The best way to see the most famous items in the Smithsonian Institution’s vast collection. Start your day with the largest Natural History collection in the world. Stones, bones, and bugs clamor for your attention at the Smithsonian Natural History museum as the largest taxidermied elephant in the world trumpets your welcome (his name is Henry!). But of course, these aren’t just any stones, bones, and bugs from someone’s backyard. From the (supposedly) cursed Hope Diamond to the recently renovated Fossil Hall with Mastodon, T-Rex, and Diplodocus looming over you, your inner child will remind you of how fascinating the natural world’s mysteries are.
After a break to recharge, the Smithsonian Museum of American History’s treasures are next. Gaze upon Dorothy’s ruby slippers which rival the Hope Diamond in notoriety. Walk amongst the First Ladies exhibit — the most visited exhibit in the history of the Smithsonian! You’ll see touchstones of American struggle, identity and culture from the “Star-Spangled Banner” that flew over Ft. McHenry at dawn’s early light signifying the turning point of the War of 1812 and inspiring the song that would become the Nation’s Anthem in the 1930’s to the Greensboro Lunch Counter that reminds us that our battles have taken many forms. Cars, trains, kitchens, military uniforms, political ephemera, and Hollywood memorabilia will take you down the twists and turns of memory lane navigated by your expert guide.
Awesome! Don't know how you would visit these museums for the first time without a tour! Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and made the tour interesting for all of us, especially my 12 & 9 year old granddaughters. She was very accommodating and understanding when we were a few minutes late due to road closures and fencing.
Brenda was fantastic! Nice, easy pace through highlights of both museums. She inquired about our interests and molded tour around them. Very informative. Highly recommended.
Katherine was fantastic! She not only explained the exhibits, but performed different characters along the way. She would be especially great for children.
One of the best story telling tour guides we have had. Leigh made it educational and fun, plus would have been difficult to get thru both museums without her guidance. Excellent!
Ryan kept things interesting, he was very professional in his appearance and speech. He is definitely very knowledgeable and made our experience interesting and fun. We were traveling with our 17 year old and she recommends him highly as well!
5 out of 5. I was a little hesitant to book due to the price but it was money well spent! We had an amazing tour and our guide, Christopher, was phenomenal! Excellent communication the day before and of the tour, he even went as far as sending a google location pin so we would have no difficulty locating him. Though there is no way to see the Museum of National History in 2 hours Christopher made sure we not only saw the highlights but also learned and were able to apply this knowledge to other exhibits so we got the most out of the museum. I have an 18 & 21 year old who were thoroughly engaged and walked away saying it was one of the best tours they had been on. Would highly recommend this tour if you have never been and want to get the most out of your visit!
One on one experience with lots of knowledge, our guide was well versed in knowledge and showed us what we were interested in. Highly recommend.
Outstanding service with excellent insight and a unique ability to focus on what’s important and of interest, avoiding wasted time and navigation error.
Rebecca was our tour guide and she provided great information and was informative on information we would not have gotten if we came on our own Thank you!
We had a great day with Brenda! She is a wealth of knowledge and I loved listening to all the stories she told behind the meaning of the items in the museums! We would have been lost without her!
Had such a wonderful time with Ryan as our tour host. He did a great job keeping the experience from feeling “overwhelming” which was super helpful. He kept it fun and engaging, and absolutely keen on all the facts and history. My wife and I had amazing time and would 100% recommend. Thanks Ryan for an amazing time. See you around next time.
Our tour guide, Donna, was amazing! Informative, engaging and entertaining. Went at just the right speed and was friendly, warm and incredibly knowledgeable.
This tour was awesome. Our guide, Christopher did a great job. The tour was educational, interesting and entertaining! Christopher brought the history to life for us and our boys. Both tours allowed us to get highlights and not feel like we missed the major aspects of the museums in a reasonable amount of time. Then we were able to go back later and spend more time on things we wanted to experience in depth. Great tour!!
Brenda was a fun and energetic tour guide. She was timely and had great communication leading up to the meeting spot. It was our first time visiting this museum and we would not know where to start if she had not guided us! Many interesting facts we didn’t know. From rocks, dinosaur fossils, and mammals. We saw the Hope diamond and loved the intriguing story she shared surrounding it. It was a small tour of 8 people and the only way to go! Don’t go without a tour guide, you will be overwhelmed!
