National Museum of American History, Part 4

Back in July, I visited Washington, DC. This is the fourth installment to my miniseries on the National Museum of American History, and the final post about my adventure in the capital. I will be taking a two week break during the holiday season but will be back in the New Year with more history-themed posts. Quickly reviewing my in-depth tour of the museum, I covered second floor of the museum plus “Entertainment Nation” in Part 1; “First Ladies”, “American Presidency”, and “The Price of Freedom” in Part 2; and “Food” and “American on the Move” in Part 3. For this last part, I will visit “Lighting A Revolution & Power Machinery”, “Change Your Game”, “American Enterprise”, and “The Value of Money”.

While most sections of the museum was fresh and modern, “Lighting A Revolution & Power Machinery” felt out-of-date. This mostly vacant room compared early electrified lightbulbs and machines, describing the work of Thomas Alva Edison and rival inventors. Despite a few interactives, the material was dry. I have two comparisons for presenting information on this topic. The first is “Edison at Work”, the inventor’s workshop once built in Menlo Park and now in Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI, which includes a reenactor portraying Edison. I visited this venue about fifteen years ago but have clear memories of the enthralling experience. The second was Thomas Edison National Historical Park, the home of Edison and his family, which I visited virtually through the Parked at Home series in 2024. This experience was likewise highly engaging and personal. In contrast, this Smithsonian exhibit was not much to write home about despite its wealth of rare artifacts and large machines. Perhaps this area is next on the list for a refresh.

Similarly, “Change Your Game / Cambia Tu Juego” had many fascinating artifacts and engaging interactives but seemed to be missing its spark. The theme of the bilingual exhibit was technology advances in sports, including footwear and clothing; implements like tennis rackets, baseball bats, skis, and starting blocks; and mobility aids like wheelchairs and prosthetics. As a lover of sports along with museums, I had been really excited to see this exhibit and wanted to like it. However, the space was dimly lit, and I had difficulty seeing the objects on display, detracting from the message of accessibility. Additionally, the company NIKE was featured as a major donor for the exhibit despite being known for poor treatment of factory workers and supporting coaches who abused athletes.

Temporarily disheartened, my spirits immediately lifted when I saw a familiar technology used in the “Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project”, a rotating mini-exhibit near “American Enterprise”. It featured an interactive projection book about early bicycles, the same setup that I saw during my very first blog post on the “How Do You See the World?” Experience & Mapparium in Boston, MA! While the reaction speed was occasionally delayed or a connection faulty, I was thrilled by the modern format sharing one of my favorite topics. I even saw a picture of Major Taylor, a Worcester, MA resident considered the first African-American professional athlete due to his talents as a bicyclist. (I visited his museum last October and saw him again at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.) My only disappointment here was that the book was tucked away in a cubby, and few people seemed to explore that section of the museum.

With my energy renewed, I visited “American Enterprise” a hall of inventions with a balanced perspective on capitalism. The exhibit proceed chronologically beginning in the Merchant Era after the American Revolutionary War and ending in the Global Era in the present day. I recognized many people and brands in this exhibit, beginning with Eli Whitney and the cotton gin, and Samuel Slater with the textile mill in America, although his sign failed to mention the National Park Service historic site in Pawtucket, RI that I have frequently visited. Other fun artifacts in this exhibit included a creepy doll made by Thomas Edison, which I had learned about during the episode “Edison’s Demon Dolls” on the Smithsonian-run podcast Sidedoor; a Waterloo Boy Model N Traction Machine, an early John Deere tractor; a beautiful vintage cash register; the original Barbie doll created by Ruth Handler; a baseball cap belonging to Walmart founder Sam Walton; a sweater worn by Jimmy Carter during the oil crisis; and a McDonalds sign with Japanese writing.

With this big exhibit finished, I had only a few minor stops left. I visited the “Gallery of Numismatics” featuring currency from around the world, including a large, round rai stone from the Yap Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The entrance to this exhibit is designed to look like a bank vault. On my way back to the second floor entrance, I spotted a green wagon painted with the American Red Cross logo. This was one of eleven wagons used during the Spanish-American War by the team of Clara Barton, born in Oxford, MA. My final picture of the museum was of a modern Aztec mask, which represented the Spanish-language TV channel KCOR-TV Channel 41 of San Antonio, TX. This playful object was a great way to close my trip to Washington, DC. I will certainly return in the future after America250 to explore more Smithsonian museums and National Park sites.

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 9/10

Accessibility: 7/10