Smithsonian National Museum of American History - Star-Spangled Banner

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History houses the Star-Spangled Banner, the 30-by-34-foot flag sewn by Mary Young Pickersgill that flew over Fort McHenry in 1814 and inspired Francis Scott Key's poem that became the U.S. national anthem. The flag is one of the museum's signature artifacts and is conserved and displayed in a climate-controlled gallery for public viewing and study. The museum's collections document broad aspects of U.S. political, social, cultural, scientific, and military history.