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National Museum of the American Indian
Rating Details »
4th Street and Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20560
(202) 633-1000
Washington, DC 20560
(202) 633-1000
- Nearest Transit:
-
Federal Center SW (Orange, Blue)
L'Enfant Plaza (Green, Yellow, Orange, Blue)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
62 reviews for National Museum of the American Indian
You know what I hate? I hate going to museums that think non-European culture needs low lights, drums, and fables to make it accessible.
Condescending, fetishistic, pseudo-mystical clap-trap. The collection here is an insult to the native peoples of the Americas.
BUT...
The landscaping, architecture, cafeteria, and Brian Jungen exhibition are all shockingly beautiful.
Take time to walk around the outside of the building and experience one of the most meaningful sites I have ever visited. You can read about it here and download an audio tour:
http://www.nmai.si.edu...
The interior is reminiscent of a kiva and the details throughout are handsome.
The Brian Jungen installation (up until 8/8/10) is phenomenal! What an amazing genius this artist is.
Mitsitam (let's eat! in Delaware/Piscataway) is the best museum cafeteria ever. Wow. Just wow.
*hops into wheelchair*
Me: wake me when it's over, please.
Mate: it has to get better. it just has to.
Me: snooooooooooooooooore...
this is the kind of place one should smoke 'em peace pipe prior to visiting. then, perhaps... you can be one w/ the lameness.
"You can see their cheekbones, these are orientals."
-Some random lady next to me said this her husband and kids. Hm, comments?
Anyways, I don't know why but I got really into this museum- full out contemplative and "emo" the whole time I was there. The building is gorgeous, modern, and very spacious. The exhibits were jam packed with information with awesome visuals and audio. However, it could be quite superfluous for I got overwhelmed at times.
Start with the "Our Universe" exhibit, 4th floor and work your way down.
November is Native American Heritage Month. Recognize.
I;m just glad it exists -- but its taken too long and there is nearly not enough about the brutality that the amerindians experienced at the hands of the settlers- - you go to the Holoucaust museum and you leave understanding the devastation -- why don't they treat this museum with the same respect -- Jewish culture is still alive today -- the native american society has been diseased and drugged and is now - for all practical purposes extinct -- it annoys me that there isn't a deeper sense of regret and apology - when we live in this country we are living on the invislbe footprints of some awesome people -- that were very unfairly devastated! Total total disappointment - but not a shock from a country that doesn't have a museum honoring the struggles of African americans either. I guess all the tears and sympathy was used up by the victims of the holocaust - america doesn't have any concern left -- or maybe -- it can demonize the germans more easily than it can accept its own shortcomings
This museum was a HUGE disappointment. I'm only giving it a second star because the building looks amazing. You'd think that a massive building like that would likely hold many interesting exhibits. Unfortunately, you'd be dead wrong. About half the building is one large open space for performances. Then you have all the space devoted to walking... and bam, you're down to about 1/4 of the museum for exhibits. Most of those were either boring... or video/audio (also boring.)
Next time I'll be skipping this museum.
There seems to be a lot of unused space in this building, leaving it feeling empty. I also didn't feel like I really learn anything that captured me. And I didn't think it really pushed the envelope enough on the history of the American Indian.
The architecture of this building is beautiful. Apparently there was some controversy when building this building because it does not confine to the rest of the architecture in DC (limestone-ish and square)
There seemed to be a lot of people at this museum. It's free and is decently sized.
I wasn't too interested in this museum though. The outfits that the Native Americans wore was interesting though.
The food was extremely high priced and not of great quality (although some of it did seem 'healthy').
This is by far the most disappointing museum I've ever been to. I love the Smithsonian museums....I grew up going to them and had lunch at them every day when I worked downtown. This museum, however, leaves a LOT to be desired. It just comes across as slapdash and incomplete. Are you telling me the whole of Native American culture can be summed up in the limited exhibits they have here? They have more shops selling turquoise than they have actual exhibits. What makes it even more disappointing is that the building itself is beautiful! You get excited when you first come to the doors of the museum and come into the main lobby. When it first opened they used to hold cultural events that would showcase the beauty of the building, but those have significantly dropped since then. Hopefully they will redo the layout of the exhibits so that it looks more like a legitmate member of the Smithsonian museums instead of a half-assed cultural expo thrown together at the last minute. I have definitely experienced better, and the Sioux in me can't help but go "Meh" and *shrug*. Just sad...I expected better.
