National Museum of Natural History, Washington

The gem exhibit contains some of the most beautiful rocks and minerals from all over the world. The Hope Diamond is on display, but VERY popular, so be prepared to wait for a peek or photo. When visiting the Ocean Hall, be sure to see the giant squid on display. The forensic exhibit examines and provides information on people of the past. The Insect Zoo is really interesting for younger kids and adults who like to see what's lurking in their backyards. Our opinion: Go! This is one museum you should go to without question. We didn't visit the Birds of D.C. or pay for the Butterfly Exhibit. The Butterfly Exhibit is not overly expensive (I think it was $7 or $8 per person), but it just wasn't our thing.

I've always heard about how wonderful the Smithsonian museums are so I guess my expectations were high. The mineral and gem exhibit was by far the best, but the rest was just OK. It was very hard to navigate most of the museum with a stroller because of the crowd. Maybe we picked a bad time to come. It was not worth the trouble.

If you plan to attend this year, you might like to know that half of this museum is closed for renovation this year. This information is not given on the Smithsonian site, or was not given prior to our trip in March.

Very interesting and informative with lots of exhibits to see. I loved this museum. My only complaint is that I tired long before I ran out of things to see and do.

While visiting a friend I had a few hours to kill before meeting my cousin in Maryland. Of all the places I visited, this was a great choice and time well spent. Plenty of exotic displays, easy to read information, a variety of intractive media, and diverse subject matter. Single cell microbes to prehistoric beast, minerals to majestic forest, apes to modern societies, the education was well worth it. Whether you believe in evolution, creationism, or intelligent design, you will be amazed at the awesomeness of the world we live in. It stimulates thought and provokes admiration of all life.

i loved it i loved it i loved it! the dinosaurs and skeletons and other stuff is good, but the best is the mineral section! theres tons of different minerals and gems and they were all beautiful, especially the hope diamond! if you love diamonds, pearls, and everything else in that category, you must go to the natural history museum!!!!! :-)

Let me say that there was nothing I disliked about the Natural History Museum. I loved it. It was so fun. There was so much stuff I could learn just in one part of the museum. I do recommend others go see it. Even the younger children will love the experience they would have just to see the history of dinosors and the cave men. I thing the trip I had to Washington D.C. was worth my time and my money. The Truth is that I didn't pay for my trip. I was there for the Inaugeral parade. That was the coolest. But I do think that anyone would enjoy the wonders and beauties of the Smithsonian Museums. Kimberly