Washington D.C. Part 4 Non Smithsonian Museums.

Although the Smithsonian are unbelievable, they are not the only awesome museums in D.C. There are a few others that are well worth your time. Most of the other museums have an admission. Considering how many free things there are, it is easy to justify paying the fee for museums that interest you.

National Gallery of Art- The two buildings that make up the National Gallery are right in the middle of the Smithsonian. In fact I am sure most people think they are part of the Smithsonian.

This museum is free. There are two buildings. The East Building is shapes like a giant triangle, it houses mostly contemporary art. While I was there in the spring, the West Building was having some work done on it. Some of the art was brought over to the East for display including some Monet.

The West Building is the one I really enjoy. Get a map! The building is huge. At a quick count there are 91 rooms on the main floor ( don't hold me to that). The ground floor has sculpture ( including "the Thinker") and also special exhibitions. The rooms on the main floor are arranged by century and country of origin. The oldest rooms are of 13-15th century Italian paintings. Its an amazing feeling sitting in a room full of 600 year old paintings that were made during the Renaissance. My favorite rooms along with many other people are the French Impressionist paintings. Also high on my list are the American paintings most notably Gilbert Stuart ( born in Rhode Island). He is the artist that painted the portrait of George Washington on the dollar bill. I could easily spend a day at the National Gallery. We only planned a few hours and time went by so quickly, I didn't see nearly enough. One thing I can tell you to do is spend the $5 for the audio wand. You press in the number from a painting and you will get a history of the painting. Not all paintings are numbered and have a commentary, but enough do to make the wand well worth it. If you like art, give yourself as much time as you can spare for this museum.

National Archives- The Archives is the building that houses the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, the Magna Carta. There are many other documents that you can see on display. Be forewarned, there is a line that stretches outside. Going into the display area is like walking through a receiving line at a wedding. You start at one end of the room. All documents are on a back wall. You move to the next one as at the speed of the person in front of you goes. At the end, you walk out the exit door. Although its not the most fun experience in Washington, you have to go and see these treasures at least once.

International Spy Museum- Charges an admission fee. It is well worth the price of admission. After you pay, you walk into a waiting area with a bunch of computers. You answer questions to see if you can pass for a civilian in a foreign country even though you are a spy. Its a fun way to kill time. After a short amount of time you go up an elevator to the top floor. The museum begins there. You work your way down learning about spies throughout history. You learn all about samurais and the KGB. You move through history until you get to famous spies in history, like George Washington, yes that George. Its a great museum.

National Museum of Crime and Punishment- Admission I love this place. Its a little like the above museum. A large percentage of this museum is dedicated to criminals throughout history. There were photos of mafous villians like Billy the Kid and Al Capone. There are pirate flags from famous pirates. The car used by Bonnie and Clyde is there. If you like that kind of history you will love it. Futher down, you learn about forensics. There is a nice diagram of what meth can do to you with some nice before and after pictures. The basement is where John Walsh films America's Most Wanted. You can walk through the studio.

Holocaust Museum- If you want to learn about the Holocaust this place is amazing. I am of the belief we should learn about the bad things that happened in history. This way we won't maske the same mistakes others have made. Also,living in our American suburban neighborhoods,it is hard to imagine the horrors these people felt during such a dark time in human history. I will not pretend walking through a museum could ever make me feel the terror the Jews ( and other minorities) in Europe felt. I can tell you I have a better understanding. Go for yourself, just be prepared to be depressed for the rest of the day.

Bureau of Printing and Engraving- Free This is where the money is made. From your tour you will see pallets full of money. You will need to get your tickets early in the day the same as you would the Washington Monument. Once you have your tickets you can go other places until your tour time arrives.

Department of the Interior Museum- With my love of National Parks I really wanted to go there. Unfortunately it is closed for renovations right now. If you ever get to go, send me an email to let me know what its like.

National Geographic Society Explores Hall- Free THis museum is north of the mall a few blocks. I was expecting stuffed tigers, big screen tv's of pandas and tribal women with saggy boobs. Although I think they change exhibits frequently, it was just some exhibits about inventions to help people in developing countries. Not hat I expected.

Cocoran Gallery- An art museum right next to the White House. Ten dollar admission. I never made it there. If you go to the website, you can see what they have in there galleries. Quite an impressive collection of art, I was disappointed we ran out of time

Ford's Theater and the House Lincoln died in- You almost have to go to Ford's Theater. You can see the seats where the president was shot. A ranger will have you sit down and answer quesions for you. Across the street is the room he died in along with the original bed

There are many other museums that I know very little about. I can't give you any info about the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, Latin American Art Museum, Capitol Chidren's Museum, Women in Arts Museum or the Folger Shakespeare Library. They could be awesome. If you visit any of these, let me know what you think.