Atypical Museums in Washington D.C.

When most people think of Washington D.C., they think of things like the White House, the Smithsonian, the federal government or Georgetown. D.C. is one of the biggest tourist cities in the world, and features over 20 museums.
 
Most people, whether it’s their first time or they live in the area, have been to the Smithsonian at least once in their life. However, most people don’t know about a lot of other museums in the district that are different, or unusual.

 
One museum that has became incredibly popular for both locals and tourists alike is the Newseum, a seven-floor museum located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street. The Archives-Navy Memorial- Penn Quarter metro station, conveniently located on the Green Line, is just a few blocks from the museum’s entrance. The Newseum is an interactive journalism museum, which features exhibits ranging from a chunk of the real Berlin Wall to a 9/11 gallery.
 
The museum does a fantastic job of incorporating different types of news including a Pulitzer Prize gallery on level one to the fifth floor having American newspapers from almost every year dating back to the 1600s. Visitors can take a walk outside on the Hank Greenspun terrace on the top floor and get a great view of the U.S. capitol, Pennsylvania Avenue, and the National Mall. If tourists want to know what is going on in their home state, all they have to do is walk to the entrance of the museum, where a front page is provided everyday from a top newspaper in each of the 50 states.
 
For more information about hours, directions, and ticket prices visit the official website at: http://www.newseum.org/index.html
 

Just a few blocks down the road, Chinatown features a few out of the ordinary museums. Two are quite similar, and if you’re a Criminology major, or just like crime and spies, the Spy Museum and the National Museum of Crime and Punishment are for you.
 
At the Spy Museum, located at 800 F Street Northwest D.C., visitors adopt the role of a spy, and as visitors make their way through the museum they are tested on how much they know about their new identity.  Exhibits include famous former spies, different devices spies’ use in their disguise, and history of time periods when spies were essential for the government. Their website is: http://www.spymuseum.org/

 
Just a short walk from the Spy Museum is the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. Situated on 7^th Street and close to the Gallery Place Metro Station, this museum focuses on famous past crime cases as well as an up and close view of forensic labs, how fingerprinting is completed, and the studio of America’s Most Wanted. They even have evidence straight out of a crime scene, with Bonnie & Clyde’s car they died in, and the jail cell Al Capone lived in.
 
The last museum is Madame Tussauds, located at 1001 F Street, the same street as the Spy Museum. While there are many Madame Tussauds museums around the world, the D.C. location is different. Following the political theme, they have wax figures of all 44 presidents along with other policy figures such as Hillary Clinton, former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, Martin Luther King, etc. They also have their fair share of Hollywood and music stars including Madonna, Marvin Gaye, Brad Pitt, and Jennifer Lopez. There are plenty more, all of which you can see if you visit Madame Tussards, open 365 days a year! Their website is: http://www.madametussauds.com/Washington/Default.aspx