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Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House (Colors)
NZP Kids and Families
Color us excited! Join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo as we learn about color and animals in the natural world.
Little Critters: Nature Play is designed for ages 0-5 and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Parents and guardians must remain with their children.
Location: Think Tank Classroom.
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: Bird House Classroom. Cost: Free drop-in program; no pre-registration required.Parents and guardians must remain with their children. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Sundays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Nature Explorations
One-Time Events
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 a 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 will be held in the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals, located on the first floor just off the Rotunda.
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…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Hall of Mammals, First Floor. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Flights of Fancy Story Time: Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket by Sue Fliess
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join us for a story about a determined girl who dreams of going to Mars, building a rocket from junkyard parts with her stuffed animal crew, all told in cheerful rhyme.
Later, draw a spaceship to your favorite planet.
Takes place at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center each Tuesday and Thursday at 11 am and 11:30 am.
These programs are made possible through the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: At the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Ask at the Welcome Center for the exact location of that day's story time. Cost: Free, Parking $15. Categories: Kids & Families.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. Tours | Arts of Japan
Gallery Talks & Tours
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Workshops
Register to join the sessions.
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.
All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Gong Xian (ca. 1610–1689); Winter Landscape; China, mid- to late 17th century; album leaf; ink on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1961.11.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/8R9H5FxSRciJf6x6PSGd0w. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/8R9H5FxSRciJf6x6PSGd0w. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Art of Women
Gallery Talks & Tours
Join us for a docent-led tour highlighting women’s untold stories in the art world, where their contributions have frequently been overshadowed. Discover the importance of women artists, subjects, patrons, and collectors who’ve shaped history. Celebrate women’s creativity and resilience by exploring captivating narratives that include inspirational subjects, ruling monarchs, and revered figures of divinity. Image: White Tara; Tibet, mid- to late 18th century; thangka applique; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, S2020.5.19.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Women's History is American History
Smithsonian American Women's History Museum
Join us for a Women’s History Month conversation exploring how women’s legacies are shaped and remembered, featuring Bari Helms, Reynolda Director of Archives & Library, and Catherine Allgor, PhD, historian and Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Advisory Council member.
Event Location: Reynolda House Museum of American Art. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/womens-history-is-american-history-tickets-1980219784682?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Lectures & Discussions.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM.
City of Knowledge: Science, Power, and Place
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
How did Washington, D.C. become a center of scientific thought, innovation, and influence? From the founding dreams of George Washington to the rise of the Smithsonian and other federal science institutions, City of Knowledge, a 4-part public program series, explores the rich and complex history of science across space and time.
The second program in the series will focus on the life sciences, exploring the National Zoo, exhibits on nature and wildlife in DC's museums, and anthropology's central place in Smithsonian work in the mid-twentieth century. It highlights how our own contemporary moment is often reflected back at us through our interpretations of nature and human history, especially on the national stage in the capital city.
Through dynamic conversations with scholars, curators, and historians, City of Knowledge uncovers how place, politics, and people intersect to shape the story of American science. Discover how institutions, communities, and ideas converged to build an intellectual legacy that c…
Event Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 5th Floor Event Space, 901 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001. Cost: This event is free, but registration is required due to limited seating. Get Tickets/Register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/t9c92a8. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM.
Is There Anyone Out There? (Exploring Space Lecture)
One-Time Events
In the early 1970s, the Pioneer 10 and 11 probes helped to shine a light on our outer solar system. Along with scientific instruments, they also carried peace plaques. Later in that decade, the Voyager probes carried records filled with images, sounds, music, and greetings from Earth. These plaques and records served as messages for any other civilizations out in the universe, including a map to our solar system. Join the Creative Director of NASA’s Voyager Interstellar Message Ann Druyan and science journalist Dr. Nadia Drake as they discuss the story of how humans continue to search for life and connection through exploration of our solar system and interstellar space as told through the Pioneer 10/11 Plaque and Voyager Golden Record.
Visit the Museum's galleries from 7-8 pm then hear from Nadia Drake and Ann Druyan from 8-9 pm.
Your registration includes: A ticket to this Exploring Space talk from 8-9 pm. , Concessions available for purchase prior to 8 pm. , Access to select Museum galleries from 7-8…
Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Lockheed Martin IMAX. Cost: Free with registration. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. ONLINE: Is There Anyone Out There? (Exploring Space Lecture)
One-Time Events
In the early 1970s, the Pioneer 10 and 11 probes helped to shine a light on our outer solar system. Along with scientific instruments, they also carried peace plaques. Later in that decade, the Voyager probes carried records filled with images, sounds, music, and greetings from Earth. These plaques and records served as messages for any other civilizations out in the universe, including a map to our solar system. Join the Creative Director of NASA’s Voyager Interstellar Message Ann Druyan and science journalist Dr. Nadia Drake as they discuss the story of how humans continue to search for life and connection through exploration of our solar system and interstellar space as told through the Pioneer 10/11 Plaque and Voyager Golden Record.