Summary:
No layout or flow
Food court awesome
Good news or bad news 1st?
Bad news it is:
1) There is no plan. there is no start and finish. They aren't grouped in a chronological order, or by category (culture, environment, politics). You just wander aimless from exhibit to exhibit.
2) It focus too much on recent, and not enough on past. I will be frank. I am not interested in the Native Americans of the casino era, or even the drinkin' on the reservation era. I want to know about the pre-colombian stuff. That is what interests me. Sure, the museum should cover all material, but lets be realistic in what people paid their money to come see and learn about.
3) The exhibits just don't have uummphh. Don't know what they should do to fix it, but something.
Good:
1) The food court is amazing. When I use the word food court, I don't want you to think of mall food. This is great food and it is native to this country. Stuff you've probably never tasted. Not just buffalo, but grains and vegetables that I swear I've never seen in the supermarket... and I thought I lived in America.
And it is organized by region, so you really get to taste what grows in your area, even if you've never seen it.
I had never really explored the exhibits at this museum because I didn't really think that they would interest me. After going in, I can't say that I've suddenly become obsessed with the Native American culture, but I did love the museum. The reason it came off so well for me was the design set up. This museum flows better than any other museum on the mall so it makes your experience so much better.
Since a lot of previous posters mentioned the difficulty in navigating this place, here's what I did: I started on the top floor. When you exit the elevators there is an exhibit off to your left and after you walk through it, you're deposited at the next exhibit. That exhibit deposits you at the stairs to go down to the next level. Obvious set up, but most of the mall museums are lacking in that basic idea (please reference "Space, Air and" for the worst design offender).
The building itself is gorgeous and I can definitely see myself going back to really take in more of the exhibits on a day where I don't have museum glaze. Even if you are exhausted and have been on your feet all day, they have much better seating options here and a lot less people coming in and out which makes for a more relaxing experience.
If it's still happening when you're going, I would HIGHLY recommend the Fritz Schoulder exhibit that is going on! Definitely an interesting Native American point of view.
I thought this museum could have been planned better. The way it's set up, you feel like you're being forced through on a school field trip. Information isn't really presented in an interesting way. I wanted to learn about Native American culture, and I usually enjoy museums, but this was just a ridiculously boring museum considering how fascinating the subject should have been.
And I know "American Indian" is technically the politically correct term to use nowadays, but it still pisses me off. It's offensive to Native Americans, it's offensive to actual Indians, and it's offensive to white people, because it assumes that they never cared enough to correct the name upon realizing they weren't in India. It's like if you think someone's name is "Bob", so you keep calling them that. Then one day, you find out their name is actually "Jim", but instead of being embarrassed about the mistake, you just continue to call them Bob...for the next 500 years.
From the outside, this museum looks incredible; it has a great structure that differentiates itself from surrounding buildings well, along with enough content on the outside to make it interesting enough to pass. However, upon entering the museum, you are greeted with a disjointed series of exhibits, a large amount of unused space that I doubt several thousand people could even fill, and winding walkways and staircases that should have been at least half as long as they were to arrive to the actual content of the museum.
The first and second floors are primarily gift shops and restaurants, with the major exhibits being left for the third and fourth floors. I was expecting at least some sort of order to the exhibits that I viewed, preferably chronologically, but I couldn't understand what the people who laid out the exhibits were aiming for in terms of continuity--from what I can tell, there is none, or at least very little.
Despite the poor layout, some of the items on display are quite interesting to look at, and many of the exhibits have touch-activated computer monitors in front of them to view more information. However, the monitors seemed to respond to my touches only about half of the time, and several of their screens were faded or blurred. The information presented on the monitors was also lackluster; it lets you "zoom in" on the images on display, gives the name of the item, and states roughly when it was created, but there are no further explanations about what some of the items could have been used for, who would have made them, etc.
Even though I have already stated it, I cannot stress it enough: this museum has a lot of wasted space. Many displays are concealed within self-closing shelves, which, while interesting, are not pointed out at all (I thought at first that all of the shelves were inaccessible because of notes on several nearby shelves that they were locked and not to be pulled out). A few of these shelves are also off of their hinges, leading to the sounds of scraping wood when pulled out, and manually requiring them to be closed. A lot of displays are also laid across long, curved walls that, when walked around, reveal a lot of blank space where some of the shelf exhibits could have easily fit.
