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The National Archives Museum, in Washington, D.C., is not only a building containing key government records, it is a place. Their exhibits excite tourists to learn more through the exhibits made from American history so vibrant and educative. Among other things the National Archives preserve copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Emancipation Proclamation. So here you have the National Archives Museum challenging you to better engage with them creatively.
A Temple to Democracy: National Archives Museum
The building of the National Archives is neoclassical which in fact gives it almost a temple-like aura for democracy. Dedicated in 1935 it has a large portico with Doric columns; the large bronze doors have ornamental casts of the declaration of independence, the constitution, and the Great Seal of the United States. It was designed purposely for housing and to drape the founding documents in an indicative manner.
It is possible to get a feeling for the incumbency of this record when entering the building and seeing the soaring stack of shelves, full of boxes and more records in the center of the rotunda. Preserving more than 10 billion pages of text, the National Archives reveals the complex perspective of America through treaties, presidential papers, and census reports.
The Public Vaults Exhibit
The Public Vaults exhibit is your first point of entry into the wealth of history contained in the National Archives. A fake round bank vault door creaks to reveal a room containing some of the National Archives’ prized collection. A first generation print of the Declaration of Independence is the star attraction; other first generation documents include the Constitution, the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, the Emancipation Proclamation and other documents housed in glass cases around the room. It strikes the audience deeply to see the real documents on which so many critical factors in the country’s development were based.
When strolling through the exhibit, visitors can read additional contextual information about the document, its meaning, and its significance through touch screen panels. Videos, visuals and games make learning full of excitement when it comes to history. For instance, the Declaration touch screen allows one to find information about the kind of engraving used on the decoration or even be allowed to write with a quill pen.
Pathways to Freedom
One is the “Pathways to Freedom” gallery on the Civil Rights Movement theme. Greensboro, NC Woolworth’s lunch counter where the first civil rights sit-ins were staged by African- American students 80 years ago has been reconstructed in the gallery. This is because, when you sit at the counter, you would better imagine the injustice and courage that was portrayed by bryopsis.
The exhibit also displays pens that President Johnson wielded to sign the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act; the latter brought to life the moments of those significant signings. Projections on a map tent are set on key civil rights sites; on screens throughout the gallery are contemporary video interviews with activists, lawyers, and everyday folk. In meaningful links, the exhibit ties the Civil Rights Movement to such struggles today.
Dominance: Magna Carta, and Rosa Parks Bus
The Museum contains a two-drop core exhibition called the Public Vaults, in addition to regularly showcasing thought-provoking, temporary Pathways. Previous lending procedures have exhibited the Magna Carta on its eighth century anniversary and the authentic Montgomery bus that Rosa Parks rode in 1955. In contrast, the witnessing of vehicles and other objects of the everyday as if it happened in the context of seismic actions (for example, like with Parks bus) brings in specificity, and reality to the history.
Right Now in History
The Museum also adopts the “Right Now in History” gallery, through which the institution is also intimate with history. A large screen displays a calendar day with events that have happened on such a day together with today’s happening. Pictures, headlines, clips, and relics assist in drawing attention to what was left behind. For instance, watching brief footage of the parade to mark the ratification of the 19th Amendment alongside scenes from the most recent Women’s March indicates the ongoing struggle by women for equal rights.
William G. McGowan Theater.
For further exploration of celebrated occasions and personalities, the permanent fixture, the William G. McGowan Theater of the Museum spawns a variety of documentary movies. Evaluations of large audiovisual resources in the National Archives include productions featuring World War II, the Space Race, abolitionists, Apache warriors, and many others. Since the films are best seen in the modern and fully equipped McGowan Theater, it is possible to devote considerable time to viewing all the rather vivid footage, images as well as interviews.
The Innovation Hub & Archives Explorer Cliente BYU Dev: The BYU innovation hub and the Archives explorer are two products that can be used by clients.
Another way in which the Museum benefits young people is located in the Innovation Hub where Children are exposed to several forms of a physical and digital interactive session. Children can apply arts and craft items that are provided at creative centers to create items on democracy, or try their hand at coding. As for technology enhanced learning, touch screen technologies allow children to design programs based on what is in the National Archives, be it photo touching up, or the creation of timelines.
This institution is also equipped with the unique Archives Explorer workstation; children stand with their backs to the large screen and move and gesture to reveal pictures and facts from the content of the Archives. The presented novel approach of green screen technology turns the process of researching into a game.
Public Programs and Guides, Tours & Excursions in National Archives Museum
It invites visitors to go “behind the scenes” of history consistently through its slate of public programs, tours and events that comprise the National Archives Museum. There are multiple exciting topics which are discussed by famous authors, experts, and even presidential descendants – this is the Museum. Archives features attached to Archives resources have included diverse subjects such as the religious aspect of early America, war letters from couples, and more remarkable but overlooked figures in the LGBTQ community.
To commemorate specific historic anniversaries or to inaugurate new acquisitions, the Museum makes vital documents available for viewing and encourages visitors to observe the work of conservators. Seeing some preservation processes takes time and shows how much effort we tend to take in order to preserve our history.
During weekdays, people can take an exhibit tour with the help of a guide, or participate in Hands-On Tours, with replicas of documents that will help imagine life during that time. Bi-monthly Open Houses also present the rare opportunity to see records that are not usually on display as well as get a chance to engage the Archives staff in questions with complementary music and food and drinks offered. By such special access one feels not only tied to documents but to persons who are diligently working and researching in it.
