Hear Her Story, Share Her Story, and Lift-Up Her Story at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

The month of March is a perfect time to visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History because it is full of stories of women’s leadership, courage, and activism. Visiting this museum during Women’s History Month provides your family and friends with a chance to learn about and honor the women who have shaped our country for the better. 

Every floor of the National Museum of American History includes examples of women leading, advancing, and being change makers in their communities, in sports, in the theater, in their businesses, in medicine, and in education.  There are wonderful exhibits sharing women’s stories through the fight for the right to vote; through the struggles for civil rights; through the movement for wage equality; through the fight for full recognition of female athletes; through the innovations of technology and American enterprise; and through the expansion of the arts to tell full stories of women’s lives. 

Museum Aficionados Top 4 Exhibits of Women’s History Making

  1. All Work, No Pay – This exhibit shows how women have always worked and examines the value and implications of unwaged labor in the home.
  2. Many Voices, One Nation – This exhibit celebrates cultural diversity and shows examples of how people who immigrated and lived in the United States found ways to negotiate, or work out, what it meant to be American. There are wonderful examples of women and men advocating for social change. 
  3. American Enterprise – This exhibit immerses visitors in the dramatic arc of labor, power, wealth, success, and failure in American business and innovation from the mid-1700s to the present. There are many examples of women leading innovative businesses and technological advancements. 
  4. Sounding American Music – This exhibit shows musicians representing diverse genres who have innovated, invented, and inspired as they contributed to America’s songbook.

My son and I were inspired by our visit and loved all the opportunities we had to celebrate women who have sacrificed to make things better for themselves, their communities, and our country. Hearing their stories of accomplishment, sacrifice, and activism provided a chance for me to talk with my son about being an ally and the important role that men and boys have in championing equal rights for women and girls.

After our visit to the National Museum of American History, we talked about the courage of our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and cousins.  Sharing the stories of women in our own family created an opportunity for me to share my own story of helping women, men, and children seeking safety from abuse. Overall, we had a wonderful visit that grounded us in past and present examples of bravery.

You and your loved ones should definitely check out the National Museum of American History this month! We promise that you’ll be inspired to tell stories of your own and to reach out to the women in your families to learn their stories too!

Let’s stay connected, you can follow the National Museum American History @amhistorymuseum If you check out the, please let us know what you think! We’ll post more photos of our adventures on Instagram, @museumaficionados. We hope you have a good time and create great memories!

Celebrate Amazing Visual Art at the National Museum of African American History and Culture

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Did you know that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) houses the only permanent art exhibition dedicated to lifting-up the critical role that African American artists have played in shaping the history of American art?

NMAAHC’s Visual Art and the American Experience exhibit serves up inspiration; centralizes the politics of identity; and memorializes courage and activism. The representations of color, medium, and style are powerful. We highly recommend that you and your loved ones add this exhibit to your museuming itinerary; we promise that you’ll be awed and inspired by all that is on display.

Our Top 4 NMAAHC Art Pieces:

  1. Mothership by Jefferson Pinder
  2. Revolutionary by Wadsworth A. Jarrell
  3. Red Hook #5 by Alvin D. Longing
  4. The Big Egg by Edward Clark

This wonderful exhibit contains fine art, sculptures, paintings, and digital media all organized around 7 themes:

        • The World Around Us
        • The Politics of Identity
        • The Struggle for Freedom
        • African Connections
        • Religion and Spirituality
        • The Beauty of Color and Form
        • New Materials, New Worlds

We truly enjoyed our stroll through timeless examples of beauty, passion, and movement making. By the end of our visit, we felt refreshed and spent the ride home discussing the powerful collection of politics, art, and cultural celebration. You don’t want to miss experiencing the creativity and intellectual discourse!  We hope that you and your family have good times and create great memories when visiting this museum!

