Of the places I was planning to visit in Washington, the one I was most looking forward to was the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, which had its grand opening last month.

I left the museum with a few thoughts. First, the historical exhibits were excellent. The interactive descriptions of artifacts they had on display were interesting, comprehensive and fun to use. The architecture of the building (both inside and out) made it a unique and interesting addition to the National Mall. However, there were a couple of aspects about the museum that left me a little disappointed.

First it was a little smaller than I expected. It seemed to be about half the size of the other Smithsonian museums on the mall. Secondly I expected a bigger emphasis on the historical aspect of the American Indian. About half of the museum focuses on contemporary lives and modern art of the Indian peoples. In my mind, it seemed to be more of a cultural center than a museum. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it wasn’t what I expected.