Smithsonian
Openings
As the largest museum and research complex in the world, the museums
and galleries of the Smithsonian Institution are one of the top
attractions when visiting Washington, DC. Even the most frequent
Washington, DC visitors now have several reasons to return. Two
major exhibits debuted this fall and two brand new museums are set
to open:
New
Mammal Hall Roars at Natural History Museum
The Mammal Hall at the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum
unveiled its $20 million facelift when it opened to visitors on
November 15. The exhibition space, renamed Kenneth E. Behring Mammal
Hall for the
California business man’s $20 million contribution, was one
of the oldest in the museum. The new 25,000 square-foot Mammal Hall,
which retains its famed African elephant in the rotunda of the museum,
welcomes guests to a “mammal family reunion” where they
learn about both past and present mammals and how they are related
to each other. The new exhibits include state-of-the-art dioramas
that tell the story of how mammals evolved and adapted to changes
in habitat and climate over millions of years. Included are 274
specimens and several fossils from four continents. There are also
many hands-on activities and interactive displays in the four Discovery
Zones that will bring the history of mammals to life. In addition
to the new mammal hall, educational and outreach programs were also
funded by Behring’s contribution. For more information, visit
the Mammal Hall Press Room.
America
is "On the Move" at the National Museum of American History
In its largest exhibition ever, the Smithsonian’s National
Museum of American History opened “America on the Move”
on November 22. The exhibition traces the history of transportation
in the United States – from the advent of the railroad to
the SUVs of today. The permanent, 26,000 square-foot exhibition
serves as the anchor for the General Motors Hall of Transportation
and features more than 300 transportation artifacts. Highlights
include a “commute” into downtown Chicago through the
use of multi-media technology and a walk along 40 feet of the famed
Route 66. For more information, view the Press
Release or visit the Museum
of American History’s website.
New
Center Takes Off at National Air & Space Museum
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’
first flight at Kitty Hawk. In celebration of the historic flight,
the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is set to open at Dulles International
Airport on December 15. The new museum, which is an extension of
the world’s most visited museum,
the National Air & Space Museum, will provide more space for
the display of artifacts from air and space travel. With its open
architectural design, the Udvar-Hazy Center will be able to display
approximately 200 aircraft and 135 major space artifacts. The space
shuttle “Enterprise"; an SR-71 Blackbird; an F-4 Phantom
Fighter; aerobatic plane, the de Havilland Chipmunk;and a prototype
of America’s first jetliner, the Boeing 707 are among the
aircraft that will be on display at the Center. Visitors will be
able to get a birds-eye view of many of the aircraft from elevated
walkways. The public will also be able to watch museum specialists
as they perform restoration and preservation on aircrafts, a practice
which up until now has been done behind the scenes. Taking advantage
of its location, there will also be an observation tower, where
visitors can watch planes take off and land at Dulles Airport. For
more information, visit the Steven
F. Udvar-Hazy Center Press Room.
Smithsonian
Preserves Native American Culture with New Museum
The National Museum of the American Indian is scheduled to open
on September 21, 2004. The museum will be the only national museum
dedicated to Native Peoples of North, South and Central America
and will house the largest collection of Native American art and
artifacts in the world. Approximately 800,000 objects representing
more than ten thousand years of history will be on display in the
building’s three permanent exhibition galleries. Much of the
collection was on view at the former Museum of the American Indian
Heye Center in New York before its move to Washington, DC. George
Gustav Heye (1874-1957), a wealthy New Yorker, collected Native
American artifacts throughout his travels in the Americas, the Caribbean
and Mexico. His collection includes thousands of works, such as
intricate wood and stone carvings and masks; painted and quilled
hides, clothing, and feather bonnets; pottery and basketry from
the southwestern United States; and Navajo weavings. The National
Museum of the American Indian will present all of its exhibits and
educational programs from the Native American perspective. An American
Indian Welcome Center highlighting the progress of the new museum
is currently open on Independence Avenue. For more information,
visit the NMAI
Press Room.
Capital
Region to Celebrate the Greatest Generation Veterans, community leaders and
hospitality industry partners gathered at the site of the National
World War II Memorial on Veterans
Day to announce America Celebrates the Greatest Generation,
an unprecedented region-wide initiative saluting the men and women
of the World War II era. Beginning with the dedication of Washington,
DC’s newest battle memorial on Memorial Day Weekend 2004,
America Celebrates will be a 100-day celebration extending
through Labor Day. The tribute will include more than 60 World War
II-themed exhibitions, performances, walking tours and hotel packages
all aimed at highlighting the impact and influence of the generation
on art, music, history and culture in the nation’s capital
and the United States.
