Detecting Stone Age Paleodiets
Ever wondered what the REAL paleodiet was, and how scientists can tell what ancient people ate? Dr. Briana Pobiner, Smithsonian research scientist, studies the marks that stone tools left on animal bones millions of years ago. Come chat with Dr. Pobiner and learn more about the dietary and behavioral clues our ancestors left behind!
Image credit: Sabrina Curran.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Hall of Human Origins. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, February 6, 2026, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Backyard Bird Count!
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
This Tuesday we invite you to join us to celebrate birds! Together through play and art-making, families will engage in different ways to observe and record their own observations of birds they see outside (or even inside) the museum as well as learn about the Backyard Bird Count event happening February 13-16 all around the world!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome.
Location: This program is held in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, on the Ground Floor of the museum. Please enter through the Constitution Avenue entrance. Q?rius is located on the right as you enter the museum.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center (Ground Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
(Rescheduled from Jan 26) Behind the Science: Herbivores That Chewed Through Time: How Insects and Pathogens Responded to Earth’s Biggest Events
Announcing a new After-Hours series at the National Museum of Natural History:
Behind the Science
A monthly after-hours series featuring NMNH scientists and researchers
Each month, join the National Museum of Natural History for the new series, Behind the Science, where NMNH researchers share insights into their latest discoveries and explore the fascinating questions driving their work—from the origins of life to the future of our planet. Come learn what’s happening behind the scenes and how science shapes our understanding of the natural world.
Programs take place in Q?rius, the Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center.
Topics and speakers announced on a rolling basis, but save the dates now!February 10 (RESCHEDULED FROM JAN 26): Conrad Labandeira, Paleobiology, The leaves of plants are everywhere. They provide the primary documentation of insect and pathogen feeding styles – or herbivory – on plants in the modern and fossil records. Leaves also are the most abundant, macroscopic item in the fossil…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: National Museum of Natural History (Ground Floor). Cost: Free; registration is required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/58024102/behind-the-scienceherbivores-that-chewed-through-timehow-insects-and-pathogens-responded-to-earths-biggest-events-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:15 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. Ocean Valentine's Day
Fall in love with the ocean! From corals that can’t live without their algae friends to penguins that use pebbles to propose to heart-shaped critters, the ocean is full of fascinating relationships, animals, and habitats. Come to the Sant Ocean Hall to learn from our scientists and educators about curious ocean connections!
Image credit: Mary Hannon.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, February 12, 2026, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Prehistoric Sea Creatures
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
This Tuesday is all about prehistoric creatures of the Cretaceous ocean! Families can learn about and make close observations of select pieces from our specimen collection, see a mosasaur in a nearby exhibit, and create your own Cretaceous ocean mural. Come and join us for a fun time learning through play and exploration all about these prehistoric sea creatures.
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5) and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome.
Location: This program is held in the Explorer Theater in the Sant Ocean Hall. Ocean Hall is on the 1st floor. Please note that space is dependent on the location of that week's event. Some locations have less capacity than others. It is possible that the program might be at capacity when you arrive. If this happens, please enjoy…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Explorer Theater in Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
The Grandmother Hypothesis and Human Origins
Extended postmenopausal longevity, pair bonding, and helpless (adorable) babies are aspects of life history that distinguish us from other great apes. How did they evolve?
Kristen Hawkes, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the University of Utah, will show how the grandmother hypothesis can explain the evolution of these human features, using lessons from her ethnographic fieldwork with hunter-gatherers in Paraguay and Tanzania. Moderator: Briana Pobiner, paleoanthropologist and educator at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
This program is part of the ongoing HOT (Human Origins Today) Topic series and will be presented as a Zoom video webinar. A link will be emailed to all registrants.
Event Location: Online; Internet connection required. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/42064960/the-grandmother-hypothesis-and-human-origins-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Captioning.
Thursday, February 19, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. Play Date at NMNH: Creature Features - Fossil Edition
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
This Tuesday we will explore fossils! At this Play Date, families can learn about and make close observations of fossils from our collection to explore some of the features these prehistoric animals had! Come and join us for a fun time learning through play and exploration!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome.
Location: This program on the 1st Floor inside the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils - Deep Time exhibit. We will be in the Warner Age of Humans Gallery across from the Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. Please note that space for this program is dependent on the location of that week's event. Some locations have less capacity than others. It is possible that the program might be at capacity when you arrive. If this happens, please enjoy…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor - David H. Koch Hall of Fossils - Deep Time exhibit. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Mineral Rainbow
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
This Tuesday we will be exploring color with minerals! Come play, make art, and make up-close observations of colorful mineral specimens.
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5), their caregivers, and families
Location: This program is held in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, on the Ground Floor of the museum. Please enter through the Constitution Avenue entrance. Q?rius is located on the right as you enter the museum.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with advanced notice. However, accommodations may not be possible with less than two-weeks advanced notice. To request this service, please call (202) 633-5238 or e-mail NMNHAccessibility@si.edu. Image: Tectosilicate Mineral Amethyst
Image copyright: Smithsonian.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center (Ground Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Save a Spider Day!
Join us for special family Tuesday play date with museum educators!
This Tuesday is all about spiders! Come join us as we have an early celebration of "Save a Spider Day" and learn the many wonderful ways spiders help our planet. Families will be able to explore through play, art, and select specimens from our collection.
Want even more spider and arachnid fun? Join us on Saturday, March 14th for our annual "Save a Spider" The World & Me program!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5) and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome.
Location: This program is held in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, on the Ground Floor of the museum. Please enter through the Constitution Avenue entrance. Q?rius is located on the right as you enter the museum.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation,…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center (Ground Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
The World & Me: Save a Spider!
Let's celebrate SPIDERS!
Join us Saturday, March 14th, for a celebration of "Save a Spider Day"! See spider specimens and other arachnids up close, make observations at live tarantula feedings, and learn about the amazing diversity found within the different spider and arachnid species. Scientists from our museum will also share about the science they do to learn more about spiders and will help us debunk common spider myths. Families can join at any time during the duration of the event and stay as long as suits each family.
Location: This program is held in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, on the Ground Floor of the museum. Please enter through the Constitution Avenue entrance. Q?rius is located on the right as you enter the museum.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with advanced notice. However, accommodations may not be possible with less than two-weeks advanced notice.…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Ground Floor, Q?rius: The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, March 14, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Teeth in the Ocean
Join us for special family play dates with museum educators!
This Tuesday is all about ocean animal teeth! Families can make close observations of different sizes and shapes of ocean animal teeth and learn about how different shaped teeth help animals eat. Come and join us for a fun time learning through play, art, and exploration!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5), their caregivers, and families.
Location: This program is held in the Explorer Theater in the Sant Ocean Hall. Ocean Hall is on the 1st floor. Please note that space is dependent on the location of that week's event. Some locations have less capacity than others. It is possible that the program might be at capacity when you arrive. If this happens, please enjoy other areas of the museum and try again later in the program.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Explorer Theater in the Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Nature Explorations
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
This Tuesday is all about exploring your connection with nature! This Play Date is designed around the theme of your family's connections to nature and the nature around you. Make nature journal, see specimens that you might find out in our pollinator garden, and much more!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners aged 0-5 and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome.
Location: This program is held in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, on the Ground Floor of the museum. Please enter through the Constitution Avenue entrance. Q?rius is located on the right as you enter the museum.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with advanced notice. However, accommodations…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center (Ground Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.