Saturday
Holocaust Museum (behind-the-scenes tour): The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history, and serves as this country’s memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust. The Museum’s primary mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge about this unprecedented tragedy; to preserve the memory of those who suffered; and to encourage its visitors to reflect upon the moral and spiritual questions raised by the events of the Holocaust as well as their own responsibilities as citizens of a democracy.
When designing the Museum building, James Ingo Freed created an architectural relationship between the building and the exhibitions inside. The result is not a neutral shell. Instead, the architecture refers to the history the Museum addresses, with numerous allusions to the Holocaust. Just as the architecture draws much of its power from history, the art displayed in and outside the building, evokes emotion and reinforces the memorial function of the museum. Visitors are able to form their own interpretations of these subtle metaphors of history, often a catalyst for thought and introspection.
Join your colleagues for a “behind the scenes”, customized tour of this powerful living memorial to all victims who perished in the Holocaust.
Smithsonian Institute (on your own): In 1829 English scientist James Smithson left his fortune to the people of the United States to found an institution for the "increase and diffusion of knowledge." Once established, the Smithsonian Institution became part of the process of developing the U.S. national identity.
The Smithsonian Institution is now the world's largest museum complex, composed of a group of national museums and research centers housing the United States' national collections in natural history, American history, air and space, the fine arts and the decorative arts, and several other fields ranging from postal history to cultural history. The Institution includes 16 museums, four research centers, the National Zoo, the Smithsonian Institution Libraries (a research library system), the Smithsonian magazine, the Smithsonian Institution Press, a Traveling Exhibition Service, an Office of Education, and a number of other offices and activities. Choose wisely – there’s no time to see it all!
