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Before I came, I had heard much about this brand new museum from friends, who raved about its architectural beauty (it was designed by New York architect James Polshek) and complained about the price ($20). I was not prepared, however, for the huge emotional impact it would have on me. One of the first exhibits is dedicated to 9/11, with a big, mangled piece of the antenna from the top of the Twin Towers presented like sculpture. In a short and tremendously moving documentary, several journalists, photographers and television reporters who covered the event talk about their experiences—the surreality, the chaos, the grief. Also simple and stunning are displays like the armored pick-up truck, its sides riddled with bullet holes, that a Time magazine photographer drove while on assignment in the former Yugoslavia; a large section of the Berlin Wall (the biggest outside Germany); and a huge map of the world that has been color coded: green (free), yellow (partly free) and red (not free). (Yes, the amount of red is frightening.) And no matter how many times you’ve seen the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs displayed on the first floor (they span decades), you will be amazed at how powerful and shocking they are and how hard it is to get them out of your mind, especially when you read the back story of each. Kids will enjoy the interactive exhibits on the second floor, including an opportunity to practice being a reporter, using a real microphone, TelePrompter and video camera. One thing is for sure: when you leave here, you will be in the mood to go celebrate the Bill of Rights at the National Archives, a few blocks away. Open 9-5 daily; it’s easiest to buy a ticket online before you go.