U.S. museum is back in business

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History -- home to a broad mix of historical and pop-culture treasures, including the Star-Spangled Banner and Julia Child’s kitchen -- reopens today after an $85-million overhaul.

Six years ago, a blue-ribbon commission appointed by the Washington, D.C., museum faulted the facility for being incoherent and disorganized, and “lacking aesthetic appeal” and balance. It was portrayed as a mess, even though at its peak, more than 5 million people a year found their way through its cluttered hallways. It’s the third-most-visited museum on the Mall.

A vigorous rethinking of how to tell the U.S. story and display a selection of its more than 3 million objects, as well as renovation of the physical structure, required the museum to close for two years. The central part of the building was dramatically altered; other areas are scheduled to be redone by 2014, in time for its 50th anniversary, according to Director Brent D. Glass.

Smithsonian officials wanted the retooled facility to be encyclopedic but also to connect with every visitor.

The museum had 3 million visitors in 2005, its last full year of operation, placing its attendance behind that of the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of Natural History.