Museum Explorations

I didn't grow up in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area, but I have extended family and would visit here on occasion. One of my favorite memories, vague as it is, is going to the museum and seeing "Ice Man."

I couldn't tell you which museum I saw him in, but I'm positive that it inspired my early fascination with mummies and my desire to be an archeologist - that desire passed as I got older, but I had a lot of fun researching any and everything to do with mummies and Egypt.

DC has the Smithsonian Institution, which sponsors several museums in the city. There are also other museums, such as the Post Office Museum and the National Archives (where I will admit, I had to whisper "I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence" as I stared down at the fabled document).

When I returned to the DMV as an adult, one of the things that I was determined to do was to visit the Smithsonian Museums. I've gotten more comfortable doing things on my own as I've gotten older, so waking up earlier and heading into the city to visit museums became something to look forward to.

So, on a few warmer Saturdays, I woke up earlier and drove to DC, finding a parking lot close to the museums. When I got more comfortable, I started taking the metro into town - much cheaper than parking! Then I would spend a day at a museum, leisurely reading displays and exploring the whole museum before grabbing a bite to eat and heading home.

Though I usually went by myself, I would share my explorations with my sister through pictures. One trip to the American History Museum found me sending her a picture of every variation of sewing machine that I found. Another trip we laughed about technology that we grew up with that was on display - Gameboy Color, anyone?

Going to these museums helped to stoke my imagination, which was great for me as a writer. Seeing things from different cultures and the history of the country that I live in helped to give ideas that would lead to new stories.

I've been able to visit the National African American History, Natural History, American History, American Indian, Air and Space, Hirshhorn, National Zoo, Portrait Gallery and American Art museums, and the National Archives. I've also visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Museum of the Bible (yes, that's a thing). And, of course, I've visited the National Mall and seen the monuments. I've been to some of these museums multiple times, and I enjoy myself and find something new every time that I go.

The more that I think about it, the more that I realize that my love of museums started early - namely, The Children's Museum in Oklahoma.

The Children's Museum was an experiential museum that allowed hands-on exploration of different careers, science, and other things. There was a mock newsdesk and an airplane cockpit, a fossil dig, and a grocery store. One of my favorites was the hospital, which is where I remember hobbling around on crutches (as well as the attached dentist's office which held a plastic mouth that was full of cavities and sores). It was one of my favorite homeschool field trips when I was young, and my siblings and I had lots of fun.

Truthfully, my favorite memories of museums include my siblings. For one of my brother's birthdays, I flew him up to see me, and we went to the Air and Space Museum (my brother loves building things, so it was right up his alley), and the National Zoo. We had so much fun eating Lunchables, a rare treat for us growing up, and making jokes and giving the animals voices as we explored.

When my siblings came up for my Dad's surprise last year, we went to four museums, arriving as early as possible to get two museums in a day. Our older sister even met us at one of the museums, and we were able to spend more time with her.

In addition, I've taken a few museum trips with my boyfriend and his son - including to the Library of Congress. (Of course I'd enjoy visiting a library.) It was a wonderful new addition to these memories that I've made with people that I love at museums. Especially since my boyfriend has a great eye for pictures.

Recently, I went to the museum with some of my students, and I was sad to see that they weren't as excited about museums as I still am. (One even asked why we didn't go to the Spy Museum instead...) There are mummies and fossils! I thought. Why weren't they interested? I wondered if my enthusiasm was due to my previous experiences at the museum, or if it was simply my love of things that spark my imagination.

Then again, I'm sure that these students have had much more access to the technology that allows them to see such things at the touch of a button, and therefore, they weren't as interested.

Regardless, I'd love to expand my museum experiences. I've been to most of the museums in DC, and though some of the displays have changed, I'd still love to explore some more. Maybe when the weather gets warmer, I'll head out again.