Reviews of Smithsonian National Museum of American History (Tourist Attraction)

Phil SHEEHAN

We called in here specifically so my wife could see the First Ladies Exhibition - inauguration dresses that they wore, and the Presidential China. She loved it. The Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz was also interesting - the restoration is amazing.

Virginia Williams

Interesting and eclectic mix of American history and culture. You can see the Ruby Slippers worn in Wizard of Oz. Don't skip the First Ladies exhibit. The Lunch Counter is located in Unity Square. Kind of hidden, but worth stopping by.

Amanda Higgins

The Wegman’s Play Place was cute! My son had fun!

Toshua Brooks

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.

Susan Remski

Another place that is full of historical knowledge. Great friendly staff. Wonderful place to take family.

Pat G-R

Was there with young children. There was a wide variety of things for all to enjoy. Kids especially liked the children’s area. Nice people working with the children.

David Siegmeth

Such an amazing place to just be at. It's beautiful on the inside and outside with tons of stuff to see. The mineral and gem exhibit was out of this world. Also the butterfly room is heaven for anyone who likes a close up with precious flying insects. Even if some parts of the museum are due to open in the summer, it is a must go place of you're in Washington DC. The entry is also free, which I cannot understand but I'm glad it is available to anyone. Also they are building a ramp for more easy access at the moment.

Eric Miller

Wonderful place to visit, learn some things, remember some things and see some interesting things. Minus one star because the guards yelling out instructions that made some small children afraid while entering.

Rianna Raines

Had a lot less than I thought it would but the exhibits that are there are very cool

Rick Jonah

Sad. I have been here many times but this is the 1st time since renovation. It has become political. Lots of bashing of US views and history. They have a section of 'immigrants' which focuses on other cultures, countries, and their history which has nothing to do with the US other than this is where they came from. There is no delineation between illegal and legal immigration but plenty of PC and political rhetoric. Again, instead of having displays with a placard that explains a display. They have to make political commentary vs letting the viewer interpret the displays at face value.

Helen Michie

Everytime I go to the Smithsonian's Museum of American History I learn something new about history, science and technology. I have been visiting the museum since 1974. I like going to see exhibits that have been there for a while esp. the 1st Ladies hall and try to notice new details. I also enjoy some of the changing exhibits. I miss items that are rotated out of service. I check with the information desks to find out what is new. For me, the highlight of the museum is the star spangled banner exhibit. I enjoy tours by the docents.

Laura Johnston Kohl

What a wonderful way to spend the day! There is something for everyone, and you walk around at your own pace! You learn something at each exhibit. We have such a rich history!

christopher davis

One of my favorite museums! I don't see how anyone can see it in one visit because there's so much stuff everywhere. A highlight for me was the First Ladies exhibit including their various gowns...especially Michelle Obama's inaugural gown (first one)

Nicolas Breakiron

Museum is great, security at entrance was distracted and too lazy to open another gate. Multiple members just standing around talking then some buzzer would go off and they would stop chatting to figure out what happened further slowing down all progress. Wheres a security manager?

Diana Spies

A Great bucket list to cross off. Walking across capitol lawn and seeing the history of the United States is really something. Make sure to plan a whole day of walking so wear comfy shoes. There are refreshment areas around as well as food vendors. But the cafes in the museum close at different times.

Francisco de Zavalía

Didn't enjoy this museum a lot. There are interesting things to see but everything seems just to be dumped together. You could build several museums out of all the things grouped here together. Still, a great place to see old locomotives, cars and ship models

dan stepel

Quite simply put one of the most interesting places in America. Here you will find everything from the flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner to Archie bunker's chair. They have a nice area to get food. This is a great option if you have kids that all want something different. If you do not like crowds go early.

Kari Raffensberger

One of my favorite Smithsonian Museums. The third floor exhibit "The Price of Freedom " provides an overview of each major conflict the US has been involved in dating back to the revolutionary war. While not in depth, it is expansive and should please most casual history buffs. A shorter, but no less worthwhile exhibit is "The Star Spangled Sanner." The huge 30' x 34' flag that inspired the U.S. National Anthem can be viewed on the main floor.

