D.C. is about to welcome another museum: The National Law Enforcement Museum will open in Judiciary Square this Saturday to teach visitors about the history of law enforcement in America.
The centerpiece of the museum is the helicopter used in 1982 to rescue five plane crash survivors from the icy Potomac River after their plane crashed into the 14th Street Bridge shortly after taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The underground museum also houses notable artifacts from the history of crime in America, such as Chicago gangster Al Capone's pearl-handled pistol. It's kept near the credentials of the Prohibition-era agent who helped bring him down, Eliot Ness.
The museum also holds evidence from D.C.-area crimes, including the rifle that Lee Boyd Malvo used during the Beltway sniper attacks, a series of shootings that terrorized Maryland, Virginia and the District in October 2002. Visitors can even walk inside a prison cell from the Lorton prison in Virginia.
Executive Director Dave Brant hopes that the museum acts as a platform for dialogue what can law enforcement that strengthens ties between officers and the community.
Across the street from the museum is a memorial that honors officers who have given their lives to protect the community.
The museum is located at 444 E St. NW in the Motorola Solutions Foundation Building located in Judiciary Square. Timed-entry tickets are required for admission.
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CORRECTION (Oct. 15, 2018, 12:52 p.m.): The address of the museum has been updated from an earlier version.
