The Newseum says farewell

The final days of the Newseum, an interactive museum celebrating the first amendment and the history of journalism, have arrived. Located on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C., the Newseum has occupied the current building since 2008 when it moved from its original location in Arlington, Virginia. The Newseum spent six years and $450 million renovating this location, once occupied by the National Hotel, and now has sold it to John Hopkins University to host certain graduate programs.

The museum features a number of exhibits over six floors, ranging from an interactive newsroom to a Pulitzer Prize photograph gallery. Visitors can walk through displays on the history of American news, 9/11, the Berlin Wall, and (on a less serious note) “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

Even with the acclaim the museum has received for its patriotism and storytelling, revenue consistently fell below expenses since the Newseum moved to the new location. Finally, in January, the Freedom Forum officially announced the selling of the Newseum building after a year of rumors and speculation.

The Newseum is remaining fully operational through to its end. All tickets to the museum are 15 percent off until closing.

Dec. 31 marks the final day to visit the museum before closure. Afterwards, all artifacts will be maintained for circulation through public events, programs and private loans, except for the exterior worldwide newspaper display. The display will continue to be updated daily with the front pages of over 1000 newspapers as a legacy of the acclaimed institution.