at the Smithsonian Castle!

Val and I are in Washington, D.C. for a week. Val is attending a training course in the city and I am on vacation mode, fresh from boot camp. I am so thrilled to finally visit the Smithsonian!!

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Ever since I was a kid, I have always wanted to visit the Smithsonian Institution. I think that reading those junior encyclopaedias about dinosaurs, gemstones, scientists, and royalty have made such a mark that this was where I'd like to stop first when I get to visit the U.S. Many years later, I was finally fulfilling that childhood dream! And I have got to thank Val for making this possible. Unfortunately, he couldn't go with me on this walking trip because he's in an econometrics training course very close to the White House. 

I've always imagined that the Smithsonian museums are all housed inside one building. However, when I got to the National Mall, I quickly learned that the institute is scattered into different buildings: some housing artwork, others housing historical and scientific artefacts. It was just a matter of selecting the first building to start my visit in. What I also didn't know until I got there was that Smithsonian has its very own castle. It's open to the public, as it has been converted to a visitor centre. It is kinda creepy, come to think of it, that the founding donor, James Smithson, is actually buried in a crypt below the castle. But that's the best place to ensure that his remains are taken care of by the institution he funded.

Inside the castle, there's a mosaic tile that states that the institute was established in 1846. Entrance to any of the Smithsonian museums is free, staying true to the institute's mission "for the increase and the diffusion of knowledge among men". 

I was expecting that the interior looked more like a library or a museum. But it's a big empty space for people to sit down and relax. 

One of the wings was more dramatic though. It fully featured the red sandstone (a more vivid version of the University of Queensland's Quad, I think)

There were display cabinets showing giant spiders, books, memorabilia, and other knick knacks. On top of the cabinets were taxidermied animals.

I actually expected that a T. rex fossil was on display here. But since it's not, I thought that I could always try the Museum of Natural History. 

Me going to the Smithsonian was a dream come true. I wanted to see more! On to the next museum!!