The Fantastic Museum Of News, Newseum In Downtown, Washington, DC

Since their opening in April of 2008 in DC, I finally got a chance to visit the place. It’s truly Awesome! It is certainly one of my favorite museums not only in D.C. but anywhere. I am always intrigued by history and you will get a ton of it here and from the different types of news mediums that are used today and yesterday. What an amazing display of the history of news/journalism.

The Newseum in Washington, DC is a six-level, high-tech and interactive museum tracing the history of news reporting from the 16th century to the present day. In 250,000 square feet of exhibit space, the Newseum offers visitors 15 theaters, 14 major galleries, two state-of-the-art broadcast studios and a 4-D time-travel experience. The exhibition galleries explore news history, electronic news, photojournalism, world news and how the media have covered major historical events.

The visit can take you the entire day to finish it from top to bottom, it is well worth the $20 price tag. This is a modern and well designed museum, you can’t get lost even without the map. There is a vast amount of information to read and explore. I love the versatility of the museum. You could bounce from a 4D movie to an entire level dedicated to fallen journalists.

In addition to the traditional museum-style exhibits (artifacts/objects accompanied by explanatory text, etc.), the Newseum has a ton of interactive exhibits and audio/visual components. There are at least ten mini-theaters that play various short documentaries, films, news clips, television show clips, etc. continually throughout the day. There are interactive touch screens where you can call up the day’s front page of your hometown newspaper, or answer trivia questions, play games, or participate in polls. They even have a mock television studio where you can get in front of a camera and pretend to be a television reporter. There is seriously a ton of stuff to see/do, and I was very impressed by both the permanent exhibitions and the temporary ones. The “4-D” theater was a little hokey. I thought they could have done a better job with it, but I think younger visitors would find it entertaining.

Bottled water is overpriced, but their Food, pretty tasty, i guess…same price as a quarter chicken and two sides at Nando’s a few blocks away

Here is the 10 Top Things to See at the Newseum

Location
6th St. and Pennsylvania Ave.
NW.Washington, DC.
The Newseum is located between the White House and the U.S. Capitol and adjacent to the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall.
Map

Hours
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Admission
$20 for adults (13 to 64)
$18 for seniors (65 and older)
$13 for youth (7 to 12).
Children under age 7 will be admitted free.
Tickets may be purchased online

Newseum Galleries and Exhibits
• News History. The largest of the galleries traces more than five centuries of news through a collection of more than 30,000 historic newspapers. There are five theaters that will examine specific themes.
• First Amendment Gallery. This exhibit uses a variety of media to examine freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.
• World News. Visitors can watch television news and compare press freedoms in more than 190 countries. The exhibit takes an in depth look at the dangers reporters face around the globe while trying to report the news.
• Internet, TV and Radio. This gallery explores the history of electronic news, featuring a timeline that shows the milestones in the growth of radio, television and Internet news.
• Today’s Front Pages. The display shows 80 newspaper front pages from around the world, enlarged and updated daily. Electronic access is available to more than 450 front pages.
• Pulitzer Prize Photographs. This gallery contains the largest and most comprehensive collection of Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalism ever assembled. In a documentary film photographers explain their craft. Visitors can access an electronic database featuring 300 video clips, 400 audio clips and 1,000 Pulitzer photos.
• 9/11 Gallery. The exhibit looks at how the media responded to one of the biggest news stories of the century. The gallery features Sept. 12 front pages from around the world, artifacts and a documentary of journalists’ accounts of their reactions that day.
• Berlin Wall. Featuring the largest collection of original Berlin Wall sections outside of Germany, this gallery examines the role of the media in the 30-year history of the wall.
• Journalists Memorial. Since 1996, the Freedom Forum and Newseum have honored journalists who died while reporting the news by adding their names to a glass and steel memorial. A soaring, two-story memorial bears the names of more than 1,600 journalists from around the world.
• Early News. The history of news is examined and visitors will learn how news traveled from word of mouth to the printed word.
• Changing Exhibits. This gallery explores a wide range of media issues with changing displays on breaking news, media trends, news-event anniversaries and top photography.
• Great Books. This gallery contains original books and other documents from the world’s great thinkers on free speech and freedom. Great Books displays 21 rare editions, from the Magna Carta to the Federalist Papers and the first pamphlet printing of the U.S. Constitution.
• The Interactive Newsroom Visitors can play the role of a photojournalist, editor, reporter, or anchor at 48 interactive kiosks.
• Ethics Center. Visitors test their news judgment against others while racing the clock to answer tough questions and assemble a newspaper front page.
• Pennsylvania Avenue Terrace This exhibit space features panoramic views of the U.S. Capitol, the National Gallery of Art, the National Archives, the Smithsonian museums and the Washington Monument. An 80-foot-long exhibit traces the history of Pennsylvania Avenue and the important news events that have taken place here, such as protests and presidential inauguration parades.

Interactive Features of the Newseum
Hands-on activities are designed to appeal to all ages. Visitors can play the role of a news anchor or try their skills as a photojournalist. At the Ethics Center, up to a dozen individuals test their news judgment against fellow visitors while racing the clock to answer tough questions.

Theaters
Fifteen theaters offer visitors a variety of diverse viewing experiences including public programs, film screenings, debates, artistic performances and town hall gatherings. Visitors can watch technicians at the Broadcast Control Center controlling all aspects of the day-to-day activities in the entire museum.

Studios
The Newseum TV Studio and the Pennsylvania Avenue Studio are expected to be used for frequent public affairs and news programs by major television networks. During such events, visitors may have the opportunity to be audience members. At other times, daily tours led by broadcast veterans will offer visitors a behind-the-scenes look at how a news studio works.