Third-graders and museums don't always go hand-in-hand. So I wasn’t sure what to expect when I chaperoned a group of third-grade boys and girls on a field trip to the
National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. It was the first time any of us had visited the museum since it reopened following a two-year renovation. I was excited to see the new museum and hoped my group would enjoy the experience. We set off with the goal of seeing everything on the teacher’s scavenger-hunt list.
Our first stop brought us to the museum’s centerpiece -- the
Star Spangled Banner. The dramatic wall art of a sparkling flag confirmed immediately we were in for a treat. The new display is designed with climate controls and dim light to protect the flag. We walked along a ramp with wall displays that described the flag’s history,
Fort McHenry and the
War of 1812. As we exited, we learned more about
Mary Pickersgill, the woman who made the flag. I wasn’t surprised that the kids gravitated towards the interactive computer screen of the flag, where they used the touch screen to learn more about the flag’s history.
All of the new interactive and hands-on features kept the kids interested and engaged. But the museum’s
Invention at Play and
Spark Lab exhibits were the two that really got the kids excited!
Invention at Play is an interactive and engaging area that let us explore the creative process and the problem-solving skills that lead to new inventions. At Spark Lab, a hands-on science lab, a museum staff scientist conducted an experiment about electricity that "shocked" the students. The expressions on their faces were priceless!
I showed the
Woolworth lunch counter from Greensboro, North Carolina to my group. I was surprised by how this multicultural group of kids was unfazed by my dramatic explanation of the civil rights sit-in that had occurred at this site back in 1960. It was good to see such progress in just under 50 years.
If you’re looking for Fonzie's leather jacket or Archie Bunker's chair, they are no longer on exhibit. And the First Ladies dress collection seems downsized. But don't let these changes keep you from going. The museum feels fresh and contemporary as it presents America's past and inspires you to connect with history in your own way. It was fun to watch my group of third-graders discover history through the interactive exhibits and connect in a way that was different from how I experienced history at their age.
I'll return to this museum someday soon. But on my next trip I hope to move at a slower pace, lingering a little longer to soak in America’s history.
Have you visited the renovated National Museum of American History?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Mary Billingsley is the Director of Media Relations at Heritage Travel, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.Photo credits: Star Spangled Banner, Flickr, catface3 . Woolworth Lunch Counter; the Smithsonian National Museum of American History Web site.