Company Logo - Home Link

American History Museum in Washington DC

Updated: February 11, 2023

This post is about the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

We cover tickets, hours, exhibits, and other topics to help you plan your visit.

So, let's get started.

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History tackles the monumental task of displaying and preserving the most important pieces of American history and culture since this country’s birth.


HOW TO GET HERE

The American History Museum is located on the National Mall at Constitution Ave and 14th St NW.

The closest metro stop is Federal Triangle, which has the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.

After exiting the metro, take a right down 12th St NW, cross Constitution Ave NW, then walk to the right until you reach the entrance located on Constitution Ave, between 12th and 14th St NW.

There is also an entrance on the Madison Dr. NW side of the building, but generally, the Constitution Ave entrance has a shorter line.


Parking Nearby

Street parking is very limited in the area, so be sure to budget some time to find a spot.

There are free parking spaces open to the public on Jefferson and Madison Drive, but the competition for these is fierce.

A lot of the on-street parking is limited to 2 or 3 hours, so check nearby signs before you leave your vehicle.

The National Museum of American History has partnered with SpotHero to help visitors easily find and reserve parking spots in the area.

Use their website to view all of the available parking facilities and find cheap deals!


Do I need a ticket to the American History Museum?

Like all Smithsonian Institutions, it is free and unticketed to visit the American History Museum.

This is good because you get access to one of the top museums in the country free of charge.

However, there’s no way to guarantee an entrance time and the museum will often get crowded in the spring and summer.

If you’re visiting in the busy season, it’s best to get there around 10 am when the museum opens.


Security

The museum does have a light security check at all entrances. Visitors are required to walk through a metal detector and have their bags manually checked by a security guard if further inspection is needed.

There are no weapons or sharp objects, such as scissors, allowed inside. You also may not use a tripod or a selfie-stick in the museum.

While you can bring outside food or drink into the museum, there are no places inside where you are allowed to eat or drink it.

There are two cafes where you can buy a snack or coffee. Once inside, there are a limited number of lockers that you can store things in if you wish at no charge.


Hours of Operation

  • Open Daily 10am-530pm
  • Between March and September, the museum does sometimes stay open two hours later (until 7:30 pm) to accommodate visitors. For a full calendar of the museum’s extended hours, please visit their website here (http://americanhistory.si.edu/visit/hours)

 


How Much Time Do You Need

This museum is large enough that it would probably take weeks to thoroughly visit all of the exhibitions.

For this reason, we suggest that you pick a few exhibitions that interest you (our favorites are below!) and set out to visit those first.

It’s a good idea to plan on spending at least an hour in the museum.


Highlights of the American History Museum

Since this museum tries to cover all American History and culture, many guests can feel overwhelmed when deciding which exhibitions to visit.

Luckily, for this same reason, there really is something to interest everyone in the museum.

Here is a full list of exhibitions (http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions), and we’ve listed some of our favorites below.

Please note that the museum does sometimes close exhibitions or remove objections for preservation work.


The Star-Spangled Banner

One of the greatest treasures in the museum, and arguably in the country, is the original Star-Spangled Banner.

The flag is 30 feet tall and 34 feet long and was commissioned for Fort McHenry from Baltimore flagmaker Mary Young Pickersgill.

521px-Fort_McHenry_flag

The 15 star-15 stripe-flag inspired Francis Scott Key, who watched the Battle of Fort McHenry from an enemy ship in the bay, to write a poem he originally called “Defence of Fort M’Henry”.

Later it was set to the tune of a British song and became our national anthem.

The flag is housed in a special climate-controlled display case and surrounded by an exhibition with more details on the Battle of Fort McHenry and the flag’s creation.

It is located in the center of the second floor.


The First Ladies

This exhibition explores the different contributions that America’s First Ladies have made to their country over the years.

The First Ladies Exhibit

Although they were seen as merely accessories to the President in the past, First Ladies have changed the country in ways both small and profound.

There is also an incredible collection of more than 25 gowns worn by First Ladies spanning over 100 years.

It is located in the center of the third floor.


Ruby Red Slippers from Wizard of Oz

The most popular objects by far are Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz.

Dorthy's Ruby Red Slippers American History Museum

This collection is on the west wing of the third floor.

Entertainment Nation

This newest exhibit just opened in December 2022 and highlights influential cultural figures. Artifacts here can rotate and change frequently but this will often have the most contemporary objects on display.

You can see artifacts from Star Wars and Marvel movies, beloved children's TV shows like Sesame Street and Mister Roger's Neighborhood, sports equipment used by legends like Muhammad Ali and Althea Gibson, musical instruments, costumes, and more.

America on the Move

For transportation enthusiasts, you can see an original old DC streetcar.

American Democracy

You can see Thomas Jefferson's writing desk and George Washington's document box for storing documents during the Constitutional Convention, plus cool campaign trinkets from the 1800s to today.

The American Presidency Exhibit - this is where President Abraham Lincoln's hat is!

This museum is also the home to Julia Child's Kitchen.


Related Posts:

About The Author

Canden Arciniega

Follow On Instagram | I'm a historian & tour guide in Washington DC with 4 published books about the city. I have written for HuffPost Travel and have been featured in the Washington Post, WTOP, and numerous other DC papers. I've also been interviewed by the BBC, NPR, Travel Channel and Discovery Family Channel. I am the producer of the podcast, Tour Guide Tell All. I am an authority on D.C. history, and have led tours in the city since 2011. I currently resides in DC, but have also lived in London and South Korea, and have traveled to over 28 countries and every US State but Hawaii. I homeschool my 2 children by exploring the plethora of museums in DC. Read More...
Updated: February 11th, 2023
Back to Top
cross