For a birthday treat I took Elizabeth (my wife) downtown to the National Building Museum for a few hours to take a look see. There are some nice things there-a few interesting exhibits including a cool exhibit of giant buildings made entirely of Legos. (great for kids). However, the real item of interest is the actual building itself. The Museum is now housed in what used to be called the Pension Office. Designed and built after the civil war by the amazing Montgomery Meigs this brick building is one of the finest in Washington DC. And, it nearly got demolished before wiser heads stepped in and saved it. On a winter's day you can go down and have a great visit without having to experience any sort of crowds or the overwhelming security one might find at the more mainstream DC attractions.
Go see it. It is time well spent.
