Museums In the 21st Century

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A museum is “a building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited.” (dictionary.com). This is the literal definition of a museum as well as my view of them coming into my first semester of college. I believed they were boring, outdated places where historical items were displayed. As I moved through the semester, my professor helped me gain a new perspective of these remarkable museums; one of respect and astonishment. Museums are meant to aid in learning and safeguarding of things that should never be forgotten. Of the many great places I visited this semester that adjusted my feelings towards museums, the ones that had the greatest impact were The National Museum of Natural History, The Newseum, The National Gallery of Art, and The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. These places are there to remind the general public about things that should never be forgotten; they preserve the history and beauty of the world.
One of my first museums I visited in Washington, D.C. was The National Museum of Natural History. I arrived with no expectations besides the thought of how am I going to spend 3 hours here? While walking through the doors I was astonished to see the enormous elephant standing there as if it was guarding the museum entrance. I continued through the exhibits looking at the amazing skeletons of the extinct creatures that once roamed this earth, possibly in the spot I was standing in. As I went further into the museum, I arrived at the Butterfly Pavilion. It was a room that you can go into to observe real, live, enormous butterflies. The exhibits there made my mind run wild like never before. In my mind the purpose of The National Museum of Natural His...

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...ad. They change opinions and perspectives and cause people to think in ways they normally would not just because of the sheer power of the exhibits around them. They are a necessity in society because it betters and cultures the population, making the world greater as a whole. I am thankful that museums are taking the initiative to becoming more modernized, adding twenty first century touches to the exhibits as well as creating virtual tours. Even though they do not compare to being there in person, it is a step in the right direction. We need museums more than most know, anything they can do to ensure they do not become a thing of the past, they should. I am glad I got to experience this class this semester, it changed my warped views on museums and caused me to appreciate them more. I am thankful to have learned more about myself through these remarkable museums.

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