I would have to say that, while the museum was informative, it left me asking way too many questions. I could easily look up my questions online to become more informed on the displays, but a museum should be up-front with its content and not hidden behind scattered exhibits, long walkways, easily-unnoticeable shelves, and nearly as much blank space as content. I had to go to this museum for a school assignment, but I have no intentions to return unless the museum starts focusing more on content than looks.
5-stars for Cafe, 2 stars for Museum.
Pretty sure it's the best cafe on the mall. I have taken others to the there and advised them to skip the museum itself. The variety is amazing: there are different stations for different regions/native cuisines. Let's see, there are tacos and tamales and grilled corn for the southwest/pueblo indians, cedar plank grilled salmon for the Northwest, pulled bison sandwiches and delicious bitter greens, fruit and nut salads. Best "interactive exhibit" in the whole place.
The museum is a very sad one. The architecture is pretty dramatic-- the facade is inspired by the cliff dwellings of some native americans and there are waterfalls and large pools at the front. The interior is very confusing however-- there are big signs telling you where to go because the interiors were not planned out well to naturally direct people the right way. It's the kind of museum where there's a lot of info on the walls and very few artifacts. There are some "interactive" screens, but I don't remember them as being particularly enticing. I liked the exhibit showcasing the beautiful beaded deerskin tunics, but there was no story or grouping that made the exhibit come together as a whole. Was really disappointing.
Lots of content here, but also much wasted space. Even the gift shop seemed to offer shockingly little.
The loopy setup of the exhibits was especially frustrating to navigate in a wheelchair. It was hard to tell where a display began or ended, since you have to wander in a loopy, half-circular fashion. It's like wandering from one round-edged closet to another.
The many video screens and audio effects are supposed to draw you in but ultimately are shallow and uninformative. The 13-minute video on the 3rd floor was like a VH1 preview of Native American history. Total fluff with expensive effects. What was the point?
Sometimes you actually want to learn things without being "entertained" in a "lite" way. I don't need a costly sound system and video projections on the ceiling to be taught about how native cultures respect nature. In fact, using such technology in a building that lacks natural lighting and seems to have few "green" features clashes with that goal.
Fantastic artifacts, but in many cases they are presented in a collage-like fashion, jumbling all sorts of cultures together without any captions to explain what you're viewing. In other cases, however, the captions are meticulously presented.
Overall, the staff was extremely nice.
The section (2nd floor?) showing contemporary Native American cultures, including a little corner about the Chicago area, was neat.
Still, I was hoping to see a more comprehensive historical look at the various nations. A missed opportunity, sad. At the same time, it's great that the makers of the museum appear to have attempted to gather input from many groups of people.
It was extremely difficult to order anything in the crowded cafe at 3pm on a Tuesday, especially in a wheelchair. It took 40 minutes for me just to view--not order--the menu options because throngs of people were in the way of the food, and there are no paper or posted menus. The only way to see the buffalo, feijoada or frog legs is to scoot up to the front of the line, only to discover that maybe you'd prefer the Meso America bar to the Northwest food bar. They should display the options where you can see them without scooting around among the elbows.
Ever since elementary school, i have been so intrigued by American Indian culture and hearing their stories. I learned years ago that i had a HINT of American Indian in me [[Chocktaw and Chickasaw]]. Not enough to say i really am, but enough for me to appreciate that part of my heritage for what it's worth. YES im one of the black people that say "yup, i got some indian in me!" BUT im also one that can actually tell you from who, what side, and a little background on the tribes... booyah! haha. My major in college was Ethnic Studies [[Afro/American Indian studies]] so i felt coming to see the museum just fit. I thought it was odd that the architecture of the building was different than the rest. but then i think it gave it character and attention. Im sure many people who were across the National Mall said "what museum is that??" and then walked over to find out.
Best buffalo, shredded BBQ or ribeye at a museum.
Had some chocolate spicy soup, do not know if it was served only during chocolate event. Friendly squirrel outside pictured.
This place was disappointing and boring. Only the food and gift shops interested me. The layout is huge with lots of wasted space. At the Natural History Museum, there are things hanging from the ceiling. I could not figure out where my family was from because a map of tribes is not listed. For a museum, it lacks history. Where are the stories of the Trail of Tears or wars? Smithsonian is too busy being "politically correct" to put some substance is this museum.
