Smithsonian Castle and the Arts & Industries Building In-Person Visit

Hello everyone! I invite you to join me on a special visit to the Smithsonian Castle and the Arts & Industries Building for an in-person event.

As you probably know, for the last few years, the Smithsonian Castle has been closed due to undergoing renovations. It has been open for the 250 celebrations--including a remarkable exhibition American Aspirations, an exhibition co-curated by Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch. While the Castle will remain open until September 7th, when it will again be closed for a continuation of the renovation, the exhibition closes on July 26th. So now is the time to go!

We will meet inside the Castle by 9am, in the cafe area. We can then walk through the exhibition. I have seen the exhibition; while it is not large, it is powerful, especially in the beautiful setting of the Castle. An hour should be plenty of time to walk through.

Around 10am, we will walk over to the Arts & Industries Building, which has also been open. I have not been there recently, so I am not sure what will be available inside (as some of the 250 events have closed). However, seeing the architecture of the building itself is always worthwhile. We will spend time exploring whatever else is there.

I put an end time of 11:00am for the event--but people are free to come and go as they please--especially since I am not sure how much time we all will spend at the Arts & Industries Building.

You are welcome to bring guests. This is a kid-friendly event.

The closest Metro stop is, of course, the Smithsonian. However, please note that the area around the Smithsonian Castle may still be affected by other events on the Mall, including having the Mall being fenced off (which requires long walk-arounds). Please plan your own schedule for arrival accordingly. Check WMATA for updates: https://www.wmata.com/

I hope to see you on Sunday! If you cannot make this Meetup, I highly encourage you to stop by the Castle before July 26th to see the exhibition; the Castle is open daily from 8:30am-5:30pm.

The Smithsonian Castle has a remarkable history within the Smithsonian Institution. If you're interested in learning more, please see the videos in three parts:
The Castle: An Abbreviated History, Part 1
The Castle: An Abbreviated History, Part 2
The Castle: An Abbreviated History, Part 3

Fun fact about the Arts & Industries Building: The building was originally called the United States National Museum, and exhibited scientific and some artwork. The first exhibition of the First Ladies dresses opened there on February 1, 1914, as the "American Historical Costume Collection Including Those of the Mistresses of the White House." See a couple of pictures of the gallery below in the photos section. We now can visit the First Ladies exhibition in the National Museum of American History where the dresses are only part of the story that tells the history of American First Ladies. The exhibit, though under a different name, is the longest-running exhibition in the Smithsonian.