National Inventors Hall of Fame to Unveil Expanded Museum in Alexandria

PHOTO: Get behind the wheel of a side-by-side 1965 Mustang and a 2015 Mustang, and see how patents fuel the evolution of technology and the importance of trademarks and copyright protection. Photo courtesy of museum

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ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The National Inventors Hall of Fame and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is hosting the "Greatest Celebration of American Innovation" Wednesday and Thursday at the USPTO Campus in Alexandria.

The two-day event will include the induction of 16 "innovation trailblazers" into the Hall of Fame and the unveiling of the expanded National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum.

The expanded museum, located at 600 Dulaney St. in Alexandria, opens to the public Friday; the museum closed March 28 for the expansion. The museum is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays and federal holidays. There is a gift shop. Admission to the museum is free.

Mo Rocca, Emmy award-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and host of The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, will give the first official museum tour and serve as master of ceremonies for the 44th Annual National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

“It is a privilege to partner with the National Inventors Hall of Fame for more than four decades and highlight the nation’s brightest luminaries while inspiring the next generation of innovators,” said Michelle Lee, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, in a news release about the ceremony and museum expansion.

“This year, the USPTO is thrilled to also help unveil a reinvigorated museum that celebrates the story of Intellectual Property and illuminates its significance to American life, progress, innovation and culture.”

The expanded museum includes:

• A walk through the progression and development of the camera, courtesy of the George Eastman Museum. The evolution of the camera will highlight the significant contributions made by National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees George Eastman, Steve Sasson and Eric Fossum.
• A one-of-a-kind interactive Mustang brought to you by Ford Motor Company. Get behind the wheel of a side-by-side 1965 Mustang and a 2015 Mustang, and see how patents fuel the evolution of technology and the importance of trademarks and copyright protection. National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee Henry Ford will be featured.
• Qualcomm: Connectivity Changes Everything. This interactive display will showcase smartphone technology that enhances the lives of billions of people worldwide thanks to intellectual property protection, and which began decades ago with the aim of giving all people their own phone number. National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees Dr. Irwin Jacobs and Andrew Viterbi will be recognized.

Watch a video below about the expanded museum: Get in the driver’s seat (literally) and test your Mustang knowledge at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum, reopening with all new exhibits. The museum is free and suitable for all ages.

PHOTO courtesy of National Inventors Hall of Fame