When student groups go to Washington, D.C., they find history around every corner. They also find a plethora of new educational attractions that are going up in the ever-growing city.
“The nation’s capital is home to hands-on museums, many of which are free and have interactive and educational exhibits that are perfect for the whole family,” says Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO, Destination DC. “With dozens of theaters, festivals and kid-friendly developments in the pipeline, such as the new International Spy Museum and Smithsonian’s Fossil Hall, there are many compelling reasons for student groups to visit Washington, D.C., this summer.”
Here is a closer look at those two attractions:
International Spy Museum
With a new 140,000-square-foot location just a short walk from the National Mall, one of the city’s most popular museums will more than double the original space when it opens May 11. Student groups can experience hands-on workshops that meet national curriculum and Common Core standards. They can become forensic scientists in case-based workshops, including “Operation Spy,” “Cuban Missile Crisis,” “Spy Science: Operation STEM” and “Forensics.” Each of the workshops allow students to think critically when analyzing evidence using various scientific tools and explore key concepts such as materials science and technological innovation as they go through these spy challenges.
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s David H. Koch Hall of Fossils
The National Museum of Natural History welcomes the return of the nation’s T.rex as the centerpiece of the new 31,000-square-foot fossil hall, opening June 8. The Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton will be featured in the reopened hall alongside more than 700 specimens, including dinosaurs, plants, animals and insects, some never displayed at the museum.
For more information, email Lindsay Hill of Destination DC or go to washington.org.
Top Educational Attractions
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
The Library of Congress
Ford’s Theatre
Top Recreational Attractions
The Capital Wheel
National Children’s Museum
Boat tours along the Potomac River
Top Local Festivals
Passport DC (May)
Smithsonian Folklife Festival (June)
Top photo: International Spy Museum
Photo by Dominique Muñoz/International Spy Museum
