Virginia Railway Express
Natural History, that is....
Looking for a quick day trip?
Consider a jaunt to the newly remodeled Smithsonian Natural History Museum. The museum was renovated in 1999 and boasts several newly remodeled exhibits. Additionally, they added a tasty cafe and a 3-D Imax Theater.
The Natural History Museum's insect zoo will delight kids of all ages. See a Tarantula in its natural habitat or watch an actual beehive in action. Into gems and stones? Visit the Hope Diamond on the 2nd floor.
Paleontologists wannabes will love the extensive display of dinosaur bones and replicas. You can even watch as the Paleobiologists repair an aging Triceratips. "Working while visitors watch, museum scientists and conservators are repairing fossil bones, casting replicas for display outside Washington, and remounting the original dinosaur in a more upright-and, researchers believe, more accurate-posture. First floor, Dinosaur Hall."
After you have walked and looked to your heart's content, take in a movie. The Samuel C. Johnson IMAX Center shows both 2D and 3D movies on an IMAX screen.Tickets may be purchased up to two weeks in advance at the box office. The 3D is a thrill for all ages -- images look so real that the whole theater is reaching out to touch them.
To get there -- take VRE to the L'Enfant Station. From there is a short walk down 7th street to the mall. Cross the mall and turn left. The Natural History Museum will be the second building on your right. You will need to walk to Constitution Avenue to enter.