Getting ready forthe National Museum of American History.
Free, with no tickets, on the National Mall. The museum posts a Sensory Guide that describes the galleries for light, touch, sound and space, a social narrative for kids, and names its quieter exhibits and quieter months.
Open 10 am to 5:30 pm daily; closed Dec. 25. Spark!Lab and Wegmans Wonderplace: Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday (hours subject to change), and both closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.
1300 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC (on the National Mall, between 12th and 14th Streets)
“Spark!Lab, located on the first floor of the west wing and geared toward children age 6 and older, is a good place to begin introducing a child to the museum.”
“The Smithsonian does not offer sensory bags at any of its museums, however visitors are welcome to bring their own equipment or materials.” si.edu
The museum's pre-visit materials are on its Accessibility page: a Sensory Guide that describes the galleries by visual, tactile, auditory and movement, a Know Before You Go social narrative for kids, a Spark!Lab guide and a General Tips sheet. The museum gives two places for Lighting a Revolution and Power Machinery: the first floor of the west wing, or 1 East.
Spark!Lab is the museum's hands-on invention space. It is geared toward children age 6 and older, with an invention workshop for children 6 to 12. It limits how many people are inside, so you may have to wait to get in. Wegmans Wonderplace is the museum's space for children 0 to 6.
The Smithsonian doesn't offer dedicated hours or early openings for neurodiverse visitors by request. Its Morning at the Museum program opens one Smithsonian museum an hour early for pre-registered families; to hear when it comes back to American History, email access@si.edu to join the list. To learn more about Morning at the Museum, the museum also gives 202-633-2921.
Admission is free and no tickets are needed; everyone goes through a metal detector or a wand screening, and every bag is checked.
Lighting a Revolution and Power Machinery have minimal audio, and Price of Freedom and Entertainment Nation are among the loudest spaces in the museum.
December, January, February, September and October are usually the quieter months, and afternoons are generally more crowded.
Price of Freedom (3rd floor, East) (one of the loudest spaces in the museum, with sounds of explosions and gunfire in some areas; very visually stimulating, and several rooms are small)not stated
Entertainment Nation (3rd floor, West) (one of the loudest spaces in the museum, with music and videos throughout and many bright lights)not stated
The Star-Spangled Banner (2nd floor, Center) (the flag viewing area is very dark, with sound effects of explosives and music from videos; narrow and small, and it can be crowded at peak times)not stated
America on the Move (1st floor, East) (background noises can become loud, and there are sometimes loud, spontaneous sound effects)not stated
American Enterprise (1st floor, West) (a large, bright tower in the back can pulse light unexpectedly, and background noises can become loud)not stated
Spark!Lab and Wegmans Wonderplace (1st floor, West) (very bright, and when crowded the space can become loud)not stated
Quieter, in the museum's words
Lighting a Revolution and Power Machinery, 1st floor: bright, with minimal audioquiet zone
The Value of Money (1st floor, West): quiet, with minimal audio, but small and narrowquiet zone
First Ladies (3rd floor, Center): dim, with minimal audio; the rooms are small and can become crowdedquiet zone
The Thinking Spot in Spark!Lab, which can be a quieter areaquiet zone
Entrances are on Constitution Avenue (first floor) and Madison Drive on the National Mall (second floor). The automatic accessible door at the Madison Drive entrance is out of service; the Constitution Avenue entrance has a fully automated accessible door.
Entrance lines at Smithsonian museums can be long at busier times of year. If your kid can't wait or stand in line for long, the Smithsonian asks you to contact the museum's visitor services office ahead of time to discuss options (202-633-3717 or NMAH-Visitor-Services@si.edu).
Food and drinks in properly closed containers can be carried through the museum, but food is eaten only in the cafes, unless it's needed for medical reasons; water is allowed throughout. Brown bag lunches can be eaten outside on the terrace or the National Mall. The Jazz Cafe (1 Center) is open daily 10 am to 5 pm; Eat at America's Table (lower level) is open Monday to Thursday 11 am to 2 pm and Friday to Sunday and holidays 11 am to 3 pm.
Strollers are allowed, but the museum doesn't provide them, and strollers can't go on the escalators. Lockers are limited and first come, first served; there is no other bag check. Manual wheelchairs are free, first come, first served; ask a security officer.
Photography isn't allowed in the Star-Spangled Banner gallery. Service dogs are welcome; emotional support animals are not.
Restrooms are on every floor, including companion care or family restrooms, and most have automatic hand dryers. Companion care restrooms are on the first floor in the east and west wings opposite the escalators, and on the second floor in the east wing. A private lactation room is in the second floor Welcome Center.
For help, ask a security officer, a museum ambassador in a blue shirt, or a volunteer at an information desk. For serious injuries or illnesses, contact the nearest security officer.
There is no public parking at the Smithsonian on the National Mall; there are a limited number of 3-hour street spaces along Jefferson and Madison Drives, and reserved parking nearby can be bought ahead through ParkWhiz. The closest Metro stations are Federal Triangle and Smithsonian. For rides and MetroAccess, use 1300 Constitution Avenue NW.
