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Review: National World War II Museum with Kids

Planes flying over Germany at the National World War II Museum

Should you go to the National World War II Museum with kids ?

New Orleans isn’t a city you generally think of when you think of World War II. But the city is home to the country’s official WWII museum. Why? Because the Higgins boats were made here. These boats were credited with winning the war (according to President Eisenhower), because without the boats that could land over ocean beaches, they’d have to rethink the entire war strategy. In September 1943, more than 92% of the U.S. Navy boats (12,964 of 14,072) were designed by Higgins Industries, and 8,865 were built in New Orleans. By the end of the war, about 20,000 boats were built in New Orleans at 7 Higgins plants.

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Review: Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center

How many of you are seeing Taylor Swift in concert? Based on the Facebook posts I’m seeing, that would be MANY of you! For Swifties fans, consider a trip to the Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center, sadly not the same location as the concerts, or they’d be swamped before the show. They have a temporary Taylor Swift exhibit through the summer, though there’s more to see here than just Taylor. Here’s our review: Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center.

The Grammy Museum Experience opened in Newark in October 2017. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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Review: The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson

We visit Arizona every year, and the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson has been on my list to see for the last few. I finally made it a priority, and am glad I did.

This historic dollhouse opens its front automatically to reveal the rooms and dolls inside at the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

The fun start when you walk in. There’s a miniature door on the side, a regular size door within the large door (and a massive handle too). We got a kick out of that. Continue reading “Review: The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson”

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Review: Museum of African American History and Culture with Kids

Should you go to the Museum of African American History and Culture with kids?

My friends who live in DC were jealous. I got tickets to the Museum of African American History and Culture which has been open since September, 2016. “How did you get tickets?” they asked. None of them had been yet. Tickets, which are free but are timed and reserved in advance, are in high demand. (More on how to get them at the bottom). They all wanted to know what it was like.

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Museum of the Bible in Washington DC: What You Need to Know

Our first blog post, Museum of the Bible with Kids, covers what you’ll find in Washington DC’s newest museum – with a focus on kids  This post covers the rest: the restaurants, the tickets, the location, the controversy.

First let me comment on the logo. I’m a sucker for a good logo, and I think the Museum of the Bible has a good one. It looks like a B turned on its side, or the two tablets holding the 10 commandments. Clever!

The controversy over the Museum of the Bible

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Review: Museum of the Bible with Kids

Should you go to the Museum of the Bible with kids?

When I told my cab driver to take me to the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC, he turned around and said, “what?” He’d not heard of it. The museum had only been open 10 days. “Has it been advertised?” he asked. I’d read about it several times in the Washington Post, but not being from DC, I didn’t know what they were doing locally to spread the gospel of its opening. “I’m not a believer,” he said. I told him it didn’t matter whether he believed or not – it could still be an interesting museum.

The Museum of the Bible. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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Gulliver’s Gate: Holiday Figures

We posted about visiting Gulliver’s Gate with kids during previews, when the features weren’t fully functional. My teen son saw my photos and really really wanted to go himself, so we made a visit in early November. Gulliver’s Gate holiday figures were on display, though they were just wrapping up its Halloween theme, where they put more than 40 Halloween characters in the regular scenes.

 

One of two Ghostbusters scenes at Gulliver’s Gate. Copyright Deborah Abrams KaplanJust a brief intro: Gulliver’s Gate is a miniature world in Times Square, with more than 50 scenes in around eight separate rooms or sections. Continue reading “Gulliver’s Gate: Holiday Figures”

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Review: Gulliver’s Gate With Kids

The new Gulliver’s Gate opened in May, in Times Square. This permanent exhibit is a miniature world with more than 100,000 tiny people. It’s also interactive, with technology features that will make your jaw drop. I spent a good two hours in there and didn’t want to leave. Should you go to Gulliver’s Gate with kids? Here’s what you’ll see.

Adding some trees in Asia. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

I viewed it during previews, a few days before the official opening. At that time, not all the technology features were fully functional, but most were and I was thoroughly impressed and want to return. My son saw the photos and is begging me to go. Continue reading “Review: Gulliver’s Gate With Kids”