Due to the sheer popularity of the new museum, tickets must largely be obtained online through the museum's website www.nmaahc.si.edu. You may request a maximum of six tickets. Each day, a few tickets are also released at museum. I suspect the popularity will not wear of for quite some time. My own tickets are for late December. Last night, I was able to visit the museum because my cousin graciously blessed me with her extra tickets. The museum is beautifully situated with the Washington Monument as a backdrop. It looked magnificent on this pretty Autumn evening.
Once we cleared security, we tried to come up with a game plan for perusing the building. That was no small feat. There were excited people everywhere. I must confess we saw none of the lower floors dedicated to the era of slavery. There was an hour wait to begin at the lower concourse. We started at the top and worked our way down. Listen, if you plan to visit, make it a two day visit. There are over 36,000 artifacts housed in this one-of-a-kind building. It took years to amass such a vast array of artifacts.
You will be amazed by most everything housed here. There is a World War II plane that had been piloted by Tuskegee airmen. Chuck Berry's Cadillac is in pristine condition.Many were in awe over the Mother Ship which sits right next to a George Clinton's original outfit.Emmett Till's casket is there. I enjoyed seeing the African American Medal of Honor recipients. I could go on and on. There is section dedicated to the Divine Nine Greek organizations. There are several small theaters and a host of sections that could easily be missed if you don't peek into every nook and cranny. The Oprah Winfrey Theater can seat 350 people. There is a cafe which celebrates the uniqueness of our cuisine by region. You can eat ox tails, gumbo, catfish, fried chicken, Brunswick or Son of a Gun stew and a host of other cherished food items. There was a gift shop but that line was an hour wait too. I can tell you that it is not a small selection of things for sale. The shop is huge. There are a ton of interactive sections to the museum. You can learn to step with Step Africa. You can explore things by region and simulate driving the Green Mile. All of your senses will be stimulated.
To say that you will be blown away by what you see, is probably an understatement. Lonnie Bunch, the director of the museum, should be quite proud of the museum from the magnificent building, to the donors who gave generously, to the vast collection of artifacts housed within the gorgeous facility. I am already excited that I can return easily and often. You will need multiple visits to see, enjoy, and experience everything, especially with the huge crowds that have chosen to descend upon the museum in its first few months. I'm glad I live close enough to be able to plan to do that. You should plan to see it for yourself. It is truly worth a trip. Your heart will swell with pride and joy. It's been a long time coming. Our story deserves to be told and showcased especially since our children keep getting a watered down version of our real history and seem to be losing pride in the accomplishments of the generations that came, fought, and struggled before us.
In Diva Love,
Pam
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