My Top 3: DC Museums

Put these on your list of places to visit

My Top 3 is a weekly post where I count down three things I love in a random category. This week, we’re looking at my top three DC museums.

One of the best things about DC is the number of museums (and how many of them are free). I’m spoiled. I can visit a new museum every weekend and, by the time I’ve hit them all, the earlier museums will have new stuff on display. There’s always something to see and learn and do.

I recall the days when all you could really do in museums was read and look at artifacts. These days, they are designed to be full sensory experiences. Yes, you can still read and see artifacts, but there are also multimedia displays, interactive portions, and even full immersive rooms. The best curated spaces grab you from the entrance and slowly move you with deliberation through the material. They ask you to not only learn but to consider your connection to the subject matter.

DC museums cover everything from art and culture, to society and science. There are even hard (but necessary) looks at difficult parts of history such as the Holocaust and slavery. Museums are how we engage with and learn from our collective heritage. I consider myself an abundantly curious person and museums are one way I feed my need to learn.