OK, so the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is technically in D.C. Actually, it’s entirely in D.C. However, it’s so close to Prince George’s County that the drive from Maryland is negligible, and trust me when I say that this is one of the most unique and enjoyable museum day trips you will ever take. Bonsai is an art that operates at a beautiful intersection of nature, history, and sculpture. These trees are living poetry the whole family can appreciate!
The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum began in 1976 when the Nippon Bonsai Club of Japan donated 53 trees as a gift commemorating America’s bicentennial. The museum was constructed on the grounds of the National Arboretum and is an absolutely delightful slice of culture.
Bonsai trees are kept in their dwarfed state by a meticulous process of pruning, wiring, and root reduction, amongst other methods. The result is a miniature tree that is somehow simultaneously wild and cultivated.
A walk through the grounds of the museum will bring you on a full journey through the bonsai art form, from its origins in China and Japan to its North American incarnations. It’s also full of visually stunning arrangements that could have easily leapt off of a film reel.
Some of the arrangements are designed to reflect, in miniature, larger landscapes, like mountains stalwart above the clouds or islands rising from the ocean foam. The interpretations are left up to the observer, and resultantly are innumerable.
The crown jewel of the collection is the Yamaki Pine. This tree is over 400 years old and was cultivated in Hiroshima, Japan. It was one of the original 53 trees presented by Japan to America in 1976.
The Yamaki Pine witnessed almost the entirety of the 200-year Tokugawa shogunate, the Restoration of Emperor Meiji in 1868, and survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, all to end up standing here in our own backyard. It’s a truly awe-inspiring sight.
The National Arboretum grounds are full of beautiful places within walking distance of the Bonsai & Penjing Museum for the whole family to explore - perfect for a sunny weekend outing!
And, like these seven museums in Maryland, admission to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is free! These little trees love basking in your shade for a change, so be sure to check it out.
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