The Newseum comes to an end in D.C.

In April 2017, my mom and I traveled to Washington, D.C., for a week, taking in the sights and history of our nation’s capital. 

This was a whirlwind of a trip, and definitely something I would do again. You can’t possibly take in everything D.C. has to offer in just six days. At least we couldn’t fit it all in… 

Among the several museums we went to was the Newseum, which promotes freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and the First Amendment. Obviously a favorite of mine. 

The Newseum opened at its first home in D.C. in 1997. It reopened at its current location in 2008. Earlier this year, it was announced that the famed Newseum would be closing its doors on Dec. 31, 2019. 

This is sad news, as the Newseum is dedicated to the history and future of journalism in the United States. 

The organization behind the Newseum, Freedom Forum, says the reason for the closure is “financial difficulties.”

The Newseum housed numerous exhibits and artifacts including: pieces of the World Trade Center towers that were damaged in the terror attacks on 9/11, pieces of the planes that hit the WTC towers, a section of the Berlin Wall, covers of newspapers from around the world following 9/11, the first printing press, The Journalists Memorial that honors journalists who have died doing their jobs, and so much more. 

The Newseum covered 400,000 square feet. That’s a lot of space to maintain, at an expensive cost. I guess I can understand the reason for the closure. 

With many of the neighboring Smithsonian museums free of charge, the Newseum was $24.95 for a daily pass; veterans, like my mother, received a bit of a discount. At that cost, you would want to take your time seeing every floor of the museum you could, no matter how long it took to tour the place. 

While we were there, the Newseum had a temporary exhibit dedicated to the history of music and the impact music has made on our freedom of expression. It was neat to see John Lennon’s guitar he used to write “Give Peace a Chance.” The costumes belonging to the Village People were also on display. 

It is refreshing to know that several of the exhibits dedicated to the JFK assassination, the Stonewall riots, and photojournalism will remain alive at other museums in the D.C. area, and around the country. 

In the 11 years the Newseum was open on Pennsylvania Avenue, it drew more than 10 million visitors. That’s impressive to say the least! 

However, the free museums were more of a draw than paying almost $25. And, some of the permanent exhibits inside the Newseum were also part of the exhibits at other museums as well. 

The closing of the Newseum comes at an interesting time in our nation’s political upheaval. The phrase “fake news” seems to be rampant, whether people refer to the national news outlets or local news right in their hometowns. So having a museum dedicated to protecting the First Amendment and future of journalism close its doors seems ironic. 

One impressive piece the Newseum was known for is a four-story marble tablet affixed to the exterior, overlooking the White House and U.S. Capitol. That tablet included the words of the First Amendment for all to see and read. Fitting that it faced the White House and Capitol… almost a daily reminder of why our elected officials are in office, to protect our rights and freedoms. 

The Newseum will surely be missed.