trip planning - International Spy Museum?

[Lisabob]

Has anybody been to the International Spy Museum in DC? If so, what's your impression in terms of a potential stop on the itinerary for a scout troop? At the very least it sounds "cool."

 

Thanks - Lisa'bob

[Hunt]

It is pretty cool, but I have a few reservations. First, it costs money, as opposed to the museums of the Smithsonian, which are all free. I would certainly recommend the Air and Space Museum over the Spy museum, for example. Also, the Spy Museum is a little corny and commercial--my wife's comment was that it really belongs in Orlando.

Alternative suggestions:

Air and Space and Natural History museums--both have IMAX movies (which do cost money)

If you have wheels, the Udvar-Hazy center near Dulles airport--also part of the Air and Space Museum--is really awesome (although you have to pay for parking)

The National Museum of the American Indian is new and pretty interesting.

The National Archives are definitely worth a visit.

Unfortunately, touring the White House and the Capitol are probably too much of a hassle to do with a bunch of scouts. Others may have a different view of this.

Also, don't forget to visit the Boy Scout Memorial, which is pretty weird: http://www.nps.gov/whho/planyourvisit/explore-the-southern-trail.htm

[oldsm]

The Spy Museum is good for one visit. My 2nd visit was boring. The lines are long and you can be subject to 2-hour waits to get in. It's very crowded. If you can take the time to go through slowly, READ the exhibits and discuss them with other people, it can be very educational. Some of it is just plain entertaining. (How many kids get to see a "real" James Bond car?) Take some time at the cryptography and WW1/WW2 areas. The boys should have some appreciation for those wars so that they can put spying into context.

 

The National Air & Space Museum is a top draw in DC. It's always crowded. It's also huge. It will be a challenge to keep people together. I suggest you let the boys go using the buddy system and have periodic check-ins (that's what my kids' school groups have done). The IMAX is OK, depending upon what they're showing. I didn't think too much of their planetarium program the one time I was paid for it.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with Hunt's assessment of the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Annex adjacent to Dulles airport. It is not nearly so crowded and has a lot of very fascinating stuff in it. You can really get "up close and personal" with it. Be sure to have the boys READ the placards on the exhibits. I've been there once and can't wait to go back. My boys wheeled my elderly mother-in-law through the place and read all the placards to her. They learned an awful lot in the process. And many of the things on display were a trip down memory lane for me. This is a museum done right.

 

The American Indian Museum is an absolute bust in my opinion. It is WAY too crowded (you almost can't move). I appreciate that they tried to recreate the intimacy of space inside typical dwellings, but there is just too much traffic for the space. A real safety hazard, I think. On top of that, there does not seem to be any significant theme tying exhibits together. It's too "commercialized". For example, it was funded largely by casino-owning tribes, and that becomes apparent. There is almost nothing hands-on or interactive, and it's so noisy that you can't hear yourself think. The cafeteria is way too small for the crowds, too. I got nothing out of this museum. Maybe if the crowds die down in about 20 years...

 

A better choice would be the American History Museum a few blocks away. Unfortunately it is closed for renovations until sometime in 2008. Some of their treasures (Dorothy's red slippers) are being displayed at the Air & Space Museum, which will only make it more crowded.

 

Another possibility, especially if you're interested in cultures, is the National Geographic Museum, a few blocks north of the White House. It's not big and probably doesn't even register on most people's radar, but it's very good. They have some permanent exhibits and periodically change their "feature" exhibit. When I was there, the feature was on Mongolia. They even had a real-life Mongolian contortionist. Fascinating.

 

 

[fgoodwin]

I concur with others' opinions re: the Spy Museum. It is cool, but can be very crowded at times, and it is kinda small for a big group.

 

In addition to the other suggestions, consider the Newseum, a museum of the newspaper industry. I think it relocated since I left DC in 2002. The National Academy of Sciences is near the western end of the Mall; it has a statue of Einstein on the lawn that is unique and different.

 

Not sure why Hunt thinks the Boy Scout memorial is weird. I thought it was very interesting; it is near the White House ellipse.

[Lisabob]

Thanks for the feedback everybody. There's so much to do in DC and for many of our kids this will not be their first visit (a local school does a class trip there every year too). So I was particularly looking for "different" things to do that might be "new" to everybody in our group. I'll definitely check into the Udvar-Hazy site - I've been to the Air & Space museum on the mall but not to that one.

