National Museum of the American Indian

Article Written By: taamiv

We all know that the American Indians were the native of the United States, before the European occupied America. The original name is Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). The museum was built in 1989 and it has three facilities: the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C, the George Gustav Heye Center, the Cultural Resources Center in Maryland.

This museum is one of the popular attraction for the tourist as it purpose is to present the lifestyle, culture, art, skills and literature of American Indian before the tourists. The museum covers an area of about twenty thousand square feet.

The building of the museum is a great work of architecture, located in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House. The walls and floors are made from white shiny marble. The architect of this magnificent building is Cass Gilbert. The galleries are arranged in a winding and maze like pattern within the semi circle of the rotunda. It offers a large range of American Indian artifacts which almost four hours to explore all the artifacts. A lot of artwork by Native American Indians and Contemporary American Indians is also offered for exhibition.

George Gustav Heye contributed over 1,000,000 items that focus on the Native American Indian theme to the museum. The items donated by George Gustav Heye include stone and wood sculpture obtained from the North West Coast, basket, clothes, pottery, bonnets etc. the museum also features a lot of items belong to different American Indian tribes such as Olmec items and Mayan items. The gold and textile items by Andean people are also presented in the museum. Most of the items put into exhibition represent the cultures of major tribes and the items ranges from Paleo-Indian to the present day.

There are over ninety thousand photographs of the Native American in the collection along with an archive for audio visual media and documents. A festival is held every year to publicize the documentary films featuring the American Indians.

Temporary exhibitions such as Landscape of the Native Imagination” are also offered by the museum in which the masterpieces from artists feature the landscape of the American Indian in several aspects like culture, home, lifestyle etc. In exhibition the major work is contributed Emmi Whitehorse, Jeffrey Gibson, Charles Lavadour and Erica Lord. Other major Exhibition is Beauty Surround US. There are a lot of family programs too. The purpose is to present the traditions to the public so that they learn more about them.

You can also find two gift stores, each located on every floor. These stores offer a lot of souvenirs of crafts and artwork.

There are no entrance charges. The opening hours are from 10am to 5pm and on Thursday, closing time extends to 8pm and it remains closed on major holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year.

About the Author

You might be interested in learning about Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum New York

You Can Link Directly to "National Museum of the American Indian" by using the url:
http://www.allbestarticles.com//travel/attractions/national-museum-of-the-american-indian.html

This Article Has Been Published on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 and Read 198 Times

Find All Best Articles at http://www.allbestarticles.com

Rating: Not yet rated

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.

Related information on Attractions

Top Five Tourist Attractions In Stockholm
Australia: Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge
Five Compelling Attractions to Visit on your Tickets to India
Biking The Sights In Barcelona
Top 10 days out for free
Learn Ride the Waves through Surf Schools
Things To Do In Washington
Explore Finest Underwater Attractions in Australia, Mexico and Maldives!
Watch Whales While on Vacation in Hervey Bay
The reason why Edinburgh Is The Best Destination For A Great Night Out
Urban Park To Visit In The World
Attractions and Things to Do in Kent
Attractions and Things to Do in Berkshire
Physique Language Revealed
Your Grand Disney Vacation can be Affordable
Kansas City Attractions A Comprehensive Gist of Tourist Attractions
Tips to Enjoy Manchester on a Budget
South Street Seaport New York
National Museum of the American Indian
Hall of Science New York
The Coney Island
Fire Museum in New York City
Brooklyn Bridge in New York
Attractions to see on your holiday in Devon
Attractive Museums in Barcelona Spain