Diana Erwin

This is a good museum. Not as well laid out as the others, but nice exhibits. Everything from transportation to inventions to advertising to entertainment. And everything in between.

connie simmonds

The displays are very interesting but the employees are terrible. They start yelling at people 30 minutes before close to move along. And I do mean yelling. And they pick on people and make it personal. If you are running around like an idiot they leave you alone but if you are an easy target, they are so mean. One couple sitting on a bench because the wife felt light headed got screamed at by one female guard & told they have 5 minutes when she came back they better be gone or she was calling an ambulance. That lady walked away, less then 2 minutes later, another guard walked up and started in yelling. In the gift shop and attendant screamed at some little Asian grandma "put that down! You're not in line so the store's closed for you". I got told I couldn't wait in the store for my daughter to check out. I didn't mind, I sat on a bench. Here comes another guard, now yelling at me. While I'm pointing out my daughter to prove she's actually checking out here comes another guide literally escorting my husband like a little lost kid to find us. After those 2 leave another guard comes along lays in to me I explain the same thing still calm but getting irritated because they are so nasty , he screams at me I wasn't allowed to be on THAT bench and says I have to move to an area in the lobby where my daughter can find me. I pointed out that while I was here minding my business a dozen kids were still chasing around on the 3rd floor. Maybe he should deal with them. But I love and guess what here comes another female guard yelling at me "no,no,not there". So now I did lose my cool & raised my voice back. But seriously how much can a person take? For not bothering anyone just waiting on my kid. Morale of the story, go at least 3 hrs before close & avoid interacting with museum staff.

Alexandria Wells

Pretty neat. I feel like it the exhibits aren’t switched up very often though.

Alison Taylor

This is definitely one of my favorite history museums! Considering the fact that it is totally free, they offer some amazing things. All of the exhibits are enjoyable, and there is an endless supply of things to look at and read. Compared to other museums, it is slightly less crowded, which makes it even better. Some of the exhibits are definitely more popular than others, but the less crowded areas are sometimes even better than the popular ones. At the end of the day our feet were tired, but there were plenty of open benches all over the place. A wonderful experience overall.

noizebatch nine

- Free - Family friendly - Lots of different exhibits - Lots of history - Lots of photos to take - Expect to spend at least 3&1/2 hours to see everything

Danice Cashin

The museum was interactive, interesting, and well curated. Each exhibit was organized to communicate to all ages. The museum did not have the dusty antiquated feel that some museums I have visited have had. There was outstanding dedication to context, bringing together the span of American history in a meaningful way, but without losing the detail and depth I appreciate. It is truly a museum for all ages. There was an exhibit about industry and the assembly line. It was hands on, for all ages, and it let you take a piece of wire, watch a video found in each of the four separate stations. The end product was a wire picture holder. The finished piece was yours to take home. It was fun, a free souvenir, and a memory I'll laugh about forever.

Rob Macdonald

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 wouldn't even try to drive down.

Valerie Zagnoli

We visited with a six year old and found plenty of cool things to see. The transportation section and the sunken war ship were our favorites. The cafeteria was surprisingly good, although expensive (but since admission is free it was okay with us).

Ruth Barrens

Words fall short. Magnificently conceived and executed! An emotionally, intellectually profound educational experience. Allow a week to do it justice.

Stacie Carpenter

I absolutely loved this place. So much to see and learn. Can't wait to go back.

carla novoa

This museum is awesome, it has a special section for little kids. The food is expensive but good. I had the burger with bacon and waffle fries, my son got the tenders and fries. The chocolate cupcake was really good.

James Harrison

Wonderful place for a family or school visit. So much history and knowledge at all the Smithsonian locations.

Shawn Goez

Arrive early and maybe wear a mask, I say this because I got sick right after this visit, coincidence, maybe. Other than that, it was amazing! I recommend seeing this in person or take your kids and show them just how diverse our world and our culture is. I loved the Selena exhibit and thought that was very cool.

dan stepel

Quite simply put one of the most interesting places in America. Here you will find everything from the flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner to Archie bunker's chair. They have a nice area to get food. This is a great option if you have kids that all want something different. If you do not like crowds go early.

