Plan Your Visit
- Hours Today: 10:00 am - 5:30 pm
- Open every day except Dec. 25
- Admission: Free
- Maps & Guides
- Directions
Events & Programs
Behind the Dream: The Making of a Speech that Transformed a Nation
Join a discussion with author Clarence B. Jones, who served as speechwriter and counsel to Martin Luther King Jr. in the days leading up to the 1963 March on Washington. Jan. 19, 2pm.Masterworks Concert Series
The Smithsonian Chamber Music Society presents an evening of Schubert, played by the Castle Trio. Jan. 27.Historic Theater Programs
Train for a civil rights demonstration or meet the first Smithsonian Secretary, Joseph Henry. Check the calendar for showtimes.
This Day In History
January 2, 1941

Today in 1941: USO Stars, The Andrews Sisters, record the classic World War II hit "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," just one example of patriotic tunes.
Preparing for the Oath
Could you correctly answer the 100 questions about United States history and civics on the naturalization test? Test your knowledge or study for the test on our new website, Preparing for the Oath: U.S. History and Civics for Citizenship.
From our Blog
Which blog posts were your favorites this year? Here are the top ten.
Biographical portrait of Celia Cruz by Robert Weingarten
With 20,052...
Editor's note: Yuri Yoshida became a docent (volunteer that leads museum
tours) after moving from Japan to Washington, D.C. Andrea...
Editor's note: At a recent symposium about the Civil War, Sarah Weicksel, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History at the...

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