Behind the Science with Research Geologist and Curator Elizabeth Cottrell
"Expedition to Arctic Volcanoes"
Join NMNH Research Geologist and Curator Liz Cottrell for an in‑depth exploration of the volcanoes on Alaska’s Aleutian Archipelago. Through images, stories, and scientific insights drawn from her field research, Cottrell investigates the Earth’s rocky surface and the internal dynamics that make it unique. Experience a Smithsonian rock‑collecting expedition through the eyes of a curator.
Registration is encouraged. Space is available on a first come, first served basis.
Image credit: Liz Cottrell, Smithsonian
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About the Series: 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…
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/49070005/behind-the-sciencemay-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, May 11, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:15 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. Play Date at NMNH: Animal Spotlight - Bison!
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
Tuesday, May 12th, is a special animal spotlight on bison! Families can celebrate our national mammal by making observations of bison specimens from our education collection, learn about ways they help their ecosystem, and explore how bison have been portrayed in art.
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 the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals exhibit on the 1st floor of the museum. 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…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals (1st Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
The Ocean Around Us Tour
Explore the Sant Ocean Hall to learn about some of the exciting animals and habitats featured and how they are connected to your everyday life no matter where you live. This is a 30-minute interactive walking tour where you can meet a North Atlantic Right Whale, find out what is the most productive marine ecosystem, touch coral, and so much more.
Registration is required for this small group tour of up to 10 people. Each visitor may bring up to 3 guests, but the total number of visitors on the tour will be capped at 10.
Photo by Phillip R. Lee, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall, Under the Large Jellyfish. Cost: Free. Registration is required. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 14, 2026, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Watch Them Grow: Understanding our Forests for a Greener Future
How do trees grow, and why should we care? Trees play a vital role in fighting climate change by storing carbon in their wood. By monitoring tree growth and learning about the environmental conditions they need, we can predict how they’ll react in the future. This helps us understand how trees will handle changes in their surroundings.
Presented by Dr. Eugenie Mas, forest ecologist, ForestGEO, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
Image courtesy of Eugenie Mas.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Fossil Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 15, 2026, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Marvelous Meteorites
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
Tuesday, May 19th, is all about exploring the colors, shapes, and textures of objects from space! Families can learn about and make close observations of meteorites from our collection, explore different colors of planets, and create your own play telescope. 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 (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, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are…
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, May 19, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
How Do Paleoanthropologists Identify Our Evolutionary Relatives?
While some of us today enjoy exploring our own family genealogy, paleoanthropologists study fossils of our evolutionary family members and try to identify our relatives in the deep past. How do they determine these evolutionary relationships, which now-extinct ancient species are more closely related to us, and which fossils belong to which species? Dr. Bernard Wood, University Professor of Human Origins at the George Washington University, will explain how paleoanthropologists attempt to answer these questions. Moderator: Dr. Briana Pobiner, paleoanthropologist and educator at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
This program is part of the ongoing HOT (Human Origins Today) Topics series and will be presented as a Zoom video webinar. A link will be emailed to all registrants.
Image caption: Bronze sculpture of a Paranthropus boisei created by paleoartist John Gurche in the Smithsonian’s Hall of Human Origins. Image credit: Smithsonian Institution.
Event Location: Online; Internet connection required. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/99966992/how-do-paleoanthropologists-identify-our-evolutionary-relatives-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Captioning.
Thursday, May 21, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens Bird Walk
As we have since 2022, the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum will host a spring bird walk at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. We are teaming up with DC Bird Alliance, so gather your family and friends and join us for some fun as we celebrate nature in the Nation’s Capital — no experience or equipment required.
Image credit: Robert Costello.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Visitor Center (outside), 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20019. Cost: Free. Registration is required. Click here to register. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/84836042/kenilworth-park-and-aquatic-gardens-bird-walk-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Categories: Workshops. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Birds of DC, 1st Floor.
Saturday, May 23, 2026, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM.
Play Date at NMNH: Birds!
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
On Tuesday, May 26th, we invite you to join us in celebrating birds and birdwatching! 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. 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 (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…
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, May 26, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
World Ocean Day
Celebrate World Ocean Day with us at the National Museum of Natural History on Monday, June 8, 2026! Join ocean scientists, researchers, and educators in the Sant Ocean Hall for a fun-filled series of interactive experiences. We'll be celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary by exploring fascinating organisms, amazing discoveries, and exciting research about the waters around the United States and its territories.
Photo: Teodor Drobota on Unsplash.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Celebrations. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Awesome Arachnids!
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
Come join us as we celebrate the many wonderful ways arachnids help our planet, make observations of different arachnid species, and create art inspired by the different colors and shapes found on arachnids! Families will be able to explore through play, art, and select specimens from our collection.
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, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with advanced notice.…
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, June 9, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Behind the Science with Zoologist Matt Girard and World Ocean Day!