“The opening of the World War II Memorial is an important
event for Washington, DC as well as for the world. As visitors come
to the nation’s capital to pay their respects to World War
II veterans, we invite them to join in America Celebrates the
Greatest Generation—a much-deserved salute to the men
and women who defended the symbols of democracy we proudly display
here in the nation’s capital,” said William A. Hanbury,
president & CEO of the Washington, DC Convention & Tourism
Corporation (WCTC).
America Celebrates the Greatest Generation is produced
by The American Experience Foundation, in conjunction with the Washington,
DC Convention & Tourism Corporation and Cultural Tourism DC.
For a complete list of programming, visit www.americasgreatestgeneration.com.
For more information visit the ACGG
Press Room.
Area Art Galleries Announce
Spring/Summer Celebration - ¡Viva Mexico! Washington, DC area art galleries
and museums have joined forces to present a celebration of Mexican
culture
this spring and summer through various exhibitions and events. ¡Viva
Mexico!: Washington, DC Celebrates, will be anchored by the
exhibition The
Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya opening April 4, 2004 at the
National Gallery of
Art. “The Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya” is the
first exhibition of its kind in the U.S. devoted specifically to
this subject. In addition, the National Gallery will host The
Cubist Paintings of Diego Rivera: Memory, Politics, Place and
a special film series, The
Cinema of Mexico. The Hirshhorn
Museum, the National Museum
of Natural History, the National
Cathedral and the Mexican Cultural Institute are also planning
exhibits and activities in conjunction with the celebration.
California business man’s $20 million contribution, was one
of the oldest in the museum. The new 25,000 square-foot Mammal Hall,
which retains its famed African elephant in the rotunda of the museum,
welcomes guests to a “mammal family reunion” where they
learn about both past and present mammals and how they are related
to each other. The new exhibits include state-of-the-art dioramas
that tell the story of how mammals evolved and adapted to changes
in habitat and climate over millions of years. Included are 274
specimens and several fossils from four continents. There are also
many hands-on activities and interactive displays in the four Discovery
Zones that will bring the history of mammals to life. In addition
to the new mammal hall, educational and outreach programs were also
funded by Behring’s contribution. For more information, visit
the 
al
Museum of American History opened “America on the Move”
on November 22. The exhibition traces the history of transportation
in the United States – from the advent of the railroad to
the SUVs of today. The permanent, 26,000 square-foot exhibition
serves as the anchor for the General Motors Hall of Transportation
and features more than 300 transportation artifacts. Highlights
include a “commute” into downtown Chicago through the
use of multi-media technology and a walk along 40 feet of the famed
Route 66. For more information, view the 
seum,
the National Air & Space Museum, will provide more space for
the display of artifacts from air and space travel. With its open
architectural design, the Udvar-Hazy Center will be able to display
approximately 200 aircraft and 135 major space artifacts. The space
shuttle “Enterprise"; an SR-71 Blackbird; an F-4 Phantom
Fighter; aerobatic plane, the de Havilland Chipmunk;and a prototype
of America’s first jetliner, the Boeing 707 are among the
aircraft that will be on display at the Center. Visitors will be
able to get a birds-eye view of many of the aircraft from elevated
walkways. The public will also be able to watch museum specialists
as they perform restoration and preservation on aircrafts, a practice
which up until now has been done behind the scenes. Taking advantage
of its location, there will also be an observation tower, where
visitors can watch planes take off and land at Dulles Airport. For
more information, visit the 
merica
and will house the largest collection of Native American art and
artifacts in the world. Approximately 800,000 objects representing
more than ten thousand years of history will be on display in the
building’s three permanent exhibition galleries. Much of the
collection was on view at the former Museum of the American Indian
Heye Center in New York before its move to Washington, DC. George
Gustav Heye (1874-1957), a wealthy New Yorker, collected Native
American artifacts throughout his travels in the Americas, the Caribbean
and Mexico. His collection includes thousands of works, such as
intricate wood and stone carvings and masks; painted and quilled
hides, clothing, and feather bonnets; pottery and basketry from
the southwestern United States; and Navajo weavings. The National
Museum of the American Indian will present all of its exhibits and
educational programs from the Native American perspective. An American
Indian Welcome Center highlighting the progress of the new museum
is currently open on Independence Avenue. For more information,
visit the 
Veterans
Day to announce America Celebrates the Greatest Generation,
an unprecedented region-wide initiative saluting the men and women
of the World War II era. Beginning with the dedication of Washington,
DC’s newest battle memorial on Memorial Day Weekend 2004,
America Celebrates will be a 100-day celebration extending
through Labor Day. The tribute will include more than 60 World War
II-themed exhibitions, performances, walking tours and hotel packages
all aimed at highlighting the impact and influence of the generation
on art, music, history and culture in the nation’s capital
and the United States.
this spring and summer through various exhibitions and events. ¡Viva
Mexico!: Washington, DC Celebrates, will be anchored by the
exhibition