My Stress-Free Guide to the National Museum of American History

The National Museum of American History in Washington D.C., is considered one of the top museums in the country. With all the history America has seen in its relatively short existence, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and mentally exhausted if you don’t go in with some plan.

I visited in the spring of 2022 for the first time as an adult expecting to spend 2-3 hours in the museum. Four hours later, I had more than my fill of American history and was glad we didn’t have any other museums to visit that day.

Here’s my stress-free guide to the National Museum of American History to help you save time and effort planning. This is by no means an exhaustive guide. The National Museum of American History is huge and exhibits change frequently. Rather, my guide is a review of those exhibits I was able to see and whether I think they’re worth spending your time in them or not. I’ll also provide some helpful tips if you want to make any changes to your visit.

Updated June 2026

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Summary of the National Museum of American History

American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith

American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith is one of the main exhibits of the National Museum of American History. This extensive exhibit details the history of America from its start as a nation in Philadelphia and how it has evolved over the years.

The exhibit covers a range of topics including the founding of America, America’s election process, and how its citizens play a pivotal role in shaping our democracy. Some of my favorite things on display were the desk Thomas Jefferson used when he wrote the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln’s inkstand from when he drafted the Emancipation Proclamation, a collection of signs showcasing our right to peaceful protest, and a collection of presidential campaigning memorabilia.

American Democracy is one of the two most important exhibits in the National Museum of American History. Without many of the historical artifacts here, there’s a good chance America wouldn’t even exist, at least not as we know it today. It’s an educational and engaging romp through our nation’s 250 years on this planet.

The Star-Spangled Banner

This is not the first American flag, but it is one of the most historically significant. The massive 30-x-34-foot flag seen in this exhibit is the original flag that survived Britain’s bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. It’s the same flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the poem that would eventually become America’s national anthem when he saw it still waving the morning after the attack.

The Star-Spangled Banner exhibit is relatively small, with the main attraction being the flag spread out in a darkened room to keep it protected. The flag’s history is detailed with other smaller pieces on view throughout the exhibit.

This is considered by many to be one of the best exhibits throughout the National Museum of American History. It certainly is an important part of our nation’s history, but while impressive, for some reason, I was a little underwhelmed.

I’m honestly not sure why because usually something like this is right up my alley. I actually found the supporting collection more interesting.

Regardless, you should definitely check it out. The whole exhibit only takes a few minutes. It’s basically a single-file line, so you have no choice but to keep moving, keeping the visit here brief.

The Price of Freedom: Americans at War

The Price of Freedom contains various collections detailing America’s military history and how that history shaped the nation. In my opinion, this exhibit is the most thorough and interesting one in the entire museum. It features historical objects from all the major conflicts American troops have been a part of, starting with the French and Indian War before our country was founded.

Despite covering each conflict America has been in, several collections take up most of the exhibit. If you know our history, it’s probably fairly easy to guess which ones these are: the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War II, the Vietnam War and the Cold War.

There are so many highlights throughout this exhibit that it’s almost pointless to list them, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try. My favorite objects are the dollhouse poking fun at Thomas Hutchinson (a British colonial governor who, coincidentally, looks nothing like this doll), George Washington’s uniform and scabbard, the chairs Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant sat in to sign the peace treaty ending the Civil War, propaganda posters from World War II, and a restored helicopter from Vietnam (I challenge you to not get chills looking at this while a sound system blasts the repeated thwunk, thwunk, thwunk of a whirring helicopter blade).

It should go without saying, but with American Democracy, this exhibit is the other most important one in the National Museum of American History. It was also my personal favorite. It’s put together well and has enough on display that even those visitors who aren’t interested in military history should find something to keep them engaged.

Which is good, because there is a lot to see here. You’ll want to choose which areas you want to focus on because you’re going to quickly get exhausted if you try to see it all. You should also plan to visit this exhibit either first or second during your time at the National Museum of American History. That way, you’ll be able to take everything in better while you’re still full of energy.

FOOD: Transforming the American Table

The FOOD exhibition was an unexpected delight – and a nice break from all the seriousness of the earlier exhibits. FOOD: Transforming the American Table takes you through the history of food and beverages in America after World War II, including technological advances and how cultural changes influenced what we consume.

In this small collection you can find Julia Child’s kitchen, objects on the history of brewing beer, the evolution of fast food, and the first frozen margarita maker (my personal favorite).

At this point, I had seen everything I wanted to see in the National Museum of American History, and I was starting to get serious museum fatigue. However, I knew Michelle would find this exhibit interesting, so I relented. I’m glad I did because it was a fun addition to our visit. It also wasn’t especially heavy and facts and figures, which make it a nice add-on after you hit the main sights.

Look for the small exhibit featuring promotional posters from the 1920s to the 60s that depict doctors endorsing cigarettes. I found this tiny collection to be an amusing window into how corporations used to – and still do – manipulate us into purchasing their products.

George Washington Sculpture

One of the most prominent objects at the National Museum of American History is this large sculpture of George Washington. It’s not exactly an exhibit, as it’s just the one sculpture, but it is absolutely one of the must-see things in the museum – and it’s practically impossible to miss it.

Besides being impressive to look at due to its size, this sculpture is packed with important symbolism that’s essential to American history.

