The National Museum of the American Indians houses over 800,000 items. These items represent most of the indigenous populations from the Americas. This extensive collection spans 12,000 years of history. Some of the artifacts are culturally sensitive and permission must be obtained from the appropriate Native American group to see these items.

The building is a nice relief from some of the other buildings around Washington that seem to overpower their environment. This building complements the area. In fact, even the amenities in this museum are different. The Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe explores native foods that would have been available from five different regions and offers them up in contemporary and traditional dishes. Choices include fry bread, corn totopos and buffalo burgers. Don’t pass up this experience.

The artifacts are divided into four components, objects, photos, media, and paper. The objects in these groups are all intertwined, but this is at least a starting point to organize the massive collections. Events offered at the museum include films, music, audio tours, and special events for children. The current exhibition deals with global climate change from the Indigenous Peoples perspective.

Hours are 10-5:30 daily, closed on Christmas Day. Admission is free. Parking is on the street or in parking garages for a fee. Public transportation is encouraged. Located on the National Mall at Fourth and Independence Ave. SW

The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution is a must see for all aviation and space aficionados. It houses the largest collection of planes and spacecraft in the world. This is one of the most popular of the Smithsonian museums, so plan to go early and spend a day. The original inception of the museum began in 1946, although some of the pieces in the museum are from the 1876 Centennial Exposition. At that time the name was to be the National Air Museum. As man ventured to the heavens and landed on the moon, the name was changed to include “Space”. In fact the exhibition hall was opened by Director Michael Collins who has been to space on the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. The Spirit of St. Louis that Charles Lindbergh flew over the Atlantic is displayed here along with Wright Flyer that made its famous flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903 piloted by Orville Wright. The Apollo 11 Command module is here too. The Bell X-1, Mercury Friendship 7, and SpaceShipOne are also on display. More conventional aircraft include a DC-3 and a 747. Even the USS Enterprise from Star Trek fame is here. The museum is located at Independence Ave at 6th Street SW. Hours are 10am to 5:30pm and admission is free.

The Newseum is an interactive museum of news and journalism located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. The seven-level, 250,000-square-foot museum features 15 theaters and 14 galleries. The Newseum's Berlin Wall Gallery includes the largest display of sections of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany. The Today's Front Pages Gallery presents daily front pages from more than 80 international newspapers. Other galleries present topics including news history, the September 11 attacks, the First Amendment, world press freedom and the history of the Internet, TV and radio. It opened at its first location in Rosslyn, Virginia, on April 18, 1997, where it admitted visitors without charge. Its mission is "to help the public and the news media understand one another better" and to "raise public awareness of the important role of a free press in a democratic society".

The National Archives houses some of our most beloved document treasures. It is home to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. These powerful documents are known as the Charters of Freedom and are housed in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. They are on permanent display here.

There are also public vaults that can be visited. This vault holds over 1,000 records relating to the American democracy. Some of Abraham Lincoln’s telegrams that were sent to his general’s are here, as well as handwritten notes by George Washington. There are an additional five vaults that take their names from the preamble to the Constitution and deal with law, citizenship, war, firsts and keeping records for future generations to enjoy.

The William G. McGowan Theater shows an informative film about the National Archives and another film on the Charters of Freedom. There are also various exhibits in the Lawrence F. O’Brian Gallery.

The National Archives and Records Administration is located at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, between 7th and 9th streets. The Rotunda entrance is on Constitution Avenue. Admission is free however; a ticket can be reserved during the busy tourist season. The cost is a $1.50 and is nonrefundable. The entrance for those with tickets is the special events door on Constitution Ave.

The International Spy Museum is a must see for all who find the spy business intriguing. It is the only museum of its kind in America. It may also be one of the most fun museums in Washington. When entering the museum, guests are asked to assume an identity and enter the spy game. In the museum are exhibits on tiny buttonhole cameras, microdots, bugs and disguises. Stories about famous and not so famous spies, even a nod to Julia Child are all part of the intrigue. Civil War spies and Cold War spies, the exhibits will open up some of the most interesting secrets. Along the way, guests will learn how to keep their cover and work with the tools of spy craft. New gadgets are also discovered in the modern spy game, the cyber spies. In addition to the exhibits there are some spy experiences. No, not really going on a mission, but it almost feels that real. For an extra fee, there are four experiences that a budding spy can participate in. These adventures take from one to two hours and some can be purchased without purchasing a museum ticket. There will be a time on the ticket as to when the experience starts, do not show up late, or the ticket will be forfeited. There are some rules to visit the museum, no strollers; no photography or videography; no food, drink, gum, or smoking; no use of phones of any kind. There is also an entrance charge for this museum; even so, tickets are assigned an entry time because the crowds can be large. Plan to be there early to get a ticket with a good time.

If you are tired of the all the “usual” museums in Washington, you might want to try Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. While there are political figures portrayed in wax in the museum, there are entertainers, cultural figures, sports stars, and of course presidents. The original Madame Tussauds wax Museum is found in London. Madame Tussaud was a wax sculptor who was born in France in 1761. Her mother worked for a physician who was skilled in wax sculpting and taught young Anna the skill. In 1835 Madame Tussaud was married and living in London. She opened a museum to house all her wax figures.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museums are found world wide. The Washington museum features the likenesses of all 44 Presidents. A new gallery was just open that features 14 rooms and allows for an interactive experience. Captain Jack Sparrow is also just arrived at the museum.

Additional characters include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Rosa Parks, Buzz Aldrin, Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods, Beyonce, Ella Fitzgerald, and Hillary Clinton. There is someone here for everyone.

The museum is open 365 days a year and it does charge a fee to enter. The museum is located at 1001 F Street NW which is at the corner of 10th and F Street. Parking is available.

The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's chair. The museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution and located in Washington, D.C., on the National Mall. The museum first opened in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology. The building was one of the last structures designed by renowned architectural firm McKim Mead & White. In 1980, the museum was renamed The National Museum of American History to better represent a refocused mission: the collection, care, study, and interpretation of objects that reflect the experience of the American people.

The National Museum of Natural History, located on the National Mall in Washington D.C., opened in 1910 under the administration of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's premier museum and research complex. In its 325,000 square feet exhibition space, the museum features over 500 million species of plants, fossils, minerals, rocks, animals, meteorites and other artifacts. Some of its most appreciated collections are featured in the Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals, the Hall of Paleobiology, the Ocean Hall and other temporary exhibitions. The National Museum of Natural History incorporates an IMAX Theater and a fun Discovery Room on the first floor. Its research facility is home to more than 185 natural history scientists, which is the world's largest group of professionals dedicated to the study of natural and cultural history.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history. It is dedicated to helping leaders and citizens of the world confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity, and strengthen democracy. The USHMM’s collections contain more than 12,750 artifacts, 49 million pages of archival documents, 80,000 historical photographs, 200,000 registered survivors, 1,000 hours of archival footage, 84,000 library items, and 9,000 oral history testimonies. It also has teacher fellows in every state in the United States and has welcomed almost 400 university fellows from 26 countries since 1994.