This lecture series is made possible by the generous support of L3Harris and United Launch Alliance.
Event Location: YouTube. Online Link: https://eventactions.com/eareg.aspx?ea=Rsvp&invite=00gsr6ktjt8e7rf0xgjwr8n3knxszjkz2gjm7zve5dnbfnkskhwk. Cost: Free with registration. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
For more info visit youtube.com. Abiding Nowhere – Stream Online
Films
Watch the Trailer, Stream the Film
Don't miss the streaming premiere of the tenth film in Taiwan-based Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series. In the Walker films, Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng very slowly traverses landscapes and cities around the world. The series is inspired by the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who famously walked from China to India in search of scriptures.
The first Walker film shot in the United States, Abiding Nowhere takes place here at the National Museum of Asian Art and other locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Here, the camera follows both Lee and Laotian actor Anong Houngheuangsy. Tsai describes Abiding Nowhere as “two lonely souls on separate journeys, sometimes crossing paths but never once meeting.”
Director: Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan, United States). Released: 2024. Length: 79 min. Format: Streaming. No dialogue. Image Courtesy of Homegreen Films.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Categories: Films. Webcasts & Online.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
Wellness Wednesdays
One-Time Events
Join the Portrait Gallery and wellness expert Aparna Sadananda for mindfulness programs inspired by the Portrait Gallery’s collection. On the first Wednesday of each month, join us for an artful meditation, where we will practice slow looking and experience portraiture through breath and slow movement. On the third Wednesday of each month, join us for a wellness program that inspires the senses and includes sound baths and musical meditation. These programs are for ages 18+ and are suitable for all skill levels. No experience is necessary.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-wellness-wednesdays-tickets-1982011714392?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Workshops.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Storytime Studio: In Full Bloom
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Let’s celebrate cherry blossom season and welcome spring with the help of a guest educator from Smithsonian Gardens. We’ll get inspired by Giacomo Balla’s Futurist Flower (1918–1925) sculptures and create our own artistic blooms to take home.
Featured book: Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO, Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience.
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to one hour.
No pre-registration is required.
Entry to Storytime Studio is first-come, first-served. Once the 10 AM session reaches…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Naturally You!
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Big Objects, Big Stories: Red Cadillac Eldorado owned by Chuck Berry
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join us for a docent-led tour to get a fresh look into the Museum's featured object. At each of these 15-minute talks visitors will hear incredibly big stories about a big object.
About this Program: All hail the King of Rock 'n' Roll! When musical legend Chuck Berry made rock 'n' roll history, he didn't rely on agents or record labels; he drove himself to his own business. Let’s take a walking cruise around this object and explore how Berry became one of the first artists to break musical color barriers.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets at the Red Cadillac Eldorado, Musical Crossroads, L4. Talks take place at: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM,1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, and 3:30 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Musical Crossroads.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
CANCELLED - Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Sundays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
DC | Cradleboards and Crawlers
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Designed for early learners (ages 0-2), their caregivers, and families, this drop-in program offers young visitors the opportunity to enjoy a book by a Native author or illustrator read by a Museum Educator, engage in free play and sensory enrichment, and participate in other hands-on learning.
*Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3.
**Recommended for visitors ages 0-2 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 3, imagiNATIONS Activity Center. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM.
Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby. Cost: FREE. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. DC | Welcome to a Native Place
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Enjoy tribal songs from Alaska to Florida with Dennis Zotigh (Kiowa/Isanti Dakota/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo) in the Potomac Atrium. At the end of the 30-minute presentation, visitors are encouraged to ask questions pertaining to the museum and Indigenous culture, past and present. Presentations may be canceled without prior notice.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Abiding Nowhere – Stream Online
Films
Watch the Trailer, Stream the Film
Don't miss the streaming premiere of the tenth film in Taiwan-based Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series. In the Walker films, Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng very slowly traverses landscapes and cities around the world. The series is inspired by the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who famously walked from China to India in search of scriptures.
The first Walker film shot in the United States, Abiding Nowhere takes place here at the National Museum of Asian Art and other locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Here, the camera follows both Lee and Laotian actor Anong Houngheuangsy. Tsai describes Abiding Nowhere as “two lonely souls on separate journeys, sometimes crossing paths but never once meeting.”