Britt Bentson

Exhibits are amazing. Who doesn't love an extremely detailed doll house?? The transportation and where we come from sections are amazing too. The food exhibit is so well done and it's obviously geared towards kids and yet still interesting for adults. However, the guards (not the ones at the entrance and exit, but the ones by the exhibits are incredibly rude. They yelled at my kids for just about everything. For going down the escalator backwards, for carrying a little brother (he might fall!!) For holding the rail around the batmobile and jumping (what if he fell over the rail?) It was unbelievable. We go to museums regularly and have never ever had issues like this.

Rob Macdonald

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 wouldn't even try to drive down.

Hao Wen Kong

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.

Regina Alvarez

It was very large, I was only able to go to 1 floor since I didn't 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 , it's hard to find patches now a days but I found several different types! It wasn't 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 I'd hoped to see weren't there.

Amy Williams

Lolita and Big John at Ocean Terrace Cafe. Very attentive to me and my friends. So nice. The food is very good. Clean establishment. If I comeback to the museum I’d definitely comeback for something to eat and I’m going to recommend this location to my friends.

Oliver Sherouse

There's less here than I expected, with a whole section apparently dedicated to Dorothy's ruby slippers and not much else. But the original Star Spangled Banner is worth seeing, and some folks will particularly enjoy the First Ladies' dresses and the transportation exhibit.

William Gray

I love bringing my family here. There's an exhibit for everyone and I occasionally forget some of the tidbits of history buried in the walkthroughs. (Like the Watergate filing cabinet!) I'd probably recommend staying away from the cafeteria since it's $5 a cookie. A quick walk will take you to food trucks on the weekend, and $1 bottled water on every corner.

Fani Mwasiti

This place is huge, lovely, well organized. You definitely need to plan to attend it more than one day. Three days if you want to take your time and read things. I will be visiting it again when I go to DC

Steve Brouwer

This museum,and the air and space museum are the 2 must see on the mall. Love seeing the flag the national anthem was written about. My wife loved the first lady dresses, just so much to see here.Transportation,presidential,military,even Julia Child's kitchen are all here.Take your time and soak it all in.

Maritza Cooper

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 Dorothy's Ruby slippers. Take the whole day to soak in the exhibits! Its worth it!

Tobias Isaksson

This place is great. Free, interactive and informative. Fun exhibits about modern and old technology.

Shawn Goez

Arrive early and maybe wear a mask, I say this because I got sick right after this visit, coincidence, maybe. Other than that, it was amazing! I recommend seeing this in person or take your kids and show them just how diverse our world and our culture is. I loved the Selena exhibit and thought that was very cool.

maria Sanchez

Excellent place to learn an infinite number of things. Great place to bring your children and is free!!!

Simba Tevera

You just have to appreciate arts and culture, man checking out the museums and getting to travel through time and seeing how knowledge and history has been preserved over time it is pretty epic. Who said learning can't be fun...

John Almquist

Excellent classic exhibits - others are redundant with other museums opening up nearby - I could have seen more but ran out of time. I like that they change up the muppet on display from time to time.... Also, restrooms were modern and …

Will Koehrsen

One of the best museums in a city full of great museums. I spent an entire day (8 + hours) just visiting 2 of the floors and am looking to coming back for the rest. I'd highly recommend visiting the museum and planning out an entire day to see everything on display. The tours are helpful - and free - so see if you can take one while you are here. The museum will appeal to all ages and so is a nice spot to bring the family even those who are not traditionally into history. This is the museum of exclusively American history, but even without that limited purview, there is an extensive variety of artifacts and stories to be told that appeal to a wide audience. Overall, I'd recommend this museum to tourists and native DC residents.