 

Thanks for the tips on the Newseum and the Nat'l Geographic in particular; I wasn't aware of either of them even though I've been to DC many times. Too bad the Newseum isn't scheduled to open until fall 2007 - just after we'll have been in the area. Hmm, here's a good excuse for a family vacation though...

 

Lisa'bob

[oldsm]

I'd thought about the Newseum. I really liked it in its original location in Arlington VA, but I suppose the move will be good - more room and a more tourist-friendly location (on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol, adjacent to the Smithsonian museums on the Mall. With that location, it will definitely get more traffic. Sigh...

 

Among the things I remember there are being able to do your own green-screen news "broadcast", listen/watch actual broadcast clips from significant events during our history, an eye-opening memorial to journalists who lost their lives covering newsworthy events, and -- the piece de resistance -- a section of the Berlin Wall that you could actually touch.

 

I'll definitely go visit its new home. The Newseum might not be the best "attraction" for a first visit to DC, but it could certainly tie in with the Citizenship and Communications MBs. Check out their website www.newseum.org.

[Hunt]

"Not sure why Hunt thinks the Boy Scout memorial is weird. I thought it was very interesting; it is near the White House ellipse."

 

Well, it would not have occurred to me to include a huge naked man in a Boy Scout memorial--I understand that it symbolizes "manhood," but it still strikes me as a little strange.

 

I agree with oldsm that the Museum of the American Indian wouldn't be much fun if it was very crowded.

I forgot to mention the National Zoo, which is quite good and can be reached by Metro from the Mall. (Riding Metro itself may be an attraction for some people.)

[SSScout]

Ditto about all that's been mentioned SPy Museum is a commercial venture. It is expensive, but cool.

 

Accomodations??? Check out the International Hostel. Inexpensive, do some chores, meet some new people from all over the world. Right in the middle of Down Town DC. www.hiwashingtondc.org . One must join Hosteling International as a Troop or as individuals (think future use). Big groups NEED reservations...

 

Also, look up the National Building Museum, in the old Pension Building. Near Metro, changing exhibits about construction, history of buildings, architecture. Introduce yourselves, they have Scout badge activiies, depending...

 

Godspeed.

 

YiS

[fgoodwin]

I second Hunt's recommendation re: the National Zoo. Its huge, and best of all, its free!

 

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/

 

Note: there are two Metro Redline stops, one on either side of the Zoo. When going TO the Zoo, I recommend the northern stop (Cleveland Park), because the walk is slightly downhill.

 

On the RETURN trip, walk slightly downhill to the southern stop (Woodley Park / National Zoo / Adams Morgan).

[MollieDuke]

My son went with a group to the Spy Museum two years ago and still says it was the best thing he'd ever done in DC.

 

We used to go every year and he's done all the Smithsonian stuff, all the special stuff, and all the outlying stuff, and he still ranks the Spy Museum as one of his favorites. He even has a shirt from there that he wears only as a "special" shirt that says something about the museum and on the back says "I was never there". It's cute.

 

He also says he'd rank the Air and Space Museum below some of the others. He's practically grown up at the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum, though, and he loves it so much more.

 

I'd say that if you have kids that are really interested in all that type stuff, then yes, but if not, skip it. Most boys actually are, though, IMHO>

MollieD.

[frankj]

We visited the spy museum, it was interesting but crowded. The boys would have to be pretty well-behaved because the space is not that large.

[oldsm]

Here's another possibility if you have wheels.

 

The National Cryptologic Museum is fascinating. It traces codes, intelligence, and spying from early days right up to the present. The museum is located on the grounds of Fort Meade, home to the NSA (National Security Agency) - "spy HQ". It's about halfway between Washington and Baltimore on MD295. You can visit self-guided or let a docent guide you. Our docent was the museum curator. He was fascinating and engaging and obviously loves what he does. Great perspectives.

 

There is an Enigma machine (WWII German coding device) that you can actually try out. For the mechanically inclined (think boys), there's also a U.S. Navy Cryptanalytic Bombe - the device that was used to decode the Enigma crypto.

 

This is a small museum with a very limited gift shop (yay!) and no food service. My boys enjoyed it. I would have liked to spend more time. Allow at least 2 hours (1 hour for the tour). Free.

 

See their website: http://www.nsa.gov/museum/index.cfm

[frankj]

Farther afield maybe but worth a suggestion: Ft. McHenry in Baltimore. Why? Think "The Star Spangled Banner"