Director: Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan, United States). Released: 2024. Length: 79 min. Format: Streaming. No dialogue. Image Courtesy of Homegreen Films.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Categories: Films. Webcasts & Online.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House (Colors)
NZP Kids and Families
Color us excited! Join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo as we learn about color and animals in the natural world.
Little Critters: Nature Play is designed for ages 0-5 and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Parents and guardians must remain with their children.
Location: Think Tank Classroom.
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: Bird House Classroom. Cost: Free drop-in program; no pre-registration required.Parents and guardians must remain with their children. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Big Objects, Big Stories: Point of Pines Plantation Slave Cabin
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join us for a docent-led tour to get a fresh look into the Museum's featured object. At each of these 15-minute talks visitors will hear incredibly big stories about a big object.
About this Program: Visitors cannot overlook the Point of Pines Plantation Slave Cabin, a circa early 1800s slave cabin from the Point of Pines Plantation on Edisto Island, S.C. The cabin is one of two remaining slave dwellings on Edisto Island. Its story provides a revealing glimpse into the most formative and troubling chapters in American history.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets at the Point of Pines Planation Slave Cabin, Level C3. Talks take place at: 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Sundays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Flights of Fancy Story Time: Sally’s Great Balloon Adventure by Stephen Huneck
Ongoing Activities
Sally the dog, accidentally takes off in a hot air balloon after being lured by the smell of fried chicken in this story by Stephen Huneck. What would you take with you on a hot air balloon ride?
After the story we will make hot air balloons and use our imaginations to visit amazing places.
Takes place each at the National Air and Space Museum in DC each Thursday at 11 am.
No event reservations, but remember to get your free timed-entry pass to the Museum.
These programs are made possible through the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: At the National Air and Space Museum in DC. Ask at the Welcome Center for that day's exact location. Cost: This is a free drop-in story time. You will need free timed-entry passes to enter the Museum. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. Welcome the Bison – the Nation’s Mammal
One-Time Events
You’re invited! Join us as we celebrate the arrival of two bigger-than-life bison bronze statues and discover why the bison story is so uniquely American. View the new bronze statues installed at the museum’s National Mall entrance and then head into the Q?rius Education Center to learn more about their significance. Meet experts who work with and for bison and explore different bison activities, specimens, and more.
Photo credit: Sarah Johnson.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Ground Floor, Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Celebrations. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Flights of Fancy Story Time: Sally’s Great Balloon Adventure by Stephen Huneck
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Sally the dog, accidentally takes off in a hot air balloon after being lured by the smell of fried chicken. What would you take with you on a hot air balloon ride
After the story we will make hot air balloons and use our imaginations to visit amazing places.
Takes place at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center each Tuesday and Thursday at 11 am and 11:30 am.
These programs are made possible through the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: At the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Ask at the Welcome Center for the exact location of that day's story time. Cost: Free, Parking $15. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. Tours | Arts of Japan
Gallery Talks & Tours
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Gallery Talks & Tours
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
First Thursdays: Come Look with Us
One-Time Events
Wind down after work with the National Portrait Gallery’s educators as they share their favorite portraits with you. Participants will enjoy close looking and engaging in conversations about artworks in the galleries.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-first-thursdays-come-look-with-us-tickets-1233093649299?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Artist Talk: Hiroshi Senju
Lectures & Discussions
Can't join us in person at the museum? Join us online for a livestream of the artist's talk, co-presented by Japan House LA.
Hear internationally recognized painter Hiroshi Senju talk about his artistic process in person on the opening day of Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings.
Senju is known for his ethereal waterfall paintings, which can be found in art collections globally and in public spaces like Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, the US Embassy in Tokyo, the Buddhist monastery on Mount Kōya, and the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC. He has traveled around the world to study waterfalls and distills their essence using mineral-based pigments that have been a staple of Japanese painting for centuries.
After the talk, Curator of Japanese Art Frank Feltens joins Senju for a conversation and audience Q&A.
To celebrate the exhibition opening and program, the galleries will remain open until 6:30 p.m. so attendees can experience these two dynamic artworks before the start of the artist…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artist-talk-hiroshi-senju-tickets-1983892713511?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM.
Abiding Nowhere – Stream Online
Films
Watch the Trailer, Stream the Film
Don't miss the streaming premiere of the tenth film in Taiwan-based Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series. In the Walker films, Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng very slowly traverses landscapes and cities around the world. The series is inspired by the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who famously walked from China to India in search of scriptures.