Rebekah Vacca

Very good museum showcasing different aspects of U.S. history. It is very large, at least 2x as much exhibit space as the Air & Space museum. But it is still doable. I would suggest to plan ahead if on a short amount of time and check with the info booth if there are specific exhibits you want to see as the wall maps do not show detail on the exhibits. I ended up just walking around most of the place just to see exhibits that interested me. Since I was solo that was doable, but wandering over 5 floors with children would not be. I found the Star Spangled Banner, America on the Move, Lighting a Revolution, Power Machinery, American Enterprise, and First Ladies exhibits interesting. Since this was my second visit, the American Enterprise exhibit was my favorite...a really informative and easy to grasp way of economic change over the years in the U.S. Outside this exhibit is an exhibit on different household objects that have changed how we cook, clean, and move, which was really nicely presented. I actually stopped in this time to see the Superheros exhibit, which was basically a cabinet of movie regalia and another cabinet of comic books, and certainly not worth making a sole trip for. Overall, a very good museum for those interested in American History. It also appears to be regularly updated. Only 4* as its not an easy museum to navigate, the exhibit halls could be better named/improved signage so that it is clear what exhibits (i.e. details) are at each hall. One exhibit seemed to use an excessive amount of space for a very small exhibit (audio/visual exhibit). It doesn't really have a flow to the museum, instead exhibits are exclusive pockets which is helpful if you want to see specific things, but newer museums tend to have a way to digest and move through a museum in a natural order.

Toni Ramirez

This was one of my favorite museums that I visited. When you first walk in you'll see the batmobile and it looks amazing. There's something in here for everyone to enjoy and a lot of exhibits that the kids will enjoy. Superheroes, cars, food and kitchen, and sports exhibits are only a small percent of exhibit types. There is a food court and gift shop. This museum is enormous so plan for a few hours, the kids won't get bored and you won't either. Amazong museum that I hope to return to in the future. P.S. It's free.

Charles Wilding

This place has something for every generation. Great place to spend a day alone or with a family. And its free!!! I would suggest eating before you come, the food is fine but its pricey.

Kurt Tackman

Another fantastic, free museum. Great galleries focusing on specific themes (war, industry, transportation, marketing, pop culture, etc.) of American history/life. Easily a 3+ hour visit to do it all, more if you like to read all of the signage, or it's crowded. Seeing the original flag that inspired the "Star Spangled Banner" was unexpectedly inspiring. The cafe in the basement is spendy, BUT the food is good, there's a decent variety of dishes/stykrsy, most of the portions are large enough to split, and hey, the museum is FREE!

Olivia Yoh

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 I'm passionate about it, but I highly encourage you to experience it for yourself. Quite interesting if I do say so myself.

James Struckmeyer

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.

J Miles

Fabulous place to visit and spend an entire day there. So many unique and historical items. Favorite were the Ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz

Sri Pabbathi

What a fabulous place. Kids really were engrossed in the Star spangled section and the other areas on the 2nd floor. There are interactive sections and very informative history sections.

SGP Versluis

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

Don Badsha

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

George Taylor

Modernized with a bunch of screens, but it doesn't detract to much from the artifacts. Screens are a little gimmicky and leaves you with, why would I come to see this in person instead of them just putting on their website? People go to the museum to see the artifacts, and they are presented well here. Great tie-ins to other museums where appropriate such as with the African American History and Culture Museum next door.

Mahmoud Sayedahmed

Highly entertaining covering all facets of American history. Family friendly and kids love it... Spent 4 hours and only just managed to finish the key parts of the museum.

Brandon Hanna

We were blown away by some of the exhibits that were there. Its amazing to see some of the historical things they have

Reagan Bottomley

One of the best museums in the country. Great for kids, school groups, or adults! They have a beautiful lack of loud, overwhelming push-button displays and all the videos they show are quietly out of the way.

Frida A'dell

It's Free! It's 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.

beth laf

The museum is wonderful . It however is very full of people and that doesnt often give you enough time to examine things as much as you may want. We had a great time. But bring bottled water and a basketfull of patience and consideration for others. You're gonna need it

Alexandra Almeida

Very interesting. You will need about two days to see everything. But it is beautiful

Rui Zhong

Lots to see and learn. Everything is presented well and is easy to comprehend, thus making it an enjoyable time to learn unique parts of American history. I found the section on the history of American food particularly cool. Wish it were less crowded though!

Anna Encinias

Took both my 6 year old and 2 year old, it was so great for both of them! We enjoyed it as a family and spent a good 3 hours there!

Renee Maxwell

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History was interesting. The line to get in was fun sucking but understandable. the place is vast and spacious. The museum offers a lot to see to include the absolutely amazing Star Spangled Banner. This is also multi-level. This would definitely be a must-see while doing a museum or history hop through Washington DC.

