The National Museum of Natural History
The National Mall isn't a mall in the way that we tend to think of malls today. There isn't a food court, there isn't a GAP, there's not even an arcade. Don't think of it as lacking those things, so much as it's better for not having them. This mall is about the things that make this country so great. The National Mall is an open-area national park in the heart of downtown Washington, DC. It's one of the most popular places in DC for visitors. On a normal day, you may see blankets spread out, people playing frisbee, or just enjoying the outdoors, but special events take place here, too. The National Mall is a collection of all the monuments, museums, and other historical buildings that make their home in the downtown area.
The following museums and monuments are part of the National Mall:
1. Washington Monument - This monument is made of marble, granite, and sandstone. It was designed by Robert Mills and construction began in 1848 and was not completed until 1884. It stood as the world's tallest structure at 169 meters until the Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889.
2. National Museum of American History - The museum has three exhibition floors, that cover American history in everything from transportation, to political history, to American pop culture.
3. National Museum of Natural History - This museum covers everything from our prehistoric ancestors, to sea creatures of millions of years ago, dinosaurs, and more. The museum's collection totals over 125 million species of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, and meteorites. This was the first building to be constructed on the north side of The National Mall.
4. National Gallery of Art - This building is actually made up of two buildings that are connected by an underground passage. It houses a wide collection of paintings, sculptures, and more, from famous European artists, as well as contemporary and modern art by artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Warhol.
5. United States Capitol - This building serves as the home for United States Congress. It's located at the east end of The National Mall.
6. Ulysses S. Grant Memorial - This monument was constructed to honor an American Civil War General and a former President of the United States. It is located at the base of Capitol Hill at the east end of The National Mall. It is the largest equestrian statue in the United States and the second largest in the world.
7. United States Botanic Garden - This garden is run by the Congress of the United States. The building itself is home to a greenhouse and is seperated into different rooms, each one representing a different habitat.
8. National Museum of the American Indian - This museum is devoted to teaching others about the languages, literature, lives, history, and artifacts of the Native people of America. This museum has three facilities, only one of which is located on the National Mall in DC. The other two are located in New York, New York and Suitland, Maryland.
9. National Air and Space Museum - This building houses the largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It also serves as headquarter for research into history, science, and technology of aviation and space flight.
10. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden - This museum focuses on contemporary and modern art, there is a sculpture garden outside. The building itself almost looks like a spacecraft sitting on The National Mall. It's a large cylindrical building that is elevated by four massive pillars.
11. Arts and Industries Building - This is the second oldest of the Smithsonian buildings. Formerly the National Museum, it now only houses one permanent exhibit, 1876 A Centennial Exhibition. The Discovery Center, a children's theater, was also opened later and remains open, today.
12. Smithsonian Institution Building - This building houses the administrative offices of the Smithisonian Institute as well as an Information Center, and is also the first Smithsonian building to be constructed. Located inside the north entrance is the crypt of James Smithson, benefactor of the Institution.
13. Freer Gallery of Art - This is a museum of east Asian art. It is located on the south side of The National Mall.
14. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery - This is an underground gallery of Asian art. It is located directly behind the Smithsonian Castle a.k.a. Arts and Industries Building. It connects to both the Freer Gallery of Art and the National Museum of African Art.
15. National Museum of African Art - This museum is dedicated to African art and culture. It's main entrance is located off of the gardens in front of Smithsonian Castle. It is also another one of D.C.'s underground galleries. It connects directly to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
Protests and Rallies on the Mall:
1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom - This was an African American civil rights rally at which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech.
Vietnam War Moratorium Rally - Largest rally officially recorded. This rally was recreated in the movie Forrest Gump, and was filmed on-site.
