Exhibitions

The division maintains the following exhibitions in the museum. These exhibitions are located on 1 East, by the John Bull Locomotive landmark object:

FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950–2000 considers how new technologies and cultural changes changed the production, preparation, and consumption of Food in post-WWII America. Julia Child’s home kitchen, with its hundreds of tools, appliances, and furnishings, serves as the opening story of the Museum’s first major exhibition on food history.

America on the Move

America on the Move explores the role of transportation in American history. Visit communities wrestling with the changes that new transportation networks brought. See cities change, suburbs expand, and farms and factories become part of regional, national, and international economies. Meet people as they travel for work and pleasure, and as they move to new homes.

Lighting a Revolution

Lighting a Revolution opened to commemorate the centennial of Edison’s light bulb, considers experiments with electricity before Edison’s, the "Invention Factory" at Menlo Park, how Edison created a market for his product, and the impact of electricity in factories, on city streets, and in the home.

On the Water

On the Water: Stories from Maritime America explores the life and work on the nation's waterways. From 18th-century sailing ships, 19th-century steamboats and fishing craft to today's mega containerships, the exhibition will reveal America’s maritime connections through objects, documents, audiovisual programs, and interactives.

Hall of Power Machinery

The Hall of Power Machinery holds examples of the machines that helped make the United States a world leader in industrial production. With models and machines—pumps, boilers, turbines, waterwheels, and engines—the hall follows the development of increasingly efficient power machinery.