May Ulrich

One if my favorite museum's ever! We never went before and it was definitely worth seeing. Our kids really loved all the displays and still talk about the different exhibits since our trip in June. Our favorite as a family was the Origins exhibit, amazing!

Westley Halbardier

There is so much to do here! The place has many artifacts for each exhibit and provides incredible information for many moments in American history. Videos and audio recordings of actual real life moments are at most of the exhibits. Plan a lot of time when visiting here to get the best of what this place has to offer.

Laura Garofalo

One of the larger Smithsonian museums in the city. Was shocked by the variety and amount of historical objects. Several floors to work through - we stayed nearly two hours and were at a running pace through several exhibits just to see as much as possible. Very much enjoyed the visit and would recommend spending at least half a day to absorb the full museum. Highlights include the Star Spangled Banner exhibit (30+ ft wide flag that inspired the national anthem) and the collection of First Lady dresses.

Mark B

Nice museum with a lot of items to see. We liked the history of campaigning and voting. The music exibit wasn't as good as I hoped. Industry and transportation were good.

Sean Smith

Excellent exhibits, especially the original star-spangled banner. Well worth your time.

bjason501

This one was hard but critically important to learn from the truth of our nation's history.

James Sanford

This is a great place for just about anybody. There's all sorts of exhibits that run the gamut from the highly informative to the intensely entertaining (usually, everything is both). Though it's certainly not the flashiest of the museums on the mall, it's a solid choice for anyone interested in American history.

Littlepaws1

Have been 3 times and think maybe we've seen it all now.. maybe! Place is huge and amazing. Plan a whole day just in rocks and minerals alone.

Britt Bentson

Exhibits are amazing. Who doesn't love an extremely detailed doll house?? The transportation and where we come from sections are amazing too. The food exhibit is so well done and it's obviously geared towards kids and yet still interesting for adults. However, the guards (not the ones at the entrance and exit, but the ones by the exhibits are incredibly rude. They yelled at my kids for just about everything. For going down the escalator backwards, for carrying a little brother (he might fall!!) For holding the rail around the batmobile and jumping (what if he fell over the rail?) It was unbelievable. We go to museums regularly and have never ever had issues like this.

Simple Life

This was one of four museums we toured recently during a one day trip to DC. We loved it. There was so much interesting information. You could easily spend days just in this one museum. We really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to all.

Ev S.

Managed to go on a day where there was no line to get in and it was the same for the Star Spangled Banner exhibit. There are so many wonderful parts to this museum. If you want to make life easy, download the Smithsonial App. You can …

Ev S.

Managed to go on a day where there was no line to get in and it was the same for the Star Spangled Banner exhibit. There are so many wonderful parts to this museum. If you want to make life easy, download the Smithsonial App. You can plan your visit to the various museums. Having that app also made it so that I was able to know exactly what part of the museum I wanted to go to. Those working at the museum for very friendly. It was also wonderful to see them on the wall about people trying to do things they weren't supposed to.

Fran Thueson

The museum was wonderful. However their website states they are open until 7:00 pm through September 30th, but that is not correct. The employees started walking around at 5:20 telling everyone to leave because they were closing. They wouldn't even let me use the restroom, telling me it was closed. I understand wanting to get people out as quickly as possible, but they need to correct the time on their website and at least let patrons use the restroom before pushing them out the door!

Thomas Langerak

Great experience. Perfect thing to do with the family and there's no admission fee.

Michael Ficocelli

This is a must see. Get a tour. It is worth the money. We had a guy named Doug. He loves history and it shows.

Lynne Mitchell

Amazing! Comfortably and conditioned, immaculate with the most incredible exhibits; Superherors and a not miss is The First Ladies where inaugural gowns are displayed, White House China and an incredible exhibit on the Presidents featuring pictures and personal items donated by each. Staff friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Museum is child friendly. Could spend an entire day there! A must see!

Josie Kunkel

I had an amazing time here! There is so much to look at and to learn about. You could easily spend days looking around at all of the exhibits. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Charles Henning

Great museum's. Take time to see. Or I should say, a lot to see, so it takes time to see. But, a great American wonder that is a must see.

Damon Allison

Definitely worth the time to look around. We went thru the exhibits pretty quick. The president and first lady exhibits were interesting. They had others on the history of transportation, business, and technology which brought back a lot of memories.

