(Editor’s Note: With visitors from near and far flooding the city to look at the various popular tourist attractions, many locals retreat inward and often stay clear of the Mall and the monumental corridors. Today, DCist’s Susan Breitkopf starts a series that will continue over the next few weeks where we’ll look at some of the area’s overlooked musuems.)

Spring may be the most beautiful time in D.C., but it also means wall-to-wall tourists in shorts crowding you out of your favorite haunts. We at DCist understand your frustration and have come up with a list of museums you can visit without fear of out-of-towners asking you to take their pictures. These museums are small, ridiculously specialized, and cheap or even free.

>> The Friendship Firehouse Museum celebrates Alexandria’s first volunteer fire company (now-defunct) founded in 1774. It’s not necessarily a destination on its own, but it’s right on S. Alfred Street and could be a stopover while shopping or grabbing a bite to eat in Old Town.

On view are a panoply of fire gadgets from the past: hand-drawn fire engines, leather water buckets, and sections of early rubber hoses. Check out the ceremonial objects such as parade uniforms, capes, and banners. George Washington didn’t sleep here but there was a mutual admiration, symbolized by several images of him throughout the museum. Admission is free.