Let’s stay connected, you can follow the National Museum of African American History and Culture @NMAAHC. If you check out the National Museum of African American History and Culture, please let us know what you think! We’ll post more photos of our adventures on Instagram: @museumaficionados.

Bae Approved Love Bytes: 20 Lovely Valentine’s Day Gifts From the Smithsonian’s Online Store

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Are you looking for something amazing and unique to give to your loved ones? Well, your local museum gift shop can be the perfect place to find the best gifts this Valentine’s Day. This year, the Smithsonian’s gifts shops are at the center of my search and they are having a mega winter sale that you don’t want to miss!

The Smithsonian’s Online Store has beautiful jewelry, clothing, and accessories all under $75!  I’ve curated a list of gift shop gems that are so lovely you’ll want to buy your Bae, yourself, and your galentines two or three gifts this year!

  1. Cloisonné Butterfly Boxes $54.00
  2. Emperor’s Silk Brocade Triangle Handbag $48.00
  3. 22k Periwinkle Pear Bracelet $54.00
  4. Pearl and Opal Sterling Bracelet $59.99
  5. Wired Collar Kimono Jacket $75.00
  6. Black Crystal Tassel Necklace $69.99
  7. Black Crystal Tassel Pierced Earrings $69.99
  8. Textured Jacquard Zigzag Jacket $39.99
  9. Crystal Ruby Pendant Necklace $29.99
  10. Crystal Ruby Pendant Pierced Earrings $29.99
  11. Textured Jacquard Jacket $49.99
  12. Pearly Kyanite Bracelet $29.99
  13. Pearl Flower Pierced Earrings $29.00
  14. Two-in-One Cape Scarf $19.99
  15. Pearl Starburst Earrings $14.99
  16. Read Harmony Necklace and Earrings $24.99
  17. Open Collar Two Pocket Duster $69.99
  18. Celtic Knot Pierced Earrings $39.99
  19. Seasonless Short Jacket $54.99
  20. Baltic Amber Ribbon Bow Pierced Earrings $34.99

While my list is brief, you can definitely find more items online with just a quick visit. The Smithsonian’s Online Store is full of books, toys, puzzles, and home decor that are currently on sale! Plus, while shopping in the name of love, not only can you get your special someone a unique trinket, your online shopping will support scientific research and exploration! In my book this is a win-win for science and for your family! We wish you good luck with your search and great memories with your Bae, galentines, and family! Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Let’s stay connected, you can follow the Smithsonian Institutions @smithsonian. If you check out the Smithsonian’s Online Store please let us know what you think! We’ll post more photos of our adventures on Instagram: @museumaficionados. Happy Valentine’s Day!!

The Art of the Two Hour Museum Visit: Reveling in Mini Rituals!

Museuming could be an all day adventure, a half day trek, or as brief as you and your loved ones have the energy to enjoy. Our frequent museum visits last two hours and have a specific feel to them whether we are visiting a beloved old haunt for the one hundredth time or checking out a new exhibit.

Wrapping your quality time with your loved ones with mini traditions will turn your museum time into fun and comforting outings. We promise that you don’t have to be an event planner to make this happen.  All you need to do is spend a few minutes thinking about the best small moments of your family vacations, long weekends, or holiday breaks.

Do you have a favorite place that your kids or friends love to dine at on the weekend?  Does your family always eat pizza on Saturdays?  Do your kiddos love to take silly family pics at photo booths?  Does your loved one always stop at small shops to check out vintage accessories?

Taking a few minutes to think about the small things that hallmark your time together, can help you build in mini rituals to look forward to whenever you’re out in your hometown or visiting a museum in a new city.

