The National Museum of American History
- Overlander
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Editor Pick
National Museum of American History
- January 9, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
RBT331 from Medfield, Massachusetts
NOTE: This museum is closed for massive renovations until the summer of 2008. However, some artifacts are on display in the interim at the National Museum of Air and Space.
Savings alert: This stop is also FREE.
The National Museum of American History is another of the Smithsonian's institutions, like the National Zoo. However, like its museum counterparts, the NAMH is located on the National Mall, right in the heart of Washington.
This museum is full of history and culture, all under one roof. They have such artifacts as Larry Bird's jersey, one of the first Kermit the Frog's, Judy Garland's red ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz", and the flag that draped over the exterior of the Pentagon immediately after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
One hightlight for my girlfriend was the exhibit of the inaugural gowns of first ladies of the U.S. It allows one to see the elegance and intricacies of a ball gown, and at the same time, become an ounce closer to experience an small bit of presidential glamor.
Conveniently located along the beautiful National Mall, it is also a short walk to the Washington Monument and a slightly longer walk to the U.S. Capitol building. It is also close to many of the other Smithsonian Institute museums.
This museum has a little bit of everything for everyone. Kids will get a kick out of Oscar the Grouch and Kermit, while adults will be intrigued by some of the more historical pieces in the collection.
Best of all, this place is FREE. Yes, another free stop in the D.C. area.
From journal The Nation's Capitol on a Budget
Editor Pick
The National Museum of American History
- October 9, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
grannola from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
The 4-year-old again dictated where we should go. We had to go here to see Kermit the Frog. Of course, this museum kept us going much longer than we had anticipated.
As Canadian's we didn't realize how interesting the American History Museum was going to be. The kids liked the transportation exhibit that started from ships, to the first car to travel across the US, to buses, to airplanes. There were lots of things to see and touch. They liked the transportation of food display and the Chicago El Train. This took up a full wing of the main floor.
Downstairs we found Julia Child's kitchen, where there was a video playing with Julia's wit and wisdom. It was conveniently located across the hall from the hands-on science exhibit where the kids got to do real science experiments (about food additives in our case). They had to get tickets (which were free) to reserve a spot. This meant waiting for about 1/2hour. That was fine with them because there were lots of self-serve experiments there too.
The polio exhibit was interesting, especially when we learned that Candy Land had been invented by someone who was in an iron lung at the time. Up on the top floor we found Kermit and his friends, and lots of other TV memorabilia (like Fonzie's jacket and Archie Bunker's Chair).
The flags on display were very impressive. Inside the main hall on the 2nd floor is the Pentagon Flag. That's the flag that was draped over the outside of the Pentagon the day after September 11th. Also, in a restoration chamber is Old Glory. It is huge and has undergone major restoration. It is not 'repaired' per se, but it has been restored so it does not further deteriorate. There were also displays on science, computers, and chess that the 8-year-old enjoyed.
We skipped several exhibits because we just didn't have time to see everything. We were at the museum for over 4 hours and could have stayed longer, but we wanted to see more than one museum on our trip. I bought a sweater in the gift shop and we realized that the zipper was stuck on it. We exchanged it for another sweater without a problem.
The museum was open from 10am to 6pm (winter hours are 10am to 5pm). There were several exhibits that were closed when we were there because they were getting ready to renovate. There were several places where you could tell renovations were due (cracked ceilings etc). The whole museum closed for renovations just after our visit and it is scheduled to reopen in 2008.
From journal Washington -- Smithsonian
Editor Pick
National Museum of American History - 3rd Floor
- January 16, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
kwasiak from Tucson, Arizona
The National Museum of American History is located on the National Mall. The closest metro station is Federal Triangle, which is located on the Blue and Orange Lines. You can also use the Smithsonian station, which runs on the same lines. The museum is open every day, excepy Christmas, from 10am to 5:30pm.
I visited the 1st and 3rd Floors on my second visit to this Museum, but I feel each floor deserves its own entry like the 2nd floor received. 3rd floor is the top floor of the Museum and is either one or two levels up depending on what entrance you enter the museum from.
Probably the most popular exhibit on this floor is the American Presidency Exhibit. It definitely had more people going through it at one time than any other exhibit, except maybe the Star Spanged Banner exhibit on the First Floor. The exhibit tells about the roles of the presidency and gives the history of the presidential office and those that held it. The exhibit includes artifacts relating to the inauguration, the children of the president, the presidential assassinations, and life inside the white house. In the exhibit on presidential assassinations you can find the top hat Lincoln wore to Ford's Theatre the night he was killed.
Another major exhibit on this floor and probably one of the biggest in size in this museum is The Price of Freedom exhibit. The exhibit chronologically walks you through every war the United States has participated in from the Revolution to today. The exhibit contains many artifacts relating to the wars from George Washington's sword and scabbard to muskets and balls to helicopters and General Colin Powell's Desert Storm uniform. Other war related artifacts include medals of honor, battle flags, and soldier's equipment.
