Photo Essay: A guided tour of DC’s historic National Academy of Sciences Building with Dorothy Goldsmith

Did you know the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) offers free public tours of its headquarters in Washington, DC? Well, they do. Through Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences, visitors can sign up for a roughly hour-long tour led by trained docents.

I signed up for a tour on Aug 28 because I was curious to meet one of these volunteers and watch them do their work. I wanted to see how they engaged visitors and how visitors engaged back.

Some have argued that volunteers in science and technology centers are unsung heroes. I agree. Their work doesn’t usually make the front page, and it is easy to miss them if you’re not paying attention.

Our docent that day was Dorothy Goldsmith, a former literature teacher who brings a storyteller’s approach to the tour. I followed along the group tour with my camera.

I asked Goldsmith what inspired her to become a volunteer and what keeps her going.

Goldsmith told me, “I became a docent at the NAS headquarters because the role lets me combine my interests in art, architecture, and history with my teaching experience to engage visitors.”

“As a former literature teacher, I enjoy storytelling, and NAS has a remarkable story to share.”

“Established by an Act of Congress and signed into law by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, NAS provides valuable advice to the nation on science and technology. Yet, the public has limited understanding not only of NAS’s contributions to improving people’s lives, but also of how those improvements reflect centuries of scientific research by others,” said Goldsmith.

“As we tour the building, I’m able to highlight for visitors how scientists and artists are engaged in similar activities to explore, interpret, and understand the world.”

Access the CSML Images database to view all the photos from the tour.