Construction of the National Museum of American History began in the late 1950's
Mission
The National Museum of American History dedicates its collections and scholarship to inspiring a broader understanding of our nation and its many peoples. We create learning opportunities, stimulate imaginations, and present challenging ideas about our country’s past.
Our Web site offers online exhibitions, behind-the-scenes glimpses into our collections, and an overview of Museum programs and activities. Using the Web site, you can plan your visit to the Museum or go on a virtual tour from your home.
The Museum collects and preserves more than 3 million artifacts. We take care of everything from the original Star-Spangled Banner and Abraham Lincoln’s top hat to Dizzy Gillespie’s angled trumpet and Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. Our collections form a vast and fascinating mosaic of American life.
Our exhibitions explore major themes in American history and culture, from the War of Independence to the present day. The Museum’s latest permanent exhibition, The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, surveys the history of U.S. military conflicts and examines ways in which wars have been defining episodes in American history. America on the Move immerses visitors in the sights, sounds, and sensations of transportation in the United States from 1870 to the present. Other popular exhibitions that have drawn literally tens of millions of visitors to the Museum over many years include The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden, Within These Walls . . ., First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image, and Field to Factory: Afro-American Migration 1915–1940. An array of temporary and traveling exhibitions offer visitors something new on almost every visit.
The Museum hosts a full roster of public programs, from demonstrations, lectures, and tours to storytelling and festivals. Music programs offer performances by chamber music ensembles, a jazz orchestra, gospel choirs, folk and blues artists, Native American singers, dancers, and more. In the Hands On Science Center, visitors can use lasers to see the light, unravel the mysteries of DNA, and tease their minds with intelligence tests, among other activities.
The Museum’s Archives Center houses a remarkable array of American history in documents, photographs, and other works. These include the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, advertising histories of major U.S. corporations, and the Duke Ellington Collection—sheet music, correspondence, and photographs related to the life and career of the great composer and jazz musician.
More than ever before, the National Museum of American History today works to ensure that our collections, exhibitions, research, publications, and educational programs all support the Museum’s basic mission—to inspire a broader understanding of our nation and its many peoples—and to make our exhibitions and programs as accessible as possible to all visitors.
History
The National Museum of American History opened to the public in January 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology. It was the sixth Smithsonian building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Since then, some 4 million visitors pass through the doors each year to enjoy the Museum’s exhibitions, public programs, educational activities, collections, and research facilities. Millions more make virtual visits to the Museum’s Web site.
Nearly 50 years ago, on June 28, 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill authorizing $36 million for the museum. Groundbreaking took place on August 22, 1958. The architects were McKim, Mead, and White (succeeded in 1961 by Steinman, Cain, and White). Mills, Petticord, and Mills were associate and supervising architects and engineers. The Museum’s area is approximately 750,000 square feet, including a basement, three main exhibition levels, two office-collection levels, and a mechanical penthouse on the roof.
The building’s location on the National Mall qualifies it as a National Historic Landmark. Its status as one of the last structures designed by the renowned architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White, along with its location, makes it eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1980, the Museum's name was changed to the National Museum of American History to better represent its basic mission—the collection, care, and study of objects that reflect the experience of the American people. Today, the Museum is engaged in a major renovation to create a brighter and more open environment throughout the building and a dramatic new exhibition gallery for the Star-Spangled Banner.
