The daylight-filled atrium at the National Museum of American History has become a new public square, a gathering space for performance and entertainment, capturing the spirit and vitality of a Main Street USA. The museum’s state-of-the-art “Star-Spangled Banner” gallery showcases the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the lyrics of the national anthem. On the first and second floor, hundreds of storied objects from the museum’s three-million-item collection are housed in the glass-fronted artifact walls. In the galleries and exhibition halls, visitors will find the top hat that President Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre, the portable desk that Thomas Jefferson used to write the Declaration of Independence and hundreds of other cherished items that together evoke the American experience.

Begin Here

The Star-Spangled Banner
A special environmentally controlled chamber in an atmosphere evoking the “dawn’s early light” protects the fragile wool and cotton flag. Enter from the second-floor atrium.

First Floor East
Transportation and Technology

“On the Water: Stories from Maritime America” The museum’s collection of rigged ship models, patent models, documents and images recounts life and work on the nation’s waterways. Discover the stories of whaling crews, fishermen, shipbuilders, merchant mariners and passengers.

“Stories on Money” Selections from the National Numismatic Collection provide a history of how coins and bills changed from the Colonial era to the present.

“America on the Move” Visitors are transported back in time and immersed in the sights, sounds and other sensations of rail and road transportation in the United States from 1876 to 1999. Among the 300 objects in the 26,000-square-foot exhibition are a 1950s Chicago Transit Authority “L” car and a 1903 Winton, the first car to be driven across the United States.

“Power Machinery” Investigate a world-class collection of full-size engines and models, including those from the early age of steam power, and a number of historic internal combustion engines.

“Lighting a Revolution” A chronicle of the invention of the light bulb, the man behind it—Thomas Edison—and the electrical innovations that followed.

First Floor West
Science and Innovation

“Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Hall of Invention” Ever wonder about what led to the development of the microwave oven? In “Invention at Play,” learn about the great creators and innovators and gain insight into how to go from an idea to an invention. In the special showcase “Hot Spots of Invention,” learn how ideas take shape when the right mix of creative people, resources and inspiring surroundings come together. As World War II loomed, three laboratories at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, headed by innovators Harold Edgerton, Charles Stark Draper and Lee DuBridge, helped transform Cambridge, Massachusetts, into a dynamic place of invention.

“Science in American Life” From genetics to the atomic bomb, this exhibition examines the ever-increasing role of science in U.S. society. Be sure to check out the robotic vehicle called “Stanley,” the 2005 winner of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge race.

“Bon Appétit! Julia Child’s Kitchen at the Smithsonian” This exhibition displays the entire contents of Julia Child’s kitchen—everything down to the gadgets she kept in the drawers and cabinets, as well as her copper pots and pans, appliances—even the kitchen sink.

Smithsonian Libraries Exhibition Gallery “Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn” (June 14-Fall, 2011). Although today pop-up books are found in the children’s book section, the earliest movable books were tools to educate and document such complexities as the calendar, the moon’s movements, or the inner workings of the human heart. See pop-up books dating from the year 1570 to the present.

Second Floor East
American Ideals

“The Albert H. Small Documents Gallery” presents rotating displays of important documents that tell the American story. In “Cosmos in Miniature: The Remarkable Star Map of Simeon De Witt” (May 28-Aug. 20), see star-finding maps rendered by Simeon De Witt, the geographer and surveyor general of the Continental Army, and explore three astrolabes, one dating to as early as 1450. Look for upcoming exhibits on composer Clotilde Arias and on a nine-volume set of diaries kept between 1861 and 1868 by William Steinway, a scion of the piano-making dynasty Steinway & Sons.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Gallery

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is scheduled to open on the Mall in 2015. Until then, find the museum’s exhibitions on the second floor of the American History Museum.

“Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment” (April 23-Aug 29). Celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Apollo, the landmark theater in Harlem where James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald and the Supremes performed. Learn the story of its rise from a segregated burlesque hall, through vintage costumes, classic recordings and colorful images in the exhibition.

“The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey—Where Art and History Intersect” (Oct. 15-May 1, 2011). Rare slave holder documents, books, sculptures, manuscripts, photography and paintings by such renowned artists as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Artis Lane, Jacob Lawrence and Henry O. Tanner spotlight moments in African-American history.

