Replacing traditional guided tours, the National Museum of American History designs daily programs that strive to give patrons the best experience possible. The planned events allow the museum flexibility to highlight certain celebrations like Fourth of July and Black History Month. Daily programs provide a more interactive way for all ages to explore the museum. Some highlights from the daily program include interactive games, the Spark!lab (a hands-on science exhibition) and historical theater. The daily programs also include short guided tours that incorporate only certain exhibitions and highlights of the museum.
Guided tours are offered as part of the museum's daily program. The "spotlight" tour is a 15-minute overview of a specific exhibition. Docents are stationed outside of an exhibition and, at certain times, will give a brief talk to patrons. The "spotlight" tours are available from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum's information desk can provide a listing of all exhibitions offering tours. "Highlights" are docent-led tours which take patrons to all the high points of the museum. The tours are offered every day, departing from information desks at 10:15 a.m and lasting until approximately 1 p.m.
Self-guided tours are an excellent way to take in the massive National Museum of American History's collection. The museum has created multiple self-guided tours giving patrons the freedom to explore at their own pace. Self-guided tours include "Highlights" and "For Families With Kids." The museum will also create self-guides for certain exhibitions the museum is hosting. The guides are available to download, or at one of the museum's two information desks.
The National Museum of American History no longer provides guided tours for visiting school groups, but instead incorporates the groups into the daily programs schedule. The museum gives schools the opportunity to register before arriving, allowing museum staff to be informed of which schools are on-premise. The museum provides plenty of pre-arrival materials, including self-guides categorized based on grade level, an orientation video and pre and post-visit learning materials.
