I will never get sick of the Natural History Museum. I was there less than two years ago and there again yesterday late afternoon. And in all honesty, I could go there again today and not be bored. There’s so much to see; I could probably live in this place and learn something new every day. The more you know, right? I always end up feeling like a kid in a candy store, or whatever they say, when I’m there.

Prior to the museum, my roommate and I literally walked around the National Mall for four or so hours. I don’t think my legs have ever experienced such pain in my entire existence. It was worth it, though. We got to see the Washington Monument, WWII/Vietnam/Korean War Memorials, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Library of Congress, Capitol Building, Supreme Court, National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, and all of the lovely vast stretches of green land that surrounded the fountains and ponds in the area.

We found ourselves at the Natural History Museum at the end of our excursion. The first thing you see as you enter the rotunda is a large, imposing taxidermied elephant. And by large, I mean probably the biggest elephant you’ll ever see. We proceeded to see a plethora of other beautifully persevered animals in the Mammals Room, which contained mammals from every continent and corner of the world. Some were enormously large, such as the bison (I would be terrified to see that thing in real life) and some were exceptionally small, such as the tiny wild hamster that was no more than three inches tall. So cute.

My favorite exhibit of the day, however, was the RACE Exhibit. It explores the origins of “races” through an anthropological perspective. The exhibit essentially educates people as to how race is a social and cultural construct, rather than a biological one. The concept of "race" was more or less created by us humans. Here is a website with some background information about the exhibit: http://mnh.si.edu/exhibits/race/

It states, “It's a simple truth. People are different. Throughout history, these differences have been a source of community strength and personal identity. They have also been the basis for discrimination and oppression. The idea of "race" has been used historically to describe these differences and justify mistreatment of people and even genocide. Today, contemporary scientific understanding of human variation is beginning to challenge "racial" differences, and even question the very concept of race.””

The exhibit was both educational and fascinating, although it may go over the heads of younger individuals. There were interactive activities, videos, and other instructive visual aides. Anyone with an interest in anthropology and social/political issues should check this out… pronto.

And if you’re not interested in the RACE Exhibit, there are rooms dedicated to the prehistoric world (including dinosaurs!), the human origin (lots of excavated bones), geology and gems (you can see the Hope Diamond!), and various other fun things.

-B.C.