I am always amazed with the many museums that constitute the Smithsonian. The American Museum of American history does not disappoint. In my mind, I tend to believe I am familiar with American history and realize how little I know when I arrive at this museum.

Many of the exhibits are closed which is a bummer. The exhibits that are open are great. Get an early timed entry pass because they close early and it is not a close like those inside can continue to look but rather you are able to leave on the hour. We only saw about half of the open exhibits which worked out for us as the kids were done but if you really want to take your time and see everything you will want to go early.

Cool place. I went there for the first time and there were many interesting facts. Recommend

This is one of the more “fun” museums, especially for kids, with its pop culture displays and areas on technology, inventions, and presidents. Getting to see the Star Spangled Banner is especially meaningful and they’ve done a lovely job displaying it. It would be more enjoyable though if some of the guards weren’t so hyper-vigilant. Nothing annoys me more than guards that purposefully follow us around just because we have children, and offer completely unnecessary warnings about not touching rails around exhibits or pointing at exhibits because “an alarm might go off,” despite the fact that we weren’t doing anything wrong and our hands were well outside of exhibits. It’s quite the turn off when you’re trying to spend an enjoyable and educational day out with your kids to feel like you’re being watched and followed and my children were afraid to go near anything after that for fear of being scolded.

The history museum is pretty cool. This place is huge and has everything. You can learn about food and travel all in the same wing. There is so much to see and learn so make sure you give yourself a few hours to do it all. If not, then you can always return. Tickets are free.

This museum has alot of modern treasures, Dorothys Red Shies, Dumbo, Fonzys Leather Jacket, Kermit the Frog and so much more than just those. You could spend days in the museum.

The Smithsonian Museum of American History is always a fan favorite. Make sure to get your entry pass in advance online. The amount of people inside is strictly controlled, but in an effort to keep everyone safe. Love it!

A decent museum thats tries to pack a lot into a little room. Some exhibits can definitely be organized a bit better (girlhood) and others can be expounded more upon (slavery). Interesting views for sure, and worth a look at none the less.

Very fun and interesting. Plenty of exhibits/plaques to learn from. On a scale of tmi (too much info) to tli (too little info), this place is definitely a jei (just enough info).

Half of it is closed and the rest of the exhibits were unimpressive. The part my wife liked the best was the first ladies inaugural gowns. We completed it in under 2 hours mainly because we left each hall after being bored by what we saw.

As many other reviewers have already stated, this is a truly amazing place to visit and to properly enjoy will take an entire day or longer. Those with small children will find this place a challenge to enjoy to the fullest depending on the patience of your child. I would strongly recommend eating prior to visiting as the cafeteria is extremely expensive, a family of 4 will cost you $70+ to eat here.

Great museum with a lot of really interesting exhibits. Definitely worth a trip.

I liked this place before the renovation and like it even more now. They also have staff that run educational booths in different parts of the facility. There is a kids play area as well that is a nice break for the kids.

Lots of history of America I had no clue about. Amazing.

This museum was extremely fascinating. Seeing the flag that the national anthem was written to was extremely moving for me. The gowns of the first ladies on inauguration night was also fascinating to see along with there China sets. There was a ton of great information and things to see at this museum. Highly recommend visiting.

Lots of reading. Tons of information, and although enlightening and interesting for an adult, this museum isn’t one of the more child-friendly ones in the national mall.You could easily spend a full day in here, reading all the information. Personal opinion- I’d start on the third floor and work my way down. The best stuff is up there and the (imho) less interesting stuff is on the bottom floor.

The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is the original Star-Spangled Banner. The museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution and located on the National Mall at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.The museum opened in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology. It was one of the last structures designed by the renowned architectural firm McKim Mead & White. In 1980, the museum was renamed the National Museum of American History to represent its mission of the collection, care, study, and interpretation of objects that reflect the experience of the American people.In May 2012, John Gray became the new director. He retired from the post in May 2018 and was succeeded by Anthea M. Hartig who was previously chief executive of the California Historical Society.

