Items23The creator’s order
  1. 1Planet WordPlanet WordStart with the huge wall that responds to spoken words, then try the interactive library, where selected books come to life. It’s an especially good choice if you’re traveling with someone who tires of glass cases. Give yourself 60–90 minutes. Admission is free, and booking a pass makes your plans…0
  2. 2O Street Museum FoundationO Street Museum FoundationLook for hidden doors as you roam the themed rooms of O Museum in the Mansion. Doors and rooms shift in and out of the experience, so pick a self-guided ticket and treat it as a hunt. Block 60–90 minutes and book ahead. The south exit at Dupont Circle puts you close to the entrance.0
  3. 3Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office MuseumClara Barton Missing Soldiers Office MuseumClimb to the preserved boardinghouse rooms where Clara Barton worked to answer families’ questions about Civil War soldiers who never came home. The rooms are small and deliberately dim. Allow 45–60 minutes. Check the limited walk-in days or book a guided tour. Archives and Gallery Place are both…0
  4. 4National Postal MuseumNational Postal MuseumStart beside the mail stagecoach in the atrium, then find the railway post office car and Owney, the scruffy dog who rode with the mail. About an hour is enough for this part of the collection, especially if you’re catching a train at Union Station. The Smithsonian museum is free, and the station…0
  5. 5National Bonsai & Penjing MuseumNational Bonsai & Penjing MuseumFind the Yamaki pine in the Japanese Pavilion. It has been trained as a bonsai since 1625 and survived the bombing of Hiroshima. Give the pavilions about an hour, or leave a morning for the surrounding arboretum. Admission is free. Take the C41 bus from Stadium–Armory, then walk from the gate.0
  6. 6International Spy MuseumInternational Spy MuseumTake on the optional Undercover Mission, or use your time on the objects and accounts in the two main exhibition floors. This is a half-day stop: the museum says most visitors stay 2½–3 hours. Book a timed ticket for the slot you want. Use L’Enfant Plaza, with the 9th Street exit closest.0
  7. 7National Geographic Museum of ExplorationNational Geographic Museum of ExplorationChoose this for the scale of the Geoverse projections and the combination of photography, field artifacts, and large installations. Give the galleries a couple of hours and reserve a timed entry, especially if you want a particular slot. Farragut North is a convenient approach to the entrance on M…0
  8. 8Museum of Illusions Washington DCMuseum of Illusions Washington DCTry the Tilted Room to see how quickly an unfamiliar floor angle changes your sense of balance, and use the Reversed Room if you want a photograph that plays with perspective. The museum estimates 45 minutes. Buy a ticket there or reserve ahead for a tighter schedule. The entrance is on H Street…0
  9. 9National Building MuseumNational Building MuseumStep into the free Great Hall to take in the columns and balconies of the former Pension Building. Give yourself an hour or more if you want to add one of the paid design or architecture exhibitions. You can buy a same-day ticket at the visitor center. Use the National Building Museum exit at…0
  10. 10Folger Shakespeare LibraryFolger Shakespeare LibraryMake for the First Folios, then spend some time with the rare books and changing exhibitions. It’s a good one-hour Capitol Hill stop, with more time if you want to read the labels and try the interactives. The galleries are free and take walk-ins as space permits. Use Capitol South or Union Station.0