Washington DC Day IV Smithsonian Castle / National Museum Of Natural History

On our last day trip to DC, we got off at the Smithsonian metro stop and visited the Smithsonian Castle. This is the oldest Smithsonian building in DC. It houses all the Smithsonian Institution's administrative offices and information center. 

Smithsonian Institution was founded by James Smithson who was a chemist and mineralogist, born in France. 

When James Smithson died, his estate was given to the United States of America, to found the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington as an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.

There are two rooms of museum items, behind glass in the Smithsonian Castle.

They had a small aquariums, in one of the rooms. It had a pink fish. I have never seen pink fish before, so I had to take a picture of it.

Our next stop was across the National Mall to the National Museum Of Natural History. Joe and I are not big museum people, but when you are in DC, there are so many of them and they are all free. We didn't realize the museums were free, until our second day here. If I had known that, we would have gone to the National Zoo while on our Sightseeing Trolley Tour. The trolley's green line drops and picks you up right at the zoo. The Metro Subway also gets you there on the red line.

The Hope Diamond, the largest deep blue diamond in the world.

View  from the second floor of the museum. There is so much to see in one museum, it can take you all day. This museum has a large section on evolution. Because we believe in the Word of God, and that God created us, we just slide by that part of the museum. Evolution is one of my biggest pet peeves on education. I don't think evolution should be able to be taught, unless religion is also taught. I don't care if they teach every kind of religion. At least give all the other views. 
     We still didn't see everything there is to see, let a lone, read everything. It was almost overwhelming to us. There were a ton of children everywhere, making the museum very crowded. Best to come to Washington DC before June 1st.

The dinosaur section of the museum.

The best part of the museum was the butterfly section. You have to get tickets (which are free), to go into the butterfly room. Only so many people can be the room at a time. Tickets are handed out at a certain time. I think they are handed out on the hour. But be there early, because a line starts forming about twenty minutes before, if the museum is crowded.

This butterfly was missing half of one of his wings.

If you are blessed , they sit on your hat.

This butterfly is missing some of both wings.

Joe is blessed also.

Look at the blue eye on this one.

Everyone was having fun!

This one was on some one's shirt.

I think this is a Buckeye. Look at it's eye also.

There were cards handed out that had the names of the butterflies, but I gave it to a father and his son, because there was not enough to go around. If anyone knows the names of the butterflies, please feel free to comment on the names. My legs were aching, and Joe's back was bothering him from all the walking and standing, so we decide to catch the subway early and head home. 
One note on riding the subway. We rode the subway into DC for four days straight. Ninety percent of the time we were the only white people riding. If you want to feel what it feels like to be a minority, a trip on the subway will do it. Nobody bothered us at any time. Everyone seemed to keep to themselves and the subway was exceptional clean. We would recommend the use of them.