WASHINGTON — A fire in a below-ground area connected to the National Museum of American History forced the building’s evacuation and closure Thursday morning, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.

The White House sent a letter to the Smithsonian Tuesday unveiling plans to conduct a review of museums and exhibits in preparation for the 250th birthday of the United States in 2026.

What to know:u2028 The museum is open seven days a week, except Dec. 25, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, and passes are not required. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu/visit.

Scholars are pushing back against the Trump administration’s plan to conduct a "comprehensive internal review" of the Smithsonian, viewing it as political interference.

At the National Museum of American History, “diversity and inclusion” and the emphasis on race and class politics are not only talked about but shoehorned into every corner of the museum, even ...

The National Museum of American History is closed until further notice due to a fire that broke out on Thursday morning.

MSNBC's "The Morning Joe" panel blasted President Donald Trump's order to review Smithsonian museum exhibits as a "dangerous" mission that will set back American history, specifically calling out Trump's move to alter the National Museum of African American History and Culture to align with his own vision.