Don’t miss: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
When exploring a city as a pedestrian, relying on the Metro to get you “close enough,” you become very strategic planning your itinerary. If there are multiple things you’d like to see that are nearby, stack them together. It’s also a good idea to take a close look at admission/ticketing information, because you might discover particular days are better or worse than others. In this case, I discovered that the Museum of the Bible is currently offering free admission on Tuesdays, so that’s when we planned to go. With the Library of Congress and the Botanic Garden in close proximity, we had a whole day planned, and I made sure to reserve our free timed-entry tickets for the Library for the midafternoon.
Museum of the Bible
Going into this visit, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was impressed by the breadth of the collection and the scope of things covered. Many of the artifacts are on loan from the Israeli Antiquities Authority and are in astonishingly good condition. There was also an extensive collection of historical Bibles, in all sizes, including vibrantly colored illuminated manuscripts. In addition to “traditional” exhibits, there were also many interactive and/or digital viewing elements – we skipped those, but they would be a good option for families.
Day-in-the-life items.
with an emphasis on jewelry.
with an expansive view of the DC skyline.
to give visuals and perspective for Biblical accounts.
A development that has impacted all of my college studies/degrees.
… to think this was buried for centuries.
Not the celebrity sighting you expect in either DC or the Bible Museum!
After taking the Metro to lunch, we discovered it would be quicker to walk to our next destination: The Library of Congress. This had the added benefit of taking us right by the Supreme Court!
Library of Congress
From the ceilings to the floors, and everything in between: it’s truly art.
complete with Jefferson’s editorial mark-ups.
United States Botanic Garden
If you know any of our “lore,” you know we spent a lot of time exploring urban gardens while dating, and our elopement occurred at one of our favorites. As such, when we travel, we love to find new gardens. When I saw there was a national Botanic Garden, it became a priority destination.
and these are so like the ones I wore in my hair when we got married.
Day 4 Walking: 8.33 miles
Total/Trip Walking: 29.4 miles
While the idea is that you don’t need particular training or expertise to enjoy and appreciate these, or any other, locations in Washington, my personal academic background made everything a little extra special. Obviously, all readers should be grateful to Gutenberg for the development of his printing press. Less obviously: seeing a first edition of Finney’s lectures was a nerd moment for me, since I took a special topics course on the Second Great Awakening in American history. Then there was the Library. Truly, words and pictures cannot express the grandeur; it’s something that must be experienced for yourself. The day felt like such a perfect blending of my studies in English and History and Art History and Library Sciences.
Have you visited the Library of Congress? Or any other gorgeous historical library?
Do you prefer interactive and/or “watching a show”-type exhibits, or the more traditional method of browsing artifacts?
That walk through village looks amazing. I would love that. And lol at the Russell Brand sighting! And it looks like there is a bonus Russell Brand behind him.
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You saw so many wonderful things on this day! How cool that your studies made your day even more meaningful. The botanical garden looks so beautiful, and yes, you do need a conservatory! Ha! Ha! Maybe a smaller version. I have never been to the Library of Congress. I’ve been to many libraries, but nothing even close to that scale. At a museum, I want to see the actual artifacts. It’s so cool to know that they really exist!
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