A Nation of Nations is the largest single exhibition ever mounted in the National Museum of History and Technology. It takes a mighty exhibit to express a mighty theme. A Nation of Nations, through three-dimensional objects, shows how various people the world over came to America, what they brought with them, how experiences in the new land shaped their traditional material culture, and how objects and machines that they made here helped them cope with their new environment and express their values.

The objects, accompanying signs, and text panels of the exhibition convey information and evoke for the visitors recollections of their personal experiences in America. Another effect, almost a cultural drama, is achieved when people participate in a "living" exhibit which combines artifacts and demonstrations. In this way folklife--lore and behavior--can be presented side by side with physical objects to enrich the exhibit. During the Folklife Festival participants giving demonstrations and narrations in several areas of A Nation of Nations help create this kind of living, personalized exhibit.