This floor also contains an area related to music. Here there are two exhibits on influential artists: Celia Cruz and Ella Fitzgerald. There is also a Hall of Musical Instruments, although most of it was under renovation during my visit.
Other exhibits on this floor include the Popular Culture exhibit, which includes among its artifacts the Red Ruby Slippers worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz, and the Photography Gallery, which was under renovation during my visit.
From journal Visiting the Smithsonian While Studying in DC
Editor Pick
National Museum of American History - 1st Floor
- January 15, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
kwasiak from Tucson, Arizona
The National Museum of American History is located on the National Mall. The closest metro station is Federal Triangle, which is located on the Blue and Orange Lines. You can also use the Smithsonian station, which runs on the same lines. The museum is open every day, excepy Christmas, from 10am to 5:30pm.
I visited the 1st and 3rd Floors on my second visit to this Museum, but I feel each floor deserves its own entry like the 2nd floor received. When entering the building for Constitution Avenue you enter on the 1st floor. The first floor also contains a Subway restaurant that I noticed was crowed all afternoon during my Sunday visit.
One of the exhibits I enjoyed exploring was On Time, which was an exhibit the development of clocks and how the accessibility of watches and clocks led to the key role of time in our lives. One of the interesting facts I found was that the word clock comes from the English work 'clok' meaning bell. The exhibit contained many elaborate and simplistic clocks and watches that portrayed the development of clocks from the time of bell towers that rang on the hour to inexpensive wrist watches. At the end their is a rotating exhibit. During my visit it contained an exhibit on the making of the Mickey Mouse watch, one of the first wristwatches targeted to children.
Another major exhibit on this level is the America On the Move exhibit. This exhibit shows the development of transportation and its effects on American culture. It goes from the time of trains and steamships to automobiles and Route 66. The exhibit contains real trains, mass transit buses, a school bus, a trolley car, and a variety of cars. One of the locomotives is called John Bull and was built in 1831. In 1981 it was taken out of the museum to do a short run on a railroad track in order to make it the oldest train in working condition. The locomotive stands outside of the America On the Move exhibit, but the movie about it can be seen in the Engines of Change exhibit nearby.
I also enjoyed the Lighting a Revolution exhibit, which contains artifacts relating to the invention and improvement of electricity and lighting. It includes some artifacts relating to the original light bulb invention by Edison. It also contains some other inventions relating to the use of electricity. I thought the case of old toasters was interesting.
Other exhibits on this floor include Science in American Life, that shows the more recent advances in technology; Julia Child's Kitchen, which is her actual kitchen and its contents; and American Maritime Enterprise, which contains many models of ships and gives the history of ships relating to American economy.
From journal Visiting the Smithsonian While Studying in DC
Editor Pick
National Museum of American History - 2nd Floor
- January 15, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
kwasiak from Tucson, Arizona
The National Museum of American History is located on the National Mall. The closest metro station is Federal Triangle, which is located on the Blue and Orange Lines. The museum is open every day, excepy Christmas, from 10am to 5:30pm.
This is on my first visit to the Museum, where I spent over three hours, but only saw the exhibits on the 2nd floor, which is the floor you enter the museum on. The first thing you see as you enter the museum is a United States Flag hanging fromt the ceiling. This is where the original Star Spangled Banner once hung. The flag that now hangs here was the one hung over the damaged side of the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001. Another prominent object is located as you enter the West Wing of the Museum. It is a statue of our first president, George Washington.
One of the exhibits on this floor is Whatever Happened to Polio? This exhibit shows how the disease affected people and how it was treated. It also told of the development of a vaccine and how it was distributed around the world resulting in the wiping out of the disease. The exhibit contains video and audio of survivors telling their stories of surviving the disease. The exhibit also contains an iron lung that was used to save many and a pair of leg braces used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Also, on this floor is probably the most popular exhibit in the museum. The exhibit contains the preservation room that holds the original Star Spangled Banner. In this room it was cleaned and worked on to help preserve it for the viewing of future generations of Americans. The exhibit also contains many artifacts relating to the history of this flag that inspired our national anthem. I really enjoyed listening to the original song tune that Francis Scott Key's The Star Spangled Banner was based on.
Another popular exhibit on this floor is First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image. This exhibit contains some of the dresses worn by these ladies during their time as First Lady. The exhibit also tells of how these famous ladies helped our country on their own and through their influence on their husbands.
Some of the other exhibits on this floor are Communities in a Changing Nation, which shows the history of immigrant communities; Field to Factory, which gives the history of the African American migration during the early 1900s; and Ceremonial Court, which is a replication of part of the White House as it appeared during the Theodore Roosevelt term.
From journal Visiting the Smithsonian While Studying in DC