Museum

National Museum of the U.S. Navy

Posted on by Houman

Basic Information:

Address: 736 Sicard St SE, Washington, DC 20374

Telephone: 202.685.0589

Website: National Museum of the US Navy

 

Hours of Operation:
Building 76
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesday, 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
Saturdays & *Holidays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Closed Sundays

Important:  Access to the museum 

All visitors must have a valid photo ID to enter the Washington Navy Yard to visit the National Museum of the United States Navy. Visitors without a DoD CAC, Uniformed ID and Privileges Card, USG-issued ID, Federal PIV Credentials, or TWIC or an escort with one of these credentials must report to the Visitor Control Center (VCC) at the primary access gate at 11th and O Streets SE (GPS address is 1022 O Street SE, Washington, DC). The VCC is open weekdays, 6:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

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National Museum of the US Navy: 

As Memorial Day is fast approaching, our nation hosts a number of great military related museums.  Amongst one of the greatest National museums that are located in Washington DC, is the National Museum of the US Navy.

To visit the museum you will need to make sure you have the background check and access approval taken care of (Please follow the link above to for the details).  Once you enter the grounds, you will have a fascinating insight into one of the branches of our military.

The museum hosts a number of exhibits, but walks visitors through the history of the US Navy.  Visitors can see the development of Navy and the ships that were in service.

 

There are a couple of exhibits around the submarines that were used in the US Navy.  Perhaps one of the more interesting permanent exhibits is the Covert Submarine Operations.  This exhibit walks visitors through the US Navy activities during the Cold War.

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Finally, the museum offers tours, which provides great insight into the exhibits, and history of the National Museum of the US Navy.

Walt Disney Family Museum

Posted on by Houman

Basic Information:

Address: 104 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94129

Telephone: 415.345.6800

Website: http://waltdisney.org

Fees: Adults ($25), Seniors ($20), Youth ($15), Children 5 and under are free

Parking is free.

Walt Disney Family Museum: 

The Walt Disney Family Museum is located within the Presidio National Park on the tip of San Francisco peninsula.  The Presidio of San Francisco is a former US Army base; since its closure in 1994 it has been transformed into a national park.

While visiting Presidio Park is worth your time, make sure you put aside time to visit The Walt Disney Family Museum.  The museum is not affiliated with Disney Enterprises.  It was established by Diane Disney Miller, in an effort to document the life and accomplishments of her father – Walt Disney.  The museum first exhibited the artifacts of the Disney family beginning in 2012 and officially was renamed to Walt Disney Family Museum in March 2014.

The museum hosts a number of family artifacts, including the Oscars Walt Disney received for his movies (including the one for Snow White).

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The site also exhibits some of the props used in the old TV shows and movies.  You can see the saddle used in the TV Show Zorro.  Amongst other artifacts that provided a glimpse into Walt Disney include photos with actors and artists that worked with him. There is a very cool detailed miniature of Disneyland that was shown to potential investors.

Finally, the museum offers a number of exhibits throughout the year.  They include everything from the Walt’s love for trains to young animators movie festival.  Make sure you check out their website for the latest information and exhibits.

The Neon Museum

Posted on by Houman

Basic Information:

Address: 770 Las Vegas Blvd North, Las Vegas, NV 89101

Telephone: 702.387.6366

Website: http://www.neonmuseum.org

Fees: Day Tours $15 to $19 / Night Tours $22 to $26

Parking is free.

Neon Museum Tour: 

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Did you ever wonder what happened to the old neon signs of Las Vegas?  Where did they go once they were retired from the strip?  You can now find them here at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas. The old (some very) and the newer signs are all stacked around this lot.  The museum restores these signs to full glory.  At night for the tours, they turn on neon lights and remind us all of the magic that used to be Las Vegas.  As you get closer to the museum keep an eye out for the restored signs that they have put back on the streets.  They can be seen in their full glory at night when the lights have been turned on.

 

The museum opened in 2012, with newly two acres of land to exhibit these now “retired” neon signs. Currently 11 of the signs are fully restored, however there are a number of signs available for your viewing pleasure.

 

The tours are guided and they provide the history of neon lights in Las Vegas as well as provide some information about the signs that are currently housed and showcased on the lot. Tours will take roughly an hour, but you will have more time to take photos of the signs.

The museum is a great place to get a bit of history of Las Vegas.

Autry Museum of the American West

Posted on by Houman

Basic Information: 

Address: 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
Located northeast of downtown, across from the Los Angeles Zoo

Telephone: 323.667.2000

Website: https://theautry.org

Admission: $14 (Adults), $10 (Seniors), $6 (Children 3 – 12), Free (Kids under 3).

Parking is free.

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Autry Museum of the American West 

Located within Griffith Park; Autry Museum focuses on the history of people of the American West. The Museum was founded in 1988 by Gene Autry and his wife; and in 2002 it merged with the Women of the West a non-profit organization.  The Museum exhibits include art gallery of the West; as well as Native Americans that lived in these regions.

There are a number of exhibits at this museum, one focuses for the fans of the Western Movie genre called the Imagination Gallery.

