Museums making connections

By Kendall Fletcher
July 21, 2019
While many museums educate visitors about the past, they’re all telling us something about the future: The people, places and events on exhibit play a vital role in how museums are evolving. The history is important. The future of museums, how their collections tell those stories and now connect with viewers, is even more so.

The Army Historical Foundation, National Museum of the United States Army

Photo by National Museum of the U.S. Army

The National Museum of the United States Army, opening near Washington, D.C., in 2020, will immerse visitors in the experience of American soldiers since 1775. The museum will include a 300-degree 4-D theater, café, shopping and interactive learning spaces. It’s located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia—less than 30 minutes from the National Mall and Arlington National Cemetery, and 10 minutes from Mount Vernon and I-95. It offers free performance areas as well as free admission, and inspiring spaces are available for rent.

Jamie Hubans  |  Arlington, Virginia  |  armyhistory.org


Coral Castle

Coral Castle
Photo by Coral Castle

A modern megalith, Coral Castle has over 30 architectural structures. Visitors learn the science, hear the infamous love story and see Edward Leedskalnin’s sundial, the only one in the world to show the calendar month, time and seasons. They can enjoy the Coral Castle Café, the unique gift shop, free parking and continuous tours. Open year-round, the attraction received TripAdvisor’s “Top 35 out of 35,000 museums across the U.S.” rating and New Times Magazine’s Reader Choice Awards’ “Best of Miami.”

Laura Maye  |  Miami, Florida  |  coralcastle.com


Hagley Museum and Library

Hagley Museum & Library
Photo by Hagley Museum and Library 

Take a journey through the historical DuPont Company’s black powder yards and the garden and grounds of the first du Pont family home in America. Experience what makes Hagley unique with demonstrations of 19th-century water-powered machinery and a gunpowder explosion. Tour through the family home, chat with the horticulturalist in the French garden, discover archival treasures with a Hagley Historian and enjoy the most beautiful mile of the Brandywine in Wilmington, Delaware!

Bonnie Wirth  |  Wilmington, Delaware  |  hagley.org/tours


Patriots Point “Home of the USS Yorktown”

Patriots Point “Home of the USS Yorktown”
Photo by Andrew Cebulka

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum on Charleston Harbor in South Carolina is home to a unique Vietnam experience—the only exhibit of its kind in the United States. Bringing to life the history of the Vietnam War with advanced technology, the attraction invites guests to explore a “Brown Water Navy” support base and feel the intensity of a U.S. Marine Corps artillery fire base during the Tet Offensive and the Battle of Khe Sanh.

Kayla Halchak  |  Mount Pleasant, South Carolina  |  patriotspoint.org


Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Photo by Philadelphia Museum of Art

Visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art and discover the cultural heart of Philadelphia. The museum’s landmark building houses one of the most comprehensive art collections in the country,
featuring works from America, Asia and Europe. You’ll also find van Gogh’s “Sunflowers,” the world’s largest Marcel Duchamp collection and a Japanese teahouse all under one roof, as well as the only dedicated Rodin Museum outside France. The museum is a place that welcomes everyone and makes the experience surprising, lively and always memorable.

Shari Feldman  |  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  |  philamuseum.org

Top photo © Iryna/Adobe Stock

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