Museums in Minutes: Artifacts of D.C.

Visit the spectacular artifacts in Washington in just one day.

Written by Christian Malatesta

Framed by the Washington Monument on one side and the U.S. Capitol on the other, the National Mall in Washington DC is a breathtaking, must-do attraction–even if you can’t stand politics. That’s because lining the streets in between are the Smithsonian museums, a collection of 18 celebrated cultural institutions that are open to the public year around and are completely free. While several of them are scattered throughout the D.C. metro area, nearly a dozen stand cheek by jowl along Madison and Jefferson Drives, which means that even if you’ve only got one day to kill in the district, you can view all the best art and artifacts if you follow Jason Heidemann’s, writer/blogger for Huffington Post, easy guide.

Aerial view of the National Mall, Washington, D.C. The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington. The monument, made of marble, granite, and sandstone, is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk in height standing 555 feet 5 inches. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
Aerial view of the National Mall, Washington, D.C. The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington. The monument, made of marble, granite, and sandstone, is both the world’s tallest stone structure and the world’s tallest obelisk in height standing 555 feet 5 inches. Courtesy of Library of Congress.

His list includes the National Museum of American History (which features artifacts such as a top hat of Abraham Lincoln, the ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz, and historic gowns of First Ladies); the National Archives Museum (where you can view the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States); the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; National Museum of Natural History; and National Air and Space Museum .

Read Heidemann’s full article here.

From: Huffington Post–Travel