National Museum of American History

This weekend my good friend from Rutgers, Amanda, came to visit. I had only been to the National Museum of American History (one of the Smithsonians) once since it opened late last year and for only a few minutes. So, we decided to go on a Saturday, which was our first mistake. It was entirely too crowded, even though it is a huge building. The ventilation was terrible and it was extremely hot, which surprised me because it has been recently renovated. We had to wait in lines for most of the exhibits, including the first ladies and pop culture exhibits. The first lady exhibit is pretty good. There is a display of many of the inauguration dresses worn by first ladies ranging from Martha Washington to Laura Bush (Michelle Obama's is not yet on display). We then had to wait in a pretty long line for the pop culture exhibit and it is so small! It is like half of a small room and consists of only a few items, some of which are not even interesting. I was really disappointed in the lack of interesting displays and the very small exhibits. It seems that there is a lot of space in the building, but they are not utilizing it. I assume they are not finished with the renovations, but as of now, it is not worth visiting. There are so many interesting moments in American history, but none of them are featured! The National Gallery of Art is my favorite museum in D.C. The interior is gorgeous and relaxing and the collections are eclectic and can keep you entertained for hours. I am so lucky that I live in a city where I have the opportunity to visit all these educational and entertaining venues! There is something new to do everyday.