The DAR Museum showcases the furnishings and decorative arts of pre-industrial America with permanent and changing exhibitions in two galleries. Thirty-one Period Rooms depict regional or period American interiors from the 17th to the early 20th century.
The museum offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, reference library access, and occasional recreational and educational activities.
As the site of 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865, Ford's Theatre presents the history of this famous historical figure. In addition to the site of the shooting, the society also operates the Petersen House, built in 1849, the site of Lincoln's death. The interior of the Petersen House recreates its appearance at that time.
The society offers tours of Ford's Theatre; one-act plays concerning Civil War and/or President Lincoln's history; period rooms; living history tours on the Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy or the story of Elizabeth Keckley, free African American and friend of the Lincolns; and professional development opportunities for educators. The website offers lesson plans and interview videos.
The Stephen Decatur House is one of the oldest surviving homes in Washington, DC and one of only three remaining residential buildings in the country designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who has been called the father of American architecture. The home was completed in 1818, and has been home to many prominent figures over the course of its history both due to its neoclassical architecture as well as its location across from the White House. The location offers visitors a glimpse into nearly 200 years of Washington history through a variety of permanent and special exhibits. Currently, the house is undergoing an extensive renovation, though exhibits continue to be open for visitors.
The website offers brief biographies of all house owners, a history of the Lafayette Square neighborhood; information on all special events and programs, including educational tours and other programs designed for schoolchildren; an online museum shop; and visitor information.
The house offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational programs.
As the Smithsonian Institution's museum of African-American history and culture, the Museum explores American history, society, and creative expression from an African-American perspective. The museum encourages the collection, protection, and preservation of materials that reflect the history and traditions of families, organizations, individuals, and communities.
The museum offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and recreational and educational events.
The National Capital Trolley Museum preserves and interprets the heritage of electric and interurban railways of Washington, D.C. and environs for the benefit of present and future generations, while supplementing its collections with significant national and international objects to enhance its interpretive programs.
The museum offers exhibits, street car rides, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events.
The Woodrow Wilson House is a national historic landmark and house museum that focuses on President Woodrow Wilson's "Washington Years" (19121924). The museum promotes a greater awareness of Wilson's public life and ideals for future generations through guided tours, exhibitions, and educational programs. The museum also serves as a community preservation model and resource, dedicated to the stewardship and presentation of an authentic collection and property.
The site offers a short film, tours, exhibits, and occasional recreational and educational events.
The Sewall-Belmont House and Museum explores the evolving role of women and their contributions to society through the continuing, and often untold, story of women's pursuit for equality. The museum is the headquarters of the historic National Woman's Party and was the Washington home of its founder and Equal Rights Amendment author Alice Paul. Sewall-Belmont, named in the first Save America's Treasures legislation, is the only museum in the nation's capital dedicated to preserving and showcasing a crucial piece of our history—the fight for the American woman's right to vote. This struggle is documented through one of the most significant collections in the country focused on the suffrage and equal rights movements.
The museum offers a short film, exhibits, tours, educational programs, forums, and research library access.
The Newseum—a 250,000-square-foot museum of news—offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. The Newseum features seven levels of galleries, theaters, retail spaces, and visitor services. It offers a unique environment that takes museum-goers behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made.
The museum offers exhibits, tours, film and multimedia screenings, classes, lectures, and other educational and recreational events and programs. DC Metro area schools can schedule field trips with free admission for students; both box lunches and lunch vouchers are available with payment. Students may attend one 50-min., standards-aligned, educator-led class for free during their field trip (see the list of available classes, for grade levels 3-12); and educator-led tours are available for an additional charge.
To prepare for a field trip, teachers may attend an orientation session. Groups may also schedule professional development sessions for educators—subjects relevant to U.S. history include "The Battle for the Bill of Rights: The Free Press and the Founding of Our Nation," "The Photographic Revolution: The Ethics and Impact of Seeing the Story, From the Civil War to the Slums of New York to Today," "A Global Nation: The Free Flow of Information and Media Ethics," and "Making a Change: Civil Rights and the First Amendment."
Braden Paynter of the Frederick Douglass Historical Site, Callie Hawkins of Lincoln's Cottage, and Eric Martin of Ford's Theatre each describe methods their sites use to immerse and provide context for visitors.
The theme of this conference is "American Culture, American Democracy."