Newseum Opens Tomorrow
Just like its subject — the news — the Newseum, which opens tomorrow, includes far more information than the average museum-goer can handle. It would take days (there are 24 hours of documentary footage alone) to see everything on display in the 250,000-square-foot museum, and with a $20 admission charge, a visit to the Newseum should be a full-day’s outing. Opening day, however, is free of charge, so you might want to head down even for just a long lunch hour to check out the new site tomorrow.
The architecture is one of the most notable features of the museum: the modern face of the building celebrates the First Amendment with a 74-foot high marble engraving of the words that guarantee the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition, while the rest of the front is glass so passersby can see inside.
The most interesting exhibits focus on international reporting — the Time Warner News Gallery features a map of the world showing which countries have free press and which countries limit it, and the violent side of the profession is examined, with chilling objects on display from journalists who lost their lives or were injured in pursuit of a story.
Also in the Newseum is a journalists memorial, a wall with the names of deceased reporters, photographers, editors and broadcasters who were either targeted for writing controversial stories, worked in war-torn countries, or who simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wall is more than a list of the names of the fallen — last week, the remains of four photographers whose helicopter was shot down during the Vietnam War were interred in the floor under the wall.
Interactive features include a newsroom in which visitors can be photojournalist, editor, reporter or anchor and produce a report, and an “ethics table” in which teams compete against each other to answer ethical questions about journalism.
Also worthy of note are the galleries dedicated to media coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall (a section of the wall is on display) and the September 11 terrorist attacks. These two exhibits drive home how inseparable the media is from our lives, and the whole museum chronicles the important events that have occurred over the past centuries, from the Revolutionary War to the Virginia Tech shooting. With such an emphasis on tracking daily events, it will be interesting to see how the Newseum adapts to changing media and keeps on top of current events.
The Newseum is also touting their food options: Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant The Source and the food court (wittily named the “Food Section”) go beyond typical museum fare, but both are pretty pricey for lunch. The Food Section looks to be competing with the neighboring National Gallery of Art, since it also features a gelato bar.
The Newseum is located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave., NW and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. $20 admission, except opening day tomorrow, which is free.
Images courtesy the Newseum