Star-Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

The original Star-Spangled Banner flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the British bombardment in 1814 is part of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s collection and is exhibited in the museum’s Star-Spangled Banner gallery. The 30-by-34-foot wool flag is conserved and displayed in a climate-controlled case and has been subject to major conservation and research projects. The flag inspired Francis Scott Key’s poem that became the U.S. national anthem and is one of the museum’s signature installations.