There are heaps of reviews here and it’s quite popular I really don’t need to make a review but what the heck one more can’t hurt. It’s awesome to be able to see the monuments and museums at the nations capital so if you have some time go check them out!!It was major fun checking out the American history and looking at the different things I remember as a child or things my parents had when they were children. The money collection was very neat to see also.Then of course there was a bat mobile I had to take a picture of because who doesn’t like Batman, especially Tim Burton’s depiction of him with Michael Keaton as the face of Batman.

Great museum! I was not bored during my time here. The museum was mainly focused on pop culture and trends in America. If you are looking for a more historic museum, this is not for you. Highly recommend this museum. One of my all time favorites!

A great place. You can spend a week here and still now see everything. The kids enjoyed it also but there is a lot of reading that gets boring for them. We had lunch and it was very expensive. A must see place.

This is likely one of my favorite Smithsonian museums in the area. there is so much to do here and to learn. they have a variety of exhibits on all sorts of information pertaining to American history. perhaps I enjoy it so much because Im passionate about it, but I highly encourage you to experience it for yourself. Quite interesting if I do say so myself.

We could have spent DAYS going through all of the museum halls and displays. What an interesting place where you can see everything from Lincolns top hat the night he was assassinated to Dorothys ruby red slippers. A one of a kind place!!

Antique collections of arts and artifacts can be seen at this museum. It describes the advancement of technology over the period of time. The development in technology has been tremendous over the ages and can be seen in the museum.

The Star Spangled Banner and the First Ladies exhibits made up for what I felt was a somewhat meh experience.The exhibits are thematically weak, and they did not flow well. The level of detail is shallow, so you get a taste of the story but not the meal you expect.

It was very large, I was only able to go to 1 floor since I didnt get there until after 2 and their is so much to see. Several exhibits were closed for renovations and the cafeteria in the basement was closed by 2:30 even though it said it was open until 3. I enjoyed the gift store, its hard to find patches now a days but I found several different types!It wasnt what I expected and I wish I would have had more time it was very spread out over 3 floors and their displays must rotate since they have so much, so some of the things Id hoped to see werent there.

I loved this place. You will get to know many things about the American history at the end of the visit. Get ready to spend at least few hours in this place. It was a pleasant visit for us. The staff is very friendly. They do have washroom facility in all the floors. One of the must visit in Washington DC; you will really like it.

Learn the American history in just a few hours...and feel the American Dream! Impressive !!!

Its grandiose. The First Ladys section is one of the most visited. We have such amazing history. This place is for all ages, there is something for everyone. Go with ample time. It is 3 floors of history to look at and read about. Plus there is usually a line to get in. Well worth the time.

This is my first visit to DC so I chose to visit the museum first. It definitely did not disappoint! There are 4 floors, so there is quite a bit of walking, but it is well worth it. It’s very nostalgic and entertaining. Admission is free, the staff is very helpful, and there are interactive exhibits and shows. It’s fun for all ages.

Love this museum! Lived in DC for 20 years and I went once a year and still adore this museum today! Exhibits are rotating, but make sure to get here early as the street parking is a difficult situation. I understand why parking is only 3 hours on the mall but you may want to park in a garage for more time to visit the museum since it is so big!

Very interesting museum with a lot of contents to read and see! Too bad it opens at 11am and closes at 4pm, impossible to go through all the exhibitions. Dont forget to book your pass online!

There was a line to get in but we did go on a busy Saturday. Was unable to find a parking garage but was able to find regular street parking after circling around for 10 minutes. You have to renew the parking ticket every 2 hours, which is annoying if you are trying to get into a busy museum ( Stand in line for over an hour so that by the time you get in you have to go back out to get another parking ticket). I would definitely recommend being prepared and knowing where the parking garage has or other parking options are that do not limit you in such a way. And you will have to be able to parallel park.

A lot was closed due to the pandemic. I love history and this place makes me feel like I did learning about our country in school.

The amount of history in the museum is simply astonishing. They have the Hope diamond, the hat Lincoln was wearing when he was assassinated, a military jacket from George Washington and so much more. This combined with the fact that it’s completely free to visit make it a must visit if you’re in DC. This place is truly a national treasure.

That wasn’t what I expected. I thought that would be boring history so I was wrong. The museum displayed products like cookie boxes, radios, telephones, jackets, advertising, transportation and money. That brought me back to memory. On the first floor, it has two playrooms for different group of ages. This museum is big. I haven’t finished and haven’t seen the third floor. The museum was closed at 5:30.

