National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center

Home of the Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the national anthem.

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history.

About the Collections
The National Museum of American History collects artifacts of all kinds—from gowns to locomotives—to preserve for the American people an enduring record of their past.

The Museum has more than 3 million artifacts in its collection. Information and photos of selected objects are available in the online collections database. The database is a work-in-progress and new items will be added regularly.

Museum collections reflect the breadth, depth, and complexity of the experiences of the American people, from social and cultural history to the history of science, medicine, and technology. The Museum collects the ordinary as well as the extraordinary and is interested in how objects are made, how they are used, how they express human needs and values, and how they influence society and the lives of individuals. Our focus is on the history of the United States, including its roots and connections with other cultures. As sources for research, the Museum offers not only historical objects but significant collections of oral histories, prints, photographs, business Americana, trade literature, and engineering drawings.

Other venues

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Smithsonian Institution

1000 Jefferson Drive, Washington, D. C., United States of America

National Museum of African Art

950 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D. C., United States of America

Anacostia Community Museum

1901 Fort Place, Washington, D. C., United States of America

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Independence Avenue at Seventh Street, Washington, D. C., United States of America

National Air and Space Museum

Independence Ave at 6th St, SW, Washington, D. C., United States of America

National Museum of Asian Art

1050 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D. C., United States of America

National Portrait Gallery

Eighth and F Street, Washington, D. C., United States of America

National Postal Museum

2 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, D. C., United States of America

Renwick Gallery

1661 Pennsylvania Avenue , Washington, D. C., United States of America

Smithsonian American Art Museum

750 9th Street, Washington, D. C., United States of America