I took the National Mall Challenge
When I arrived in Washington DC for the Dad 2.0 Summit, I had about six hours to kill before I needed to be back in the hotel for the conference’s opening meetings. Because Mihret has become a big fan of these crazy challenges that her favorite youtubers keep doing (including her own Baby Food Challenge) and because the National Mall was just a few short blocks from the hotel, I decided to create my own “challenge:” the How Many Museums Can you Visit on the National Mall in Just Six Hours Challenge.
We’ll call it the National Mall Challenge, for short.
As I said before, it was a chilly and windy morning. The blue skies were great, and the sunshine promised some warmth later in the day. But at 10 a.m.? My teeth were chattering.
The goal of this challenge was simple – visit as many cultural institutions as I could in the short amount of time that I had. While there was no way I was going to be able to walk through and examine every gallery in each of these institutions, I couldn’t just walk in and walk back out like Clark Griswold did at the Grand Canyon.
It needed to be a little more involved than that. Not much, though.
After pausing to take photos of the Washington Monument and Capitol, I realized I really wanted to get inside and warm up because I was getting pretty chilly. So I headed towards the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. I was ready for a break from the wind. And to see some dinosaurs. I have to say, the building was a sight for sore eyes.
Alas, the dinosaurs were going to have to wait. Right before I arrived at the museum’s entrance, a massive school group lined up. It looked like it was going to be a long wait to get in. I was still chilly. And I still wanted to see as many things as I could. So I decided to walk back across the Mall to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Stop 1: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
You might remember that we had visited the Air and Space Museum annex during our layover on our return flight from Ethiopia. We saw Space Shuttle Discovery. I was beside myself.
While there is no space shuttle in the main galleries of the Air and Space Museum, it has a whole lot of cool stuff, like space capsules, the Hubble Telescope (training module), Spirit of St. Louis, Chuck Yeager’s Bell X-1, and Neil Armstrong’s lunar suit.
Stop 2: National Gallery of Art (west building)
I crossed the Mall and decided to make a (relatively) quick stop in the National Gallery of Art. I mean…why not? They asked me to keep my backpack on one shoulder. Not sure why. Does anyone know? I’m genuinely curious and didn’t think to ask the security guards why it mattered.
I left the National Gallery of Art through a side entrance. I’m glad I did, because I saw a building that I absolutely had to visit. It wasn’t in my original plan, but this was just too good to pass up.
Stop 3: The National Archives
You’re not allowed to take any photos inside the National Archives. It’s a shame. The great hall that houses the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights is an awe-inspiring room.
Stop 4: National Museum of Natural History
Upon my second attempt to enter the National Museum of Natural History, I met another school group. It was just as big as the group I saw earlier in the morning. I had a decision to make. Was it worth it to see the dinosaurs? I mean, I can see dinosaurs any time I want. Right?
It was still a bit chilly. But the sun had come out from behind the clouds. My legs were tired and standing still didn’t sound that fun. But…dinosaurs. So I weighed my options and decided to wait it out.
Yup. Totally worth the wait.
Stop 5: National Museum of American History
The U.S. flag that inspired the writing of the Star Spangled Banner is housed in the Smithsonian’s American history museum. Much like inside the National Archives, though, you can’t take pictures in that gallery. But, I can promise you that it’s still there. As controversial as the national anthem has become, the Star Spangled Banner is still there. It doesn’t wave, though. It lies flat. But I digress…
When you’re in the American history museum, you see all kinds of signs celebrating the fact that the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz are there on display. Apparently they used seven different pairs of ruby slippers when they filmed the movie. The two on display are not a matched set.
These ruby slippers are so special, though, they have a room all to themselves.
These items – a ballot box and an immigrant’s suitcase – haunted me. I feel like we should have already come so far as a society, and yet our politics are a mess and the way we treat immigrants hasn’t changed all that much. Unfortunately.
And I thought this sculpture of George Washington was fascinating. Mr. Washington went to great lengths to ensure that he was never confused with a monarch. I wonder what he felt about being portrayed as some type of Greek hero…or maybe even a god?
Stop 6: The Holocaust Museum
I tried to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I knew it was a long shot because you’re supposed to have timed tickets – I hoped they’d let me in, anyway. The sign at the entrance, however, said that I couldn’t enter without a timed ticket. I will be back, though. And I will explore this museum.
Upon realizing that I could not visit the African American History museum, I had to make a decision. Do I try to walk the rest of the National Mall and visit some monuments and memorials? Or do I visit the Holocaust Museum. For a variety of reasons, including the fact that I really wanted to visit this museum – it didn’t exist the last time I was in Washington DC, I chose the Holocaust Museum.
I wish I’d had time to stay longer.
I walked through Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story, an immersive experience that tells children and their families the story of the Holocaust. I’ve mentioned before that one of our permanent exhibits at The Children’s Museum includes the story of Anne Frank, and I’ve written about her several times.
This experience at the Holocaust Museum is immersive like the Anne Frank gallery, except this is like that gallery on steroids. It was pretty intense. I was blown away.
I knew time was short, so I tried to take in as much of the museum as I could as quickly as I could. In retrospect, I should have planned better. This isn’t a museum you can rush through. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad I went. I just wish I had stayed longer.
Powerful.
Haunting.
Heartbreaking.
You have to visit this museum. Don’t rush through it. Allow yourself to have some time to walk through and allow it to soak in. Trust me. You need to do this the next time you’re in DC.
I completed the National Mall Challenge
Visiting all of these places in such a short amount of time wore me out physically, mentally, and emotionally. Would I do it again?
In a heartbeat.
Who knows? I might even bring the kids next time…
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