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A Great Leap of Faith

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The Flag that Inspired the
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How does American business affect you?

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Where museum visitors become inventors

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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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A child experimenting with a historic laundry device

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This Day In History

October 22, 1963

Olympic gold medal-winning American figure skater Brian Boitano, owner of these skates, is born.

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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

Wegmans Wonderplace Closed

Our Wegmans Wonderplace hands-on exhibition space is temporary closed and will reopen Friday, October 25.

Enjoy our latest theater program "Shout!" and be immersed in the sounds of the Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry. In other programs, join a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter, and meet a 1917 suffragist or 1895 wheelwoman. Follow the link for scheduled showtimes.

Films in the Warner Bros. Theater

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

Smithsonian Set To Showcase Brewing History

The museum will explore the history and industry of brewing in the United States in a new section of the FOOD exhibition beginning Oct. 25.

What’s Cooking @ The National Museum of American History?

Smithsonian Presents Great Americans Medal to Honoree Paul Simon

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From Our Blog

Old Mud, New Science

Our curators are discovering secrets in the muck scraped from the bottom of the Gunboat Philadelphia that will help us preserve a centuries-old warship for future generations.

Jimmy Carter: American homebrew hero?

As crazy as it may seem now, homebrewing used to be illegal and Jimmy Carter actually played a part in changing that, contributing to the craft beer revolution. But that’s just one unexpected facet in the story of how our current beer industry came to be.

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American Democracy

The Star-Spangled Banner

American Enterprise

Draper Spark!Lab