National Museum of American History

Frommer's Review

If you are planning a trip to Washington before July 2008, this museum will still be closed for renovation. You'll be able to see some 150 objects of the museum's favorite items, like Dorothy's ruby slippers and Abraham Lincoln's top hat, in a special temporary exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum; and another 60 items, including sports memorabilia and a grand piano, at the Smithsonian's American Art Museum. The museum's press office assured me that the American History museum is on track to reopen in summer of 2008, though the exact date was not certain at press time. If you arrive after the reopening, you've got a lot to see.

As a bastion of U.S. culture and history, this museum tells America's story in terms of everyday life, at its most varied and evolving. Its objects can evoke feelings of awe: the desk on which Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence; affection: Dorothy's ruby slippers; or connection: Julia Child's kitchen. And some things here -- the museum's ultimate possession, for example, the huge original Star-Spangled Banner -- evoke all three emotions at once.

So prized is the flag that the museum's just-completed renovation showcases the 30-by-34-foot wool and cotton flag in a multistory gallery with floor-to-ceiling glass windows designed to give visitors a sense of the same "dawn's early light" that Francis Scott Key observed the morning of September 14, 1814, when he spied the flag -- this very flag -- waving above Fort McHenry in Baltimore's harbor, at the height of the War of 1812. Key's emotion at the sight moved him to pen the poem that, when put to music, eventually became the U.S. national anthem.

You'll notice another renovation improvement on the museum's first and second floors: the 10-foot-high "artifact walls" displaying assorted pieces from the museum's three-million-object collection.

Best to start your tour at the new Welcome Center on the second floor, to figure out how you'd like to proceed. In spite of the many and much-needed architectural enhancements, like the new skylight and grand staircase, you'll find that quite a bit of the prerenovation museum's attractions remain.

On the third floor lies the exhibit The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden, which explores the power and meaning of the presidency by studying those who have held the position. (There's a gift shop just for this exhibit on this floor.) Continue on this floor to the exhibit The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, which examines major American military events and explores the idea that America's armed forces reflect American society. Among the items on display here are George Washington's commission from Congress as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, and the uniform jacket that Andrew Jackson wore during the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812.

One of the most popular exhibits on the second floor is First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image, which displays the first ladies' gowns and tells you a bit about each of these women. Following that, find the exhibit called Within These Walls . . . , which interprets the rich history of America by tracing the lives of the people who lived in this 200-year-old house, transplanted from Ipswich, Massachusetts. If this personal approach to history appeals to you, continue on to Field to Factory, which tells the story of African-American migration from the South between 1915 and 1940.

First-floor exhibits explore the development of farm and power machinery. A temporary exhibit whose popularity may make it a permanent display is Bon Appétit! Julia Child's Kitchen at the Smithsonian, a presentation of the famous chef's actual kitchen from her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When she moved to California in late 2001, Child donated her kitchen and all that it contained (1,200 items in all) to the museum. Most of these are on display, vegetable peeler to kitchen sink. Also look here for America on the Move, which details the story of transportation in America since 1876: 300 artifacts displayed within period settings.

Inquire at the information desk about highlight tours, films, lectures, concerts, and hands-on activities for children and adults, and be sure to visit the museum's gift shops and dining options, also revamped during the remodeling.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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