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NEWS |
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Inventing
America: Museum Commemorates Benjamin Franklin’s 300th
Birthday
Scientist, inventor, writer, printer,
musician and civic leader are just a few of the professions
Benjamin Franklin undertook during his celebrated life and
career. In commemoration of his 300th birthday, the Museum
presents a small display on Franklin the statesman in
Benjamin Franklin: A Revolutionary Role, open Jan. 13
through April 17, 2006. On January 21, a special birthday
celebration for Franklin featuring "Franklin" himself,
children's author Cheryl Harness, birthday cake, and more will
be hosted at the Museum.
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Museum
Sets Up Hurricane Katrina Collection
The Museum is
working to build a focused collection of objects and
photographs that reflects specific aspects of the hurricane’s
impact along the Gulf Coast, the rescue of survivors, and the
recovery of local communities. In addition to the more than 20
objects collected and more than 900 photographs taken by
Museum staff during the week of Sept. 26-30, the Museum is
still seeking objects, photographs, and documents. The public
is invited to contribute objects and stories to the
collection.
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EVENTS |
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Walking
Montgomery: The 50th Anniversary of the Montgomery Bus
Boycott
The Museum’s annual celebration of the
birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. focuses on a public
interview of legendary Montgomery activists and music from the
Civil Rights Movement, moderated by NPR senior correspondent
Juan Williams. The program features a dramatization by actor
Xavier Carnegie of the speech delivered by Dr. King on the eve
of the boycott, and visitors will be invited to sing along to
the stirring music from the Movement.
Saturday, January 14,
1:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
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Celebrate
Mozart's 250th Birthday
Enjoy the magnificent
sounds of period music played on original instruments! This
month’s concerts by the Castle Trio (January 8, Hall of
Musical Instruments) and the Axelrod String Quartet (January
21 and 22, in the Grand Salon, Renwick Gallery) feature music
by Brahms, Mozart, and Clara Schumann. Visit the Resident
Associates Web site or call 202-357-3030 for
tickets.
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Polio
Society Talk
Members of the local Polio Society
work daily to provide support and information to people who
have had polio and may now be facing post-polio syndrome. In
conjunction with the Whatever
Happened to Polio? exhibition, this ongoing series
invites visitors to meet and hear stories from members of the
Polio Society.
Saturday, January 21, 1:00 p.m.3:00
p.m.
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 See all events and programs
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EXHIBITIONS |
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Lance
Armstrong's Tour de France Bicycle on Display
Lance
Armstrong is the only man to win the Tour de France seven
consecutive times. He has been an advocate of cancer education
and research since his testicular cancer diagnosis in 1996.
The Museum presents Armstrong's story in a display in
American Popular Culture that features a Trek 5500
bicycle he rode in the 2000 Tour de France.
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Exhibition
Explores Patriotic Imagery at Washington Antiques
Show
The Symbols of a New Nation exhibition
presents the various ways Americans have incorporated
patriotic symbols into both distinctive and everyday objects.
The exhibition will be on view at the 51st Washington Antiques
Show, Jan. 4-8, 2006, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
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Within
These Walls...
At the center of this permanent
gallery is a partially reconstructed house that stood for 200
years at 16 Elm Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts, about 30
miles north of Boston. The house and the exhibition that
surrounds it tell the stories of five families who lived there
over the years and made history in their kitchens and parlors
through everyday choices and personal acts of courage and
sacrifice. Visit the exhibition
or try the "Go
Back in Time!" Web activity at home.
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See all exhibitions
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ON THE WEB |
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New Web site:
Legendary Coins & Currency
History, at times,
gives some coins or notes special significance, and this money
becomes legendary. Unlike money that changes hands daily,
legendary coins and currency are larger than life. The
companion Web site to the Legendary Coins &
Currency exhibition, currently on view at the Smithsonian
Castle, provides information about each of the objects in
the show, allowing you to zoom in to see intricate details. A
timeline, an educational game, and an extended collection
search are also available.
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Public Invited to
Contribute to Online Hurricane Digital Memory
Bank
In a special partnership, the Museum is
collaborating with George Mason University and several Gulf
Coast museums and organizations on an online Hurricane
Digital Memory Bank, with initial funding by the Sloan
Foundation. Please take a few minutes to tell us how you were
affected by the Katrina, Rita, or Wilma hurricanes, or browse
through the stories and images contributed by
others.
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Featured
Object: Vaughn’s Parade Float Kit
In the 1950s,
Leroy F. Vaughn’s kits let anyone--in the largest city or the
smallest town--master the techniques of custom float
construction. The customer chose a float from a catalog of
designs arranged by theme and occasion, and then by return
mail they received a blueprint for construction, along with a
supply of vinyl floral sheeting and trims to build the float
with. Read why this object, in the Museum's collections, is
special to curator Larry Bird.
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FOR
EDUCATORS |
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Building
a Sod House
In this online activity, your students
will become homesteaders headed out to "stake their claim" on
the great American prairie. They'll learn about the trials
faced by homesteaders as they build a sod house! Check out the
rest of the "OurStory in History" Web site to find related
children's books and activities for use in your
classroom.
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Educators page
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FOR KIDS & FAMILIES |
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Hunt
for History
Beat the winter blahs--now is a great
time to visit the Museum! Get out of the cold, avoid the
crowds, and see some spectacular stuff. You can download and
print out our Hunt for History ahead of time, which will give
you clues to finding some of the Museum's neatest
objects.
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Benjamin
Franklin's 300th Birthday Celebration
Celebrate Ben
Franklin's birthday! From 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., "Benjamin
Franklin" will greet Museum visitors and share stories of his
work as a printer, scientist, inventor, politician, and
diplomat. At 1:30 p.m., he will be presented with birthday
cake, which will be shared with visitors. At 1 p.m. and 3
p.m., meet children's author Cheryl Harness as she reads from
her new biography, The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin.
Visit the Hands
On Science Center to try your hand at science and learn
more about Franklin's experiments with
electricity.
Saturday, January 21, 11:30 a.m.-4:00
p.m.
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Kids page
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SHOPPING AND DINING |
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When you are at the Museum, visit
one (or all!) of our six stores. They are stocked with a
variety of specialty and souvenir items. Or shop on-line at SmithsonianStore.com.
And the full service Main Street Café, Palm Court Gelato and
Coffee Bar, and Subway Restaurants guarantee that there is
something for every hungry person who visits the
Museum.
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Copyright ©
National Museum of American History. All Rights
Reserved.
14th Street and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington
DC 20560
Brent D. Glass, director
Map
& Directions
Admission to the National Museum of
American History is FREE.
CONTACT US
General
Smithsonian Visitor Information: 202-633-1000
or see our Contact
List
Frequently
Asked Questions
Media inquiries: 202-633-3129 or
visit our Press
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