The DC Traveler

I toured the National Museum of American History, the weekend in December after it re-opened after a two year, $85 million renovation.

The highlight of any visit is expected to be The Star Spangled Banner exhibit, housing the flag that flew over Baltimore’s Fort McHenry in 1814, after a crucial victory over English forces during the War of 1812.  The site of the flag inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became the song, The National Anthem.

The old flag is dimly lit behind a protective wall of glass and the adjoining gallery tells its unique and colorful history, including that pieces of the flag were actually given away as mementos or sold from time to time.

While many of the upgrades were behind the scenes, such as a new visitor’s center, additional rest rooms, and a large cafe, the items on display are not to be missed.  The museum’s collection consists of about 3 million objects, and at any time, about 150,000 to 240,000 pieces of the collection are on public display in the museum’s 200,000 square feet (18,580 m²) of display area.

There’s so much at the museum, that you can’t simply walk through quickly, as many artifacts spark the interest of young and old alike.

The comprehensive exhibits The American Presidency and The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, complete with a Vietnam-era helicopter, are both very well done.  Plus, there’;s lots to keep young children interested, with hands-on displays and lots of kids zones.

Three exhibits sparked personal memories for me. The first, as someone who loves to cook and who learned about gourmet cooking from watching Julia Child’s The French Chef on Public Television, seeing her personal kitchen was an enjoyable moment. 

Additionally, the Dumbo the Flying Elephant car exhibit, from the original Disneyland ride in California, brought back memories of my visit as a child.  

The third was the full sized Chicago “El” subway train car, complete with the sounds of the ride and announcer.  It brought me back to a time when riding the subway from the far north side of the city to the Magnificent Mile was a daily occurrence for me while getting to and from high school. It is housed in the America on the Move section, along with a full-sized locomotive, antique car collection and more.

National Museum of American History
14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. (map it)

Dates and Times - Reopening starting November 21, 2008 - 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (until 7:30 p.m. on 11/21/08)

Admission - FREE

Nearest Metro Subway Station - Federal Triangle and Smithsonian, Blue and Orange lines, then a 2-4 block walk or use the DC Circulator.

Parking - Limited metered street parking is available. 

Images - all from personal collection - ©2008, Jon Rochetti, except The Star Spangled Banner - courtesy of the NMOAH.   _______________________________________________