Really enjoyed the tour and both museums! Our guide was very knowledgeable, providing the right amount of flexibility and commentary.
Richard Robinson was our tour guide and we had a wonderful experience. The museum of natural history was truly fascinating and Richard was very insightful. The tour was well paced and the American History museum was also amazing!
Richard was excellent! We learned a lot and enjoyed all the galleries. The tour was well paced and informative.
Terrific tour! Amanda, our guide was wonderful. She knew the ins and outs. What a great way to see a lot of real estate in a short amount of time. She took us to the highlights. Had in-depth analysis. Knew where to go to see the highlights and must sees. The American history museum really topped my expectations. I was expecting old, dusty, and just a look back at history. Instead, the museum comes alive! We loved the presidential gallery, the first ladies inaugural gowns, even Julia, Childs kitchen! Examining every day culture, history, and pop culture. I would highly recommend.
Leigh was a phenomenal guide. So knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I wondered if I would appreciate this tour with my limited knowledge of art. The answer is YES! I learned so much about the history of art. Leigh explained how the culture of the periods influenced styles/techniques of so many artists/paintings. It was fascinating. We covered so much but the time flew. I would love to do it again. Such a beautiful museum. Highly recommend this tour!
I love the majesty of the building itself. There were lots of people there yes. However, it never felt like we in a mass such as a concert. My biggest suggestion is to always go to the left while everyone else seems to go right. (If there is an option.) Also, start at the farthest section from the front entrance. It will probably be less crowded. We enjoyed the exhibits. We go to many museums around the world. This one did not disappoint. There are clean and large restroom facilities. There is seating in multiple places for the "just tired" or for little ones to take a break. Also, as with all museums, the lighting is dim to protect the artifacts. Keep that in mind if you have vision limitations. Also, be aware that many small children may cross your path. Always be aware of the surroundings for safety. I
Richard was an amazing tour guide and an even more amazing storyteller! We learned so much and the experience would not have been the same if we were just walking around on our own.
Richard was great, extremely knowledgeable, and friendly. He drew us into the exhibits and paintings with detailed history and background facts. It was truly a fabulous day. Would hope to have Richard again for tours
We had a fabulous guide, Donna. She was very knowledgeable and kept us on schedule. She was very passionate about art which was wonderful for the second portion of the tour.
Donna, was a great tour guide! With two kids (8 & 10), she focused on the highlights and quickly moved us through to the key exhibits. Highly recommended.
Leigh wins the Tony. Learned, bright and witty. Her knowledge of art was most impressive. It was my son’s introduction to art galleries and he can’t wait to go back.
Amanda is very knowledgeable about the exhibits and pieces and she is very good with handling a diversity of people at the same time. She made the expense of the tours well worth it.
both our guides, meghan and richard, were excellent. i was so glad i paid the money for a semi-private tour of the museum and national gallery. my granddaughter and i enjoyed every minute of the tours. my only recommendation is that more time be allotted to lunch. we practically had to inhale our sandwiches!
Brenda was wonderful! I never would have made it through as much information on my own. What a gem of a guide!
We had a great time with Brenda as our guide. She was very knowledgeable and got us through the museum in a timely manner. Well worth it!
Great tour combo! The tour guide Leigh was so very passionate about her tour content and sharing it with us. I got so much more out of the trip to both museums than if I had gone by myself,
Incredible experience with a knowledgeable and entertaining guide! Feel like we got so much more out of our visit than we would have on our own.
the national history was awesome, leveled to the air an space. you feel you are at the night at museun movie
Our guide was wonderful. She was passionate and very knowledgeable. Saw most of the highlights. Would recommend highly.
We had such a great time in this tour we wished we would have booked some other museum tours with Donna. She was very knowledgeable especially of the Art Museum. We would never have gotten so much out of it without her.
All Smithsonian museums are fantastic and the museum of American history is also very rich and complete. There are various sectors such as the documentation of American history, the evolution of transport with historic locomotives and cars, popular culture including movies and sports, etc... very interesting. Free entry and no need to withdraw tickets in advance.
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