National Museum of American History

Washington, DC: The National Museum of American History houses some of the artifacts that helped shape the American way of life. From the original Star Spangled Banner to the Ruby Red Slippers from the Wizard of Oz, the museum covers our country’s history and culture from its inception to present day.

In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized $36 million dollars for the Museum of History and Technology. Construction of the 750,000 square foot museum began on August 22, 1958.

The museum opened to the public in 1964. It contained three floors of exhibition space that showcased our nation’s history from the Revolutionary War to present day. In 1980, the name was changed to the National Museum of American History as the exhibits focused solely on the experiences of the American people.

Today the museum houses the following permanent exhibits:

• Invention at Play; interactive activities.
• Julia Child’s Kitchen
• Science in American Life; Ira Remsen laboratory, Gilbert chemistry set, backyard bomb shelter and more.
• Spark Lab
• Landmark Objects; Red Cross Ambulance, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, George Washington Sculpture, Greensboro Lunch Counter, John Bull Locomotive and Vassar telescope.
• Archives Center
• Dibner Library
• Stories on Money; colonial shilling, 1849 gold coin, clam money and more.
• Lighting a Revolution-Electricity Hall; Thomas Edison demonstration bulb, early electrical appliances and more.
• Power Machinery; steam engines, steam turbines, internal combustion engines and more.
• America on the Move; Chicago “L” train, Southern Railway locomotive, Route 66 and more.
• On the Water: Stories from Maritime America; sailing ships, steamboats, fishing craft and more.
• Within these Walls; Georgian frame house, anti-slave almanac, World War 2 era cookbooks and more.
• Communities in a Changing Nation: The Promise of 19th Century America; union trading cards, South Carolina slave tags, model of cotton gin and more.
• First Ladies at the Smithsonian; inaugural day gowns for first ladies.
• Star Spangled Banner
• Documents Gallery
• National Treasures of Popular Culture; Dorothy’s ruby slippers from Wizard of Oz, Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis boxing gloves, Kermit the Frog and more.
• Musical Instruments; Servais Cello, Axelrod Quartet of Decorated Instruments and more.
• Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life; office suite used during presidency, top hat worn to Ford’s Theatre on night of assassination and more.
• American Presidency: A Glorious Burden; professional and personal artifacts from past presidents.
• Gunboat Philadelphia
• Price of Freedom; George Washington sword, Willys WWII jeep, Vietnam Huey, General Colin Powell uniform from Desert Storm and more.

The museum houses over three million artifacts so addition to the permanent exhibits, the museum also houses rotating exhibits and online only exhibits throughout the year. There is also a cafeteria and museum store.

For more photos, visit my Museum of American History photo page.

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