National Geographic Museum of Exploration

Went there in January, we were excited to go because of the name recognition alone. However, the exhibit was ok. Most of the info you can find thru internet. There was no real artifacts. The immersive experience was ok. Went thru whole thing in about half an hour. We thought there will be behind the scenes of photography stuff. The gift shop was tiny. Just dont expect much.

When I went to the museum the King Tut exhibit was on display. The museum took me about an hour to go through. I stopped and looked at/read/watched everything. The museum does not have any artifacts. It is a series of displays that have information on King Tut’s mummification and the related religious practices in Egypt at the time. The displays are well done and interesting to look at. The displays are all projected images and short clips/films (with narration). The information is quite repetitive though. I understand not a ton is known about Tut so that’s probably why this exhibit doesn’t have a ton of information. The gift shop is nice. When I went they had replica jewelry of what king Tut had in his tomb, which I thought was pretty cool. The prices in the gift shop were reasonable too. If you’re looking for a way to spend an hour in DC this isn’t a bad way to do it for $16. If you’re looking to learn a lot about ancient Egypt or king tut you’ll be disappointed.

We saw a traveling King Tut exhibit years ago with actual artifacts. This is different, but for $20 entertaining and well done. You walk through rooms with various pictures and movies about what was found. There is a nice gift shop. Be sure to catch the addition 45 min documentary on the findings on the creation of the 22lb gold face mask in the main building. The main building also has some cool displays including walls with their journal front covers. The exhibit itself takes no more than one hour if you read and listen to everything.

Absolutely amazing. We went during the Queens of Egypt exhibit and it was beyond incredible. The way everything was displayed along with the information was amazing. There were also part that were hands on/interactive. Wasn’t too small nor too big. It was a great walk through history. There was also a little 3D area which was pretty cool as well.

Our family came to DC for a vacation and this is the best exhibit that we saw! There was so much interactive history and visuals for my little kids to follow versus what most museums have, which is a ton of information at you all the time. This is so well done and so beautiful. You must go check it out!

Within the National Geographic HQ is an off-the-beaten path museum. Celebrating the work of National Geographic, the museum rotates photography-centric exhibits showcasing the wonders of the universe. After two years closed due to the pandemic, the museum reopened with safety protocols (mask and social distancing requirements) on February 16, 2022. Here's what you should know: 1) Price: It's one of the few museums in Washington, D.C. that requires a paid ticket, but the prices aren't outrageous. Regular tickets are $15 and includes all exhibits in the museum. For students, military and seniors, it's $12. Children 5-12 are $10 and children under five are free. Reserve tickets online to guarantee entry. 2) Hours: The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3) Exhibits: They change, but when they reopened, they had two exhibits. The first explores wildlife photography and the photographers behind the photographs. This exhibit is photo heavy, but includes a few interactive parts like an area to have your photo taken and a film with stunning footage of wildlife. The second exhibit showcases Mount Everest and the people who have climbed it. This exhibit is more interactive than the first, but both are worth it. 4) Store: At the end of the museum is a store with photograph-decorated walls and lots of merchandise from backpacks to cloths to books. There's also a kids section with a reading area filled with giant stuffed animals. 5) Location: Located in downtown D.C., the museum is within walking distance to neighborhoods like Dupont Circle and Logan Circle filled with restaurants. When it reopens, The Coffee Bar on 17th Street NW brews a quality cup of coffee. Street parking can often be found along Rhode Island Ave NW near the Canopy Hotel. Although blocks away, visiting Planet Word, a museum about language in a historic school, and the National Geographic Museum is doable in the same day.

I gave the ticket office a call and a few minutes after I got to Nat Geo I was seeing Beyond King Tut, The Immersive Experience. Very few people were there and I could see the exhibit at my own pace. Beautiful projections with an interesting narrative.

The museum is pretty small, currently there's The Tomb of Christ, Titanic and one other exhibition, entrance is $15 per person and they give you 3D glasses for the Tomb of Christ part. Take your time going through everything, at the most you'll spend 30-40min here not including the gift shop (you enter on the left and come out from the right through the gift shop). I totally recommend the gift shop, there's stuff there that you won't find on their online site (like jewelry).