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EXPLORE D.C. | | | | | | | 1901 Fort Pl SE
Washington,
DC
20020
202-633-4820 | | | | | Description: ANACOSTIA. Housed in a former Civil War fortress, this community museum broke new ground by combining art outreach programs with museum installations. It seeks to both "influence and archive" the culture of the community, and since its inception in 1967, it has honed in more closely on African-American culture and heritage. The museum is also unique in that it doesn't collect just physical artifacts, but stories and accounts in the oral tradition to develop a more comprehensive cultural view. METRO: Smithsonian
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| Black History Resource Center638 N Alfred St
Alexandria,
VA
22314
703-838-4356 | | | | | Description: ALEXANDRIA. The entire African-American experience is explored at this well-organized museum and educational institute. Made up of a library, reading room, and a heritage park, the facility focuses on the lasting legacies and continuing contributions made by black Americans to Virginia and to the US. This is an excellent place to learn about slavery, abolition and civil rights, and much more, with exhibits stretching from the late 1700s to today. METRO: Braddock Road
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| Daughters of the American Revolution Museum1776 D St NW
Washington,
DC
20006-5303
202-628-1776 | | | | | Description: DOWNTOWN. Although the DAR Museum doesn't appear on most travel itineraries, it's well worth a visit, especially for history fans. With more than 33,000 items of Americana, the museum has plenty to see the antique quilt collection alone is singularly impressive. Antique furniture, housewares, toys, tools, books, and decorative arts are displayed in two large galleries, and 33 individually decorated rooms represent American interiors from the 17th century through the early 1900s. Bedrooms, kitchens, and parlors provide a glimpse of bygone home life, while a tavern and council chambers depict public spaces. METRO: Farragut West
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| Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site4301 W Braddock Rd
Alexandria,
VA
22304
703-838-4848 | | | | | Description: ALEXANDRIA. In the heat of the Civil War, Fort Ward was created to protect the nation's capital from Confederate troops. Still almost entirely in place, visitors can examine forts, batteries, the officer's hut, and a unique fort built out of earth. Take a self-guided tour, examine the collection of Civil War artifacts inside the museum, and then explore the surrounding 45-acres of city-maintained parkland. METRO: King Street, then the AT5 DASH bus
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| 800 F St NW
Washington,
DC
20004
202-393-7798 | | | | | Description: DOWNTOWN. Enthralled by the cloak and dagger world of international espionage? The International Spy Museum traces and uncovers the history of the world's second oldest (and most secretive) profession via a fascinating array of displays and interactive exhibits. The School for Spies exposes visitors to spy gadgets of all shapes and sizes, from lipstick pistols to buttonhole cameras, while the Secret History of History chronicles as far back as the times of Moses. Other galleries focus on Cold War and just when you thought it was safe to speak out loud again 21st-century espionage. Are "they" listening? After this museum, you'll never stop wondering. Hours may vary. METRO: Gallery
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| 201 S Washington St
Alexandria,
VA
22314
703-838-4994 | | | | | Description: ALEXANDRIA. This museum, built in a majestic Greek Revival style, is devoted to Alexandria's vivid and important history. The items on display in the permanent collection cover numerous topics, and include ceramics, furnishings, prints, photographs, and a large section of historic items from the Civil War. A third gallery hosts temporary exhibits on a range of related historic topics. Special events, educational lectures, and concerts are often held here, and the gift shop is an excellent place to pick up a souvenir or a gift. METRO: King Street, then DASH bus
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| 11250 Waples Mill Rd
Fairfax,
VA
22030
703-267-1600 | | | | | Description: FAIRFAX. If you are interested in firearms, then this extensive and internationally renowned museum hits the target. Firearms of all types, from historic to modern, civilian to military, are on display, along with ammunition and accessories. Learn about the volatile role of guns in our society throughout time, especially during wars. Guests can also see antique firearms and guns that once belonged to historic figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte. The expansive gift shop is the ideal place to pick up books, shirts, and NRA-related items that Charlton Heston would be proud of.
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| National Museum of the American Indian4th St and Independence Ave SW
Washington,
DC
20560
202-633-1000 | | | | | Description: DOWNTOWN. This stunning, sinuous museum crafted of limestone and set amid forty "grandfather" boulders and an extensive planted landscape acknowledges the Native American experience in culture, cosmology, craft, and history. Almost a million artifacts represent communities from North, South, and Central America, mesmerizing visitors with their age, beauty, and utility. The building also serves as a gathering space, complete with library, gift shop, theaters, and a cafe with authentic Native American dishes. METRO: L'Enfant Plaza
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| 2 Massachusetts Ave NE
Washington,
DC
20560
202-633-5555 | | | | | Description: CAPITOL HILL. Formerly Washington's main post office, this museum boasts 16 million items covering all things postal from airmail planes dangling in the spacious atrium to an exhibit showing the role of the post office in cultural and economic development. And if you like stamps, you may lose all sense of time looking through the vast, priceless collection that includes rare Confederacy stamps. Catch a video on train robberies, and send a postcard from a computerized kiosk. METRO: Union Station
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| The Smithsonian Institution1000 Jefferson Dr
Washington,
DC
20560
202-633-1000 | | | | | Description: NATIONAL MALL. The Smithsonian for many, the image of the 19th-century sandstone "Castle" immediately springs to mind. The Institution itself is larger than most realize (19 museums and the National Zoo in DC alone) and granting only one day to "do the Smithsonian" is a mistake. Always-popular stops are the National Air & Space Museum and the National Museum of American History (closed until Summer 2008); however, the beautiful National Museum of the American Indian has emerged as a hot attraction, and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington-Dulles serves as a fascinating repository of nearly 80% of the Smithsonian's air and space collection. METRO: Smithsonian
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