Monday, April 22, 2013

S is for... The Smithsonian Castle, the Supreme Court, and the Spy Museum

I don't know about you, but I had a nice, restful weekend.  Time to get back on the horse that is the A to Z blog challenge, and kick off week 4!

Today's letter is S, and we have a lot to cover.  Put on your comfortable walking shoes, make sure you're hydrated, and let's get to it!

First up is the Smithsonian Castle.  Located on The Mall, this is the headquarters of the Smithsonian Institution.  You've probably heard of the Smithsonian museum, but did you know it's not just one museum?  It's actually several museums, and while you can find most of them on the Mall, there are a few scattered throughout the city as well.

The Castle, as seen from the Mall
The Castle was built in 1847 and served as the first Smithsonian building.  It's got a few exhibits inside which kind of summarize what you'll find in each of the Smithsonian museums, institutes, and zoo. Definitely worth a visit, along with the Smithsonian museums in the city (bonus: all Smithsonian affiliates are free!).

Next, check out the Supreme Court.  The seat of the Judicial Branch of our nation's government, the building is beautiful and there are tours for the public.  If you play your cards right, you can even sit in the gallery during oral arguments, while the justices listen to lawyers present their cases.  How cool would that be?
CC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia
And here's where the judges sit--isn't it impressive?


Finally, let's check out the International Spy Museum.  A newer museum located in Chinatown, this one will cost you to get in.  It's worth it though, as you get to explore the history of espionage and all the cloak-and-dagger tricks and techniques that go along with it.

Part of the sign
I think that's enough for today.  Get some rest, and come back tomorrow ready to explore!

12 comments:

  1. Though it is a Monday morning, I will refrain from commenting on the high ceilings of the Supreme Court that allow all the hot air to rise... I will instead reflect on some of the fabulous decisions to come down. And wish, again, that I could be in D.C. Good show!

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  2. The spy museum sounds cool. I've been to a couple of the Smithsonians.

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    1. The Spy Museum is pretty interesting--definitely worth a visit at least once.

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  3. Spy Museum? That sounds pretty interesting!

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    1. They have a fun interactive exhibit where you get to build your own espionage cover based on real spies :)

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  4. Castle?? Castle?? How did I miss that one?!
    And the spy museum sounds awesome.

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    1. Well, there's no maiden in the tower, but aside from that oversight it looks like a real castle! :)

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  5. Wow,what an amazing visit this would be. All of this sites pique my interest. I didn't even know there was a Spy museum. :D

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    1. It's fairly new, but it's proven to be quite popular :)

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