Home | National Museum of American History

¡Pleibol!

In the Barrios and the Big Leagues
En los barrios y las grandes ligas

The Star-Spangled Banner

The Flag that Inspired the
National Anthem

American Democracy

A Great Leap of Faith

Girlhood
(It's complicated)

See our new exhibition

Activities for Kids

Online activities you can try at home

The museum is now open Friday–Tuesday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Timed-entry passes are no longer required. Learn more.

Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

An assortment of museum objects in a drawer

Collections

Screenshot of website for exhibition, "Thomas Jefferson's Bible"

Online Resources

At the Museum

Online Resources

Young visitors looking at museum objects

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A child experimenting with a historic laundry device

At the Museum

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Our Mission

Empowering people to create a just and compassionate future by exploring, preserving, and sharing the complexity of our past.

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

Visit the Museum

The museum is open Friday–Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Timed-entry passes are no longer required. Follow the link to plan your visit.

Jazz Beyond Borders with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra

Enjoy a free streaming concert from our renowned jazz ensemble featuring vocalist Kurt Elling, from their 2019 Asian tour. Available through August 30.

Lena Richard’s New Orleans Cook Book

Lena Richard, a Black chef and entrepreneur in New Orleans, built a dynamic culinary career in the segregated South. August 5, 6:45 p.m. Tickets required.

National Museum of American History Receives AAM Accreditation

The certification from the American Alliance of Museums is the highest national standard of recognition afforded the nation's museums.

Heroic WWI Homing Pigeon Cher Ami Marks Smithsonian Centennial

“¡Pleibol!” Slides Into Smithsonian Summer 2021

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From Our Blog

He? She? Or just plain Cher Ami? Solving a century-old pigeon mystery

This summer marks the centennial of a bird—possibly the most famous pigeon in history—going on display at the Smithsonian. A representative of Columba livia domestica, this bird is known as simply Cher Ami.

Group of people led by Dr. Marie Curie and President Harding walking down steps at the White House

Radium and the Gift from the Women of America

One hundred years ago Marie Curie stood among the rose bushes, the press, and a crowd of White House guests, holding a golden key. The key opened a box that contained a gram of radium. Could it also unlock a cure to cancer? Women across America were led to believe as much, rising to the call sent out in their journals and newspapers to fund a gift worth more than $100,000.

Case showing changes in girls' uniforms in exhibition, Girlhood: It's complicated

Why Girlhood?

Three years ago our museum convened a diverse group of scholars and educators to help a team brainstorm a new exhibition about women's history to mark the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment. After two days of presentations, discussions, and workshopping, we had a bold new idea—we were going to create an exhibition about girlhood.

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¡Pleibol!

The Star-Spangled Banner

American Democracy

Girlhood
(It's complicated)