First lady Melania Trump's 2025 inaugural ball gown will be presented to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on Friday, marking the second time one of her inaugural dresses has entered the institution's permanent collection, the Office of the First Lady has announced.
The first lady is expected to deliver remarks following the formal handover of the gown.
The dress will be added to the museum's First Ladies Collection, part of a more than century-old tradition of preserving and exhibiting inaugural attire worn by presidential spouses.
The collection, housed within the museum's First Ladies Gallery, includes some 1,000 objects ranging from inaugural gowns and other formal dresses to personal items and White House memorabilia.
With the addition of her 2025 gown, Trump joins a small group of first ladies whose inaugural attire from more than one inauguration has been accepted into the Smithsonian's holdings — a rare distinction reflecting both historical continuity and public interest in presidential inaugurations.
The Smithsonian began collecting inaugural gowns in the early 20th century, and the exhibit has become one of the museum's most visited displays, offering a visual record of changing fashion, culture, and political history through the decades.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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