If you haven’t heard the news yet—the doors to the National Museum of American History are open once again! Not only are we thrilled to be able to welcome visitors back into the building but we’re beaming with pride about the buzz around town.
Abstract Flag. Flickr photo by tbridge
Local bloggers are sharing their excitement about our reopening with great imagery from inside our space. DCist shares a collection of fabulous photos and cites artifacts in the museum’s collection “that can stir even the most stolid student of history” and We Love DC calls the museum “a special place” that combines “new and old, of historic talismans and of high technology.”
Our colleagues over at the “Around the Mall Blog” present "The Top 10 Reasons" to visit the museum this weekend and share a captivating before-and-after video of the building’s transformation. Smithsonian Magazine also published an article detailing some of the green aspects of our renovation.
Some blog posts suggest the richness and depth of our collections and underscore the ways that everyone can find an aspect of history to connect with in our museum. The author of “On Frozen Blog” left us a comment thanking us for our online coverage of the reopening, saying “those of us stuck at work want to live vicariously through those lucky enough to attend the events.” He also put in a plug for our reopening in the post "Welcoming Back An American Classic" linking his love of hockey with some of our amazing sports collections. In a post about vintage shoes, the Express Night Out blog claims that with the museum reopening “we don’t advocate breaking the glass and trying on the 1930s ruby slippers Judy Garland wore to play Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. But one glance at the sequined babies drives home how glamorous shoes from past decades can be.”
Finally, a few media outlets created dramatic multimedia presentations showcasing the museum’s new look. The folks at The Washington Post created two breathtaking panoramic images: a view from the National Mall entrance and a striking look inside the Star-Spangled Banner gallery. In a wonderful video presentation from NPR, reporter Susan Stamberg describes the “shiver of recognition” one feels when gazing up on the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem.
Dana Allen-Greil is the new media project manager at the National Museum of American History. She says “thanks!” to everyone who has blogged, commented, emailed, or otherwise shared feedback with us about the reopened museum. Keep it coming!