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American Artifacts: National Building Museum & Inaugural Balls

President McKinley's Inaugural Ball in the Pension Building

President McKinley's Inaugural Ball in the Pension Building

Washington, DC
Saturday, January 19, 2013

The first Inaugural Ball held in the National Building Museum was Grover Cleveland’s in 1885, when it was known as the Pension Building and was still under construction.  Composed of over 15 million red bricks, the Pension Building contains a Great Hall that is 316 feet long and 159 feet high. American History TV visited to learn about the 19th century Inaugural tradition that continues in the 21st century, including President Obama's Commander-in-Chief Ball held there in January of 2009.

Updated: Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 11:01pm (ET)

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