Guy Peters

I'd definitely recommend visiting this museum, however, it needs updating. Some of the Exhibits are really cool but could just do with sprucing up.

tri cat

Didn't have a double bed room for us so they gave us a single bed, floor lay out is confusing for anyone new, our rooms vents were lose so there was a constant rattling sound. Rooms only have wall paper with a strange design, the water pressure was extremely weak in the shower. The best thing I can say about here is the food is good, expect the grab and go stay away from the grab and go.

Kirsten Bryant

Coming to D.C I never knew there were so many museums dedicated to sow many things. The Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History had so many levels, that sometimes by accident you get lost, but hey always have Maps in the area to tell you where you are. One of my favorite things were the Interactive Live Actors who portrayed Important people from a certain period of history. Another exhibit to visit will be the hall dedicated to the First wives of the presidents. "Behind every great man, is a GREAT woman making sure he is staying on course". If you go further in you actually will come up to the Inventions of Transportation, from the first motor Car all the way to the modern of today. It was cool seeing all of these panels coming together. Making IT A WORTHWHILE EXPERIENCE!!

Lisa Vold

So much to see! Honestly each museum needs a full day's worth of our time to be able to fully absorb the entire experience.

Genevieve Walker

You know me I'm going to say I love every moment every hour all the the book the famous people the names in

Pavel Esaulov

Technical and transportation exhibition is awesome. You can easily spend several ours gaining much information and interesting facts.

Sean Nelson

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.

Stanley Bell

This is one place that takes considerable time to wander it's many levels exploring and absorbing the history and experiences that are the foundation and building blocks that make up this great nation called the United States of America! Highly recommended for the richness of history contained within it's walls

Rob Carter

We brought our kids when they were old enough to appreciate the Capitol. Our entire family enjoyed the experience! This is a fascinating museum.

Damon Darlin

The best. Great exhibit of a Chicago CTA car and bus. American Stories was enlightening as was the exhibit on the waves of immigration.

Jake H

This museum was awesome! Nothing bad about it apart from it pretty much having no interactive exhibits. Make sure to check out the transportation section and the star spangled banner display.

Melanie Katherine

Huge museum, will have to go back because there wasn’t time or energy for everything. Love the First Ladies exhibit and Julia Child’s kitchen. Downstairs cafe was closed unfortunately and upstairs Jazz Cafe wasn’t great but incredible free museum so no complaints

Michael Jackson

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

Jonathan Eyal

Excellent interactive exhibits, well worth a visit. The exhibits on the US at war are, however, disappointing. A lot about the wars of independence and the Civil War, but only a perfunctory exhibit of World War II and next to nothing about the latest wars such as Iraq or Afghanistan. On this score alone, the IWM in London does far better

Robert Donayre

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 doesn't 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.

Mark Richards

It was my 1st time here. It was awesome. I need 3 or 4 more days to take it all in.

Elaf Mohammed

nice place to visit 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. Wikipedia

craig adams

The building as a whole, and particularly the individual exhibition spaces, were too dark for me to be able to enjoy the museum. The low light levels on the displays meant I was not able comfortably to read the text. Please turn up the lighting.

AJ Dumas

You could easily spend all day here! This museum has so much to see! It’s kinda amazing to see how much objects and technology has changed in America.

Melissa Sullivan

Love this museum. There are many hands on activities for kids and adults. Always a fun visit here. Highly recommend!

Kevin Price

What’s to say. It’s free and amazing inside. Getting through security on a hot day might kill you. Bring water and an umbrella for shade.

Kathryn Sheehan

Great museum! We spent about 2ish hours in the museum, and saw about 90% of the museum. Very interactive and family friendly

Caleb Persia

Like all the Smithsonians, you could spend an entire week exploring this place and still find new things to discover. The US has a rich history with lots to unpack, and they do a great job of making it accessible and understandable to the public.

Amy Williams

Lolita and Big John at Ocean Terrace Cafe. Very attentive to me and my friends. So nice. The food is very good. Clean establishment. If I comeback to the museum I’d definitely comeback for something to eat and I’m going to recommend this location to my friends.

