The flights are booked and I’m off in about three months’ time. But given how quickly this year is flying by, it will be upon me before I know it I’m sure.
So what brings me to the US? Well I was fortunate enough to receive a student scholarship to attend the Visitor Studies Association conference in Raleigh, NC from July 24-28. And it seemed like a long way to go for just a few days, so I thought it would be a good idea to stay a bit longer and see some of the sights – museum-related sights in particular of course!
So between the end of the VSA conference and August 10, I will be making my way up to New York where I’m meeting my return flight back to Australia. So 12 days to cover some 500 miles, according to Google maps:
So far I have no fixed plans for this study tour besides the start and finish of my journey. Rather than the hassle of short-hop flights, I’m hoping to travel by train, making it feasible to stop at a few places along the way. I’ve been to Washington D.C. before, but it was only a short visit and I only had time to visit one museum (the Air and Space museum as it turns out). So much more to see there. And it will be my first time to New York City – so excited!
So over to you – what are the must-see museums in Washington, New York or elsewhere that I should try to fit in my itinerary? Are there any hidden treasures en route I should know about? Please add your suggestions in the comments below.
Also, any hints and tips for travelling on a budget in these parts would be most welcome too . . .
How about going to the Warbirds Museum at Titusville, Florida. My internet friend of many years, Larry Champion is a leading volunteer there & is most instructive. He & his wife might even offer a spot to stay overnight! it’s at http://www.vacwarbirds.org/ & email: vacwarbirds@bellsouth.net
Wow, Regan, what an exciting opportunity. Can’t help with info I am afraid, even though I too did a study tour of the same patch when I was a student, linked to an attachment at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, one of the very best experiences of my life. Problem is it was almost 30 years ago. I suspect as much of the Smithsonian as you possibly can is as good an idea now as it was then.
But whatever you do, you will learn heaps and it will be brilliant.
What a great tour you have planned. Here’s my (stunningly obvious, I am afraid) suggestions
Washington.:
Smithsonian: Natural history and American History are must-sees both for what to do and what not to do examples (you have already seen Air and Space). Hirshorn and Sackler Gallery for fabulously tranquil spaces.
American Indian does not do it for me – but the landscaping is inspiring.
Make a point of meeting with the good people at our Office of Policy and Analysis. I can put you in touch if you like.
Holocaust Museum: hard to avoid this a masterful exercise of space-and-narrative.
The Spy Museum: If only to ask why so many people pay to go there when there are so many free museums is Washington. (Hint: marketing helps)
The Jefferson and Lincoln memorials. Location, location, location…
Philadelphia: The Franklin Institute
NYC: Everything, of course. I love the (small) scale and fantastic location of the Museum of Arts and Design, Columbus Circle.
Thanks for the suggestions – I’m going to have very full days I can see!
It would be great to meet some of the people at Office of Policy and Analysis – I’m hoping as well as visiting museums I’ll get a chance to meet lots of interesting museum people too and get a bit of ‘behind the scenes’ insight.
I got your request from the ASTC website. I recently visited New York and absolutely LOVED the the Hayden Planetarium ant the American Museum of Natural History — but I imagine that’s on your itinerary, anyway. ( http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/ )
A “hidden gem” a friend told me about was the Tenement Museum, also in New York. It’s an old apartment building from the 1800s that was closed suddenly in the 1950s, leaving generations of history behind. The museum offers different tours, and each tour focuses on the story of one or two real families that lived in the apartment. (The tour I went on was about an Irish family that saved all they had to live in the nicer German part of town, but then didn’t have the money to properly feed their children… it was said, but very insightful.) I recommend it to everyone now!
New York, as you’ve probably noticed, is very very expensive. In 2006, when I was traveling “on the cheap”, I stayed at a YWCA hostel in Flushing, Queens. It was easy to take the subway into Manhattan, and kind of fun to be in a less touristy area. Plus, since the weather was nice I was able to walk to the home-turn-museum of Louis Armstrong. (I was there on his birthday, which I believe was August 4th, so you might be able to do that, too!)
Thanks for the tips Erin.
Someone from the Tenement Museum spoke at the Museums Australia conference in 2010. It looked really fascinating.
I hear you about prices in NY, especially since I’ll be travelling in peak season. I’m hoping the relative strength of the Aussie dollar will soothe the pain! (Once upon a time $AU1 bought you about 65US cents – now it’s a bit over parity)