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NEWS |
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Summer
Hours
Beginning Friday, May 26, the Museum will be
open for an extra hour: 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
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Museum
Plans Major Renovation
The 42-year-old Museum will
undergo a major architectural transformation this fall, which
will include constructing a state-of-the-art gallery for the
Star-Spangled Banner. As a result, the Museum will close on
Sept. 5, 2006, and will reopen in Summer 2008.
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Muppets
and Mechanisms: Jim Henson's Legacy
In
commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of Jim
Henson's Muppets, the Museum presents special displays
featuring Henson's groundbreaking work in puppetry and
animatronics. With the original Kermit the Frog on view, the
presentations open on May 19.
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EVENTS |
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Head
to Toe: Vietnamese Americans in the Museum
Collections
In commemoration of Asian Pacific
American Heritage Month, Franklin Odo, curator in the Museum's
Work and Industry Division, discusses 30 years of Vietnamese
American history. Objects to be presented include clothing
worn by a refugee when she left her country after the fall of
Saigon and the nail salon uniform she wore in the United
States, and a pair of high-fashion shoes from Taryn Rose, a
company founded by a Vietnamese American designer. May 17,
noon, Reception Suite.
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Central
American Traditions Festival
Experience some of the
rich cultural traditions of Central America! Enjoy a
traditional Guatemalan marimba music performance and listen to
storytelling and music from El Salvador, presented by artist
Lilo Gonzalez. Watch a demonstration on making pupusas and
tamales, and paint a community mural with artist Karla Roda.
Participate in a conversation about immigration and identity
between Salvadoran writers Mario Bencastro (who will also be
signing books) and Ana Patricia Rodriguez. The Main Street
Café features Mesoamerican foods. Sunday, May 21, 12-4 p.m.,
1st floor center.
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Garden
Tours by Smithsonian Horticultural Staff
The
Heirloom Garden contains trees, shrubs, perennials, and herbs
grown in American gardens for generations. Two newly planted
American chestnuts are part of the tour. Tuesdays (April
11-August 29), 11 a.m. Meet at the Mall entrance. The Victory
Garden showcases plants grown in home gardens during World War
II to ensure adequate food supplies for civilians and troops.
Thursdays (April 13-August 31), 11 a.m. Meet at the Main
Street Café, lower level.
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 See all events and programs
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EXHIBITIONS |
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Say Have You Seen? Visit the Museum before September 5,
2006
To prepare for renovation, the Museum will
begin closing some of its exhibition galleries this spring and
summer, and the full Museum will close to the public as of
September 5, 2006. See the schedule
of exhibitions that will remain open through Labor Day as
well as those slated to close in the coming months.
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¡Azúcar!
The Life and Music of Celia Cruz: Closing May
29
Celia Cruz, the Queen of Latin Music, combined a
powerful voice with a larger-than-life personality. This
exhibition highlights important moments in Cruz's life and
career as one of the few women to succeed in the male
dominated world of salsa music.
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The
Price of Freedom: Americans at War
This exhibition
surveys the history of America's military, exploring ways in
which wars have been defining episodes in American history.
The heart of the exhibition is the impact of war on citizen
soldiers, their families, and communities. Commemorate
Memorial Day by seeing a restored UH-1H "Huey" Helicopter
deployed in Vietnam and other artifacts of American military
history.
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See all exhibitions
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ON THE WEB |
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A More
Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S.
Constitution
During the opening months of World War
II, nearly 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were forced
by the government to leave their homes and move into detention
camps. This online exhibition traces the history of wartime
Japanese American confinement, from immigration that began in
the late 19th century to court cases and redress that came
more than 40 years after the camps closed in 1946. The frailty
of individual rights balanced with the need for national
security is an ongoing theme in American history.
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America
on the Move: Asian Fusion Food
The final section of
the America on the Move exhibition looks at how global
commerce and the international travel of people helped expand
American dietary habits and make Los Angeles a center of Asian
fusion cuisine. As immigrants shared their own culinary
traditions and native-born citizens gained familiarity with
other countries' dishes, hybrid food styles, like Asian
fusion, emerged. Learn about how sushi and other foods have
been popularized in America by visiting the exhibition online
or in
person.
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Featured
Object: Falsified Passport
This Thai passport was
seized in the well-publicized 1995 El Monte, California,
sweatshop raid. The passport is part of a larger Smithsonian
collection of artifacts documenting apparel industry
sweatshops. It focuses on the El Monte operation, where 72
workers were discovered working as slaves. With a legitimate
U.S. visa, the passport looks official. In fact, the El Monte
operators doctored a real passport by inserting a new photo
into someone else's document in order to smuggle workers into
the country.
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FOR
EDUCATORS |
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Teacher's
Manual, The Price of Freedom: Americans at
War
Download creative and engaging strategies to
help students learn how wars have been defining moments in
both the history of the nation and the lives of individual
Americans. For grades 5-12.
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Life
in a WWII Japanese American Internment Camp
During
World War II, the United States was at war with Japan. By an
executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, many
Americans of Japanese descent living on the West Coast were
forced to leave their homes and move to internment camps. Your
students can explore life in a Japanese American internment
camp by visiting the OurStory in History activity
page.
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Educators page
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FOR KIDS & FAMILIES |
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Featured
Family Object: "Huey" Helicopter
Imagine sitting in
the back of a helicopter. You can hear the hum of the engine,
even while wearing your helmet. Where are you going? Are you
delivering supplies? Are you a soldier moving to a new battle?
Or are you a nurse moving a sick patient? For many members of
the armed forces who fought in Vietnam, and for Americans who
followed the war on TV, the "Huey" is a symbol of the war.
Visit The Price of Freedom: Americans at War to see an
actual UH-1H helicopter.
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Make
Your Own Japanese Fish Kite
Download an activity
sheet to learn how to make your own Japanese fish kite, and
learn more about life in a WWII Japanese American internment
camp.
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Kids page
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SHOPPING & DINING |
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On May 21, Restaurant Associates
chefs demonstrate how to make pupusas and tamales in the Palm
Court Cafe, while a special Mesoamerican menu is available in
the Main Street Cafe. Throughout the month, shop the Museum
stores' selection of spring apparel, including a Sesame Street
"World Tour 1975" t-shirt featuring Elmo, Oscar the Grouch,
and Cookie Monster. Celebrate the warmer weather with a
refreshing gelato from the Palm Court Café or a freshly made
Subway sandwich.
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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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