BY MCKENNA DECKER
Like many capital cities, Washington DC serves as both the seat of government power and a major tourist destination. When looking for things to do in the city many people, myself included, use websites like Trip Advisor. A majority of the suggested things to do are the 19 Smithsonian Museums, the memorials, and the federal buildings like the White House and the Capitol.
Having only been to the East Coast once before when I was in elementary school, coming back as an adult with my dad offered an entirely new perspective. Both my father and I are history majors so when we were planning on what we needed to see, the Smithsonian museums were our top priority. The two major standouts of our museum tour were the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. These museums were standouts not only for their interesting and thought-provoking exhibits, but also for their interactive nature.
One of the major exhibits in the National American History Museum is “America on the Move!” This exhibit chronicles the history of transportation in America and how it has affected this country. Unlike other museum exhibits that have artifacts in glass cases, this exhibit has recreated full scale sets to fully show how an artifact was used. In some of these sets, guests could walk through a turn-of-the-century train station, listen to the sound of freeway traffic of Los Angeles in the 1990s, and stand beside a horse-drawn wagon that’s having its cargo unloaded onto a 18th century train. I saw wonder on the faces of both children and adults as they stood in one of these sets. While on the surface, these sets may appear to be fun backgrounds for someone’s next Instagram post. However, the exhibit artfully leads people through the glitz and the glamour and the cruelty that arose in this nation as a result of transportation developments. One such section of this exhibit focused on the rise of the railroad. On one side of the room, there are mannequins of a finely dressed family of four about to board their train. On the other side of the room, there are mannequins depicting Asian immigrants picking strawberries and panels on the wall describe the hardships they faced, from exploitative labor practices to racism.
As a history major, it is second nature to read every panel and plaque at a museum. But not everyone enjoys this. By crafting interactive exhibits, the National Museum of American History allows everyone to be able to learn from it; either by reading everything or by looking at the images and sets. This exhibit also aligns with the museum’s mission to “explore the infinite richness and complexity of American history” through its decision to tell the stories of those who have suffered from the advancement of transportation in America.
While my dad and I mainly stuck to the Smithsonian museums, Juliette and I chose to also visit Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. I would say that this museum was a complete 180 from the National Museum of American History. While NMAH focused mainly on education, it seemed that Madame Tussauds was focused on entertainment, though that is not to say that the museum did not care about educating the public. Madame Tussauds possesses a kind of almost morbid curiosity where people can’t help but want to visit and be intrigued. Personally, I find the figures to be creepy but I couldn’t help but go and visit. As creepy as standing in a room of wax figures is, it is also utterly unique. I can stand right next to George Washington and take a selfie. The museum also had period props available so that I could further immerse myself. Madame Tussauds also had an interactive game with Alexander Hamilton, undoubtedly put in place due to the widely popular musical Hamilton, though the game does not appear to take artistic license as Hamilton does. The game sticks to historical facts.
Washington DC is filled with unique experiences for everyone. It is easy to understand the appeal that the capital city has; for those who enjoy learning about history I can walk into any of the Smithsonian museums for free and walk around to see the monuments. There are also novelty sites that appeal to anyone, not just history buffs.
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