National Museum of American History Smithsonian

The museum provides an overview of American History with a focus on the colonial period to the present. Stories, lifesize scenarios, videos, artifacts, and interactive exhibits make history come alive. It is easy to spend two days at the museum just to peruse the available exhibits.

George Washington's camp gear

Slave Ship

Abraham Lincoln Bronze from Face Mask

Market Scene

Several Displays Document Segregation

School Bus

From the Vietnam War Exhibit

All in the Family TV 1970

Example of Changes in Technology

Democracy in Action

Visibility- some displays are poorly lit making it difficult to view objects or read the posted information. Some displays are difficult to appreciate due to lighting that produces a glare.

Food service- available in museum- no food and drinks permitted in the museum; Cheaper eats at nearby restaurants

Shops- various gifts and souvenirs

Restrooms- available and maintained

Photography- mostly permitted, some exceptions posted; sometimes difficult to capture objects even without flash

Website- helpful information including hours, policies, maps http://americanhistory.si.edu/

PLACES TO VISIT IN WASHINGTON DC

Here’s a few places to see along with some photos and links to information.

United States Capitol

White House

National Archives

Library of Congress

Supreme Court

National Zoo

U S Botanic Garden

Union Station

Monuments and Memorials

Washington Monument

Lincoln Memorial

WW II Memorial

Vietnam War Memorial

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Museums

American History

Air and Space Museum

Natural History Museum

Postal Museum

National Art Gallery

National Postal Museum

Holocaust Museum

National Museum of the American Indian

National Museum of African American History and Culture

And here’s my webpage  www.suttong.com

And some books I have published

My Travel Blog

My YouTube Travel Site

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

The Natural History museum is one of the best in the Smithsonian group in DC.

We enter into the round court where we are greeted by a large African Elephant, which has been present for years.


We are impressed by the Ocean gallery where there are many exhibits from ancient fossils to recent discoveries. Fish and other sea inhabitants range from the microscopic to the massive whales.





The mammal hall houses a collection that has been present for years.






The human origins hall provides an interesting overview of human evolution and interactive "cave video" presentations.





One special exhibit featured wildlife photography.











Other galleries contain butterflies and other insects, birds, and a few dinosaurs (the dinosaur and fossil hall will re-open in 2019).




Some displays are hard to view because of the low light or glare from the placement of lights and reflections off the enclosed exhibits.

The museum stores have reasonable prices.

Food and drinks are available in food services. There are several restaurants a little north of the museum.

Food and drink were not permitted in the museum galleries (except for water) when we visited.


Check the website for current hours and other information like changing exhibits.

Connect Geoffrey W. Sutton

Museum website http://naturalhistory.si.edu/

PLACES TO VISIT IN WASHINGTON DC

Here’s a few places to see along with some photos and links to information.

United States Capitol

White House

National Archives

Library of Congress

Supreme Court

National Zoo

U S Botanic Garden

Union Station

Monuments and Memorials

Washington Monument

Lincoln Memorial

WW II Memorial

Vietnam War Memorial

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Museums

American History

Air and Space Museum

Natural History Museum

Postal Museum

National Art Gallery

National Postal Museum

Holocaust Museum

National Museum of the American Indian

National Museum of African American History and Culture

And here’s my webpage  www.suttong.com

And some books I have published

My Travel Blog

My YouTube Travel Site

National Air and Space Museum

The Air and Space Museum in Washington DC is clearly a family favorite as people of all ages walked or ran about the museum in search of interesting exhibits.

The size of the planes, rockets, and space vehicles is overwhelming.





















In addition to the gigantic vehicles, there are stories about the people who invented, flew, and served in various ways.









Many exhibits provide introductory science lessons.



There are many interactive exhibits, which appealed to the children and youth during in our visit.



Both civil aviation and military planes are on display.









It was helpful to see examples of air and spacecraft from other countries represented.





The museum is free.

There is a security check on entry.

No food and drink were permitted at the time of our 2017 visit (except water).

There are food trucks on the South Side of the museum as an alternative to eating in the museum.

There are several restrooms and places to sit.



See the website for more details
https://airandspace.si.edu/

PLACES TO VISIT IN WASHINGTON DC

Here’s a few places to see along with some photos and links to information.