The first Walker film shot in the United States, Abiding Nowhere takes place here at the National Museum of Asian Art and other locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Here, the camera follows both Lee and Laotian actor Anong Houngheuangsy. Tsai describes Abiding Nowhere as “two lonely souls on separate journeys, sometimes crossing paths but never once meeting.”
Director: Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan, United States). Released: 2024. Length: 79 min. Format: Streaming. No dialogue. Image Courtesy of Homegreen Films.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Categories: Films. Webcasts & Online.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
Story Time
One-Time Events
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas.
Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”.
Meet in the Museum Lobby.
If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g. ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact NPMprograms@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free ; no registration required. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Due to inclement weather, Wonderplace will open at 12 noon on Friday, January 19, pending staff availability. We will update this entry if the operating status for Wonderplace changes. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis.At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Slavery and Freedom Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Explore the complex story of slavery and freedom. Visitors will view priceless objects, connect to the past, and hear about the actions of ordinary men and women, demanding freedom and transforming our nation.
Photo Credit: NMAAHC.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets in the Slavery & Freedom exhibition, located on C3. One hour tours take place at 10:15 AM and 11:45 AM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Sundays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
It's beginning to feel like spring in the garden! Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW for a tour of this hidden gem. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: The Enid A. Haupt Garden tour starts at the sign at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW, near the entrance to the S. Dillon Ripley Center. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Gallery Experience: Smithsonian Gardens on "The Changes"
One time events
Join Smithsonian Gardens horticulturist Melanie Pyle for a lunchtime gallery talk on the installation and ongoing care of the plants that fill Rashid Johnson’s monumental sculpture The Changes (2025), on view in Big Things for Big Rooms.
About the Exhibition, Big Things for Big Rooms traces the development of immersive, large-scale artworks since the late 1960s. This presentation of 10 artworks—five on view for the first time at the Museum—is drawn largely from the Hirshhorn collection.
Organized in two parts, the exhibition offers a multisensorial investigation of how artists create installations that expand the boundaries of an artwork and the role of the visitor. The first section of the show introduces the development of “Environments”: expansive installations by pioneering artists such as Dan Flavin, Sam Gilliam, Robert Irwin (whose work defined the Light and Space movement), Lygia Pape, and Land artist Richard Long. The second half reveals the ways that contemporary artists such as Paul Chan, Olafur…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Third Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Big Things in Big Rooms. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Tours | Arts of China
Gallery Talks & Tours
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Workshops
Register to join the sessions.
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.
All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Gong Xian (ca. 1610–1689); Winter Landscape; China, mid- to late 17th century; album leaf; ink on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1961.11.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/8R9H5FxSRciJf6x6PSGd0w. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/8R9H5FxSRciJf6x6PSGd0w. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, April 3, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Making A Way Out of No Way Highlight Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Learn about the ways in which African Americans created possibilities in a world that denied them opportunities. On this docent led tour visitors will reflect on the perseverance, resourcefulness, and resilience required by African Americans to survive and thrive in America.
Photo Credit: NMAAHC.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets in the Making A Way Out of No Way exhibition, L3. Each 1-hour tour takes place at 1:30 PM and 2:45 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Making A Way Out of No Way.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Gallery Talks & Tours
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
CANCELLED - Hands-On Conservation
Gallery Talks & Tours
Explore conservation for yourself at our pop-up cart! Touch and see the tools and materials we use to preserve art, manuscripts, and other historic objects. Check out fluorescent glue samples, paper and brushes used for scroll mounting, and more. This is your chance to get a peek at what our conservators and scientists are up to behind the scenes. Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Event Location: West Building (Mall Entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Abiding Nowhere – Stream Online
Films
Watch the Trailer, Stream the Film
Don't miss the streaming premiere of the tenth film in Taiwan-based Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series. In the Walker films, Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng very slowly traverses landscapes and cities around the world. The series is inspired by the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who famously walked from China to India in search of scriptures.
The first Walker film shot in the United States, Abiding Nowhere takes place here at the National Museum of Asian Art and other locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Here, the camera follows both Lee and Laotian actor Anong Houngheuangsy. Tsai describes Abiding Nowhere as “two lonely souls on separate journeys, sometimes crossing paths but never once meeting.”
Director: Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan, United States). Released: 2024. Length: 79 min. Format: Streaming. No dialogue. Image Courtesy of Homegreen Films.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Categories: Films. Webcasts & Online.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House (Animal Patterns)
NZP Kids and Families
Stripes, spots, scales, and everything in between!