It's not a subject that interests me particularly, but I went because my family is interested. I thought the museum was set up well. But to me the most amazing part was the cafe. Sure, it was expensive but the food was amazing and it was so cool to get to eat all these different foods. Plus they were delicious!
When you have this many reviews for one place you can either do one of two things. You can either read all of them and take everyone else's opinion into account when writing your own review, or you can read two reviews, say "fuck it" and ignore everything else that has been said while continuing to write your own review.
You know what I say? Fuck it. And forgive me if this is redundant.
Now, to write a review after only looking at the first 4...
I like museums because they're informative. I like them because I get to look at cool stuff too. This place has both elements, but with one drawback, it's frustrating as hell.
Why? Because this museum that is paying tribute to a culture (although, as the name of the museum would suggest, it is an amalgam of many cultures) was not constructed with patrons in mind.
Museums that pay tribute to a particular culture generally have a linear feel to it:
Here's where these people were -
Here's where they are now -
Here's the stuff that they did/made along the way -
Here's why things happened and what they're doing to succeed (in America or wherever).
But no, everything had to be disjointed.
For example, you'd figure that the creation story would be on the first floor and it would eventually lead to the fourth (and last) floor where the exhibits would discuss the lives of Native Americans in the 21st Century. But no. What should be on the top floor is in the middle and what should be on the bottom floor is not the creation story at all.
Also, there is no visceral flow to learning about the cultures that are represented here. It feels like you get thrown into a dark cubby hole with a dim flashlight, having to strain your eyes in order to read the captions underneath the pictures/videos that make up the cramped room you've walked into.
There's so much I know I missed because of the ridiculous path you have to follow. How about a straight line! I don't really feel like back tracking because for some reason the exhibits had to go B-D-C-A instead of A-B-C-D! Plus, with loads of people there it'll be too crowded for that.
It's a shame, because it really feels like they tossed a whole bunch of shiny stuff together into little rooms and left the lobby wide open as hell for people to stand and say, "I wonder why they're not using this big ass space for anything".
*sigh* Time to breath.
There were things that I did like about this museum though.
I thought they did a wonderful job devoting a whole floor (although it should have been the top floor in my opinion) to discussing Native American culture today. It's too often that there are museums that only depict Native Americans in tepees and wigwams, as if that's all there ever was and will ever be.
I liked the interactivity of the museum as well. I was able to get more info on artifacts by using touch-screens. I was also able to learn about a traditional game by playing it with people in the actual exhibit using buttons.
And yes. The food in the cafeteria was amazing! I had fry bread, tres leches, some juice i forget the name of (I think it was Guanaba or something like that), and crawfish & potato cakes. Yum! I loved the fact that there were so many different types of food from so many different regions. They really did a good job in showing that Native Americans aren't just one large group of people with one culture.
The only downsides to the cafeteria were that is was expensive and, like the rest of the museum, it was disjointed and not set up properly. People had to cut through the line at the cash register just to get to the other side of the cafeteria. Like the exhibits themselves, there was no structure, leaving people dazed and confused.
I know it sounds like I hate this museum, but I don't. I'm just really disappointed. I thought they could have done a much better job. I know there are those who'll say, "well I'm sure that the museum was set up like that for a reason". And I'd agree with you. I'm sure someone thought long and hard about the architecture and the flow of this museum. But that doesn't mean they made the best choice. I certainly don't think they did.
P.S. I think it's cool that they're going to have an event dedicated to African Americans and their Native American ancestry (snaps to them because not too many people follow up on that for whatever reason).
This museum from the outside definitely has one of the more interesting architectural fronts than any other of the many many museums in D.C. Also free, like so many things are in D.C., the moment you walk in you are immersed in recreations of the living grounds that american indians used to live on and that moment I truly felt like I was learning about my heritage.
Although not documented I am part native american so coming here was particularly exciting for me. There were a few floors here full of artifacts and the whole museum was so artfully constructed, designed and decorated. They also have a theater that shows very well made films that really do capture the important role that native americans played in the development of our country. So many colors everywhere and american indian music fills the air in different hallways and corridors, this museum, although smaller than some of the others was fascinating. The gift shop (note the extra pricey one is on the first floor, so skip that one and go upstairs to the big one!!) has so many options too!! And from lots of different tribes including some tribes not even American born.
