With nearly 3 million objects, it’s hard to narrow it down to just 10 Must See Things at the National Museum of American History! We’ve hand-selected our 10 favorite relics that represent American culture. If you’re looking to maximize your time at the museum, we recommend hitting these highlights during your visit.
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.
This list barely scratches the surface of all of the incredible must see things at the National Museum of American History. The museum is a treasure trove of items that represent and celebrate the American culture. However, if you’re pressed for time, you’ll definitely want to try to check out these must see things at the National Museum of American History.
Table of Contents
10 Must See Things at the National Museum of American History
1. Abraham Lincolns Top Hat
Abraham Lincoln stood a whopping 6’4″ tall and towered over most of his contemporaries. Despite of this, he was known for his love of wearing top hats.
Lincoln added the black silk mourning band in honor of his son Willie who died of typhoid fever in 1862. The last time he wore this hat was the evening of April 14, 1865 when he attended the play Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theater.
It was on that fateful night that he was assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth. After Lincoln’s assassination, the US War Department preserved his hat and other material left at the theater. The hat remained hidden, in storage, until 1893 when the excitement of his death started to die down. Today, the hat is one of the Smithsonian’s most treasured objects.
You can also view his life mask, pocket watch, and a model submitted with a patent application for a devise to make riverboats more buoyant. This item is on most people’s list of must see things at the National Museum of American History.
2. Dorothy's Ruby Slippers from Wizard of Oz
These iconic shoes are recognized world-wide and are one of the most popular objects in the Smithsonian’s collection. They were worn by sixteen-year-old Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. In the original book by L. Frank Baum, the magic slippers were actually silver. The costume designers for the movie chose to change the shoes to ruby red so that they would stand out more against the yellow-brick road.
Although several pairs of shoes were created for the character Dorothy, these seem to be the primary pair used for dance sequences since they are well-worn.
3. A Piece of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that divided the city of Berlin from 1961 until 1989. On November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall came tumbling down to signify the collapse of Communism. Once the wall was torn down, portions of the wall were cut into memorial-size chunks of concrete which were sold in shops and even flea markets.
The piece of the Berlin Wall that is housed in the National Museum of American History was purchased by a Canadian student who purchased it in a Berlin flea market. He then sold the fragment on an Internet auction site.
You might ask, how does a chunk of concrete from Europe qualify as American history? Several Americans were posted at a crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin known as Checkpoint Charlie. The United States played a critical role in bringing Communism to an end and reuniting the German People.
4. The 9/11 Collection
The date September 11, 2001 will forever be engrained in our generation’s memory as one of the most traumatizing events of our lifetime. In the September 11th attacks, four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks were carried out against the United States by the terrorist network al-Qaeda. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. The first two planes were crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third plane barreled into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The final plane was meant to hit another federal building in Washington, DC but it crashed in a field following a passenger revolt.
Items in this collection include pieces of the airplanes used in the attacks, rescuer’s uniforms, Mayor Giuliani’s boots and coat, fragments of the Pentagon and World Trade Center, and much more. The collection is extremely moving and is definitely one of the must see things at the National Museum of American History.
This collection of pieces should be on your list of must see things at the National Museum of American History. They serve as a reminder for those that lost their lives on 9/11.
5. The First Ladies Dresses
The First Ladies exhibition has always been one of my favorites in the museum. Although these relics may seem like they’re just a collection of dresses worn by First Ladies, they actually represent how these women have changed the country in both small and profound ways.
In this collection you’ll silver services and china used by the First Ladies, along with shoes and jewelry worn at Inaugurations. Highlights included Jacqueline Kennedy’s pearl necklace, Mary Lincoln’s purse, and relics from the first Presidency held by Washington.
6. The Gunboat Philadelphia
The Gunboat Philadelphia was constructed in 1776 for service in the Revolutionary War. It was part of a fleet under the command of General Benedict Arnold. The vessel was sunk during battle on October 11, 1776.
Colonel Lorenzo Hagglund raised it out of Lake Champlain in 1935. Hagglund left the boat to his museum in his will.
Believe it or not, the boat was installed on the east side of the third floor of the museum before the exterior wall was put in place.
7. George Washington's Uniform
A uniform consisting of a coat, waistcoat, and knee breeches belonging to George Washington is another one of the must see things in the National Museum of American History. The uniform was worn by George Washington from 1789 until his death in 1799.
The clothes date from the Revolutionary Period and were often worn by Washington as he posed for life portraits.
