Home | National Museum of American History

An adult and group of children gather to look at the Oscar the Grouch puppet

Welcome to American History

The museum's world class collections help tell the complex history of our nation. We are located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Open today 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Plan Your Visit

Entertainment has the power to captivate, inspire and transform us. It brings us together. We share it when we spontaneously recite lines from a favorite movie, dance to the same groove or recreate a national sports moment on a neighborhood street. It can also spur critical conversations, expose divides, and foster important historical change.

Visit Entertainment Nation

Stories

The history behind Julian “Cannonball” Adderley’s saxophone
Article
Blessings from the universe: Walter Mercado
Article
Is this 1937 radio the fairest one of all?
Article

See More Stories

Objects from the Collections

Sixteen-year-old Judy Garland wore these sequined shoes as Dorothy Gale in the 1939 MGM musical film The Wizard of Oz.

Muhammad Ali gained fame for his boxing skills, charisma, and the controversy he generated outside the ring.

Jim Henson's first Kermit puppet was made from his mother’s old spring coat and a pair of blue jeans.

Browse All Collections

As the nation’s history museum, we empower people to create a just and compassionate future by exploring, preserving, and sharing the complexity of our past.

About Our Mission