The office complex of the formidable Federal Bureau of Investigation, the headquarters of the famous US law enforcement agency, (FBI) is another place that is worth visiting if you are in Washington DC . This fascinating place is situated near JW Marriott Hotel . This most popular guided tour in Washington will take you through the crime laboratories, DNA testing and a treasure trove of items confiscated by the FBI before concluding with a live machine-gun demonstration. I am sure this will prove to be an overwhelming experience for most of you. When you are in Washington , don't miss the huge Smithsonian. It is situated in the close proximity of Holiday Inn Washington Downtown, and houses 14 museums and galleries in DC alone. Two of its biggest attractions are the Museum of National History and the Air and Space Museum that will consume a lot of your time. But, since you are there, don't leave the place without exploring the Asian art of the Freer Gallery and appreciating the earnest patriotism displayed in the Museum of American History . The Air and Space Museum is the most famous and the most visited of all the Smithsonian Museums. It displays a full-size air and spacecraft along with the Wright brothers' plane and the Apollo IX command module. It is located only one block away from the Holiday Inn Washington-Capitol . You can also touch and feel a moon rock, watch a stomach-churning IMAX film or visit the planetarium. The National Museum of Natural History displays many extraordinary exhibits, such as the Hope Diamond, a model of the biggest blue whale ever seen and a giant mammoth. It's got all the favorites of natural history fans—dinosaur bones, insects and a newly renovated hall of gems and minerals. The National Museum of American History houses many things of cultural importance related to the American history like the original American flag and, the original Kermit, the Frog, Fonzie's leather jacket, Dorothy's ruby slippers and many more historical stuff. The National Zoological Park, founded in 1889 and located at a distance of only 0.3 miles from Marriott Wardman Park , is also part of the Smithsonian Institution and is known all over the world for its creditable work in species preservation and conservation research. There are many simulations of the natural habitats of several animals in this zoo that covers the steep slopes of the gorge cut by Rock Creek. These comprise an outdoor primate enclosure, a wetlands area, a pollinarium for humming-birds and butterflies, a reptile center and Amazonia , a near natural recreation of the world's largest tropical rain forest. The zoo's two giant pandas draw the largest number of visitors of all ages. After watching the animal life blossoming in its natural surroundings, if you want to be trained as an international spy, a sort of James Bond, just head for one of Washington 's most fun museums. The main aim of this museum is to educate the common man about the importance of espionage in public and political life and how it has changed the course of many historical and political events. All this is done with the help of multimedia presentations, hands-on exhibits and audiovisual effects. It houses almost all kinds of spy accessories and equipments like decoder machines, miniature cameras, a lipstick pistol and even James Bond's Astin Martin with machine gun headlights. Visitors can take part in various spying activities, such as assuming a cover, breaking codes and identifying spies. This museum also displays each epoch of espionage history in an appropriate setting. You can see the beautiful, but scrupulous Mata Hari and The Sisterhood of Spies engaged in spying in a boudoir or watch the activities of the OSS (the Office of the Strategic Services, the predecessor of the CIA) in a European farmhouse or go through the chronicles the Cold War in a fallout shelter. <<--Back |
