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An Immersive History Experience Like No Other
The National Archives Museum has opened its new flagship exhibition, The American Story, after a multi-year reimagination of its museum galleries, just in time to celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial.
Innovative, engaging, and powered by artificial intelligence, The American Story brings more than two million historic records to life and offers visitors opportunities to personally connect their lives to our nation’s storied past.
The American Story immerses guests in an interactive exploration of the people, ideas, and events that shaped 250 years of U.S. history through nine captivating galleries that spotlight categories of records in the National Archives. After selecting the topics of interest through AI- driven portals, visitors will be presented with historical content tailored to their individual interests that they can later revisit online.
This exhibit features several dozen historic, original artifacts, documents, patents, and film slips, including:
- George Washington’s annotated draft Constitution
- The Louisiana Purchase Treaty
- Notable patents, including Thomas Edison’s lightbulb, Barbie, and Yoda from Star Wars
- Declassified records from the Cuban Missile Crisis and UFO sightings
- The first government sponsored film capturing the Wright Brothers’ test flight
- State gifts to Presidents, including horseshoes gifted by Queen Elizabeth II to President George H.W. Bush
Immediately adjacent to the museum galleries is a reimagined Discovery Center, featuring educational arcade games and a classroom with hands-on civics education activities for children and families.