So much history, so much learning and so little time. I learn more at the Smithsonian National Museums than i ever did while in school and college. There is something for literally everyone to learn whether youre a space enthusiast or a natural history buff to the occasional browser of American history and natural history, you not cant go wrong here.

Cant say enough. The place is huge, amazing and worth the time to explore. The facts and stories are so vital to understanding where we came from to this point. The artifacts and displays are impressive. Anyone of any age can find something that interests them. There is a whole steam locomotive and countless other amazing items. Will visit again for sure.

I place it firmly in my top 5 greatest places Ive been to. Very well designed to flow fluidly through the entire museum and it seems, as if, I may have been able to view every exhibit on display. The ONLY negative is the price of food and drink, but Im not complaining too much because theres no admission fee to the museum. Just an amazing place.

This is an okay museum. Very crowded with school groups and probably more targeted to that demographic. Exhibits cover a lot. Some were better than others.

A decent museum, nice to walk through. Sonewhat expected more history or facts and to see more collections. Over all great presentation and engaging for kids too.

I highly recommend coming to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This museum is fantastic if you have young children. My kids loved nearly all of the exhibits, especially the transportation, money and innovation exhibits. The food was a little pricey. However the quality was very good. My family and I saw a 3D movie about the National Park Service. It was very picturesque in 3D.

With just a few hours in the D.C. area before heading out, had to check out the exhibit, The American Revolution: a World War (and buy the book), after seeing a traveling version of the Hamilton musical and now reading the biography. What an amazing story. Why doesnt this man have his own monument?! Or does he? I guess having a musical based on a biography about his life and a renewed interest in his amazing contributions to these United States is the next best thing. Maybe even better.

Interesting and eclectic mix of American history and culture. You can see the Ruby Slippers worn in Wizard of Oz. Dont skip the First Ladies exhibit. The Lunch Counter is located in Unity Square. Kind of hidden, but worth stopping by.

Awesome museum. Highly suggest visiting if you actually like the USA and its history. Lots of exhibits and all of the interactive displays work. Newer museum. The cafeteria is okay.

Smaller exhibits, but beautiful castle and grounds. Loved the Moon Garden

You must have at least 2 hours to see the enormous collection inside the National Museum of American History building in Washington, DC. There is something for kids and adults, from the Hall of U.S. Presidents, to the history of various wars, to the display of the First Lady’s dresses. In terms of the load of information you will learn, this museum is next to The National Museum of Natural History in my list.Walk along the vast displays inside the museum and see what makes and shapes the U.S. culture.

As a foreign tourist, this is a great start to dive into the basics of US history. Don’t expect too much detail or critical reflection, but it caters to a large crowd. Came here twice as there are many exhibitions worth your time

Awesome museum with all the major American events, brands and inventions represented. Free admittance is also great and its fun to combine with any of the many museum located in the area.

Amazing! The richest collection of Americana on Earth makes for an absolutely full day of tourism or review. You can spend hours on one exhibit alone! Wear the most comfortable shoes you have and bring a friend. The diverse collection, with evidence in contemporary culture makes for a fluid, enriching experience between Americans of all ages.

Super cool exhibit, I would recommend for kids over 6. While there are neat things for younger kids to see, I think older kids would be more interested due to things they are learning about in school.I loved the First Lady exhibit!

First visit to the Smithsonian and I have never been more impressed with a museum in my life. The architecture and exhibits are amazing. The butterfly garden was pretty cool too!

It is really good museum. It has lot of different things. It’s free to enter.

So much to see, so little time - a great experience!

A great museum rich in history and packed with lots of exhibits. It’s a must see if you are visiting DC.As a fashion entrepreneur the First Ladies Exhibit caught my gaze. Seeing the Iconic dresses and how far back some were designed and dated was really INSPIRING. I had a wonderful experience. I highly recommend to all tourists, locals, history lovers, existing and aspiring fashion designers.