Join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo as we learn about and describe different animal patterns. Little Critters: Nature Play is designed for ages 0-5 and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Parents and guardians must remain with their children.
Location: Bird House Classroom.
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: Bird House Classroom. Cost: Free drop-in program; no pre-registration required.Parents and guardians must remain with their children. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Little Critters: Nature Play at Think Tank (Colors)
NZP Kids and Families
Color us excited! Join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo as we learn about color and animals in the natural world.
Little Critters: Nature Play is designed for ages 0-5 and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Parents and guardians must remain with their children.
Location: Think Tank Classroom.
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: Think Tank Classroom. Cost: Free drop-in program; no pre-registration required.Parents and guardians must remain with their children. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Growing Community: Creating your Garden Space
One-Time Events
Ready to dig in and grow something amazing? Join us as we reimagine ACM’s community garden and expand our shared green space as we kick off the Growing Community Season! Participants will build and install new garden boxes, explore what to plant in them, and learn about irrigation systems to help everything thrive. Come get your hands dirty and learn in fellowship!
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Community Garden. Cost: Free. Categories: Workshops.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Open Studio: Flower Frenzy
One time events
This April, creativity is in full bloom every Saturday at Open Studio! Each week, we’ll look at nature-inspired artworks by artists such as Alexander Calder, Giacomo Balla, Joseph Cornell, and more.
Join us this Saturday as we draw inspiration from Giacomo Balla’s Futurist Flowers (1918-1925). We’ll be joined by teaching artist Karen Brown from Inspired Child, who will help us create our visions of the future and construct our own 3D botanical sculptures. We’ll experiment with 2D materials (construction paper, cardboard) and bright spring colors.
The teaching artist will be in Art School from 10 AM to 1 PM.
Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level.
Inspired Child is an award-winning nonprofit organization that provides early childhood arts education to underresourced communities in the District of Columbia. Its mission activates a love of learning and literacy through programs for children ages birth to 5, their families, and their caregivers and educators. A 501(c)(3), Inspired Child is a program…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Futurist Flowers.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Big Objects, Big Stories: Point of Pines Plantation Slave Cabin
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join us for a docent-led tour to get a fresh look into the Museum's featured object. At each of these 15-minute talks visitors will hear incredibly big stories about a big object.
About this Program: Visitors cannot overlook the Point of Pines Plantation Slave Cabin, a circa early 1800s slave cabin from the Point of Pines Plantation on Edisto Island, S.C. The cabin is one of two remaining slave dwellings on Edisto Island. Its story provides a revealing glimpse into the most formative and troubling chapters in American history.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets at the Point of Pines Planation Slave Cabin, Level C3. Talks take place at: 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Sundays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Highlights Tour in Mandarin 館藏精華導覽
Gallery Talks & Tours
Join free walk-in tours in Mandarin. These one-hour, docent-led tours feature highlights from the museum’s collections, including the famous Peacock Room and select masterpieces of Chinese art. Each tour is unique, so you can learn something new every time. No registration is needed.
國立亞洲藝術博物館邀請您參加免費普通話導覽（無需預約）
在一小時的導覽中，我們的講解員將帶您聚焦博物館中的精華，包括舉世聞名的孔雀廳和精選的中國藝術品。每場導覽都是獨一無二的，讓您每次對藝術品都能有不同的了解。 Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1915.103a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art) information desk 西樓（佛利爾美術館）咨詢臺. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
DC | Story Time
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity.
*Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3. **Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver.
***Schedule subject to change without prior notice.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.
Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Mosaic Fishbowl Workshop
One-Time Events
Dive into creativity at the museum with our Mosaic Fishbowl Workshop! Participants of all ages are invited to design and decorate their own colorful fishbowl using vibrant mosaic tiles and creative patterns. This hands-on art experience encourages imagination, artistic expression, and fun for the whole family. All materials will be provided, and museum educators will be on hand to guide you through the process. Whether you’re an experienced artist or trying mosaics for the first time, you’ll leave with a one-of-a-kind creation to take home.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mosaic-fishbowl-workshop-tickets-1984594087339?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Anime Lounge
Films
Chill out with your fellow anime fans between films during our Anime and More weekend. Devour sweet treats from SakuSaku Flakerie, and sip delicious teas from Teaism. Meanwhile, enjoy talks on Japanese folklore monsters and food demos of anime-inspired recipes.