If you have just a small block of time free then swing by here. It is a smithsonian musueum after all!!
Note: this is a review of the cafeteria!
If you happen to be on the Hill end of the mall, and your watch and stomach tell you it's lunchtime, you *must* find your way into the Museum of the American Indian.
Talk about a surprising find! A wonderful buffet-style cafeteria, arranged by region (Yucatan, Southwest, Great Plains, etc.), offering *gourmet* native food. Yes, you read that correctly - gourmet in a museum cafeteria!
I had a fantastic rabbit stew from the Northeast, a chicken and peanut tamale from the Southwest, and a delicious seaweed-smoked halibut from the Northwest (see picture!). Also on offer are a range of fine wines by the glass or bottle, native herb infusions, and handmade desserts.
Yes, we did see some of the museum, and it pales in comparison to the cafeteria (sad to say). Even so, you should really make plans to eat here - it's more than worth it!!
There is much sadness in American Indian history and, unfortunately, this museum is no exception.
The building is beautiful from the outside, but totally confusing on the inside. I was surprised that the first thing you see upon entering is a huge (huge!!) but almost completely empty atrium. There are a handful of canoes at the bottom, but this space represents almost half the museum, with nothing substantive inside it. Bafflingly, much of the rest of the museum was almost equally empty, with large sections undergoing redesign or just left seemingly abandoned.
As a complete outsider who knows very little about American Indians, I was hoping to learn about the history and culture of the various tribes, or at least something about the narrative of the American Indian in Europeanized North American history. Instead I learned that American Indians are "proud" and just like us because they use Tupperware. I didn't need a museum to tell me this.
Let me say I understand they were trying to do something different with this museum; they were trying to highlight the lives of the actual people who are modern American Indians, and perhaps it wasn't designed to appeal to me. I also understand there were a lot of sensitivities about representing all the rich diversity of the different tribes, but the museum ends up feeling like it was laid out without a coherent vision or plan. Unlike the other Smithsonians, which are uniformly excellent, educational, and easy to navigate, I found this to be a disappointment.
However, if you're like me, this museum is worth seeing to verify all the bad things you've just read. Still: one star.
I love the Cafeteria at NMAI! Itdoesn't matter which museum I'm hitting, I still eat at NMAI.
they cover various regions of native american food.
Lunches are $10-12, although the multi rgeion sampler is $26 and worth it. Last ime I tried it, it included, planked salmon, flame broiled bison ribeye stead (flame cooked in front of you), potato salad, wild rice (eh), and a salad w/watercress. I really liked the bison and salmon.
They also have a great smoked trout salad sandwich. flavorful and it has chopped celery and tomato in it.
DEFINITELY good for kids.
This review is only for the Mitsitam Cafe. This is an amazing opportunity to avoid boring food court food from other museums or McDonald's. The cafe offers fare from different regions of Native American cultures. The sheer number of choices are astounding-- what's your fancy, Meso-American, South American, Great Plains, or.......?
By nature, a lot of the food has a Mexican/Southwest bent, so there are some choices for non-adventurous eaters, but plenty more choices abound for those looking to try something new. One caveat is that it's a little pricey (expect to spend between $15-20 pp), but your meal will be much more interesting, and almost definitely more healthy, than your typical fast food alternatives.
this is NOT a review of the museum, just the cafeteria. i walked all the way down the mall from the smithsonian metro station JUST to eat here!!!!!!!!!!
yes, yes, i am a piglet! i'm a porker who walked into this museum with no desire to broaden my understanding of native cultures by touring floors of artifacts and information, but rather by stuffing my face with the tasty goodness offered up in the cafeteria.
brace yourselves, kids...i went on a taste-bud tour of native american culture and you are about to hear all about it. please keep in mind that i enjoyed this meal with two other people...i might be a porker, but i am not THAT much of a porker!
my baby brother's girlfriend's selection, from the great plains section: javelina shank, indian fry bread and a watermelon/tomato/cucumber salad. let me preface this by saying that we currently live in az...if you are not aware, there are javelina ALL OVER in az! i have personal experiences with this big piggies...they have knocked over my trashcans, tortured my dog (he wants to play with them) and caused numerous panicked moments for me by running in front of my car. my party of three was PUMPED to get to mow down on this hunk of meat...it almost felt like payback. plus, now i know that if i add the right amount of seasoning, javelina is tasty, tasty goodness. it was super tender with an interesting flavor. srsly, fell right off the bone. the watermelon/tomato salad was good, a little salty, a little sweet in each bite. the fry bread was a bust. fry bread should be like a sopapilla, light and fluffy and covered in honey. this was heavy. two thumbs down for the fry bread.