For kids of all ages, there is a Play exhibit that show cases the evolution of toys throughout the ages.  We found a number of toys that reminded us of our childhood.

The museum also has a large art of the West exhibit.  The paintings and sculptures reflect the Western landscape and its beauty.

In addition, the Journey’s Exhibit shows artifacts from the West.

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There are a number of traveling exhibits at the museum, so be sure to check their site for the latest news and events.

The museum is fun for kids of all ages as there is something to explore for everyone.

Palm Springs Air Museum

Posted on by Houman

Basic Information: 

Address: 745 N Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, CA 92262

Link: https://palmspringsairmuseum.org

Admission: $17 (Adults), $15 (Seniors), $15 (Children 13 – 17), $10 (Kids 6 – 12).

Note:  Family Plans are available $37 or $47 depending on age of children (Please check on their website)

Parking is free.

Palm Springs Air Museum: 

With Veteran’s Day fast approaching (November 11), it is a good opportunity to expose kids to the sacrifices our veterans have made.  But to educate kids while keeping their interest is the big challenge.

Palm Springs Air Museum will help you reach those goals with ease.  The museum is located by the Palm Springs International Airport.  It occupies, two large hangers and has  the largest collection of flyable planes from WWII.  IMG_3882

The collection of aircraft is not only from WWII, but also includes a number of marvelous planes from Korean conflict and Vietnam.

The museum allows up close interaction of planes, including the ability to go inside a B-17 Bomber (or the flying fortress).

Excited yet?  But wait there is more!  There are a number of model airplanes on display as well!

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There are a number of well informed volunteers that can guide and help you navigate the large collection.  Through out the year, there are a number of programs and special programs, so make sure you check their website for the latest events.

We would highly recommend Palm Springs Air Museum for your next visit.

The Marciano Art Foundation

Posted on by Houman

Location:

4357 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90010

Website:  https://marcianoartfoundation.org

Cost:  Free – Just need advance ticket reservations (Parking is free for 2 hours)

Behold!  Los Angeles has a new museum.  One of the great things about a now fully thriving downtown Los Angeles is all the new art and culture that is being attracted to the city.  The newest member of the diverse museums of LA is The Marciano Art Foundation.

The Marciano Art Foundation is a new contemporary art space.  The goal of the museum is to provide contemporary artists with large open spaces.  The exhibits that come to the museum are supposed to come frequently, thus making the museum a destination to visit often.

The museum is located in an old masonic temple, and they have taken care to keep as many of the original design and art around outside and inside of the building. Due to the history of the building, there is a room that is dedicated to the Masonic past.  The Relic Room, has a number of artifacts that showcase the Masonic paraphernalia.

There are a number of art exhibits around the building, so make sure you visit the three stories and fully explore the objects.

Overall, the museum is worth a visit and getting an exposure to the contemporary art of Los Angeles.

THE STORY OF DIPPY THE DINOSAUR

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The story of Dippy the Dinosaur 

In 1898 Andrew Carnegie was reading a newspaper and came across an article about a paleontologist that had discovered the largest dinosaur skeletons of the time.  Carnegie had just built his Natural History Museum in Pittsburg and wanted the bones for his museum.

Carnegie then charged the Director of Museum Dr. Holland to hire Bill Reed (the fossil finder of the dinosaur) and began their trek in Wyoming for additional dinosaurs for the Pittsburg museum. Dr. Holland hired paleontologist named Dr. Jacob Wortman to lead the additional efforts.

The discovery of the fossils happened on July 4, 1899 in Wyoming. The discovery of the fossils was news worthy as it was nearly a complete fossil skeleton of Diplodocus.  It was also the longest dinosaur ever found. A team member Arthur Coggeshall joked that they should call it “Star-Spangled Dinosaur” since it was found on July 4th.  The skeleton was shipped to Carnegie museum in Pittsburg.

Andrew Carnegie’s friends, however, called it “Dippy” when it first debut to the public in 1907.  The name stuck ever since.

Carnegie had a sketch of Dippy hanging at his Skibo Castle in Scotland.  During a trip to the castle, King Edward VII saw the sketch and asked for a copy of the dinosaur to be created for the London Natural History Museum.

The plaster was created and shipped in 36 crates to London and was put on display at the London Natural History Museum in 1905.

In total there were 10 replicas created and gifted to various museums around the world, including National Science Museum in Madrid, Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt and Museum of Natural History Chicago.

This year after 112 years on display “Dippy” will be leaving the London Natural History museum and will go on a farewell tour around UK.  The replacement for Dippy will be a Blue Whale.

In 1999, a fiberglass version of Dippy was created and placed in front of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Additional Reading: 

Dippy’s Farewell tour: 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jan/01/dippy-diplodocus-london-tour-replica-dinosaur-whale-natural-history-museum

Carnegie Museum of Natural History – Dippy’s Story:

http://www.carnegiemnh.org/dippy/

Dippy the Star-Spangled Dinosaur: 

http://old.post-gazette.com/magazine/19990702dippy2.asp