January 2008
The Museum of American History
Old Glory and So Much More
By Gina Hagler
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History at the National Mall reopened in late November after a two-year revitalization project. The museum is brighter, lighter, more open and more inviting, with plenty of open space and sunlight in the new atrium and throughout the building. Begin your visit at the Welcome Center, located on the second floor by the National Mall entrance, which has brochures with the museum floor plans and specifics about the programs of the day. My kids and I visited recently and found more than enough to occupy all of us for hours.
On the Move
Our first stop was the “America on the Move” exhibit on the first floor. There was a family activity guide, printed in both English and Spanish, and monitors with printed material in French, Spanish, German and Japanese. There was also an exhibit map, called a TripTix, that my third grader enjoyed using to find her way around. The exhibit begins in 1900 when goods were moved by horse-drawn vehicles. We then made our way through travel by ship, rail, car and freighter. There were plenty of interactive displays for middle-grade kids, and the boxes and crates that were part of the exhibit beg for younger kids to open and peek inside. Signs and video clips from the History Channel told the story for high-school kids and adults. We spent nearly an hour before moving on to the “Power Machinery” and “Lighting a Revolution” exhibits.
Invention at Play
My two older kids enjoyed these exhibits. My sixth grader was captivated by all the models the toaster went through before it became the toaster we know today. My high-school senior enjoyed the various versions of generators and street lamps. They both were interested in the old elevator on display. My third-grade daughter wanted more action so when we finished up, she led the way to “Invention at Play.” This area is truly interactive, with pinwheels for experimentation, a center where kids can pretend to be windsurfing and a tilting table as a base for a tower you build – if you can. Her older brothers joined her at a few of the activities but they were more suited to kids her age.
Gunboat Philadelphia
From there, my oldest led the way to the “Gunboat Philadelphia” exhibit on the third floor. The exhibit wasn’t open yet, but we could see the hull of the Philadelphia, as well as information about what it took to recover the ship – the only surviving gunboat manned by American forces during the Revolutionary War – from the bottom of Lake Champlain. Some docents carrying muskets from that period told the kids about how they worked.
Old Glory
My middle child took us down to see Old Glory – the original flag that flew over Fort McHenry in 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner. Old Glory itself is safely behind glass, but the exhibit had an interesting interactive display, which consisted of a photographic image of the flag projected on a smooth surface. Information relating to the flag and the materials used to make it opened when you touched the icons that were also projected. My kids were delighted to find they could place their hands on the photographic display and, if they stayed still long enough, a circle with directional arrows would form around it. They could then move their hands, causing the entire display move along with them. By doing this, they could get a closer look at various portions of the photographic image of Old Glory, along with the text boxes that told about that portion of the flag. In this way they discovered that the stars were made of cotton and the area beneath the stars was made of wool.
Kids’ Activities
There are many kid-specific activities at the National Museum of American History. You’ll find interactive crafts on carts throughout the museum. The Spark!Lab on the first floor has speakers and inventors, as well as experiments and materials for your own inventors to try. The Historic Theatre shows take place four times a day. (Check at the Welcome Center for locations.) “Invention at Play” gives kids experience with the building blocks of invention – curiosity, imagination, visual thinking, model building and problem solving. If all of that is not just right, there are also live performances of popular American songs. You can check at the Welcome Center for those locations, too. The museum also has activities for kids to do at home. Go to americanhistory.si.edu/kids to sign up for the e-mail newsletter and receive monthly bulletins that reflect your interests. You can also check out the activities for kids at the museum and at home, along with OurStory in History, fun facts and the timeline while you’re there.
All the Rest
For us, no trip is complete without a visit to the bathroom, restaurant and gift shop.
There were several family restrooms with more than enough room for a stroller, and the electric hand dryers were awesome and definitely worth a try. The restaurant hadn’t opened yet, but there is a cafeteria. However, we were very disappointed to get to the lower level and discover sandwiches for $9 and bottles of soda for $3. We opted for two bottles of soda and two bags of chips for $10. The main gift shop was far more reasonable with clear sight lines so I could keep track of my kids and many items were priced below their $5 limit. There were also smaller gift shops throughout the museum.
Things to know before you visit the National Museum of American History
Location: On the National Mall, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue.
Hours: Daily except December 25, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Parking: There is no public parking facility at the National Mall.
Metro: Federal Triangle and Smithsonian stations, on the Blue and Orange lines.
Cost: Free.
Website: americanhistory.si.edu.