4 Museum Aficionados Museuming Mini Rituals

  1. We listen to fun audiobooks on our drive into the city, thanks to Audible!  In the winter, we enjoy the Harry Potter series narrated by Jim Dale.  In the summer, we enjoy listening to Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds and the Frank Einstein series by Jon Scieszka!
  2. We park further away from the museum and walk a few blocks together exploring the scene around us. These walks are brief but meaningful as I share silly stories from my childhood and catch-up with my son about his friends at school. Our museuming style includes comfortable kicks that make walking enjoyable— my latest obsessions are the Nike Women’s Air Zoom Winflo 5s or my Franco Sarto Riding boots!
  3. Before we leave the museum, we buy an interesting book, postcard, or small toy from the museum’s gift shop. We have a treasure trove of beloved trinkets that we’ve collected over the years, each with their own stories.
  4. After museuming together, we love to dine at small restaurants for a late lunch. One of our favorite places is the Pavillion Cafe, because the airy atmosphere gives us an uncrowded chance to talk about what inspired us the most that day while enjoying a delicious meal.

These mini moments are just as important as our museuming together whether we are checking out the latest offerings at the National Air and Space Museum, the National History Museum, the B&O Railroad Museum, the Franklin Institute, the Museum of African American History, or the Museum of the American Indian. 

While our visits are brief, they are certainly memorable and always end with us grabbing lunch and strolling into the rest of our weekend connected and happy.   

We hope that this blog helps you have even more magical moments together while learning about scientific innovation; artistic design; iconic comic books; the Women’s Suffrage Movement; American Democracy; the Civil Rights Movement; or Treaties Between the United States and Sovereign Nations!

We wish you good times and great memories!

Let’s stay connected! If you try out any mini rituals for your museum outings, please let us know how you make your time with family and friends special. We’ll post more photos of our adventures on Instagram: @museumaficionados.

A New Tour Opening at the B&O Railroad Museum

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Are you looking for something to do with your family this weekend? Well great news, the B&O Railroad Museum has a new B&O History Tour opening today that commemorates Civil Rights! Tours are held daily at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

While you’re there you should definitely check out their exhibit A Place for All People which celebrates the contributions and leadership of African Americans in the train industry. This exhibit is a collaboration between the B&O Railroad Museum and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The artifacts and photos on display connect visitors with the pride and prestige of inventors, porters, porterettes Red caps, and trackmen.

It was very empowering to bear witness photos and points of pride for so many men and women who had a pivotal role in the growth and flourishing of the railroad industry. We think you and your family will definitely enjoy the B&O’s new tour as well as their traveling exhibit.  We wish you good times and great memories!

Let’s stay connected! You can follow the B&O Railroad Museum on Instagram: @borailroad and the National Museum of African American History and Culture @nmaahc. If you check out any of these exhibits, please let us know what you think! We’ll post more photos of our adventures on Instagram: @museumaficionados.

A Dinotastic Adventure Awaits Your Junior Scientist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History!

 

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Do you have a kiddo looking for a portal into the Jurassic Age? The David Koch Hall of Fossils, Deep Time exhibit inspires the tiniest of tykes to dream about becoming a paleontologist, a climatologist, or a museum curator! This 31,000 square foot exhibit takes visitors through time, starting billion of years ago continuing through present day, and ending with a call to action to save our future. 

This walk with the dinosaurs is ground breaking and even more exciting than you would expect it to be! The hall’s lighting and layout creates an amazing atmosphere that draws you closer to apex predators and stoic omnivores. The ability to experience the scale of dinosaurs’ greatness first-hand is absolutely delightful! We had an awesome time exploring this new exhibit together, our favorite sights are listed below:

Top 4 Impressive Dino Sights

  1. The Tyrannosaurus Rex 
  2. The Diplodocus
  3. The Giant Ground Sloth
  4. The Woolly Mammoth

The Deep Time exhibit offers educational experiences at every turn from touchable fossils, multi-media videos, and real-live scientists that will answer questions about the age of Dinosaurs!  While there is a lot to take in, the exhibit’s layout coupled with chances to talk with actual scientists make it all feel very doable.

We loved that this exhibit ends with a call-to-action highlighting that our actions have impact and that we have the power to address climate change. Discussing our favorite memories is benchmarked by thinking together about positive actions we can take to heal the planet, the climate, and the oceans. 

