National Museum of American History

05/28/2026

A time capsule of immigrant history is opened up for display at the Smithsonian.

In 2005, 26 steamer trunks were found in the basement of a fraternal lodge in Stockton, California.

These trunks belonged to Filipino migrants who came to the United States in the 1910s, and the trunks were packed with everything from farm tools to dress clothes to embroidered pillowcases from home. The objects reveal the excitement and pride of beginning a new life in a foreign land, as well as the longing for those left behind.

These items are now on display at the Smithsonian. You can view them in the exhibit, “How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories,” presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, at the National Museum of American History through Nov. 28, 2027.

05/27/2026

Today we remember jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, whose celebrated and prolific career earned him a place among the jazz greats. His 1956 Saxophone Colossus, preserved in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, became a moniker for the Harlem native, whose early collaborators include giants in the genre such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker. He was known for his commanding presence behind the horn, awing audiences with marathon rounds of improvisation across eight decades as a performer. He released 60+ albums, earning Kennedy Center and National Medal of Art honors among several awards, but often spoke of a relentless and unsatisfied quest to create something new and more profound. “I’m trying to get a deeper sense of expression, musically,” Rollins said in a 2006 interview for his induction into the American Academy of Achievement. “I’m still searching.”

📸 : Sonny Rollins in a 1955 recording session in Hollywood, William Claxton Photographs, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

05/27/2026

What do a bible from the 1600s and a 1983 bat mitzvah dress have in common?
Both tell stories of Jewish life in America across centuries.

The handwritten notes in this bible record a Jewish family’s births, marriages, bar mitzvahs, and deaths dating back before the American Revolution—including the 1839 birth of Rosa Mordecai, Washington, DC’s first Jewish baby.

More than a century later, Sarah Leavitt celebrated her 1983 Bat Mitzvah in this Gunne Sax dress, reflecting how Jewish traditions—and opportunities for girls and women in Jewish ritual life—continued to evolve in America.

Jewish history is American history. As the United States marks 250 years, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the Capital Jewish Museum are celebrating the people, traditions, and milestones that helped shape the nation’s story.

1. Mordecai Family Bible, mid-1600s. Gift of Stanley Falk, Capital Jewish Museum Collection.
2. Sarah Leavitt’s Bat Mitzvah, Madison, Wisconsin, 1983. Gift of Sarah Leavitt, National Museum of American History.

05/25/2026

Since 1971, Memorial Day has been observed on the last Monday of May.

However, the roots of Memorial Day, then known as Decoration Day, date back to the Civil War era. Local commemorations, the first of which were organized by women and African Americans, involved laying flowers on the graves of soldiers who perished during the war.

More on the origins of Memorial Day: https://s.si.edu/3RHmNUN

📷: “Decoration Day: They Gave Their All” postcard, Archives Center, Warshaw Collection of Business Americana

05/24/2026

On May 24, 1976, top wine experts gathered for a blind tasting in Paris. The event, planned to coincide with the American bicentennial, aimed to generate interest in wine from California’s new and largely unknown wineries. The organizer invited nine of France’s top experts for the competition, which pitted some of the best wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy against twelve wines from California.

When the results came in, the judges were surprised to learn that American wines made in California’s Napa Valley won both the white and red wine categories. The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay placed first among the whites, while the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won the red.

This tasting was a turning point in American wine history. The judgment proved that American wine, in its complexity, flavor, and profile, had rebounded after the devastating effects of Prohibition on the wine industry in the U.S.

Recently, the museum commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris, recognizing the historical impact that wine, particularly from Napa Valley, has had on American food and drink. The two 1973 bottles of the winning vintages, collected by the museum, are featured in the museum’s newest exhibition, “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness.”

05/22/2026

Exciting news!

The museum has added a new object to its collection: the costume worn by Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in the Netflix show “Stranger Things.”

Set in 1983 in the fictional small town of Hawkins, Indiana, the show centers on a government experimentation facility and secret programs that result in one of the main characters, Eleven, gaining supernatural powers.

Across its five seasons (2016–2025), “Stranger Things” broke streaming viewership records and earned widespread critical praise. The series has garnered over 70 awards worldwide and became a cultural phenomenon that inspired an animated series, a Tony and Olivier Award-winning play, novels, comics, video games, and extensive licensed merchandise.

The costume will be preserved as part of the museum’s entertainment collections and made available for research and potential future display.

📷: “Stranger Things” costume worn by Millie Bobby Brown, on display during the donation ceremony in Los Angeles, May 21, 2026. Photo Courtesy of Todd Williamson for Netflix.

05/21/2026

Last week, we opened our doors to visitors to see our newest exhibition, "In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness!" 🌟

In honor of our nation's 250th anniversary, the exhibition showcases 250 objects spanning all three floors of the museum's exhibition space. Ranging from the 1700s to the present day, these objects chronicle how Americans have pursued the promises of our nation's founding.

➡️ If you're not able to visit in person, we invite you to explore the exhibition online using the link in our bio, where you can discover the stories of all 250 objects featured: https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/in-pursuit

05/20/2026

This eye-catching lehenga costume was worn by Nina Davuluri during the 2014 Miss America pageant. In that competition, she became the first Indian American woman to earn the Miss America title, and the second Asian American Miss America in the pageant’s history. 🏆

Davuluri's talent performance, which combined traditional Indian-style choreography with Bollywood influences, marked the first time a Bollywood performance was featured on the Miss America stage.

Her costume is now on display in our newest exhibition, “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness,” which connects the stories of Americans like Nina Davuluri. 🌟

Explore the exhibition online: https://s.si.edu/4dUtQlF

📷: Costume worn by Nina Davuluri in the Miss America 2014 pageant, on display at 1 Center.

05/19/2026

05/16/2026

Why is there a grill in a museum? 🤔

In the early 1950s, George Stephen created the first Weber kettle grill by joining two halves of a buoy together. At the time, Stephen worked in sales at Weber Brothers Metal, which was filling orders for metal buoys.

By enabling users to control smoke and heat, the Weber grill provided a seamless and consistent grilling experience, solidifying its place as an iconic tool for suburban grill masters.

By the end of the century, backyard barbecuers could choose from many types of grills: gas, electric, and wood-fired, and more. For some, however, nothing beats the classic charcoal kettle grill.

Whether you are a backyard chef or not, we invite you to see this Weber “redhead” grill in our newest exhibition, “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness," celebrating 250 years of American history! 🌟



📷: Weber Kettle Charcoal Grill, c. 1969-71, on display at 1 Center.