National Museum of American History - Definition and Overview

The National Museum of American History is a museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution and located on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

It opened in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology. It adopted its current name in 1980.

The museum has three exhibition floors, two floors for offices, and one floor (the ground floor) for retail and dining. There are four other museum stores in the building, and a Subway and gelatto bar. On the first floor, major exhibitions include America on the Move which details the history of transportation from 1876 to the present, and houses the 1401 locomotive as well as many famous cars. Also on the first floor is TV Objects which has various props from famous television shows. Julia Child's kitchen is also located on this floor. The second floor has the inaugural gowns and objects of First Ladies from Martha Washington to Hillary Clinton. The gigantic 15-star and 15-stripe flag which flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and inspired the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" is located in a conservation lab on the second floor. It used to hang in the main hall, but was removed due to its deteriorating condition. In its place is a 50 star flag which draped the Pentagon after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The main highlight of the third floor is A Glorious Burden which is an exhibit dedicated to the Presidents of the United States. Another major highlight is American Popular Culture which shows popular culture artifacts. It is a changing exhibition, however the Ruby Slippers are a permanent part of the exhibit. The History of Money and Medals, the museum's oldest exhibit was on this floor, but was recently closed. Opening on November 11, 2004 will be The Price of Freedom which is an exhibit dedicated to America's military history.

External link

• National Museum of American History official site (http://americanhistory.si.edu/)