The National Museum of American History is a museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution and located in Washington, D.C., on the National Mall. It opened in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology and 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," detailing the history of transportation in the U.S. from 1876 to the present, and houses the 1401 locomotive as well as many famous automobiles. 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 of First Ladies from Martha Washington to Laura Bush. The gigantic 15-star and 15-stripe American flag which flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner" (the national anthem) 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 modern 50-star flag which draped the Pentagon after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The main highlight of the third floor is "A Glorious Burden," an exhibit on Presidents of the United States. Another major highlight is American Popular Culture which shows popular culture artifacts. It is a changing exhibition, but 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. An exhibit entitled "The Price of Freedom" on U.S. military history opened on November 11, 2004.
External link