At the start of the new year, we recommend that you and your loved ones add this exhibit to your 2020 Museuming Bucket List.  If you check out the David Koch Hall of Fossils, Deep Time exhibit, then you’ll have a very memorable time with your family.  We promise that the hours invested at this museum will yield many positive memories and collective learning!

Museum Details

Want to Get Involved?

By becoming members of the Smithsonian Institution you and your family can support innovation for young scientists; get access to special educational programs; and support global research. Learn more by visiting the Smithsonian’s Membership page, https://www.si.edu/support.

Awesome Accessibility Feature

With the Deep Time Audio Description App, you can use the accessibility features and settings on your own device, to read or listen to visual descriptions of the new David Koch Hall of Fossils that integrates with exhibit content. The App is available at the:

Apple App Store 

Google Play Store

Let’s stay connected, you can follow the National Museum of Natural History on Instagram: @smithsoniannmnh. If you check out the Natural History Museum, please tell us about your visit, we would love to hear about your happiest memory! We’ll post more photos of our adventures on Instagram: @museumaficionados. Happy New Year, we wish you and your loved ones good times and great memories!

Top 4 Imaginative Gems of the United States Botanic Garden’s 2019 Holiday Show

IMG_1952IMG_1949IMG_1946IMG_1979IMG_2011This year’s Season’s Greenings Holiday Show at the US Botanic Garden unveiled some beautiful sculptures!  We were pleasantly surprised by everything we saw this year and we think that you and your loved ones will be too! The US Botanic Garden created these beautiful gems in collaboration with Applied Imagination!

Our top 4 favorite sculptures celebrating America’s Gardens are:

  1. Biltmore House of Asheville, North Carolina
  2. Biltmore Conservatory of Asheville, North Carolina
  3. Climatron Conservatory of St. Louis Missouri
  4. Singing Tower of Lake Wales Florida

The West Gallery was the absolute perfect setting for the beautiful Biltmore House, the lighting was superb and allowed us to take in the majesty of this beautiful scene! Our visit was delightful and relaxing which equals time well spent during this busy holiday season. If you and your family have not had a chance to check out this exhibit there is still time. Season’s Greenings closes for the season on January 5, 2019. Learn more at https://www.usbg.gov/plan-your-holiday-visit, November 28, 2019  through January 5, 2020.

Let’s stay connected, you can follow the US Botanic Garden on Instagram: @usbotanicgarden. If you check out the US Botanic Garden please let us know what you think! We’ll post more photos of our adventures on Instagram: @museumaficionados. Happy holidays, we wish you good times and great memories!

The Magical Whimsy of the United States Botanic Garden’s Season’s Greenings Holiday Show is A Must See!

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The United States Botanic Garden, Season’s Greenings plant based sculptures and train exhibits are a magical delight! Artisans have recreated over 15 iconic scenes including the Washington Monument, the United States Supreme Court, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian Castle, and the National Museum of the American Indian! You and your loved ones will be blown away by the beauty of human innovation and the majesty of nature!

In addition to the model trains on display, visitors are treated to a peaceful walk through a conservatory full of fragrant flowers, trees, and plants that are accented by beautiful poinsettias and lovely fountains.

We hope you enjoy the model train displays and the awe inspiring art sculptures! Year after year this amazing exhibit continues to be a great example of botany, engineering, and artistic expression! Learn more at https://www.usbg.gov/plan-your-holiday-visit, November 28, 2019  through January 5, 2020.

Let’s stay connected, you can follow the US Botanic Garden on Instagram: @usbotanicgarden. If you check out the US Botanic Garden’s holiday exhibit, please let us know what you think! We’ll post more photos of our adventures on Instagram: @museumaficionados. Happy holidays, we wish you good times and great memories!

