The Newseum

During recess, some folks from our office went on a tour of the Newseum. Newseum tickets cost $20 so I jumped at the chance to check out the relocated museum for free.

I enjoyed my visit. I was amazed by the size of the museum--so many interactive exhibits and theatres. It is definitely a museum that you could spend a day in, without getting bored. I loved seeing the front pages from the newspapers across the country and the world. The Story of News exhibit was very interesting. I also enjoyed the possibility of "being a tv reporter." Unfortunately, I wasn't willing to part with the $8 needed to make that dream a reality. It would have been really funny to send the recording to my mom as a Christmas present. But, I'm thinking that getting something like that from me as a 27 year old wouldn't be the same as getting it from me as a cute 8 year old.

Of course, the 9/11 exhibit was very moving. All the front pages from around the country and world proclaimed the horrors of the day. The San Francisco Examiner headline simply stated, "Bastards."

The exhibit with the Berlin Wall was also interesting—the West side of the wall's surface was full of graffiti and free expression; the East side of the wall was stark and cold.

The museum has a great view of Pennsylvania Avenue and seems like an amazing place for a reception. I will definitely recommend the museum to my mother during her next visit, and hope that she'll be nice enough to buy my ticket.

Speaking of new tourist spots, I can't wait to take my mother to the new Capitol Visitors Center that will be open for business in only a few months (Dec.), after a 4 year delay and $500 million in tax dollars. I went on a tour of the complex a few weeks ago and it's really nice. It'll provide a lot of awesome space for meetings, receptions and other Hill events. It will also give visitors a better introduction to the history of the Capitol Complex and access to a larger gift shop and cafeteria. As a staffer, I'm excited that the throngs of tourists will flock to the facilities at the Capitol instead of cramming into our cafeterias, elevators and hallways. I appreciate the money that tourism pumps into D.C. and I love to hear the young people's astute policy questions and to see their looks of awe when they see the rotunda of the Capitol for the first time. But dear me, I don't think that any of them realized that folks actually work here. Hush up and get out the way! [Please?!?]