Save the date for Behind the Science: June ft. Matt Girard, Zoologist. This will also be our annual World Ocean Day celebration! Stay tuned for more details.
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About the Series: 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! Upcoming Dates:
Apr 14: Carla Dove, Forensic Ornithologist and Chris Sweeney, author
May 11: Liz Cottrell, Research Geologist and Curator
Jun. 9: Matt Girard, Zoologist
Jul. 14: TBA
Aug. 11: Nick…
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/61682548/behind-the-sciencejune-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:15 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. Play Date at NMNH: Megalodon Day!
Tuesday, June 16th will be a post-celebration of Megalodon Day (June 15th)! While Megalodons, an ancient shark that lived 23 – 3.5 million years ago, are no longer swimming in our ocean, people of all ages are fascinated by its size and large teeth! Together we will learn about this ancient shark that used to roam the ocean, make our own wearable artwork inspired by Megalodon teeth, and have the chance to hold a real Megalodon tooth!
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, real-time captioning…
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, June 16, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
The World & Me: WETA and NMNH’s Solstice and Museum Celebration with special guest, Alma!
Learn more about your place in the world through explorations of nature and culture with museum educators and our friends from WETA!
Come celebrate the summer solstice inside Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center! Join us Saturday, June 20th, as we explore the amazing things we can learn and do when we visit the museum together as a family or with friends. Special guest Alma from the PBS Kids animated series “Alma’s Way” will be present and an episode about her family’s trip to a museum will also be shown throughout the event. Families with learners of all ages will be invited to explore different stations, make observations of specimens from our collection, and explore play and art.
This is a drop-in event. Families can drop in anytime from 10:00am - 1:00pm and stay for as long as your family would like. No registration is required.
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…
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, June 20, 2026, 10:00 AM – 1:00 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, June 30, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Behind the Science with Curator of Flies Torsten Dikow
“What is the Pinned Insect Digitization Conveyor?” With more than 35 million specimens, the Smithsonian insect collection is one of the largest entomology collections in the world. It is an archive of global insect biodiversity, shedding light on the most diverse group of animals on the planet. Making such a sprawling collection, and the trove of scientific data it contains, accessible to researchers around the world is a challenge the museum facing head on. Entomologist Dr. Torsten Dikow is part of the team currently working to digitize a large swath of the collection’s pollinating insect specimens using the museum’s Pinned Insect Digitization Conveyor, a state-of-the-art system that has never before been used in North America. Torsten will discuss the How and Why of digitizing more than 325,000 bees, flies, butterflies and beetles and their associated data labels. He will also explore the importance of making all of this data accessible to science and the public given the vital role insect pollinators…
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/55383932/behind-the-sciencejuly-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:15 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. Smithsonian Sleepover at the Natural History Museum
In-person Family Program: Go on an interactive exploration of the Natural History Museum and participate in hands-on crafts projects and games. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the darkened halls of one of the world’s most famous museums! Geared for children ages 8 to 14 years old, accompanied by an adult.
Event Location: National Museum of Natural History 10th St & Constitution Ave NW. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/nh-sleepover-1P0911?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Kids & Families.
Saturday, July 18, 2026, 7:00 PM – Sunday, July 19, 2026, 9:00 AM.
Beyond the Exhibition: 250 Years of Messaging
**Please note: this event was rescheduled from its original date, February 26th. This program will take place on Thursday, July 23rd.**
In celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, explore the ways humans have stayed connected; from the Pony Express to amateur radio to emojis and more. Enjoy exclusive after-hours access to the Cellphone: Unseen Connections exhibit and talk to experts: Moving the Mail: The Pony Express with National Postal Museum education specialists MaryBeth Wagner and Maureen Leary , Explore the role of ham amateur radio in communication and demo equipment with NMNH museum specialists Tim Gooding and Rob Wardell from the Smithsonian HAM Radio Club , Test your knowledge on communication methods through time with NMNH exhibit educators: Match Emoji icons with their official names and the emotion or mood they represent , Decode a Morse Code message , Compare modern smartphones with old phone models , , The Transatlantic Telegraph Cable and amateur radio in WWII with National…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: National Museum of Natural History (2nd floor). Cost: Free; registration is required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/95792339/beyond-the-exhibition250-years-of-messaging-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 23, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. Play Date at NMNH: At Home in a Habitat
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
Tuesday, August 4th is all about the rainforest! During this program, families will be able to make observations of different rainforest animals from our collection (including a leafcutter ant and a sloth) and learn about how the rainforest provides a safe place for many different animals to live. Families will also be invited to take a look at the rainforest area of the exhibit!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners, their caregivers, and families to explore different natural history themes through art, play, and exploration.
Location: This program is held in the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals exhibit on the 1st floor of the museum. 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,…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals (1st Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, August 4, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.