The Smithsonian National Museum of American History will open a new permanent exhibition showcasing U.S. entertainment culture Dec. 9.  

The exhibit, entitled “Entertainment Nation”/“Nación del Espectáculo,” will be the largest long-term bilingual exhibit, showcasing work in both English and Spanish along the National Mall. The exhibit will include over 225 objects displayed in a 7,200-square-foot space, providing visitors with a variety of cultural artifacts that trace the history of pop culture in the United States. Admission to the museum is free. 

Darren Milligan, the acting director of the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology and an adjunct lecturer in the Georgetown University department of art and art history, said the exhibition will likely include a variety of objects from U.S. entertainment history. 

“I am sure it will be an engaging and educational experience reflecting diverse contributions to American entertainment,” Milligan wrote to The Hoya. “I am excited to see the space and the objects selected for display and would encourage Georgetown students to make their way down to the Mall once it opens on the 9th of December.”

The museum will feature objects like the suit Ellen DeGeneres wore when receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek costume and Fred Rogers’ sneakers from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, a children’s show about forging friendships.

In a December press release, Anthea Hartig, the director of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, said the power of the entertainment industry comes from the diverse voices that have contributed to it.

“For generations, entertainers and athletes have used their platforms to reveal and respond to the nation’s many struggles, challenge injustice and create change,” Hartig wrote in the release. “As the nation’s flagship and largest history museum, we are poised to help audiences better understand the value, role and influence of entertainment as most broadly defined.”

The exhibit will spotlight more than 12 artifacts of the entertainment industry that had a particularly influential impact on society and politics.

The exhibition will also place a large emphasis on digital visual graphics, including movies and music and their role in U.S. pop and entertainment, according to the press release. 

“State-of-the-art Dolby Atmos immersive sound will enhance the experience through a custom playback system designed to transport museum visitors into the exciting world of the movies,” the press release reads.

The exhibition will follow an open-gallery concept and feature three micro-galleries that each focus on comedy, music and television. The objects in the exhibition cover over 150 years of U.S. entertainment history. 

In addition to visually analyzing the objects in the exhibition, the museum said viewers are encouraged to consider the broad political implications of entertainment within society during and after their visits. 

“Visitors to the open-concept gallery can examine how various types of entertainment provoked conversations about the invasion of Native lands, Reconstruction, civil rights, immigration and more,” the press release reads. 

One of the objects in the exhibition is a necktie that former NFL player Randy Moss wore to commemorate the lives of 15 victims of police brutality. The exhibit will also feature Ruby Slippers, the shoes that Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz, to spark conversations on society and politics.

Visitors can learn more about the exhibit through videos, podcasts and stories posted on the gallery’s companion website. The companion website also includes design ideas from project curators.  

Smithsonian Books also published a companion book titled “Entertainment Nation: How Music, Television, Film, Sports, and Theater Shaped the United States” on Nov. 1, which highlights the history of the objects in the exhibit as well as several essays on controversial and celebrated moments in pop history.

According to the release, the museum’s simultaneous online and in-person offerings invite viewers to participate in different ways. 

“Through online resources as well as exhibitions on the National Mall such as Entertainment Nation, the museum will continue its mission to engage audiences in new and expanding ways,” the press release reads.