Home | National Museum of American History

The Star-Spangled Banner

The Flag that Inspired the
National Anthem

American Democracy

A Great Leap of Faith

Many Voices, One Nation

How did we become US?

Draper Spark!Lab

Where museum visitors become inventors

Smithsonian’s History Explorer

Classroom resources for teachers

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

Visit the Museum

Stay Connected

A child experimenting with a historic laundry device

At the Museum

At Home

Games & Activities

This Day In History

December 14, 1799

The first U.S. president and owner of this uniform, George Washington, dies at age 67.

View Object

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

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 or meet a 1917 suffragist. Follow the link for scheduled showtimes.

Films in the Warner Bros. Theater

Enjoy a variety of daily short films and special features, including a holiday film series in December. Check the Theater page for showtimes.

A Museum Moment: Costumes From “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

The museum has collected two costumes from Amazon Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for the national entertainment collection.

Warren Winiarski Receives James Smithson Bicentennial Medal

Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History Receives Save America’s Treasures Grant

See full events calendar
See more news items

From Our Blog

Codex costume and staff, as worn by Felicia Day in The Guild

Donate Button

The Star-Spangled Banner

American Democracy

Many Voices, One Nation

Draper Spark!Lab