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The Star-Spangled Banner

The Flag that Inspired the
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American Democracy

A Great Leap of Faith

Many Voices, One Nation

How did we become US?

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This Day In History

August 17, 1786
Frontiersman and folk hero Davy Crockett, pictured in this 1839 print, is born in Tennesee.
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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.

“Elephants and Us: Considering Extinction” Opens at the Smithsonian

The museum will open an exhibition that explores Americans’ relationship with elephants as it has evolved over time.

Smithsonian To Display Recently Acquired D-Day Flag

“My Computing Devices” Opens at National Museum of American History

See full events calendar
See more news items

From Our Blog

A graphic with a red background and a white illustration of the neck of a guitar with a bird resting on it.

Remembering Woodstock

Peace and love, chaos and commercialism: what was Woodstock really like and what is its legacy?

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!
Read more stories from our blog

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Constitution Avenue, NW
Between 12th and 14th Streets
Washington, D.C.

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