A Great Summer Deal - at the Newseum

The boys and I took advantage of a really good deal that was being offered by the Newseum http://www.blogger.com/www.newseum.org - their Family Fun Deal where up to 10 kids got free admission with each adult ticket purchase from July 1st through Labor Day for all youth visitors ages 18 and younger. This was a savings of $12.95 plus tax for both Davon and Drew (Dylan and Nic would have been free anyway because they are both 6 and under). So for about $20, the boys and I spent an afternoon at this unique and fascinating museum chronicling many historic events through the eyes of journalists.

We began on the concourse level of the museum and viewed an exhibit entitled Athlete featuring numerous photographs by famed Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss. There were pics of Serena Williams, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier, Brett Favre and many others. Then we stopped into one of the many theaters and watched a video about the history of Sports Reporting and the emergence of ESPN as the premiere sports channel. Then we saw pieces of the Berlin Wall and a Death Tower, a three-story tall tower housing guards and search lights, one of three-hundred that bordered the Berlin Wall.

panels from the Berlin Wall

my dudes in front of the wall

Then we walked through another exhibit entitled G-Men and Journalists which excited Dylan who currently has ambitions of being an FBI agent. This was interesting and interactive and featured many of their famous cases, including FBI in popular culture like GI Joe, the X files, and cartoonish stuff. There were exhibits about the Lindberg kidnapping, Patty Hearst artifacts, gangsters, the Unabomber cabin, and a whole exhibit about the DC Sniper case, which included pictures and a mock up of the trunk of the Caprice they used to unexpectedly spread terror in the DC area.

Then we took a glass express elevator up to the sixth floor and began to work our way down.

the view from the elevator

The sixth floor also features access to the Pennsylvania Avenue Terrace, where you can walk outside and get a bird's eye breathtaking view of one of the major thoroughfares in the city. The terrace also features displays chronicling the importance and history of this historic street.

Then we walked through several other exhibits including Covering Katrina about journalism's response to the massive storm and the challenges in reporting after the storm. The exhibit included the front pages of papers from every state as well as some international papers where Katrina was the headline in the days following the storm. There were also two Pulitzer Prizes on display for articles written post-Katrina. This was an emotional exhibit to say the least. http://www.newseum.org/exhibits-and-theaters/temporary-exhibits/katrina/index.html


Then we went into yet another theater and saw video about the media's impact on the Civil Rights Movement and how media coverage helped garner support for it. We walked through the Story of News which was a huge display with newspapers and timelines. We walked through the Journalists Memorial, a beautiful etched glass wall, memorializing those who have lost their lives covering the news. We walked through the World News Gallery which showed the differences in news coverage around the world, showing how press freedom differs.


The final exhibit we got a chance to see prior to the Newseum's closing was the 9/11 exhibit. This was probably the most emotional part of our visit for me. The exhibit is centered around a damaged portion of the communications antenna that was on top of one of the fallen towers. There was also a video featuring an interview of the widow of photojournalist William Biggart who perished covering the attacks as well as some of his final photos. There was also heartbreaking video of news coverage and interviews with journalists following the terrorist attack, called "Running Toward Danger."



There were many more exhibits that we didn't get a chance to see (two entire floors - I really wanted to see Tim Russert's office and the First Dogs exhibits) and I'd definitely take advantage of a deal and visit again. Overall this was a great excuse to come into the city and if you get the chance I highly recommend it.

To see what all you've been missing, check out this link http://www.newseum.org/plan-your-visit/10-top-things-to-see/index.html and put it on your list of things to see in the DMV.