Arts & Industries Building Smithsonian Institution

A great place to check out! I like the building. It’s not crowded like other Smithsonian buildings. When I need a break, I come here.

This is a cool place. Not much to look at, but if you have the timr walk around. Parking is an issue here.

The Smithsonian castle is a nice place if you have some extra time on your hands. I wouldn’t recommend it for tourists who are trying to fill their time with the best sights, but I enjoyed it. It was really interesting to see the history of the Smithsonian museums and how they came to be.
Interesting fact: Smithson had never even visited America.

discaimer: the A & I building doesn’t really have much going on; it is simply a part of the main «castle» on the national mall. i am using it to review the smithsonian in general, though.
i had the honor of doing an internship at the smithsonian one spring, and was able to fully take advantage of the smithsonian as a result. needless to say, it was an awesome experience.
each of the smithsonians is a milestone in itself and something this country should be proud of. the idea of a museum free to its people and others is rare and worthy of praise.
there are 15 museums, though not all are on the national mall, let alone the state. each focus on some aspect of art, or history, or culture.
though some of the museums house outdated exhibits and such, i will say that each one has something that kept my attention.
my top five museums (in no particular order):
*hirshorn
*freer and sackler
*postal museum
*portrait gallery
*museum of african art
do keep in mind that dc has not-​so-​great weather, and spring or fall visits are advisable!