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Old Apr 9, 2015 | 2:46 pm
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nrr
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security checks to enter museums

I was in DC yesterday and noted:
(1)Holocaust museum: nearly as "severe" as airports...long lines if you arrive at the wrong time
(2)Freer Gallery
(3)Hirshhorn
(4)Fine Arts
For these last 3 they poke around in your bag if you have one--they are just making it look "good".
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Old Apr 10, 2015 | 8:08 am
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The Holocaust Museum and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving are probably the most security-conscious of the museum. The Smithsonians are a lot more lackadaisical, with the exception of the National Gallery of Art, who are very strict about having water in the galleries. The National Geographic Museum is similarly strict about what you can and can't bring in.
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Old Apr 10, 2015 | 9:58 am
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Unfortunate fact of life. No different at similar places around the world.
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Old Apr 10, 2015 | 11:12 am
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National Gallery isn't part of Smithsonian, so it has a separate security force.

Smithsonian security screening is for show.
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Old Apr 11, 2015 | 9:02 am
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A security guard was shot and killed by a white supremacist at the Holocaust museum five years ago.

The galleries are probably more relaxed, ditto American History/Natural History/NMAI. Air and Space I believe has metal detectors.
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Old Apr 12, 2015 | 4:16 pm
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Originally Posted by Anna Phor
A security guard was shot and killed by a white supremacist at the Holocaust museum five years ago.

The galleries are probably more relaxed, ditto American History/Natural History/NMAI. Air and Space I believe has metal detectors.
I would have guessed, since they had long lines.
In my post #1, none of the "art" museums had metal detectors, so potentially one could bring a weapon in, as long as it wasn't in your bag.
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Old Apr 13, 2015 | 10:43 am
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Originally Posted by Anna Phor
The galleries are probably more relaxed, ditto American History/Natural History/NMAI. Air and Space I believe has metal detectors.
The National Gallery of Art does a "bag check". The Air & Space Museum downtown, American History, and Natural History museums all use metal detectors. The Air & Space Museum (Udvar-Hazy) at Dulles Airport just does a bag check.
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Old Apr 23, 2015 | 12:46 pm
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Art museums do bag checks to protect the collections. Backpacks are sometimes carelessly slung around, which can strike sculptures or paintings, and things like drinks, knives, etc. have to be kept away from the art.

Portrait Gallery/American Art has one of the better policies; they encourage locker use, but otherwise it's fine as long as it goes on your front rather than back.
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Old Apr 28, 2015 | 4:24 am
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Originally Posted by Often1
Unfortunate fact of life. No different at similar places around the world.
I've never been to a museum in Europe where there are metal detectors. The Science Museum just waved me through last time.
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Old Jul 25, 2019 | 5:41 am
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I believe that in museums there should always be a reliable security system! I recently visited a very cool anthropology museum, you can read an article about it by clicking here, I think if you like museums, then this museum will definitely interest you.

Last edited by toddlakes; Jul 26, 2019 at 4:26 am
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Old Jul 25, 2019 | 5:48 am
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In France, museum security checks seem to be required by French law, but water is no problem. There are also security checks to enter certain gardens.
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Old Jul 25, 2019 | 5:54 am
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Originally Posted by nrr
I was in DC yesterday and noted:
(1)Holocaust museum: nearly as "severe" as airports...long lines if you arrive at the wrong time
(2)Freer Gallery
(3)Hirshhorn
(4)Fine Arts
For these last 3 they poke around in your bag if you have one--they are just making it look "good".
Ditto for music festivalls and major public buildings. Not sure why you are surprised:
- open carry?
- terrorist attacks on mosques, synagogues, etc.
- track record of secuirity failures since 9/11.
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Old Jul 31, 2019 | 10:57 am
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As someone noted, there's a good reason the Holocaust Museum has a bag check, and with white supremacist attacks on the rise, I don't see that changing.

Newseum has a metal detector, but I've never seen much of a line for it.
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