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Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

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

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Young visitors looking at museum objects

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A child experimenting with a historic laundry device

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This Day In History

May 22, 1802

The nation's first First Lady and owner of this gown, Martha Washington, dies at her Virginia home.

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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

American Music Salon Series: U.S. Air Force Percussion Ensemble

The USAF Band presents a percussion chamber recital with music by Grieg, Lauridsen, and more. May 23, 12:30 p.m.

Films in the Warner Bros. Theater

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

Marchesa Donates "Crazy Rich Asians" Gown to the Smithsonian at Los Angeles Event

Marchesa is donating the iconic blue dress that played an integral role in the Warner Bros. Pictures film "Crazy Rich Asians" to the National Museum of American History.

"The Big Bang Theory" Costumes To Join the National Museum of American History Collection

Smithsonian Marks 150th Anniversary of Transcontinental Railroad

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From Our Blog

Square banner for boxer John L. Sullivan showing flags and the phrases “Champion of the world…May the best man win”

A sports star being political, 19th-century style

Sports have always been political. Few items in the museum’s collections make this point better than an 1882 banner honoring boxer John L. Sullivan.

Woman wearing purple latex gloves presses gently into the inside of one of the Ruby Slippers into a case.

The (display) case of the Ruby Slippers

Many noses are pressed against the case that houses Dorothy's Ruby Slippers each day, but how many people notice the case that holds them?

Lobby cards for the film "Saludos Amigos"

Donald Duck: An American Diplomat?

In his 1933 inaugural speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt promoted the importance of the Good Neighbor Policy. When Roosevelt delivered his speech, few would have guessed that, just a few years later, Donald Duck would become an "ambassador at large" to facilitate U.S. policy.

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The Star-Spangled Banner

The Price of Freedom

American Democracy

American Enterprise