In Washington D.C. one of the world’s most intriguing museums stands at 555 Pennsylvania Ave.  From eight 12-foot tall chunks of the Berlin Wall, to the lunch counter where civil rights sit-ins began, the Newseum takes visitors through the history of news.
The Newseum offers rare items that can’t be found anywhere else, just like every museum does, but what separates a standard museum from the great ones, is how they display and explain their artifacts. The Newseum does this expertly.
The glass building has six floors. On the fourth, there is a slab of bent up metal: the metal radio tower initially placed on one of the two World Trade Centers. The walls around it are layered in newspapers from around the world featuring the breaking news of the terrorist attacks in a memorial to the victims.
Around the corner from the jaw dropping memorial is a small theatre continually playing an 11 minute film. It showcases the reporters and photographer’s experiences during the attacks. The film brings to life the jarring events of the fateful day.
Dark exhibits like these may not be the best for younger children, but don’t worry, the youngsters will still have plenty to do.
They can look at lighter topics, such as photography exhibits or a section on past president’s dogs. There also is an interactive newsroom where visitors can play reporter, recording themselves announcing breaking news.
Outside the museum, there are covers of the day’s newspaper from different cities worldwide. Anyone who is strolling by the Newseum can take a peak at these, and they are often very interesting.
Right off of the national mall, the Newseum takes viewers through not only our nations history, but the worlds. It shows people what impacts the media played in how events, such as 9/11 and the Berlin Wall, were covered. One of the top Smithsonian museums in Washington D.C., the Newseum is a must see for anyone in the area.
Photos by Peter Baugh