Generous support for this event and the Anime and More festival is provided by an anonymous donor. Image courtesy of SakuSaku Flakerie.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 27. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Films. Lectures & Discussions. Demonstrations. Culinary Arts. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Curator Tour | Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Gallery Talks & Tours
Get an exclusive tour of Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean with curator Emma Natalya Stein and view the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia. Crafted one thousand years ago in the city of Angkor, this sculpture embodies the Hindu god Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into the bronze’s original island-like temple and water’s cultural importance. Meet the present-day Cambodian community and explore the landscape in the exclusive accompanying film. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/curator-tour-vishnus-cosmic-ocean-tickets-1984080224361?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Gallery Talks & Tours
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Big Objects, Big Stories: Point of Pines Plantation Slave Cabin
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join us for a docent-led tour to get a fresh look into the Museum's featured object. At each of these 15-minute talks visitors will hear incredibly big stories about a big object.
About this Program: Visitors cannot overlook the Point of Pines Plantation Slave Cabin, a circa early 1800s slave cabin from the Point of Pines Plantation on Edisto Island, S.C. The cabin is one of two remaining slave dwellings on Edisto Island. Its story provides a revealing glimpse into the most formative and troubling chapters in American history.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets at the Point of Pines Planation Slave Cabin, Level C3. Talks take place at: 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, and 3:30 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Encounters with Yōkai: Monsters, Spirits, and Fantastic Creatures of Japan
Lectures & Discussions
In this talk, Japanese folklore expert Michael Dylan Foster introduces the creatures known as yōkai and explores how they have been imagined and portrayed through the centuries. With focus on collection, classification, and play, Dr. Foster shows how these historical approaches resonate with contemporary media and games. Along the way, we encounter many individual yōkai, as well as some of the artists, scholars, and writers who have explored what they have to say.
Michael Dylan Foster is a professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Davis. He is the author of many works on Japanese folklore and media, including Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yōkai (2009) and most recently, The Book of Yōkai, Expanded Second Edition (2024). Among his coedited volumes are The Folkloresque: Reframing Folklore in a Popular Culture World (2016) and Möbius Media: Popular Culture, Folklore, and the Folkloresque (2024). Since 2022, he has been the…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 27. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists! Join the Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program, where creativity knows no bounds. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collections and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.
Perfect Blue
Films
New 4K Restoration!
Watch the Trailer
This iconic psychological thriller has frequently been hailed as one of the most important animated films of all time. In legendary anime director Satoshi Kon’s groundbreaking first feature, rising pop star Mima has quit singing to pursue a career as an actress and model, but her fans aren’t ready to see her go. After Mima takes on a recurring role on a popular TV show, her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima’s reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia. As her stalker closes in both in person and online, the threat they pose is more real than even Mima knows. Description adapted from GKIDS.
Intended for mature audiences.
Director: Satoshi Kon. Country: Japan. Released: 1997. Length: 81 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles.
Generous support for this event and the Anime and More festival is provided by an anonymous donor. Image courtesy of GKIDS.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://animenmaa.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
Tours | Arts Across Asia
Gallery Talks & Tours
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Teen Studio: The Future Is Flowerful
One time events
Teens: Ready to level up your art? Join us for Teen Studio, a free art-making program exclusively for teens ages 13–19. Push your artistic boundaries using materials and techniques inspired by artists whose work is now on view at the Hirshhorn.
Join us in Art School every weekend in April, where we will be exploring art inspired by the natural world! This Saturday, we’ll think like Futurist artist Giacomo Balla and imagine what the future might hold. Then we’ll use paint and cardboard to create our own flowers of the future!
Drop in to Teen Studio every Saturday between 2:30 and 4 PM. Register for the entire school year here (one-time registration covers all sessions). Join one session or join them all! Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level.
Looking for more? Explore Art School Everywhere, wherever you are, to learn about artists in the Hirshhorn collection and get creative any time. Do this at home! Flower. Print. Repeat.
Andy Warhol: Flower Power
, ABOUT TEEN STUDIO
Teens ages 13–19 are…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Teen Studio , Hirshhorn Art School , Art School Everywhere , Andy Warhol: Flower Power.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Blossom and the Shrub-Tones
One-Time Events
Making their DC debut at the Smithsonian, the social media sensation Dearly Blossom and her band The Shrub-Tones will be launching Jazz Appreciation Month with a dazzling live performance followed by a Q&A session!
Central Park’s own Blossom Dearly (@dearlyblossom) is a pink, fluffy, singing cherry blossom whose scatting mastery and endearing, animated personality has captivated social media users of all ages. When not imitating the incredible complexities of Charlie Parker’s bebop saxophone lines with ease and belting the blues in jam sessions with today’s living jazz legends and rising stars, Blossom loves to share her knowledge of jazz history with her followers—who proudly call themselves her “Petals.”