my baby brother's selection, from the northwest coast: venison flank steak, potatoes and, upon a request from me, the asparagus and fiddlehead fern salad. the venison was ROCKSTAR, wicked tender, great flavor...mmmm melt in your mouth good. potatoes were pedestrian, but the salad, mmmmmmmmm the salad! i know it SOUNDS gross, but it is like eating summer. the fern pops in your mouth and TASTES like green, fresh, tasty goodness. don't be intimidated...it was AWESOME and besides, life is short...be adventurous!!!
my choices, from the northern woodlands: maple brined turkey, barley and oyster mushroom salad and blueberry/pecan stuffing. i know, it sounds boring and pedestrian but sometimes, something that seems typical can be mindblowing...case in point, the stuffing. true story, i HATE stuffing. i think it's a waste. every once in awhile, i'll get some oyster dressing if it's around, but i'm really just there for the shellfish, not the bread that wastes room in my tummy. i got the stuffing for my bro, since i had begged him for the fern salad. however, when i sat down, i HAD to try one bite. even tho i hate stuffing and DESPISE blueberries.
my life changed in that bite.
srsly.
the stuffing was amazing!!!! if you get nothing else there, get that. i couldn't stop eating it. the turkey was wonderful, tender and tasty with a great cranberry sauce and the barley salad was nice, cold and refreshing, if a little salty. but for me, the stuffing was the crowning glory of this entire, amazing meal.
have i convinced you? you HAVE to stop into this GEM and sample the fare. you won't regret it!!!! ESPECIALLY if you get the stuffing!
An awesome museum. I usually don't review museums on Yelp but I feel this one deserves recognition that it has not been getting. Not only is an architecturally challenging and insightful building, but the contents are great too! It covers the history of almost very tribe imaginable, has plenty of exhibits, and serves a great moral purpose in America.
Not to mention, that amazing downstairs cafeteria where you can pick-and-choose from native cuisines from all over the continent for a reasonable price!
I have just 2 points of contention here:
1. It's not interactive enough - information and exhibit overload. Will bore the children.
2. When you tour the museum, it feels like American-Indian history started when the white people showed up. I understand that they are showcasing the plight and the moral outrage of what happened starting in the 16th century. BUT, could you please give us some earlier history? PLEASE. Like...starting with the Bering Land Bridge and going forward. How did those fascinating cultures develop? I feel like the museum dropped the ball here.
That said - definitely go and check this place out. It has its issues - buts still a valuable and fascinating place.
Okay so the artifacts are ok and there isn't that much to see. So why go? The food court is one of the best places to eat near the mall.
Very mixed on this one. Was expecting the usual Smithsonian type museum with stunning exhibits and history. Did not get that. It is really a hodgepodge of exhibits from many different tribes. It needs some continuity and flow.
Yes, they emphasize this is the view from the Indian point of view. But, hey, you can't write out or ignore the history that happened.
Layout is very poor, and you can get off track in walking around. Lower floor is a huge retail store and cafeteria.
Needs work, as it could be much better.
I have to agree with everyone's extreme disappointment with this museum. I remember when it first opened up and there was a line around the building to get in. I was actually considering going waiting through that line to get in. How happy I now am that I didn't do it.
I think that a lot of my disappointment stems off the fact that all the other Smithsonian's are so incredibly amazing. The Air & Space and the National Gallery of Art are two of some of my favourite places to spend my time. But this... oh this was bad.
Once in the museum, you get very little guidance in where to go and what to do. Once you find your way around, there is very little description about the artifacts. These things are basically just lying around. I just find that such an incredible waste.
My favourite and most memorable part of my visit was a man who was sitting to his back to me. His jeans were pulled down to the seat and his bright red underwear were fully visible for the world to see.
I was really looking forward to both this museum and the cafe... was disappointed with both.
As someone who studied Native American issues intensively at The University of Chicago, I was incredibly disturbed by the lack of depth at the museum. Everything presented educational-wise was basic, generalized, from the Euro-American not Native perspective, and absent of the array of concerns modern tribes face. Even the history was elementary. The entire thing seemed to be a poor excuse for a celebration of a culture, when it really is just another slap in the face to that culture.
