Blog

National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum Reopens

ALEXANDRIA, Va. May 25, 2022 — The National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) Museum has reopened after being temporarily closed due to safety protocols in response to COVID-19.

The NIHF Museum, located at the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Madison Building in Alexandria, Virginia, features many new exhibits for its reopening, including:

  • The 2022 Class of Inductees exhibit celebrates each member of the latest class of Hall of Famers. Visitors are introduced to 27 groundbreaking, patented inventors who represent a wide array of backgrounds, fields and accomplishments.
  • “Breaking Barriers: Honoring Extraordinary Black Inventors” was developed in collaboration with the Black Inventors Hall of Fame. Visitors can expect to find meaningful stories of Inductees including Thomas Jennings, the first Black inventor to be awarded a U.S. patent, and more visionary innovators like Lanny Smoot, Sarah Goode and Madam C.J. Walker.
  • “Champions of Innovation” celebrates extraordinary women including 2022 Inductees Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller and Polly Smith, whose revolutionary invention — the sports bra — has contributed to health and equity worldwide. The exhibit tells the story of global lifestyle and athletic wear brand Champion® and includes an interactive opportunity for visitors to create their own inspiring designs.
  • The Super Soaker® Prototype exhibit features the work of 2022 Inductee Lonnie Johnson. An engineer who has designed systems for space exploration and developed energy technologies, Johnson brought his innovative spirit to an unexpected industry when he created one of the world’s bestselling toys.
  • “Women in Innovation” features powerful interviews with women and girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Sponsored by Qualcomm, this exhibit includes the perspectives of accomplished creators and entrepreneurs, as well as young innovators who represent the future of STEM.
  • “Invention: The Sky Is the Limit” honors 2022 Inductee Floyd Smith, inventor of the modern parachute. The exhibit features a replica parachute and an opportunity to experience a freefall, deploy a parachute and enjoy a safe landing in an exhilarating virtual skydive.
  • “100 Years of Hard Hat Protection” celebrates the work of 2022 Inductee Edward W. Bullard, inventor of the hard hat. Visitors see the impact of this essential piece of safety equipment and learn how Bullard Co. continues to lead the way in manufacturing equipment designed to protect workers worldwide.
  • The Kiva Robot exhibit displays one of the robots that make up the world’s first mobile robotic warehouse order fulfillment system, created by 2022 Inductees Mick Mountz, Peter Wurman and Raffaello D’Andrea. Now the intelligent backbone of Amazon’s order fulfillment system, their invention started a wave of robotics automation throughout the material handling world.

Open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., admission to the museum is free and open to the public. For more information visit invent.org/museum/plan-your-visit.

About the National Inventors Hall of Fame

The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is the premier nonprofit organization in America dedicated to recognizing inventors and invention, promoting creativity, and advancing the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. Founded in 1973 in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, NIHF is committed to not only honoring the individuals whose inventions have made the world a better place, but to ensuring American ingenuity continues to thrive in the hands of coming generations through its national, hands-on educational programming and collegiate competitions focused on the exploration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Explore the NIHF Museum digitally in Google Arts & Culture’s “Once Upon a Try” project. For more information, visit invent.org. To nominate an inventor for Induction, visit invent.org/nominate.

Related Articles