Those summers when I was old enough to travel the city by myself but not yet old enough for a summer job, I spent more days than not, exploring every corner of every museum on the Mall, and few off the Mall. Well, those days I could cadge lunch money from my mother, anyway.

That sounds like a wonderful way to learn those museums. We always had to drive from Boston, but the National Museum of Natural History was nonetheless one of the places where I grew up. (So was the American Museum of Natural History. So was Boston's Museum of Science. Sense a theme.)

I'd even consider returning to DC to show Eaglet some Smithsonians, including the National Zoo. (They wouldn't like all of them. But a few targeted places, oh yes.)

I think you should!