The National Museum of American History, closed for almost 2 years, will reopen Nov. 21, officials announced this morning. The museum closed for renovations in September 2006.

Brent D. Glass, the museum's director, led a hard-hat tour of the newly designed space for the Star-Spangled Banner flag, one of the icon holdings of the museum.

In the area, officials showed the table that will hold the artifact at a slight angle. An abstract flag will mark the entrance to the gallery, which will be dimmed to portray "the dawn's early light."