I've heard good things about the cafe and I've also heard it is way overpriced. I more than agree with the pricing, the portions are ridiculous given the cost, but the food isn't even good enough to be worth it for "the experience." It was just OK.
We really wanted to LOVE this museum. My husband grew up in NYC and often went to the Heye Foundation that had thousands of American Indian items on display. George Gustav Heye collected over 800,000 items early in the 20th century.
When we heard the collection was being moved to DC in a new museum; we made plans to come to DC.
We had read the mixed and mostly negative reviews on Yelp and even in some of the guidebooks. We decided to see it anyway and form our own opinions.
I think Yelper Kat H. made some very wise comments in her review.
My opinions are as follows:
If anything the museum is maybe too ambitious. The museum reflects contributions from many of the numerous tribes in the Americas past and present.
One floor had long glass displays featuring baskets, sculptures and a variety of handiwork in a "random"-appearing order. There were 4 interactive screens so you could find out what you were looking at.
Beautiful items but they seemed to be displayed helter skelter.
There were some cases of projectile points (aka arrowheads) that were arranged in a pattern.
There was a floor with contemporary exhibits with videos with interviews with Indians in their present societies. Interesting stuff.
My favorite part of the museum was the current exhibit on native dresses. Beautiful and exquisite dresses that will make you sigh and will move your heart and spirit. (Please see my photos)
I think that this a "work in progress." This museum is the "new kid on the block" and it has kinks to work out.
To compare it to the other Smithsonian museums or other museums that feature American Indian exhibits is a mistake. Although I didn't like the overall lack of organization, I did appreciate the exhibits on their own, each exhibit spoke to me in its own way.
So my advice is if you have an interest in American Indian culture then do see this museum. Keep an open mind and just enjoy the individual exhibits.
Excellent museum store. Fairly extensive collection of books, music CD's, DVD's, teeshirts,earrings, jewelry, posters, etc. There were also a couple of pricier gift counters on the main floor with commissioned art work and jewelry.
I think this museum is undeserving of the negative reviews previously posted.
I attended this museum in November 2007 after hearing about it from my Aunt, who is a social worker with the Crow tribe. She is a member of the museum and has praised its openness since day one.
I went on her recommendation thinking I would make only a brief stop in order to appease her. What I discovered was a forward thinking museum that does its best to incorporate multiple regions and variety of cultures encompassed in the title 'native american."
The layout and architecture of the museum is deeply entrenched in the culture and symbolism of many of the tribes it represents. The main plaza in the museum is marked with a compas that points to the sky and the earth and the other directional navigation systems used by early natives. While i didnt have time to enjoy the entire museum, the hour long highlights tour was a treat, with our guide sharing her own personal connections as a member of the Cherokee and annecdotes of her family.
Had i rushed through the museum as was my original intention, I certainly would have missed the beauty and emotion that is involved in every inch of the museum.
Also to note-this place has THE BEST CAFETERIA IN WASHINGTON D.C.! I went to this museum twice because the cuisine was so exemplary.
I highly recommend this museum, so long as you have time to appreciate and listen to what it has to offer.
The museum is misleading. From the the outside, it appears to house an expansive collection akin to its sister Smithsonian spaces.
The top two floors house the collection of artifacts; head directly to the top floor if you are short on time.
I like the feel of this museum. It is smaller than the other Smithsonians and that gave me a sense of accomplishment; didn't need to run through it. The only Smithsonian I visited that felt like it was conceptually made to be a museum and I was guided through the collections. That being said, this guidance takes some thought. I had my "ah-ha!" moment upon entering the third tribal room.
The food court is decent, serving a selection of organic food. Hold out for this one if you are going to eat in one of the Smithsonian food courts.
This is probably my least favorite of DC's museums, even though though it looks very enticing from the outside. It seems like about 500 people put this place together on the inside, never bothering to consult one another. There definitely is not enough art in here, and it's weird that everything is pretty much up for sale. I agree with the person who said it seems more like a retail spot than a museum.
Some of the exhibits are very nice though, so it would be worth it to at least come and glance around. The restaurant was the best part about this museum, and I pigged out for around $15, which is always enjoyable.
What follows is a review of the Mitsitam Native Foods Caf inside the museum.)
