National Museum of American History

About National Museum of American History

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History closed to the public on September 5, 2006 for major architectural renovations and is scheduled to reopen by summer 2008. The Museum has begun a major architectural transformation to focus on three areas: architectural enhancements to the museum's interior, constructing a state-of-the-art gallery for the Star-Spangled Banner and updating the 42-year-old building's infrastructure (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, lighting, fire and security systems.) While the Museum is closed, look for traveling exhibitions from the National Museum of American History at locations throughout the country

How to Get There

Limited parking is available on streets near the Mall from 10 a.m. to midnight. Taxis are available at Museum entrances. The Federal Triangle and Smithsonian stations, on Metrorail's Blue and Orange lines, are located near the Mall. For more information, call Metro at 202-637-7000.

Plan Your Visit to National Museum of American History

Heading to National Museum of American History? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• Park map (PDF)
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)