus recommendation:
Go eat at We The Pizza. It was incredible.