United States Capitol

White House

National Archives

Library of Congress

Supreme Court

National Zoo

U S Botanic Garden

Union Station

Monuments and Memorials

Washington Monument

Lincoln Memorial

WW II Memorial

Vietnam War Memorial

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Museums

American History

Air and Space Museum

Natural History Museum

Postal Museum

National Art Gallery

National Postal Museum

Holocaust Museum

National Museum of the American Indian

National Museum of African American History and Culture

And here’s my webpage  www.suttong.com

And some books I have published

My Travel Blog

My YouTube Travel Site

City Market Kansas City MissouriCity

City Market Entrance Kansas City MO/ Geoff W Sutton 2017

We walked about the City Market during a June 2017 visit to Kansas City. It's a good place to mix with people from many cultures selling a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, beautiful flowers, and various items suitable for unique gifts.

An historic marker identifies an old trading post.




There are several restuarants offerring a variety of ethnic foods in addition to other vendors. Many offer tempting samples. It's a good place for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

We found parking nearby and there's a local city tram serving the area.

The market is also home to the Arabia Steamboat Museum- also worth a visit.

Arabia Steamboat Kansas City MO

Arabia Collage Geoff Sutton 2017

We are glad we went to see the Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

The local explorers display tons of buried treasure they found when the excavated this pre-Civil War Steamboat, which sank in 1856. The museum tells the story of the ship and the discovery along with the process of restoration, which the explorers learned as they sought to preserve the contents of the mud-covered horde along with parts of this iconic 1800s boat.

Tons of treasure but only a few cents

We were fortunate to meet two of the explorers who answered questions following the brief introductory video. The film provides an overview and though not like those you will find in the best museums, you get a sense of adventure as you join in the exploration and awesome find. The authenticity comes through in a way that glitzy presentations can not capture.

An award-winning pitcher/ Arabia Steamboat/ Geoff W Sutton 2017

The displays are nicely designed and the lighting is much better than in some museums so you can actually read the inofrmation boards and take decent photos without flash.

Arabia Steamboat Treasure

Many of the items were for sale at area stores so some displays capture life in pioneer days as seen from the perspective of a frontier shop. Whether from the US or elsewhere, the Arabia Steamboat Museum offers a unique glimpse into this segment of Midwestern US history.

Ready for an 1800s store

One exhibit offers a hands-on educational talk on preserving sunken cargo.  There will be more to see in the future. The museum appears full yet there were some 60 of the 200 tons left to explore and restore.

Brief history of the Steamboat

Notes and tips

Check the website for times and more details.
There are clean restrooms near the exit.
There is a museum store on the main floor where you purchase tickets and shop.
The first part of the tour is guided.
Toys and working models make it interesting for young and old.
There are places to sit within the museum.
There's adequate parking neaby.
The area is served by a local city tram.
There are many fine restaurants in the nearby City Market.

American Museum of Natural History NYC

Filled with quality crafted dioramas, the American Museum of Natural History brings nature's wonders into the city.

We arrived in NYC 5 September 2016. Due to storm Hermine, we arrived a day early with no plans. We were required to disembark for passport control so we decided to take in a museum. It was a pleasant day so we decided to walk the approximately 2.5 miles from Pier 90 on the Hudson (near 50th St) angling east and north past Fordham University and the Met to the Museum, which is on the West side of Central Park at 79th Street.

I've visited the American Museum of Natural History a few times since my childhood but it had been several years. The dioramas and audio-video presentations reveal considerable improvements.

There really are a lot more to see than large mammals but it's hard to get good photos of gems and precious metals in glass cases. So more mammals.

I must say I was impressed with the anthropology room.

By mid-afternoon we had reached our limit but walked back to our ship hotel for the evening meal.

Tips and Notes

Public transportation stops are nearby.

You can purchase tickets online or from automated booths in the lobby area.

It opens at 10:00 daily- closes at 5:45 pm

The museum meals are expensive compared to nearby restaurants.

There are a lot of places to rest and watch videos or just have a long look at an interesting exhibit.

The toilets were clean and well maintained.

There are downloadable apps

Paper maps are available on entry.

We found the staff friendly and helpful.

There's a nice size museum shop with some reasonably priced gift items for people of all ages.

Parking is awfully expensive- check online- but why would you want to drive in Manhattan?

Connect

Website www.suttong.com
Facebook page Geoff W Sutton

Twitter @GeoffWSutton