No Petal is too young or too old to enjoy Blossom & The Shrub-Tones!
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 Center, Warner Bros. Theater. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/blossom-and-the-shrub-tones-tickets-1985097076794?aff=trumba. Categories: Performances. Related Events: Jazz Appreciation Month. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Food Demo: Naruto-Inspired Onigiri with Nadine Estero
Lectures & Discussions
Nadine Estero, influencer and author of The Anime Chef Cookbook, will show you how to make scrumptious onigiri rice balls inspired by the anime series Naruto. A handful of lucky participants will get to make them along with her, and everybody gets a taste!
Generous support for this event and the Anime and More festival is provided by an anonymous donor. Image courtesy of Nadine Estero.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 27. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Demonstrations. Culinary Arts. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM.
Ghost in the Shell
Films
Watch the Trailer
Widely regarded as one of the greatest anime films of all time, Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 masterpiece feels eerily prescient of today’s digitally entwined world.
In the year 2029, the world is interconnected by a vast network that permeates every aspect of life. Cyborg Motoko Kusanagi of Tokyo’s security force investigates a powerful hacker who attacks that network, even tapping into human minds and erasing their memories. Through her investigation, Kusanagi is forced to ponder the very nature of her existence and question what is the “ghost”—her essence—in her cybernetic “shell”? Little does she know that the Puppet Master is seeking her as well. Oshii’s pioneering feature is both a gorgeous science fiction adventure and a philosophical rumination on the nature of consciousness.
Intended for mature audiences.
Director: Mamoru Oshii. Country: Japan. Released: 1995. Length: 83 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles.
Generous support for this event and the Anime and More fe…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://animenmaa.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.
Spirited Away
Films
25th Anniversary Screening!
Watch the Trailer
Teeming with mythical beasts and complex characters alike, Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and it remains beloved the world over. Spirited Away tells the engrossing tale of a young girl who stumbles into a mysterious spirit world populated by a host of creatures from the depths of Japanese mythology. “An out-and-out charmer. It's almost impossible to do justice in words either to the visual richness of the movie . . . or to the character-filled storyline” (Derek Elley, Variety).
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki. Country: Japan. Released: 2001. Length: 125 min. Format: DCP. Language: English.
Generous support for this event and the Anime and More festival is provided by an anonymous donor. Image courtesy of GKIDS.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://animenmaa.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. After Five. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:15 PM.
Abiding Nowhere – Stream Online
Films
Watch the Trailer, Stream the Film
Don't miss the streaming premiere of the tenth film in Taiwan-based Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series. In the Walker films, Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng very slowly traverses landscapes and cities around the world. The series is inspired by the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who famously walked from China to India in search of scriptures.
The first Walker film shot in the United States, Abiding Nowhere takes place here at the National Museum of Asian Art and other locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Here, the camera follows both Lee and Laotian actor Anong Houngheuangsy. Tsai describes Abiding Nowhere as “two lonely souls on separate journeys, sometimes crossing paths but never once meeting.”
Director: Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan, United States). Released: 2024. Length: 79 min. Format: Streaming. No dialogue. Image Courtesy of Homegreen Films.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Categories: Films. Webcasts & Online.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Sundays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
American Bison Cart Chat
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join educators in the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals to discover more about the Nation's Mammal - the American Bison. Learn how these fascinating animals alter their ecosystem in ways that benefit other animals and their habitat, as well as their importance to humans.
Image by Jean Beaufort, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83971372 .
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: First floor, Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Sketch & Discover Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
Join docent Sushmita Mazumdar every first Sunday of the month as she guides you to use pencil and paper to consider the unique ideas and expressions of Asian artists from various traditions spanning the continent across centuries. All materials will be provided. No reservation needed.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45-minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Anime Lounge
Films
Chill out with your fellow anime fans between films during our Anime and More weekend. Devour sweet treats from SakuSaku Flakerie, and sip delicious teas from Teaism. Meanwhile, enjoy talks on Japanese folklore monsters and food demos of anime-inspired recipes.
