You May Not Have Heard of Washington, D.C.'s Smaller Museums, but They're Riveting-and Free!

For a city that makes history daily, it should come as no surprise that the nation's capital is a major repository of important historical artifacts. Among the truly inspiring is the American flag the Marines raised over the Pacific island of Iwo Jima in World War II. In the sadly odd category, I'd put the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln. For fun, it's the hefty joke file of Bob Hope.

Where do curious-minded folks find these objects? Not, as you might think, in the major galleries of the Smithsonian Institution. Anyone contemplating a visit to Washington, D.C., presumably knows about the Smithsonian's great museums on the National Mall, all of which are free to the public. But many people-residents and visitors alike-remain unaware of the city's smaller specialty museums hidden in the Smithsonian's shadow. Their varied art, history, and literary collections rival the Smithsonian's. ...