2015 Excursion Day

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The Excursion starts at 9:00 a.m. of Sunday August 2, 2015, from the Peabody Library and will end at about 7:00 p.m. at Baltimore Inner Harbor.

George Peabody Library (9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.): This part of the excursion is free.

17 E Mt Vernon Pl, Baltimore, MD 21202 (close to Washington Monument at North Charles):

The George Peabody Library dates from the founding of the Peabody Institute in 1857. The building, which opened in 1878, was designed by Baltimore architect Edmund G. Lind, in collaboration with the first provost, Dr. Nathaniel H. Morison. Renowned for its striking architectural interior, the Peabody Stack Room contains five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies, which rise dramatically to the skylight 61 feet above the floor. There will be a presentation by Paul Espinosa (Curator, the George Peabody Library, Johns Hopkins University) to discuss different documents, books, and even fun gizmos, like a zoetrope, all part of the collection that will be on hand.

Washington, DC (Bus departs Baltimore at 10:00 a.m. and will be back from DC at 5:30 p.m.)

There will be shuttle buses to carry the excursion participants to Washington, DC. For this part you need to purchase tickets ($30 per seat) during the first day of the conference. The number of busses is limited and tickets will be sold based on first come-first served. The busses arrive to Washington, DC, at 11:30 a.m. Buses depart from Washington, DC at 5:30 p.m. and arrive at the Baltimore Inner Harbor at 7:00 p.m.

Lincoln Memorial: 2 Lincoln Memorial Circle NW, Washington (11:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon)

The Lincoln Memorial is an American national monument built to honor the 16th President of the USA. It is located on the western end of the National Mall in DC. The architect was Henry Bacon; the designer of the primary statue – Abraham Lincoln, 1920 – was Daniel Chester French; the Lincoln statue was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers; and the painter of the interior murals was Jules Guerin.

Smithsonian Museums at the National Mall (12 noon – 5:30 p.m.)

More information on museums and exhibitions can be found here, http://www.si.edu/Museums

Busses drop off at Smithsonian information center (Smithsonian Castle). There is a café inside the building. You also may pick up Guide and Map booklets from the Castle.

We recommend that you start your visits from the S. Dillon Ripley Center (the entrance is from the Ripley Dome), which is adjacent to the Castle. Visitors can go to International Gallery, African Art Gallery, and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. All exhibitions are located in the lower levels of the gallery. Exhibition includes, Divine Comedy of Dante, A taste of luxury in Ancient Iran and many more...

Freer Gallery is located next to the Ripley Center and also is accessible from Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The "Hirshohorn Museum" has several exhibitions currently in place including Shirin Neshat's "Facing History". Art and Space Museum includes 23 galleries exhibiting many aircraft, missiles, and rockets.

The American Indian Museum is the next museum that usually has many exhibitions and performances for all ages. Current program includes, "Nation To Nation" show in the "Lelawi Theater", Fourth floor.

It will be very difficult to visit all the above museums and also have meals and come back in front of the Castel at exactly 5:30 p.m. But if you decide not to visit one or more of the motioned museums you may be able to visit "Natural Museum" and "American History Museum". There is also "National Gallery of Art" that for some exhibitions you may need to pay. All Smithsonian museums are free to visit. Please note almost all museums have cafeteria.

The busses will depart from the Castel at 5:30 p.m. to be in Baltimore Inner Harbor at 7:00 p.m.