What a great find among the museum fare in Washington, DC! After passing on yet another McDonald's meal at the Air and Space Museum, we walked into the BEAUTIFUL new Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. We were hungry, and were intrigued by the advertised 'Native American Cuisine", though we had no idea what to expect. There was a bit of a line to get in, and then it was a little confusing because it's sort of a food court organized by region. It's best to just walk by each station to see what looks good.
I settled on a delicious piece of salmon and two side-dishes that were exotic and very tasty salads. As far as tourist food and prices go, it was well worth the $13 and I enjoyed the best and most healthy meal so far on our DC vacation.
I definitely recommend it if you're walking by the museum.
The way information is presented makes it clear your are meant to draw your own conclusion / walk away with information that you can apply to your own life. The circle of life theme was well absorbed. Just as finding balance in future and past...preservation...leaving whaling to the Inuit. The human need in thin cultures to conquer and control.
Descriptions and interactivity are quite thin in the various -- sometimes seemingly random -- exhibits...so make sure to follow a hosted tour if you want the maximum experience.
Current exhibits: Interesting to see the mix of craftsmanship - modern vs. antiquity and the adjustment to compensate for current materials. Time line artifacts ranging from Christian bibles translated into various Native American dialects.. Firepower from Spanish through U.S. occupation. Archaelogical finds through conquistador stealing gold and melting them into gaudy jewelry. Apparently some of the "special effects" are not working in a couple of the theaters with no attempt to fix them for some time -- which would explain like the presentations seemed unfinished.
Most disturbing were the isolated perspectives presented in the Central and South American indigenous regions. Then again...it's under the Smithsonian umbrella of presentation.
But darn it...good food representing the different regions of indigenous regions...acorn squash, mashed corn, tortilla'd corn, taco shelled corn, American buffalo cheeseburger. Oxtail soup...peanut sauces...Tazo...
Horrible! I absolutely hated this place. As an open-minded inquisitive individual I looked forward to learning as much as I could about the American Indian. I was sadly disappointed.
First of all, although the building from the outside is way cool, the inside layout is horrible. Most exhibits have only one narrow in which also serves as an exit. Everyone is shuffling around other people, and there is absolutely no traffic flow.
The exhibits made no sequential sense. And tribes were seemingly chosen haphazardly to be focused on. I looked for several tribes I am familiar with and they were not even mentioned. I think it is hardly a good tribute to our American Indian peoples. All the exhibits had absolutely no context and were completely random. What a waste of millions of dollars.
I can't believe that I, the museum fanatic, hated this museum. But I did, and I will not go back.
This museum was really fun - and nice because it is not insanely busy like so many others in the Smithsonian. It is tucked away on the east end, close to the Capitol. It's really close to l'enfant plaza metro, so very easy to get there from Virginia.
You can tell that a lot of thought went into every decision about this museum. We took the complimentary tour, which was a little over an hour. It was led by a Native American who shared some of her story and that of other Native Americans. If you don't know much about Native Americans, I would definitely recommend joining one of these. They split us up into two groups so that the tours weren't too big. However, in hindsight I think I would have liked to explore on my own.
The building is beautiful, and the exhibits truly try to show a plethora of aspects of various Native American cultures.
I would also recommend going to the "food court" as it has food selections from various areas. It is sort of expensive, but definitely rounds out the experience.
Overall, a must-see for DC residents at least once.
I'll admit, I'm biased towards the Smithsonians for many reasons but this was high on my list of "things to do" while in DC for the weekend and did not disappoint.
We headed to the cafe first and I was very impressed by the selection of food that you could get from tamales to blue fish wrapped in banana leaves. Then we headed up to the 4th floor to work our way down. The 4th floor is definitely depressing in many ways...but is chock full of information and cool artifacts from the various tribes represented. The 3rd floor is a bit more upbeat by tying the tribes into more contemporary times and also with the changing display.
The current one is Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses and includes traditional dresses as well as ones from Pow Wows and 3 Ghost Dance dresses. These are all incredibly beautiful with a lot of detail work and there is an interesting area that lets you see what was used when making the dresses.
The only thing that wasn't a huge disappointment about this museum was its architecture, which is positively stunning.
Once you take that in, you can pretty much leave. The place is short on actual exhibits and instead features mounted placards telling you about Native American history. With so many great museums in DC, this is not one to spend much time on.
