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· If hunger pangs strike midway through your visit, make a mental note of where you left off and head for the elevators at either end of the building (there are two on each floor). Take them to the Concourse. After eating, finding your way back to where you left off is easy using the same elevators.

How appropriate are the exhibits for kids?

Good question.

As the orientation film "What's News?" points out, news reporting involves matters of life and death, love and hate. Consequently, strong images scattered throughout the museum could upset young or sensitive visitors, particularly in the galleries devoted to the 9/11 attacks (Level 4) and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs (Level 1). Parents should check them out before bringing smaller children through. Newseum staff members have been trained to alert families to the presence of potentially disturbing imagery.

I've heard the Newseum has stunning views of downtown Washington. Where's the best place to take a picture?

You heard right.

When you get off the elevator on the sixth floor, grab your camera and head straight for the Hank Greenspun Terrace. Overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue, the outdoor balcony boasts panoramic views of the Mall from the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court in the east to the Washington Monument in the west.

Insider Tip:

· If it's crowded, try the Capitol Terrace (Level 2) instead. Less jaw-dropping but still impressive.

Crowds make me nervous. What other likely bottlenecks should I avoid?

There are at least two potential logjams, both in the News Corp. News History Gallery on Level 5. The "News From a Different Angle" exhibit, which focuses on such fake news phenomena as "Weekend Update" from "Saturday Night Live" and Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," has proved to be a traffic stopper with preview tours.

Another surefire people magnet? The 1964 National Enquirer cover featuring a black-and-white autopsy photo of Lee Harvey Oswald's corpse. Gruesome, yes, but fascinating. When on view at the old Newseum, it was the single most viewed item in the museum's collection of historic newspapers. You'll find it (or avoid it) in the pull-out drawers that run down the center of the gallery.

Will I recognize anything else from the old place?

Sure, lots. Remember that bullet-riddled pickup door at the old Newseum, for instance? The artifact, from the armor-reinforced truck used by Time magazine staffers during the 1990s strife in the former Yugoslavia, is on view, except this time there's room to show the whole truck. Look for the "Dateline: Danger" display on Level 3.

Insider Tip:

· Speaking of cars, another powerful reminder of the risks faced by journalists is the bombed-out car belonging to Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles (Level 4). Bolles, who was working on a story tip about Arizona mobsters, died from injuries sustained in a 1976 attack in Phoenix. Galvanized by his death, other journos took up his investigation of organized crime. Forget James Bond's Aston Martin at the International Spy Museum. This is the real -- and real grisly -- deal.

Sounds heavy. What's the goofiest thing on display?

You mean like the pair of spangled blue slippers donated by former Wonkette blogger Ana Marie Cox (News Corp. News History Gallery, Level 5)? Worn while writing from her home office, they're destined to become the Newseum's campy answer to Dorothy's ruby slippers, part of the Smithsonian's collection.

Funky artifacts are all well and good, but I'm more interested in the whole meta-concept underlying the Newseum. You know, gathering information about information gathering. Where do wonks like me go?

Make a beeline for the third floor, and hang out there. That's where you'll find a gallery devoted to the way the Internet, TV and radio have changed, and continue to change, the way we get news. On the same floor, the Time Warner World News Gallery helps remind viewers that, in an age of globalization, all news is not local.

Can I go inside the big TV studio?

Yes. When you arrive at the Newseum, check out the day's schedule for the Knight Studio on Level 3. Guided tours, interactive games such as "News Mania" and public affairs shows where you can be an audience member are available throughout the day.

Okay, I'm done. Where do I pick up my T-shirt?

Located on the first and second floors off the Great Hall, the museum shops are positioned to grab your eye (and wallet) coming and going. Toys and games are on the ground floor, next to a second shopping area featuring mainly books, DVDs and replicas of historic front pages. On Level 2, you'll find your novelty T-shirts ("Trust me. I'm a reporter.") and Newseum logo-wear, next to a more upscale mini-shop offering news-themed jewelry, ceramics and clothing. ·