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Photo: AgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The National Guard Memorial Museum is a military museum hosted by the National Guard Educational Foundation. It is located in northwestern Washington, DC, near the National Postal Museum, Union Station and Georgetown University Law Center. Covering 5600 square feet, the museum features six different thematic galleries all relating to the National Guard of the United States:Militia Era The National Guard Comes of Age The Citizen Soldier in World War II Cold War Era National Guard in the Modern Era Closing Sequence
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The Smithsonian's own philatelist Shangri-La has one of the world's largest collections of rare stamps, as well as exhibitions of how mail has been delivered throughout history, and other ways that the mail shapes culture.
Not just a train station or metro stop, the grandiose 1908 Beaux Arts building by legendary American architect Daniel Burnham makes it worth a look—the ceremonial entrance is stunning. Open long after the museums close, it contains shops and restaurants. A large monument to Christopher Columbus stands outside the building.
Grandson of the 27th president William Howard Taft, Senator Robert Taft's had a distinguished career of his own in the United States Senate. At the memorial his figure stands in front of an enormous carillon tower with 27 bells. The bells ring every quarter-hour, although the best time to visit is undoubtedly the Fourth of July, when the bells ring to the tune of the "Star Spangled Banner" at 2PM.