3 Things We Love About Baltimore’s B&O Railroad Museum

There are many amazing items and exhibits housed at the B&O Railroad Museum but today we’re sharing the top 3 things we love about this museum.  We hope our list inspires you and your loved ones to take a trip up to Baltimore soon!

  1. The B&O Railroad Museum’s, Magical Holiday Express offers something fun for all including junior engineers, collectors, toddlers, and tweens! During this trip you’ll be immersed in the grandeur of history making trains and while getting a chance to marvel at the models on display. The rotunda is transformed into a winter wonderland with a giant Christmas tree, snowmen, and reindeer. Visitors young and old will be treated with hands on activities, an actual train ride, photos with Santa, and collectible trains including the Polar Express and Thomas the Tank Engine. Learn more at http://www.borail.org/, December 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019.
  2. The B&O Railroad Museum’s Collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture to introduce the traveling exhibit A Place for All People which celebrates the contributions and leadership of African Americans in the success and growth of the train industry.  The artifacts and photos on display connect visitors with the pride and prestige of inventors, porters, porterettes Red caps, and trackmen.
  3. The B&O Railroad Museum’s New Exhibit Lines of Sight connects visitors to the artistic design and visual impact of the railroad industry’s iconic communications. This exhibit has  wonderful signs from all across America as well as signs from international railroads such as Canadian National Railway and the Finish State Railways. 

Let’s stay connected! You can follow the B&O Railroad Museum on Instagram: @borailroad and on Twitter: @BORRM. If you check out any of these exhibits, please let us know what you think! We’ll post more photos of our adventures on Instagram: @museumaficionados. Happy holidays, we wish you good times and great memories!

Don’t Miss DC’s Best Holiday Train Shows!

Welcome to Museum Aficionados!  Thank you for letting us inspire you to enjoy local museums with your loved ones.

Are you still looking for fun things to do with your kids, family, and friends? When was the last time you’ve check out the holiday offerings of your local museum?

If it has been a while, then you can definitely get inspired by your family’s most treasured holiday memories. Were you jetting across the rink on ice skates? Did you wander through your local park exploring a holiday light show?  Were you snuggled up watching the Polar Express? You’d be surprised by what your local museum has to offer during the holiday season. 

Every December we entertain ourselves touring holiday train shows and even after 7 years we’re still awed and delighted by what the DC Metro Area has to offer. We invite you to gather up your family and friends and explore the top 3 holiday train exhibits in Washington, DC and Maryland!  We promise you won’t be disappointed and whomever you bring with you will enjoy the whimsy! 

  1. The B&O Railroad Museum, Magical Holiday Express offers something fun for all including junior engineers, collectors, toddlers, and tweens! During this trip you’ll be immersed in the grandeur of history making trains and while getting a chance to marvel at the models on display. The rotunda is transformed into a winter wonderland with a giant Christmas tree, snowmen, and reindeer. Visitors young and old will be treated with hands on activities, an actual train ride, photos with Santa, and collectible trains including the Polar Express and Thomas the Tank Engine. Learn more at http://www.borail.org/, December 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019.
  2. The United States Botanic Garden, Season’s Greenings America’s Garden is worth more than one visit, the plant based sculptures and train exhibits are a magical delight! The poinsettias are beautiful, the trains settings are fun, and the art sculptures are awe inspiring! Year after year this amazing exhibit continues to be a great example of botany, engineering, and artistic expression! Learn more at https://www.usbg.gov/plan-your-holiday-visit, November 28, 2019  through January 5, 2020.
  3. The National Capital Trolley Museum, Holly Trolley Fest offer rides with Santa and a fun collection of toy trains, collectible trolley exhibits, and  scenic winter villages that will delight kiddos and adults alike! The trolley history and festive decor definitely makes this museum and holiday exhibit a must see! Learn more at https://www.dctrolley.org/events.html, December 1, 2019 through December 29, 2019.

If you check out any of these exhibits let us know what you think! Happy holidays, we wish you good times and great memories!