Location: 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Metro: Federal Triangle (BLUE and ORANGE Lines) and Smithsonian (BLUE and ORANGE Lines)
Hours: open daily except December 25, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Information: 202-357-1300
The Museum of History and Technology opened in January 1964, nine years after it was authorized for construction, and six years after the initial groundbreaking. It was renamed the National Museum of American History in 1980, to help define its purpose better. It was the fifth Smithsonian Museum added to the National Mall, and it houses exhibits as varied as the U.S. itself. Included in the building are machines, toys, a collection of First Ladies' dresses, and various other bits and pieces of Americana.