'Mad Men' relics are now museum pieces

There are probably other gray suits and fedoras in the over-stuffed warehouses of the Smithsonian but they're not Don Draper's trademark duds.

Those are as unmistakable as all the other iconic accouterments of the stylish, soon-to-end Mad Men TV drama, the AMC show that meticulously reproduced the inside and working conditions of a 1960s alcohol-fueled ad agency.

So naturally they belong in a museum, specifically the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, which on Friday welcomed the Mad Men haul and some of the Mad Men themselves: Jon Hamm, who plays Draper; John Slattery, who plays Roger Sterling; and Christina Hendricks, who plays Joan Harris.

And just in time: Mad Men's final season begins April 5.

Also there for the official donation of Mad Men costumes, props, sketches, scripts, even a bar cart, was show creator Matthew Weiner.

He said he was thrilled that the stuff from the show might one day be seen by kids on a school trip to the popular Washington museum: It already houses such must-see exhibits as first lady inaugural gowns, Judy Garland's ruby slippers, Archie Bunker's chair and Julia Child's kitchen.

"What I love about these objects being here is that these are for the most (part) actual objects; they are not recreation(s)," Weiner said. "This is the archaeological site of humanity from this period. We're glad that we saved these things."

Entertainment curator Dwight Blocker Bowers said Mad Men producers did the best research he's ever seen for a TV show, with meticulous detail to create the look of an ad agency of the era.

But the objects were not the only stars at the museum; that would include Hamm, who surprised many when it came out recently that he been in a rehab center for treatment of alcohol addiction.

A crush of cameras surrounded him as he posed with his suit from the show, but he took no questions. His publicist has asked for privacy.

The Smithsonian was happy to oblige. Anyway, the curators were more fascinated by the period relics used in the show, from cigarette cartons and liquor bottles to shaving kits and tooth brushes, along with costumes that were recreated.

Some objects, including Draper's suit, will be featured in an exhibit on American culture slated for 2018.

Charlie Collier, head of the AMC network, said the show's creators are honored that Mad Men would would join entertainment history at the museum.

"You know, they say that all good things must come to an end, and all great things come to the Smithsonian," he said.

Contributing: The Associated Press