There are also Genealogy Workshops conducted frequently to help visitors with family history. The experts assist in determining which records may be helpful in moving such searches forward.
In the daytime and, in the evenings on some other specific days of significant influx to the Museum, hours are expanded, and even more and different touch points for the family are provided, as well as themed tours. Holidays such as the fourth of July, Veterans Day, Presidents Day, and Constitution Day encourage the consumer to interact with everything the Museum has to offer and learn more about America.
The shop in the National Archives Museum
Visiting the National Archives Museum is absolutely enjoyable if only accompanied by shopping at its small but focused gift shop with historical artifacts sold. Housed within the building, though situated on the first floor, the shop features a range of stationery products carefully selected to accompany the bloodline identified in the conceptualization of the Archives.
Among the purchased goods visitors will come across numerous books and prints connected to historical events as well as products that have the National Archives logo. You can also order mugs, water bottles or cups, t-shirts, tote bags and many other items that incorporate the Archives images, and good as souvenirs or gifts. Some of the toys attainable as themed toys include founding father stuffed animals, that can even come as Benjamin Franklin kites!
The shop also sells T-shirts, mugs, pencils, posters, and office supplies with printed images of famous documents as well as of Constitution pages. There is also an overabundance of decoration that depicts the National Archives Building or consists of its most significant collections.
In fact it does sell jewelry, ornaments, magnets, bags, scarves, and accessories which have these designs of important historical stuff like Rosie the Riveter and women of WWII, Vote for Women, etc. The collection of hardback books signed by the previous presidents and other celebrities will please readers while the series of framed photographs signed by the Apollo astronauts are appealing. The national archives offer National Archives coins in different metals for collecting the National Archives coins of milestone years or occasions.
Consumers can drink their coffee at work in comfort with a mug that Winthrop captures Lady Liberty at her finest or light up rooms with a lamp that reproduces the National Archives Building engraved on it. Young would-be archivists could carry their pencils, notebooks, crayons, lunch, water, paints, etc., in school bags, files or lunch boxes that have images of American portraits from the Archives, or quotes on freedom and democracy.
This group is very selectively gathered to make choosing the most appropriate patriotic souvenirs simple! And while you are here, make sure you access the National Archives Museum gift store to get items of American history.
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Plan Your Visit to National Archives Museum
The National Archives Museum is at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC-the museum is practically next to the National Mall. It is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas from 10:Monday to Friday, 8:00AM to 5:30PM and Weekend till 7:00PM in times of high traffic. Entry is free, but timed entry passes are required and available on a first-come basis daily starting at 8:30AM.
Passes can be obtained at the Museum as early as 8:At 30AM or visitors can attempt ahead ordering of tour tickets online available at 8:30AM ET 90 days before the visit date. Each pass is made available a limited number of times daily with the license being granted exclusively online.
Museum also sits on the National Mall, thus, perhaps visitors could combine the visit to this museum with visiting other attractions around, like the Air and Space Museum, Natural History Museum, National Gallery of Art and so on. There is easy access to garage parking as well as bike racks behind the National Archives. To add on this, Metro rail stations and bus lines are also in close proximity to the Archives.
A few steps away from the entrance visitors can find the National Archives Café offering appetizers, seasonal foods, snacks, desserts and coffee and the Grill which offers barbeque foods to visitors with dietary wishes. The Pavilion Café in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden near serves heavier meals. Many more fast food and casual dining Establishments fill the blocks and Penn Quarter area, including the Shake Shack or District Taco trucks.
Conclusion
Combining historical storytelling and entertainment, the unique exhibits, rich collections, and comprehensive public engagement, the National Archive Museum orients communities to American history. The 2015 visit to the new Museum of the Nation’s history revealed similar modes of engagement At the Museum, one doesn’t merely look at artifacts but touches documents of origin of America, the bus that belonged to,the lunch counter emblems of the Jim Crow South.
Games help children enjoy history and make accessible historical information for young guests while films, lectures and backstage activities present the American story anew to the regular visitor. It also means that history is always changing, and you never know what you are going to find even if you go to the museum numerous times. So come to find your family roots and to purchase some great souvenirs and learn why we have claimed that the National Archives Museum is America’s Storyteller. While its enormous stoa can physically house America’s epic, the displays and the performances will surely evoke every stage of the feel- good story.
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FAQs about National Archives Museum
What will be of interest when one visits the National Archives Museum?
Among the spectacular truly historical documents that can be seen there are the Declaration of Independence of the USA, The Constitution of the USA, The Bill of Rights, Louisiana Purchase treaty, Emancipation Proclamation, 19th Constitutional Amendment and much more. The Museum also often cycles in key documents concerning such relevant anniversaries or the current ounce of exhibited items.
Do you happen to be able to scan the documents yourself?
Yes, still photography for purposes of personal use is allowed at this time in the Public Vaults Gallery featuring the founding documents. Sometimes, the rules for taking photographs may be different depending on the exhibitions that are temporary. Closed to tripod, video and other external sources of lighting.
Can you touch the documents?
Unfortunately, handling the docs is prohibited to preserve them from damages. It deteriorates the old papers and ink when it is oiled from human hands. It is, however, possible for visitors to approach very near in order to read a historic script that is also being showcased. But the Museum does give reproduction copies of key papers in exhibits such as the Innovation Hub and they are real.
