It’s not every day that Mariska Hargitay, a.k.a. “Law and Order: SVU” character Capt. Olivia Benson, swings by the District to donate one of her character’s costumes to the Smithsonian.

But recently, the TV actress presented her character’s signature blue blazer to the National Museum of American History, during a ceremony she called “one of the top five things to ever happen to me.”

Mariska — and Capt. Benson’s — costume will (at some point) be housed in the “Hall of American Culture” at the museum. The exhibit will celebrate its two-year anniversary this December.

But did you know that what’s currently on display in the exhibit is less than 1% of what the American History Museum holds in storage?

In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax got a rare look into entertainment history that hardly anyone else gets to experience.

During his adventure, Matt uncovered a treasure trove of priceless, original artifacts including original illustrations/animations of Mickey Mouse and Snow White donated by Disney, the Superman costume worn by Christopher Reeve in the 1970s and even Rocky Balboa’s boxing boots donated by Sylvester Stallone.

These items barely scratch the surface of the vast collection, which Matt found you could probably spend days rummaging through without even realizing.

Come along with Matt on his star-struck tour, where he learned that what we do and consume for fun every day has its own story to tell: A story that’s integral to the tale of America.

Hear “Matt About Town” on air every Tuesday and Thursday on WTOP 103.5 FM. His video pieces are always posted on wtop.com. You can also find Matt’s videos on Instagram (@wtopnews and @mkaufax) and TikTok (@wtopnews and @mattabouttown_).

If you have an idea for a feature story Matt should cover, reach out via the WTOP “contact us” page to submit it.

You can also contact Matt directly. His contact information is listed below. 

Check out more of “Matt About Town” on WTOP.