The uniform has been in the Smithsonian’s possession since 1883 and has been on display almost continuously, since. It was taken off exhibit during World War II, along with other artifacts, for safekeeping.
Other relics from the OG George W. include his battle sword, flintlock pistol, a camp chest, and a chair that sat by his bed.
8. Thomas Jefferson's Desk
In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on this portable desk of his own design. The desk features a hinged writing board and a lockable drawer for pens, inkwell, and paper.
Jefferson used this desk throughout his life as a revolutionary patriot, American diplomat, and President of the United States.
Jefferson gifted the writing desk to his granddaughter, Eleanora Randolph Coolidge as a wedding gift. The desk remained in the Coolidge family until 1880.
The other object pictured (on the left) is George Washington’s document box which he used to store documents during the Constitutional Convention.
These objects can be found in the “American Democracy” gallery on the west wing of the second floor.
9. The Star-Spangled Banner Flag
One of the greatest treasures in the museum is the original Star-Spangled Banner. The flag measures 30 feet tall and 34 feet long and was commissioned for Fort McHenry. The flag bears 15 stars and 15 stripes.
The flag inspired Francis Scott Key to write a poem he originally called, “Defence of Fort M’Henry” as he watched the Battle of Fort McHenry from an enemy ship in the bay.
The poem was later set to the tune of a song and became our National Anthem. It located in the center of the second floor and is definitely one of the must see things in the National Museum of American History.
10. The Presidential Football
The nuclear football, known as the Presidential Football, is a briefcase that holds the contents/codes that are used by the president of the United States to authorize a nuclear attack if they are away from one of the fixed command centers.
The nuclear football is required to be near the president at all times. It is typically held by an aid. There have been a handful of occasions when a president has been separated from the aid manning the “football”. Presidents Ford, Carter, H.W. Bush, and Clinton have all reportedly been separated from this critical case.
In fact, President Clinton reportedly lost the nuclear codes for several months- without even knowing it! His aid always claimed to have the codes on hand, but in fact had lost them. This wasn’t discovered until it was time to replace the codes.
After this event, it became mandated that the Defense Department would need to physically see the codes, rather than taking someone’s word for it.
Plan Your Visit to See the 10 Must See Things at the National Museum of American History
The museum is open every day of the year with the exception of Christmas. The typical hours are from 10 am until 5:30 pm.
The museum is located on the National Mall at Constitution Avenue, N.W., between 12th and 14th Streets in Washington, DC.
The museum entrances are located on Constitution Avenue on the first floor, and Madison Drive (National Mall) on the second floor.
The nearest Metro stop to the museum is Federal Triangle.
What is there to do Nearby?
- The White House
- White House Visitor’s Center
- Ford’s Theatre
- National Children’s Museum
- National Archives Museum
- National Portrait Gallery
- National Museum of African American History
- Museum of Natural History
- National Gallery of Art
- National Museum of the American Indian
- Library of Congress
- National Air and Space Museum
- US Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Washington Monument
- World War II Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
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Visiting the National Museum of American History will definitely be one of the highlights of your trip to DC! Be sure to check out our family-friendly 4 Day Washington DC Itinerary and our Ultimate Guide to the National Mall and Beyond to help you plan your trip. We’ll also show you how to score a tour of the White House.
5 replies on “10 Must See Things at the National Museum of American History”
Hello! Found your blog in our weekly “NMAH in the News” email from our Public Affairs office. Thank you for picking among our tens of thousands of objects on display. I wanted to note, though, that the Thomas Jefferson portable desk (item 8) is near the entry to American Democracy gallery on the second floor (west wing) while Lincoln’s top hat is in the third floor center gallery, American Presidency.
Continue having fun—your children are very lucky to have you two as loving and advenurous parents. =)
Thank you for the corrections. I greatly appreciate it, along with the comment. 😊
You are very welcome, though I’m not usually one of those people who shout “Someone’s wrong on the internet! I must away to my keyboard!” O_o
Looking through your postings put me in mind of when our two were wee ones and the travels we’d take. The logistics, too! As I near retirement, I’m looking to travel and create more memories with my sweet wife. Keep on traveling, and thank you for sharing with the world.
I’m trying to plan a route through the museum, and can’t find the locations for the piece of the Berlin Wall, the 9/11 Collection, or the President’s football. Could you provide more information?
The collection is often rotated out, it’s quite possible some of the items are not currently on display. Your best bet would be to go to the National Museum of American History’s website and type in the items to see if they are available during your visit.