Prior to America’s founding, it was fairly standard for military generals to use their popularity and power to take control of things for themselves. That changed with George Washington.

Upon America’s defeat of Great Britain in the Revolutionary War, there was real concern that George Washington wouldn’t step aside and would make himself ruler of the new nation. Instead, George Washington simply handed over his resignation and walked away. It was an iconic moment in not just American history but world history.

This sculpture shows George Washington handing over his sword, a symbol of him handing over the power he had over the military, allowing America to start a new democratic tradition that hadn’t been seen in the world up to that point.

Other Exhibits to See at the National Museum of American History

Many Voices, One Nation

The Many Voices, One Nation exhibit tells the story of America’s peoples. It includes objects showcasing the many different cultures and ethnicities that make up our nation to create our shared history – both the good and bad facets of it.

The concept of Many Voices, One Nation is a good one. It’s a story that needs to be told, with particular emphasis on how certain cultures have not been given the same promise of opportunity in America. Yet despite that, I simply didn’t find many of the objects to be very memorable.

The only piece in the collection that stuck with me was the Statue of Liberty as a migrant worker. Head in and make your way to this statue to ponder it’s meaning before moving on to the next stop.

Within These Walls

Within These Walls was the first exhibit we visited in the National Museum of American History. It also happens to have the largest object in the whole museum, which isn’t all that surprising considering it’s a 2.5-story house.

The exhibit tells the story of five different American families who lived in this house from the colonial period to World War II. It has objects along the exterior walls describing their lives as colonists, revolutionaries, abolitionists, Irish immigrants and, finally, wartime Americans. The house itself has rooms designed to appear as they would have at various times throughout its history.

We only spent 5-10 minutes in this exhibit. I found some of the objects interesting, particularly those from the Revolutionary and anti-slavery periods. The house itself didn’t do much for me, though.

If you have a few minutes, check it out. If not, skip ahead to the next exhibit.

The First Ladies

The First Ladies showcases memorabilia from America’s 47-and-counting presidential spouses. There are various objects on display, but the things everyone comes to see are the inauguration gowns. On view are gowns from each presidential election all the way back to Martha Washington’s.

If you like fashion history, you’ll enjoy The First Ladies. Otherwise, the whole exhibit was a bit dull. It was a bit interesting seeing how the gowns changed over the years, but I easily could have skipped it.

The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden

When we think of the president, it’s fairly clear to us what that person’s role is in American politics. However, that hasn’t always been the case, especially when the Founders first established the position. There was a lot of ambiguity about the presidency that has changed over the course of America’s history.

Things as simple as how the president should be addressed was a matter of uncertainty. The American Presidency tells the story of what being the president of America actually entailed, from mundane matters to the more consequential.

Even though I find the evolution of the presidency interesting, this exhibit didn’t catch my attention. It may have been mid-day exhaustion, but it just didn’t click with me.

America on the Move

America on the Move shows how the evolution of transportation shaped America from 1876 to 1999. The collections also explain our relationship with the vehicles that literally and figuratively connected our nation.

You can view a locomotive built in 1876 for the Santa Cruz Railroad, the first car driven across the nation in 1903 and an original 1926 Model T Roadster, among many other similar pieces.

Unless you really like this topic, you can skip America on the Move. While mildly interesting, none of the objects on display were especially unique. Still, you can pretty quickly walk through this exhibit if you at least want to check it out.

Entertainment Nation

Unfortunately, Entertainment Nation was closed during our visit. So, while it sounds very interesting for fans of pop culture, I can’t offer an opinion on whether it’s a must-see exhibit or not.

Personally, I was very disappointed that we missed it!

Two Tips for Visiting the National Museum of American History

What I would Do with Another Visit to the National Museum of American History

Here are a couple things I would do differently with a second visit to the National Museum of American History.

First, I would visit The Price of Freedom as soon as I entered. There is so much to see that it’s best to do it with a fresh mind.

Second, I would skip both The American Presidency and The First Ladies. There just isn’t enough in either exhibit to really make it worthwhile when there are better things to spend your time on. This is especially true if Entertainment Nation had been open when I was there.

Third, I would have spent a little less time in Many Voices, One Nation. As I said, it’s a great concept, but the objects lack the impact they’re meant to have. It was only our second exhibit during our visit, so excitement probably caused us to linger longer than needed.

Frequently Asked Questions About the National Museum of American History

Is there food at the National Museum of American History?

The National Museum of American History has a cafeteria, but based on our experience, I recommend avoiding it at all costs. The food we had was decidedly not good. We ordered from the cold buffet; maybe the made-to-order counter is better.

What else is there to do near the National Museum of American History?

A ton! You’re right in the center of the Smithsonian complex, which means several other museums are in the same vicinity. You may not be in the mood for another large museum after you’re done here, though. If that’s the case, the National Mall is also right around the corner if you’d prefer to leisurely walk around while seeing many of America’s most well-known memorials and monuments.

Are backpacks and outside food and water allowed in the National Museum of American History?

Backpacks are allowed inside the museum, and they offer lockers if you’d like to store your bag or other belongings. Food and beverages are allowed inside the museum but may not be consumed during your visit. They need to be kept in sealed containers inside a backpack or other bag.

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