Anthony Goodsell

Amazing experience. One of the most comprehensive and modern styles history museums I've been to. This take on American History is awesome!

Hao Wen Kong

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.

Frugal Immigrant Mama

It's big so we didn't get to see the rest of the exhibits. We were just in the transportation exhibit. Nice place, cafe is okay but the staff are nice and friendly.

Patrick

Wow, this place like many other Smithsonian's are great. What i really liked about this one was the free tours! They happen on the hour. Our guide who took us to see highlights of the museum was awesome, so knowledgeable and provide some real colour to the items. His stories were great. If you come here do the tour, there is one every hour.

Arihant Buchcha

It was great, chockful of facts and artifacts and brilliantly designed. Only thing I'd prefer is if it didn't close so early. Other than that, it's great.

Electric Moxie

One of my favorite places in DC, great for tourist but the locals love it too. Free, educational and fun. Super interactive.

Kellie Ivey

All of the Smithsonians are interesting! We loved this one & the natural history one.♡

Regina Alvarez

It was very large, I was only able to go to 1 floor since I didn't 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 …

Caleb Dennison

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.

V K

It was the only disappointing experience in DC. Given how much is archived by the museum, it was a shock to see the few items on display. The aesthetics of the displays did not befit it’s national status. Perhaps they should learn from the French how to exhibit the collection. The space is not used to its full potential. It would be better to give up the giant cafeteria all together. The exhibit of the First Ladies’ dresses was worthwhile.

Mike Rosenke

Beautiful. Very well done. Any lover of history will learn new stuff. Keep in mind, it's hard to do any museum about history without some bias, and this is tilted from an American view point. As one would expect. Just know that going in. They do address slavery, Japanese internment, etc. But the rest is dedicated to America's successes. Would love to see more dedicated to the Civil Rights movement rather than Judy Garlands shoes from The Wizard of Oz - just saying. It's a lot to take in. Give yourself time.

Tameka Stewart

I absolutely love the Smithsonian museums. This is a must visit whenever in the DC area. The staff is friendly, there’s lots to see it and it’s free!!! I advise to save the money for a good eatery. To make the most of the trip, look at the maps online and decide what area you would like to immerse yourself in first. For those with children, you can give your children a brief history breakdown so they can better understand the significance of what they see in the museum. Another great idea for children is a scavenger hunt that is outlined on a treasure map of the museum. The clues can be found in an art piece (for younger kids), or in a description (for older kids, this encouraging them to read

Jon McGuire

Great museum for all ages. Displays were beautifully done and enjoyable. The whole family loved it.

Nancy Estrada

Free, very clean, organized and it's a must see. Definitely will return.

robert leddon

Free entry and amazing exhibits. The museum is clean and well kept. Parking is always an issue, but thats a small price to pay for such an educational experience.

B-Rye

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 you're a space enthusiast or a natural history buff to the occasional browser of American history and natural history, you not can't go wrong here.

Mike Schut

A great place to learn and see everything there is to our planets history. Great for kids and adults too. Free entry.

Diana Whitcomb

Wow, what an amazing place! This museum really is a must see if you are into American history and pop culture. There are exhibits on transportation, advances in science (like Thomas Edison and the light bulb!) and So. Much. More! I was there for close to three hours and I didn't even get through all the exhibits I was interested in. The lines for security and bags check can get long, so be prepared to wait outside unless you get there first thing.

James Beeman

An outstanding museum. Exhibits are easy to see and clearly explained. It is, however, very large, so plan to spend some time. There is also a restaurant on premises.

Richard Norris

Great museum. Enjoyably laid out without trivialising anything. Even outside school holidays there was a line to get in at 1330.

Christine Kazen

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

Jonathan Brown

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.

Matt Buccellato

I had a great time here. I really enjoyed seeing the first flag. The Batmobile from the Batman movie is right in front as you come in. Seeing the old McDonald's food containers was crazy. I used then as a kid and now they're in a museum. There's a lot of more modern history here to look at. It's exciting.

Frank Veloz Montero

If you like to reading and history. This is the place for you. If you just want to see cool stuff just visit the first floor and maybe some parts of the second floor.

Dave Converse

I needed two days to appreciate all this has to offer. I only had half a day so I had to rush it. Great cafeteria.