Great museum. Large wide ranging museum covering various aspects of American life and history. Some really interesting exhibits. Needs a whole day to get anywhere near the best out of the museum. Could have spent a lot longer here.Generally speaking the descriptors against the exhibits were adequate for the casual visitor.Two things were frustrating. Firstly the food in the cafe was very expensive, $30 US for a salad. With 4 of us plus drinks over $100 is way too much for a basic lunch.Secondly the exhibition on first ladies was basically a display of their frocks and china. Im pretty sure that many of these amazing people would want to be known for more than wearing a pretty dress at the inaugural ball. Where as there was lots of interesting information about the Male presidents. Felt quite sexist. I made a written observation at the information desk and the very helpful member of staff told me that the museum responded to all complaints/observations in person. Months later Ive heard nothing.I could not give this museum 4 stars because of the cost of food and poor first lady exhibition.

Simple Magnificent. Great job for American Politicians. And it is free! Only in the USA

A really nice please to spend a day in Washington d.c..

Its Free! Its an amazing collection of notable historical items. My favorite was the First Ladies exhibit with the gowns they wore to the inaugural ball.The china display is also notable. I was expecting to see the D-Day flag that was recently donated, but I was a day too early.I also learned of all the presidents that were assassinated. It was more than I knew about. It was also nice to watch some clips on the various historical topics. The collection of musical instruments was nice, however, although the names of the former owners were noted, I knew none of them.The cafeteria has good food, priced a little above average. Parking is a challenge. Nonetheless, a wealth of American history indeed.

Many attractions are still close. Beautiful and educational experience

Had a blast with the family, surprisingly it wasnt super overcrowded this time either ♡♡

This is one of the best natural history museums! This was a surreal experience. There were so many cool areas and exhibits. I learned so much about many different things. The museum is very modern and well done. Every exhibit has a purpose and everything that is part of them is useful and prominent. I highly recommend visiting especially if History is interesting to you!

This place was very fun for all of us and we learned so much about history.I think that my one complaint is something that every museum has, it is the prices of the things in the gift shop but other then that everything was super fun.I gladly give the Smithsonian national history museum a five star review.

Funny museum shows how much more lazy we have become threw the decades

Lots of interesting displays. Was busy but not overly crowded. I enjoyed seeing the American flag display and the transportation (boats, trains, and cars) display.

Absolutely love this Museum! To see how much this country has changed and the progress we have made is inspiring. Seeing in person uniforms from the civil war makes you realize how tiny people were back then. Loved Dorothys Ruby slippers. Take the whole day to soak in the exhibits! Its worth it!

Was the first museum we stopped at and was very impressed. We not too crowded was able to really able to take in all the museum has

We love the Smithsonian museum! Free! Lots to see and read. I loved learning how history has changed, but I wish somethings were still the same.

The Smithsonian is a great museum filled with history and unique pieces. It’s on a walk-in basis so it’s very easy to pop in and out. Highly recommended for anyone visiting the DC area to stop by and see what it has to offer!

Favorite museum in DC! Star Spangled Banner, Ruby Slipper, Batmobile and lots Presidential memorabilia! My 4 year old loved it just as much as my 15 yr old!

Loved this place, so many things to enjoy. Great for all ages. Wear tennis shoes or comfortable shoes

Very nice. I enjoyed seeing the Ruby Slippers and the First Wives Inaugural Gowns. A lot to see here.

Glad it reopened. The new exhibit was great

Must to visit. A lot of interesting things

A lot to see here, you could spend hours going through the three floors and numerous rooms of exhibits. Covers a wide range of American history and culture from consumer products to transportation to war, presidents, and more.

The Smithsonian museums are all free. There are many exhibits for kids, but also many things for adults to see. It brought back many memories from my life seeing old technology, TV shows, or even life events. There are many floors, and many exhibits. You can definitely spend several hours walking around.

Lots of galleries were closed but it was still a good trip.

Great Museum! Very knowledgeable! Got to know many things! Great job maintaining this place!

This place is awesome! Im not into museums that much but this one is great. Perfect place to take your children. I went by myself on a business trip but Im pretty sure my daughter wouldve loved it too. Theres so many things to see!

So many different ways to learn about America! Great exhibits that bring history to life! Depending on the day, going through security could take a while so be patient! Theres a spacious cafeteria in the lower level.

Incredible. Plan on 1-2 hours. Nice restrooms on every floor. Friendly and helpful staff.

