Hidden Treasures

es, there are feeding frenzies in government. Really vicious ones. Just show up at 2 p.m. on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday at the Commerce Department, and you can watch wide-eyed as a bunch of hammerhead and lemon sharks dive ravenously after and gulp up processed squid appetizers. Although it's not a sight for the faint of heart, it is one enjoyed by thousands of tourists who probably never suspected the federal government could be so educational and entertaining.

In fact, the Commerce Department's privately run National Aquarium exemplifies one of the federal government's least noted functions-educating the public about agency missions and activities. In the Washington area, tours and museums provide the public a mostly upbeat story about the work of government employees. It's a sort of low-key selling of the feds. And unlike the capital city's packed and sometimes expensive tourist attractions, agency exhibits are often uncrowded and mostly free of charge (an exception is the National Aquarium, which is run by the nonprofit National Aquarium Society). Some of the museums and tours even deal with government secrets and may themselves be Washington's best-kept secret.

As a service to Government Executive readers who may have business in the nation's capital, we sampled some of the exhibits.