It’s difficult not to feature the Smithsonian Institution yet again in our list of amazing museums for students, because they have so many facilities to choose from.  This one is a must-see attraction for Washington D.C. student tours.

This museum showcases an innate human desire – that of flight and discovery even as it extends to the far reaches of space.  The museum celebrates that desire by displaying and discussing the accomplishments we’ve made so far – from the Spirit of St. Louis (pictured here by Brian Finifter on Flickr) to the plane created by the Wright brothers and every innovative step beyond.

This museum captures beautifully the American spirit to explore and to invent even in the face of near impossibility and various difficulties along the way.  It is filled with air and space artifacts – a greater collection of them than any other in the world.  Students will love to see the Apollo 11 command module, actual moon rocks, and an entire exhibit devoted to the jet age.  Students today may not even realize the profound change on international travel and commerce since the invention of the jet engine.  Imagine what their own minds can create to change the future to that same degree.  The inspiration they’ll receive from this amazing museum is a brilliant place to start. 

Everyone loves a great success story – like that of the human invention of flight – and everyone appreciates the mysterious – like the limitless boundaries of space.  The Air and Space Museum celebrates them both, educating and inspiring as they go, and will therefore thrill each and every visitor who steps aboard.

Are you ready for the first attraction in our list of fascinating museums perfect for student tours?  This is the Field Museum, and it is part of a museum complex in Chicago’s Grant Park that includes two other world-class museums.  You may remember Grant Park as the setting for President Obama’s historic election night victory speech.  It is considered Chicago’s front yard, and together with that history and three amazing museums, it is an excellent choice for Chicago student tours.

The Field Museum was named for one of its benefactors.  You can see from this photo (by DanJBailey on Flickr) that the building itself is somewhat breathtaking, and that is just the reaction students get from some of the amazing exhibits inside.  Right now until October of this year, student will love the exhibit into the fascinating world of pirates.  The museum is also famous for Sue, the most complete, most famous fossilized T-rex in the world.  Other once-living legends at the Field Museum include Bushman, a gorilla who lived in Lincoln Park Zoo – one of the oldest zoos in the nation – and the infamous Tsavo lions that once terrorized East Africa (brought to film in The Ghost and the Darkness with Val Kilmer).

Further permanent exhibits include Bird Habitats, Animals of Africa, and Animal Biology.  Plus, the museum offers amazing temporary exhibits throughout the year.  You can check out their website to learn exactly what they’ll be offering when you’re in town.  The Field Museum makes every exhibit a beautiful way for a student to experience scientific discovery.  I guarantee they’ll be fascinated, but you may even find they’ve been inspired – in which case the future just gained another valuable scientist or two.  Do not miss that opportunity – nor the chance to visit this powerful museum and complete  world-class museum complex.