The Museum of American art and the National Portrait Gallery reopen in one week - July 1:

http://americanart.si.edu/index3.cfm

http://www.npg.si.edu

I just took a preview tour earlier this week and may I say...it is fascinating, beautiful, and all the othr positive adjectives you put onto a museum. (Well, I was a little freaked out by the giant floating head, but other than that...) The open storage display is very unique. Also, you gotta love the massive aluminum foil shrine. I could go on and on....go see it yourself, it was the highlight of my trip.

>>aluminum foil shrine<<

OMG I just love The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly. It resided here in Williamsburg at the folk art museum for a couple of years during the Smithsonian renovation. I must have dragged a hundred people in to see it!

Can't wait to see the new and improved art and portrait museums.

You know, I kept trying to memorize the name so that I could tell people what I saw, but as you can see, I couldn't do it! We came upon the shrine by surprise, which made the display even more dramatic.

Melissa, I made myself memorize it. I just couldn't get people to come with me when I promised they were going to see this really cool foil and light bulb thingy!