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The Flag that Inspired the
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This Day In History

July 19, 1814
Firearms manufacturer Samuel Colt is born. Colt submitted this five-shot .36-caliber Paterson revolver to the U.S. Patent Office around 1840.
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Our Mission

We help people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions on a range of topics offer firsthand experiences with treasures of American history.

Collections

We collect artifacts of all kinds—from gowns to locomotives—to preserve an enduring record of our past for the American people.

News and Events

Historic Theater Programs

Enjoy our latest theater program "Shout!" and be immersed in the sounds of the Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry. In other programs, join a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter, and meet a 1917 suffragist or 1895 wheelwoman. Follow the link for scheduled showtimes.

American Experiments

What should good citizens do? Who changed America more? In Wallace H. Coulter Unity Square, take part in several hands-on activities that inspire active engagement in American civic life. Daily.

Films in the Warner Bros. Theater

Enjoy a variety of daily short films and special features. Check the Theater page for showtimes.

Rare Quilts From the Smithsonian’s Collections To Go On View

The museum will display nine silk quilts from the national collection along with related needlework artifacts dating from the late 19th into the early 20th centuries in a new exhibition.

National Museum of American History Marks the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising With “Illegal To Be You” Display

National Museum of American History Announces Fifth Annual Smithsonian Food History Weekend and Gala

See full events calendar
See more news items

From Our Blog

The Shepherd of Utah Beach

D-Day. June 6, 1944. The words bring to mind images of hundreds of landing craft, machines, and American fighting forces landing on the beaches of faraway places. And this flag was there. 

The most radical thing about Stonewall wasn’t the uprising

The Stonewall Uprising began June 28, 1969, in response to a police raid at The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York, and has since been commemorated around the world with pride parades and other events. Curator Katherine Ott reflects on the significance of the uprising.
A tin foil version of the Stanley Cup

Let’s Go Caps: A curator’s collecting trip into Caps mania

I’m a lifelong resident of the Washington, D.C. area and a hockey fan. So imagine my excitement (and surprise) last year when my team, the Washington Capitals, finally won a Stanley Cup championship!

The impact of the Transcontinental Railroad on Native Americans

The Transcontinental Railroad was celebrated by some as a symbol of modernity. However, the railroad also threatened Native nations. Discover their stories.
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Constitution Avenue, NW
Between 12th and 14th Streets
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