Have you ever visited the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, VA? If you are an inventor or just interested in inventions and novelties, the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum might be worth a trip. It is situated in the atrium of the Madison Building, where the USPTO’s headoffice is located.

The Inventors Hall of Fame shows five elements, which are the Hall of Fame, Museum, a Portrait Gallery, a Theatre and a Museum Store.
In the Hall of Fame over 400 displays show famous American Inventors and their inventions. Interactive kiosks also help the visitor to understand the idea, how it was developed and how it changed the lives of each inventor.
In addition, rotating exhibitions are included in the Museum, featuring different themes. ‚Exercising Ingenuity: Inventions in Health and Fitness‘ is the name of the current exhibition. It highlights the historic advances, current trends and future technologies relating to a healthier body and mind.


The Portrait Gallery features digital electronic portraits of United States Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison; famous inventor Thomas Edison; National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees Helen Free, developer of self-testing for diabetics, and Steve Wozniak, the inventor of the personal computer and co-founder of Apple Computer; and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO David Kappos

The Museum Store offers a large selection of unique merchandise including apparel, books, invention kits, glassware, jewelry, and desk accessories. Many items feature the official USPTO seal.