Great museum, most sections were closed due to covid.

Amazing experience and super fun hands on area. They have a room for kids that they can climb and play in but is only for ages 0-6. Have been many times over the years always a fun day.

Its an amazing place for kids and adults take your time to check every exhibit. We experienced a long line was memorial weekend, but it moved fast. I LOVED It!

Very Lively and Historical. I learned more about American History and the First Females. Go check out their new Exhibit, American Stories! Telling what happened and what were the first things created. They have a simulator room to experience!

The museum has some good exhibits and lots of memorabilia, is clean, well staffed and, of course, its free. But if you are looking for a comprehensive museum of American history, like I was, then this museum is not it. The exhibits seem placed kind of at random and cover interesting parts of US history but not very cohesively. The exhibits themselves have a lot of information but could be better organized, it seems like it jumps around between time periods. It would have also been nice if they had announced the early closure due to weather on the PA system ahead of time instead of having the employees do it last minute.

This was the Smithsonian that I remember the most from, and it was definitely the hall that expressed the price of our freedom that stood out to me. There is so much American history in this building that shows how far we have come.

In August will go again with my kid for 4 nights... again. Already went in june. It is awesome

Super excited to finally get to come here and see all the amazing things. Definitely somewhere to bring the family.

We loved touring this free museum while we were in DC. It was not very crowded so we were able to enjoy a slow stroll through every exhibit.

This a wonderful storehouse of information from American History. It has icons from entertainment and government. It is awesome. Plan to spend several hours and come back.

Another must see. Its all amazing. But, the Star Spangled Banner area was the best.

It’s definitely interesting and you can see a lot of things that help make our country what it is today. They have a section about transportation through the years including some old cars, trains and buggies. I love the section with the first ladies dresses. The things about the entertainment industry are also very interesting. I would love to go back and spend more time there.

Well presented American history and definitely many things to learn on how things has evolved overtime !!

Amazing, awesome, inspirational, educational...words cant truly express this experience. A must for anyone who TRULY loves this country, what it TRULY stands for and where this all TRULY came from.

This museum has so much to offer! We didn’t have enough time to explore the whole thing but it was a blast. From artifacts from WWII to the history of the Civil War, Cold War, and more, this museum just keeps going. The exhibits were fascinating and brought to life in such elegant ways. I loved the simple complexity of using text and videos and photos and artifacts and more to show history and tell its story.

This is one of the larger museums in the mall area. Just like most of them museums in the area are free. That is awesome! There were plenty of items to see and do. It was much larger than we expected. A great learning experience for the entire family.Parking can be a challenge, so I wouldnt even try to drive down.

Great place, very family friendly. Had so much fun here. A lovely time.

We visited this museum recently on a school field trip. I chaperoned 3 students plus my daughter. I asked them to pick something they wanted to see and they all found something completely different and I was amazed at how much variety was on display . From the bat mobile, speak and spells, and FLOTUS dresses from the past so much to see.

Not very busy on Sunday from 4-6pm. No fee for entry. You are able to take water bottles in as well.Not a fun place for kids under 9, best to go to the other museums. Great if your into history though. Many go to see the presidential first lady dresses on the 3rd floor. They have the famous red slippers from the Wizard of Oz on display as well.Did not opt to see any of the 3d movies. They charge about $9 per ticket adult, $6 if your military or a kid.Street parking in DC was available accross the street, using park mobile app. $4 (with .75 cent service charge) for 1.45 hours is ample.

The museum is American history is a true national treasure. Allow four hours. Docent tours are few and far between, so call for the schedule and plan around it.Displays are beautifully and thoughtful done.We had only two hours so we started with the highlights audio guide. Big mistake. The directions were hard to follow, and the item included in the short, 1-hour tour were odd choices. Narrowing the collection down to the best items is difficult and contentious, but seriously: Judy Garlands sequined Ruby slippers and the plastic bucket from the ice bucket challenges? Hardly worthy of top billing! After that we turned the audio guide off despite having paid $21 for 3 cf them. Perhaps the longer your is better curated.Dont miss the Star spangled banner.Food trucks out front were a huge help to our schedule.Information desk staffers were wonderful. Free lockers.