Welcome to American History
The museum's world class collections help tell the complex history of our nation. We are located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Open today 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Plan Your Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Invention and technology can make the difference between victory and defeat as well as expand the field of who can participate in sports. Change Your Game is a family-friendly, interactive exhibition on the intersection of invention, sports, and technology developed by the museum’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
Stories
Objects from the Collections
Patented by athlete Mike Schultz, the components built into the Moto Knee and Versa Foot controlled the speed and resistance of the artificial joints’ bending and extending during extreme sports, a big improvement over existing prosthesis.
Wheelchair marathoner Arielle Rausin’s 3D printed gloves were hard yet ultra-lightweight, qualities which not only improved Rausin’s technique, but reduced impact and fatigue to her arms and hands.
In the 1970s, inventor Lisa Lindahl and costume designers Hinda Miller and Polly Palmer Smith gave her prototype sports bra the nickname “jock bra” because it was fashioned from jockstraps—men’s athletic supporters. They later renamed it “Jogbra.”
Dive Into Exhibitions
Entertainment has the power to captivate, inspire and transform us.
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the federal legislation that unintentionally helped bring equality to sports, this 30-foot display case illuminates three athletes’ stories.
Picturing Women Inventors highlights the distinctive motivations, challenges, and accomplishments of exceptional 20th- and 21st-century inventive women who are diverse both personally and professionally.
Meet American Innovators
As the nation’s history museum, we empower people to create a just and compassionate future by exploring, preserving, and sharing the complexity of our past.
Donate Today and Make History
Help us to preserve, protect, and display America's historic treasures.
Donate Today
