NorthsideoftheMall，14thStNWandConstitutionAve;closestMetroSmithsonian.
    Ifyoulikekitsch，youwon’twanttomissthebizarremelangeofculturalartefactsattheNationalMuseumofAmericanHistory.GeorgeWashington’swoodenteeth，MuhammadAli’sboxinggloves，andtherubyslippersJudyGarlandworeintheWizardofOzaresetamongdidacticdisplaystracingthecountry’sdevelopment.It’snotsomuchacenterforscholarlystudyasasanctuaryforvanishingAmericana，incorporatingModelTFords，oldpostofficesandevenarestored，turn-of-the-centuryice-creamparlor，whichstillservesupbananasplits.
    AsyouenterfromtheMall，directlyontothesecondfloor，asound-and-lightdisplayshowcasesthebatteredred，whiteandblueflagthatinspiredtheUSnationalanthem-theStar-SpangledBanneritself，whichsurvivedtheBritishbombingofBaltimoreharborduringtheWarof1812.Theworthierexhibitsarealsoonthisfloor:anaccountoftheruralfarm-basedsocietyoftheearlyUSstandsacrossfromanexaminationofthemassmovementofAfrican-AmericansfromSouthernfarmstothewartimeindustriesofnortherncities.AlunchcounterfromWoolworthsinGreensboro，NorthCarolina，evokesthesit-inof1960，while"AmericanEncounters"focusesonNewMexico，lookingathowtourismhasaffectedcommunitiessuchasthepuebloofSantaClaraandHispanicChimayo.Onthefirstfloor，the"InformationAge"gallerytracescommunicationsfromMorse’sfirsttelegraphtoAppleMacintoshes，whileseparategalleriesdisplayingloriousprofusiontheartefactsandmachinesthathaveshapedmodernAmerica-fromlightbulbsandmotorbikestotrainsandatomicclocks.Thetopfloorholdspoliticalmemorabilia，stampandcoincollections，oldTVsetsandtypewriters，thoughtwofinaloutstandingexhibitsinjectaserioustone-"PersonalLegacy:theHealingofaNation"bringstogethersomeofthe25，000itemsleftbyrelativesattheVietnamMemorialinDC，while"AMorePerfectUnion"dealscandidlywiththeshamefulinternmentofJapanese-AmericancitizensduringWorldWarII.