Whether you are preparing for a trip to Washington, DC or are just interested in seeing what the National Mall has to offer, look to the many online virtual tours that will familiarize you with the Mall. The National Mall extends from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. On either side of the mall stand a number of the Smithsonian Museums and art galleries, including the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Gallery of Art.
DCPages.com offers an all encompassing website that provides virtual 360-degree tours of museums and historical sites. Once loaded, the Java-based tours also provide pertinent details regarding each museum. This site is easy to navigate and tours are listed in alphabetical order. Clicking on a thumbnail image takes you to a specific National Mall site. For example, if you click on the Smithsonian Castle thumbnail you will not only will view a virtual tour of the castle but also see detailed information regarding hours of operation and location. Click on the Vietnam Memorial's thumbnail and you will feel as though you are standing in front of this magnificent wall.
Another option for viewing virtual tours is to visit the official websites of museums and galleries located on the National Mall. Many offer virtual tours. For example, The National Museum of Natural History offers a virtual tour of many of their exhibitions. A few of the virtual exhibits are as follows:
African Voices
Crossroads of Continents
Dig It: The Secrets of Soil
The National Gallery of Art also offers virtual exhibition tours on their official website. Before you know it, you will be "walking" along with van Gogh, Calder, and the sculptor Angkor.
The Smithsonian lists its museums at www.si.edu/museums/.
The Smithsonian Castle Information Center, located on the National Mall, has its own You Tube channel, where you can learn the history of the Smithsonian and the history of the castle. For example, did you know that James Smithson, the founder of the Smithsonian, never set foot in the USA? Also, the Smithsonian (not to be confused with the Smithsonian Castle) has its own You Tube channel where you can view lectures and short movies. And at the Smithsonian's official visitor's page, you can view a video narrated by actor Ben Stiller. This 12-minute tour is not only informative but also humorous. Ben Stiller's narrative provides a glimpse into some of the 19 museums that surround the National Mall, including Hurricane Katrina photos, Dorothy's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz," and Abraham Lincoln's hat.
