Making history happen: Reflecting on DACA and its impact
In 2011, one year after the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act failed to pass through the Senate, members of...
Ten objects that will help you understand Latinx history
The National Museum of American History has over 2 million items in its collections, spanning every topic you could think of. And from...
Suit up! Honoring Latino heritage on the field
Custom uniforms display cultural pride and signal Latino presence and excellence in baseball, America’s pastime. The colorful jerseys and...

Blog Posts in "Behind the Scenes"

Jefferson's Bible
Don’t let this treasure become a “Lost Symbol”
You may have heard or noticed that Dan Brown’s latest novel, The Lost Symbol, features Horatio Greenough’s statue of George Washington...
Keeping our museum exteriors beautiful (and secure)
The Smithsonian hired architects Beyer Blinder Belle (BBB) to create a plan which would meet our needs. Since the Mall is such a sensitive...
Preserve-your-own
Earl Shaffer’s battered black journal is small. It had to be, to fit in a rucksack with everything a man needed to walk over 2,000 miles...
Inside of Abraham Lincoln's watches reveals both its inner workings and engravings, including ""April 13, 1861 Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels on the above date J Dillon April 13, 1861 Washington" and "thank God we have a government Jonth Dillon."
A secret message inside Lincoln's watch?
A hush fell over the room as the watchmaker halted his work. A partially-dismantled pocket watch that once belonged to President Abraham...
Rubbing elbows with history
At one of the museum’s reopening events, I perused the new Star-Spangled Banner Gallery for the first time. I was especially...
A living museum
It is such a joy to come to work in a living, breathing museum again. The building is buzzing with life—from young children helping a...
By the numbers
I am a new employee at the National Museum of American History. In fact, at the time of this writing, I have been working here for 9 weeks...
The unexpected impact of opening weekend
I used my staff pass to line jump the queue for the Star-Spangled Banner gallery, expecting to grab a quick look and duck out so I could...
Talk of the town
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...
Shining new light on American history
I’ve been working on a project for the museum’s reopening that is so big and so unprecedented that it defies written description. In the...
(Re)opening day
This morning’s ribbon-cutting was loads of fun. Despite the cold weather, there was a large crowd gathered and everyone seemed to be...
The return of the ruby slippers
Yesterday, we took you behind the scenes as curators worked to install the museum’s new entertainment, sports, and music exhibition. At the...
Dedication to history
Yesterday’s ceremony to dedicate the new Star-Spangled Banner gallery and celebrate the reopening of the museum was, in many ways, a paean...
Fright wigs and slapsticks and Tonys . . . oh my!
What do Grandmaster Flash, Phyllis Diller, and Oscar the Grouch have in common? Their pop culture legacies are all featured in the museum's...
All atwitter
The museum is buzzing with anticipation for our reopening on November 21, and here in the new media office we’re getting ready to cover all...
Eureka! A sneak peek at Spark!Lab
You know that moment when an idea suddenly strikes and—BOOM—there’s a new invention ready to change the world? No? Well, the museum’s...
History alive!
When the museum reopens on November 21, we will debut new theater programs designed to engage our visitors, bring history to life, and...
Photo gallery: Closing in on our reopening
As you can see from our stream of blog posts, the museum has been an unbelievable beehive of activity during the past few weeks as...
Getting ready
Our director, Dr. Brent D. Glass, went on air yesterday to talk with Chris Dorobek and Amy Morris of “Daily Debrief” about what we’ve been...
I love my commute
OK, not the part where I drive my car and ride the Metro. It’s my walk through the halls and galleries of the museum that I love. Since we...
Lucky me!
Sometimes, you’re just in the right place at the right time. I got up from my desk this morning to go see the progress in the renovation of...
In honor of Veterans Day
I recently had the opportunity to head over to the Lincoln Memorial to take some photographs for the interactive that will be featured in...
Sneak peek at the new Star-Spangled Banner gallery
A little over a month ago we shared video of the Star-Spangled Banner—the flag that inspired the national anthem—moving from the...
Fancy pixel tricks
Pixelization is not usually a desired effect, but it is a much-anticipated event this week at the National Museum of American History. A...
Rolling out the carriage
Is your car, truck, or carriage sweet enough that we’d want it for the collections at the National Museum of American History? We’ve shown...
Fourscore and seven years ago
With that now-iconic phrase President Lincoln began his Gettysburg Address—a dedication of the cemetery in Pennsylvania and a statement...
Raising the flag
If you have been following the renovation at the National Museum of American History, you know that one of the visual centerpieces of our...
Broad stripes and bright stars
I’m a bona fide gadget geek, but when it comes to exhibitions, I’m a little more of a skeptic. Though I’ve seen some masterful uses of...
A glimpse inside the construction zone
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Viewing this slideshow of photographs from around the building, therefore, will spare...
A moving experience
In our last post, we chronicled this week’s move of the Star-Spangled Banner into its new state-of-the-art exhibition gallery. While this...
Now we're really rolling
I would normally be a bit grumpy about waking up at 5:00 am for work—but not today. This morning—at “dawn’s early light,” you might say—I...
Big, blue, and beautiful
In my time here at the museum, I've collected lots of things. Most have been relatively small—like watches—or even smaller—like parts...
A seat with a view
Check out this photo of the frame for the bench that will be part of the new Star-Spangled Banner viewing gallery. The artist’s rendering...
Living history
I recently got back from a family vacation to Virginia’s “Historic Triangle,” where we visited Colonial Williamsburg, the Jamestown...
Who foots the bill?
Everyone who visits the Smithsonian Institution appreciates the fact that there is no charge for admission to any of our fantastic museums...
Passing the 90-day mark
We talk a lot about the structural improvements to the museum, and we’ve mentioned a bit of how operations will be improved, but everyone...
Back(side) to the future
When the museum reopens, one of the more notable visitor amenities will be the renovated Stars & Stripes Cafe. Every aspect of the cafe...
Yes, we really do think about everything...
The new chamber that we’re building to display the Star-Spangled Banner is intended to be a permanent home for the fragile flag. So we’ve...
Don't try this at home
When I try to build things, it usually involves a lot of trial and error. If you are a fellow amateur do-it-yourselfer, you probably know...
Wag more, bark less
I saw that slogan on a bumper sticker this morning on my way to work and I thought it was a pretty great description of the changes we’re...
It’s taking shape before our eyes - but what is it?
The "Bird's Nest" National Stadium in Beijing?  A new death-defying roller coaster? Frame being prepared by the fabricator,...
Putting the prong in place
A few days ago the museum took another step toward our reopening by installing the giant prong that will hold up the abstract flag. When we...
What’s your favorite version of the Star-Spangled Banner?
The centerpiece of the museum’s renovation is the brand-new state-of-the-art home for the Star-Spangled Banner. Yes, the Star-Spangled...
The light at the end of the tunnel
It has certainly been exciting around the Museum lately.  As a member of the External Affairs team, I often provide tours of the...
Announcing the Big Date
Last week we finally answered everyone’s most burning question: When will the museum reopen? November 21! At a much anticipated press...
Food for thought
When the museum reopens, visitors will clamor to see the Star-Spangled Banner (the flag that inspired the national anthem), they’ll admire...
Moments of fame on The Today Show
Within hours of the museum announcing our grand reopening date of November 21, the staff got this email message: “This is your chance to be...
History in the making
Welcome to the National Museum of American History’s new blog!  As the director of the museum’s New Media Program, and “editor-in-...

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