Smithsonian Museum of American History

2009 Inauguration picture First Ladies dresses and other items

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Old fashioned travel trailer
Old steam engine

Well, we got an early start today and were on the train right at 10 am. (The fare is much cheaper between 10 am and 3 pm vs rush hour). It was still pouring down rain so we changed our plan and just went to the Museum of American History. It has all sorts of different things in it having to do with American life. This time there was a huge exhibit on American transportation. They had some great old trains, cars, trolley, buses and trucks. The exhibits were set up with plaster statues dressed in period dress. They even had an old fashioned travel trailer.

They have one whole section devoted to dress and other items belonging to the First Ladies. It seemed like the last time we were in the museum they had all of the 1st Ladies Inaugural Ball dresses. This time there were just a frew dresses from different events but many of them were from the older First Ladies (Martha Washington, Dolly Madison).

There was another large exhibit of Americans at War with items from wars from the French-Indian War to Desert Storm. They had some great pictures from the 2009 Obama Inauguration

Then they have miscellaneous items like Dorothy's Ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz, a collection of Stradivarious muscial instruments and Kermit the frog. Its a great place.