AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Next Stop on the Thanksgiving Tour: Julia Child’s Kitchen

The beloved destination has re-opened with new goodies for food lovers

November 21, 2012

A glimpse into the famous kitchen, where the solid maple counters were made two inches taller than was standard to accommodate the 6-foot-3 Julia Child. Courtesy of the American History Museum

As part of the American History Museum’s new exhibit, “FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000,” Julia Child’s cherished kitchen has also received some curatorial love. What better time to pay tribute to one of the most famous TV chefs and cookbook authors than the holiday season?

From her Cambridge, Massachusetts, home, the kitchen was donated to the museum in 2001 and has continued to be one of its most popular attractions. In addition to serving as her personal kitchen, it was also where Child filmed three of her shows in the 1990s. Nothing inside the room has been altered, of course, down to the cookbooks on the shelves and the steel pole attached to the ceiling for the television lights. But new items, including her Emmy and nomination letter as well as her French Legion of Honor medal, elevate the star’s presence in the museum.

Peruse her copper pot and pan collection and Emmy award paraphernalia before hearing from the legend herself. Visitors can watch clips from her cooking shows in the new “Beyond the French Chef” section, as well as interviews with famous chefs about the influence Child had on the country and on their careers.

You might even get some ideas for your holiday wish list, like a blowtorch for your kitchen–”Every woman needs a blowtorch,” according to Child.

For visitor tips for each museum, check here for more information.

And for visitors heading into town for the holidays, don’t forget to download our Visitors Guide and Tours app. We’ve packed it with specialty tours, must-see exhibitions, museum floor plans and custom postcards. Get it on Google Play and in the Apple Store for just 99 cents.

More from our Thanksgiving must-sees:

Going West: The American History Museum’s Conestoga Wagon

Another Smash Hit: Rovaldi’s “Opening Day”