Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: Bonnie and Clyde’s car — the one in which they were killed after running from the law for years — is on display, along with background information about two of America’s most famous criminals. The car is riddled with bullet holes from the attack that took the lovers down. Clyde died instantly, but Bonnie wasn’t as lucky; the shooters heard a “long, horrified scream” emanating from the car as they continued to fire.No, not that Cullen: In a room devoted to serial killers, visitors can learn about some of the most horrific murderers ever to strike in the United States. Charles Cullen, the former nurse who became the most prolific serial killer in history, was arrested in 2003. He showed signs of instability in early childhood, attempting suicide at 9 by drinking chemicals from a chemistry set in what was to be the first of 20 tries .Hurrah, hurrah, Pennsylvania: The word “penitentiary” comes from the Pennsylvania Quakers, who held the conviction that salvation could be achieved through penitence and self-reflection. In 1790, the Walnut Street Prison opened in Philadelphia; it was the first U.S. penitentiary and a pioneer in prison reform. Eastern State Penitentiary, now perhaps most famous as the site of one of the best Halloween haunted houses on the East Coast, opened in 1829 and used the “Pennsylvania system” of solitary confinement as a form of rehabilitation, designed to make prisoners feel remorse.Take a bite out of crime: McGruff, the trench-coat-wearing canine who has been baring his teeth at criminal activity since 1980, is all over the museum. Kids can keep an eye out for his questions posted throughout the exhibits about things like safety, taking candy from strangers and cyberbullying. Every now and then, McGruff himself hangs out in front of the museum. Look for him to be greeting visitors, posing for pictures and probably sweating his poor puppy face off.Target practice: An interactive exhibit allows you to sit in the driver’s seat, surrounded by screens for total immersion, as you act the part of a police officer chasing down a runaway suspect. Test your shooting skills with the firearms training system used by FBI agents. The video simulation is footage of a real house (with real people, in case you are squeamish about violence) as you pretend to conduct a raid.
CSI: Washington: The museum knows what you’re thinking about fighting crime: “Yeah, but is it like ‘CSI’?” In an effort to address the common inquiry head-on, the museum offers its most popular exhibit, “The CSI Experience.” You begin as the unsuspecting witness to suspicious behavior, then travel to the crime scene, collect evidence and head to the crime lab. On weekends, the museum runs CSI-themed workshops. Led by forensic scientists, the hands-on activities cover evidence collection, DNA, body decomposition and basic forensics.
Removing the evidence: Visit the Cop Shop to pick up a body-outline towel, a crime scene “do not cross” scarf that resembles yellow tape, and plenty of other crime-fighting and CSI-themed wares.
National Museum of Crime and Punishment
575 Seventh St. NW. 202-393-1099. www.crimemuseum.org . Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.- 7 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. Adults online $18.95, gate $21.95; seniors, U.S. military and U.S. law enforcement online $15.95, gate $16.95; children ages 5-11 $14.95; children younger than 5, free.
From Here
I would actually like to go. I think it could be interesting. A little morbid but interesting.
It would not just be for the serial killers, but to get a peek into not only criminal minds but into the investigative minds.
I’d love to go on the weekend, to take the C.S.I. workshop, though I am sure it is more ‘fun’ than true investigation. Maybe not though, maybe they are reacting to the whole “True Crime TV” issue (the general public / juries wanting & expecting the Smoking Gun moment that is so common on TV) and showing the public the truth. I hope so.
Real Life Monsters 