National Museum of the American Indian
add photosThe National Museum of the American Indian is the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native Americans.
5 Reviews for National Museum of the American Indian
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00 families found this helpful
"Beautiful architecture"
Amazing museum with great rooms of information. Nice couple of gift shops. Foyer is beautiful. Not great for little kids b/c there is reading but the experience is still very special. Nice location in DC ... lots of open spots off season for parking and lots of handicapped.
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"Worth the trip for the food"
The museum is a good one, but the real reason to come here is the food. Seriously. The cafe is divided into several ala carte serving areas that each represent the Native American food from a particular geographic region. I highly recommend buying a bunch of items from each of the areas and sharing them as a family. A meal and a learning experience all in one!
'10, '11
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"A native treasure!"
My 8 year old son begged us to go here and we ended up loving the museum. It was small enough that we could visit all of the displays in a timely fashion before the kids lost interest. We LOVED how there were demonstrations of native crafts going on in the lobby. We learned all about beading. They kids also loved the exhibits where they could open up the drawers to discover what was inside...arrow heads, beading, all sorts of native treasures.
The architecture and layout of this bulding are interesting and we enjoyed sitting outside after we toured inside.
2 families found this helpful
"The newest Smithsonian Museum"
I grew up in DC and whenever I go back for a visit I go to this museum. It opened in 2006 and the outside is as beautiful as the inside. The architechture is a true work of art and there is wonderful art and landscaping around the outside of the museum. The inside is extremely well done and they usually have some sort of special exhibit going right in the atrium. This past summer we watched a guy making a birch bark canoe. My older daughter is 9 and can really appreciate the museum now. It is harder to hold the attention of my 4 year old. Many of the exhibits are difficult for younger children to access. As stated in an earlier review, you must go to the restaurant. They have added some chicken strips and other American kid-friendly fare like that so even the pickiest kid (like my little one) can find something. The gift shop is also a good stop. They have lots of great books for kids and adults, some fair trade type crafts, and absolutely stunning art and jewelry.
1 family found this helpful
"After visiting the museum, eat at the cafeteria!"
One of the many awesome Smithsonian museums and the museum is free! Start your visit on the top floor where you can view a short movie that is shown on the ceiling, rugs, and a boulder in the middle of the room. Very cool! Stop by the museum store on the second floor when you are finished. We picked up little finger puppets that are handmade by Native American tribes. The jewelry is beautiful. The cafeteria food is pricey but divine! It is set up by stations and each station serves food from a Native American region. I had the tacos and a cranberry/pine nut cookie. Yum!
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