13. Give Regards to the Bard at the Folger Shakespeare Library
The Brits might not like to admit it, but this DC library contains the worlds finest collection of the Bard’s manuscripts and related materials, including a 1623 First Folio collection of Shakespeare’s plays. It also houses an Elizabethan-style theater that stages Shakespearean and other Renaissance playwrights’ productions. Exhibits, lectures and performances are all free and well worth a look for any fan.
14. Ruminate at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
You’ll find America’s official memorial to the Holocaust just south of the National Mall. It opened in 2008 contains around 13,000 artifacts, 50 million documents, 80,000 historical photographs, 1,000 hours of archival footage, 84,000 library items, and 9,000 oral history testimonies. The museum aims to help leaders and citizens confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity and strengthen democracy around the world. One exhibition is designed to sensitively explain the Holocaust to elementary and middle school children. It’s a somber yet important museum to experience.