Second Floor West
American Lives

“The First Ladies at the Smithsonian” Explore the first ladies collection and see a selection of gowns and personal items in two galleries. In the new annex, “A First Ladies Debut,” see 11 gowns worn by first ladies from the 1950s to the present. The most recent addition is the white-silk chiffon inaugural gown worn by first lady Michelle Obama in 2009. The dress, designed by Jason Wu, is on view with a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, the diamond earrings, a 10-carat diamond ring and a set of diamond bangle bracelets that Obama wore.

“Communities in a Changing Nation: The Promise of 19th-Century America” Discover 1800s America through the experiences of three different communities—the industrial workers and managers in Bridgeport, Connecticut; Jewish immigrants in Cincinnati, Ohio; and slaves and free African-Americans in Charleston, South Carolina.

“Within These Walls” Follow the saga of five families who lived in one house over a period of 200 years. Sixteen Elm Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts, was once home to a laundress, a slave, an abolitionist and a soldier. Study methods of 18th-century house construction and various periods of home furnishings. Learn how to look for clues to the history of your own home.

Third Floor East
American Wars and Politics

“Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life” (through spring 2011). The life and legacy of the 16th president is brought to light in a re-examination of the museum’s unique and unparalleled collection of Lincoln artifacts and memorabilia. The entrance is in a gallery at the center of the museum.

“The Price of Freedom: Americans at War” The history of the U.S. military from the Colonial era to the present is surveyed. Among the objects are one of the few Revolutionary War uniforms in existence; Clara Barton’s Northern pass; a restored “Huey” helicopter used during the Vietnam War; and Gen. Colin Powell’s Operation Desert Storm fatigues.

“Gunboat Philadelphia” The vessel saw battle in October of 1776 when it was sunk by the British in Lake Champlain. In 1935, Philadelphia was recovered with much of its equipment intact, along with the 24-pound cannonball that sent the gunboat to the bottom of the lake. Today, it is the oldest American fighting vessel in existence. Recent exhibit additions include historical film footage from 1935 depicting the raising of the ship and a display of artifacts that were recovered at the site, as well as the crew’s payroll.

“The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden” More than 400 objects, including national treasures from the Smithsonian’s vast presidential collections, bring to life the role of the president—the personal, public, ceremonial and executive actions—in American culture.

Third Floor West
Entertainment, Sports, and Music

“The Miniature World of Faith Bradford: The Dolls’ House” Donated to the Smithsonian in 1951 after its original owner Faith Bradford spent more than a half-century collecting and building its furnishings, the house is inhabited by Peter Doll, his wife, Rose Washington Doll, and their ten children.

“National Treasures of Popular Culture” This small gallery rotates selections of much-loved artifacts such as the Ruby Slippers that Judy Garland wore as Dorothy, the jacket Henry Winkler donned as Fonzie and Jim Henson’s Kermit the Frog. Explore the major roles music, sports and entertainment play in defining American culture to the nation and the world.

“Holidays on Display” (Nov. 13, 2009-Sept. 30, 2010). For many Americans, the holidays meant a trip to view the enchanting scenes in the street-level windows of the local department store. This display examines the art, industry and history of the store displays from the 1920s to the 1960s.

“Hall of Musical Instruments” A feast of string instruments, including the Smithsonian’s world-famous Stradivarius quartet of ornamented instruments.

Stores Galore

Popular Culture Store
Located near the National Mall entrance, the store has an assortment of exclusive Smithsonian mementos, including toys, CDs, T-shirts and other gifts.

Main Museum Store
In the museum’s flagship store, on the first floor, choose from apparel, gifts, jewelry and a large selection of books. Shop the offerings in: Teddy Bears and Toys, Historic Newspapers, American Music and Traditions, Jewelry, Politics and Presidents and Star-Spangled Banner Gifts.

Price of Freedom Store
This store, located in the East Wing on the third floor, highlights leaders of the United States during wartime and offers military-inspired books, gifts, apparel, personalized dog tags, reproduction historic documents and other mementos.

Fun for students: goSmithsonian.com/SIConnections

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