Generous support for this event and the Anime and More festival is provided by an anonymous donor. Image courtesy of SakuSaku Flakerie.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 27. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Films. Lectures & Discussions. Demonstrations. Culinary Arts. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
Gallery Talks & Tours
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Folkloresque Transformations: From Japanese Folklore to Global Media Product
Lectures & Discussions
Michael Dylan Foster, author of The Book of Yōkai
How does pop culture media like games and anime draw on and reimagine folklore? In this talk, Japanese folklore expert Michael Dylan Foster explores this question, referencing contemporary media such as Yo-kai Watch and the animated films of Studio Ghibli. Dr. Foster analyzes how the open-access nature of folklore facilitates creativity in the commercial realm of popular culture. The concept of the “folkloresque” sheds light on the different ways contemporary media invokes the authority and “authenticity” of traditional narratives, beliefs, and legendary characters to create “new” products for a global media marketplace.
Michael Dylan Foster is a professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Davis. He is the author of many works on Japanese folklore and media, including Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yōkai (2009) and most recently, The Book of Yōkai, Expanded Second Edition…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 27. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists! Join the Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program, where creativity knows no bounds. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collections and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Scarlet
Films
Watch the Trailer
Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the latest anime from Mamoru Hosoda (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Belle) features a time-traveling, sword-wielding heroine on a quest to avenge the death of her father, the king of Denmark. After her wicked great uncle poisons her, Scarlet finds herself in the “otherworld,” a land of the dead where she battles evil forces. There, she meets an idealistic young man from the future—our present day—who encourages her to break the cycle of vengeance and envision a future free of bitterness and rage. Shakespeare may be spinning in his grave at the liberties Hosoda takes with his play, but Scarlet stands on its own as a ravishing fantasy adventure.
Director: Mamoru Hosoda. Country: Japan. Released: 2025. Length: 111 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles.
Generous support for this event and the Anime and More festival is provided by an anonymous donor. Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://animenmaa.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Tours | Arts Across Asia
Gallery Talks & Tours
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spanish-Language Walk-In Tours
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join a volunteer docent for a lively tour of the National Portrait Gallery in Spanish.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: F Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-spanish-language-docent-tours-tickets-1530971289339?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Food Demo: Naruto-Inspired Onigiri with Nadine Estero
Lectures & Discussions
Nadine Estero, influencer and author of The Anime Chef Cookbook, will show you how to make scrumptious onigiri rice balls inspired by the anime series Naruto. A handful of lucky participants will get to make them along with her, and everybody gets a taste!
Generous support for this event and the Anime and More festival is provided by an anonymous donor. Image courtesy of Nadine Estero.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 27. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Demonstrations. Culinary Arts. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Paprika
Films
20th Anniversary Screening!
Watch the Trailer
One of anime’s most creative minds, the late Satoshi Kon’s work has been compared to such cinematic mindblowers as David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, and the Wachowskis. In this “jaw-dropping feat of the imagination” (Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News), a psychiatrist uses an invention to enter her patients’ dreams. Tempted by its possibilities, she starts using it for her own purposes, wandering in people’s subconsciouses as a detective named Paprika. But when “sleep terrorists” steal the device, the sleeping world starts mixing with the waking one, with psychedelic results that build into some of the most astonishingly inventive scenes in all of anime.
Director: Satoshi Kon. Country: Japan. Released: 2006. Length: 90 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles.
Generous support for this event and the Anime and More festival is provided by an anonymous donor. Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://animenmaa.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices.
Sunday, April 5, 2026, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM.
Abiding Nowhere – Stream Online
Films
Watch the Trailer, Stream the Film
Don't miss the streaming premiere of the tenth film in Taiwan-based Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series. In the Walker films, Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng very slowly traverses landscapes and cities around the world. The series is inspired by the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who famously walked from China to India in search of scriptures.
The first Walker film shot in the United States, Abiding Nowhere takes place here at the National Museum of Asian Art and other locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Here, the camera follows both Lee and Laotian actor Anong Houngheuangsy. Tsai describes Abiding Nowhere as “two lonely souls on separate journeys, sometimes crossing paths but never once meeting.”
Director: Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan, United States). Released: 2024. Length: 79 min. Format: Streaming. No dialogue. Image Courtesy of Homegreen Films.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Categories: Films. Webcasts & Online.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
Easter Monday
Special Zoo Events
A Washington Family Tradition
Join us for a wild and egg-citing celebration at the Smithsonian National Zoo's Easter Monday event on April 6! This decades-long tradition is a celebration of animals, families and the vibrant D.C. community.
From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Great Meadow (between Great Ape House and Reptile House), dive into adventure with an Easter egg scavenger hunt! This kid and family-focused activity takes you through interactive tables that unveil the wonders of the zoo, introduce you to scientists, and shed light on exciting animal career opportunities. Don't miss the chance to get a special prize at the end of the scavenger hunt!
After the scavenger hunt, be sure to check out the Zoo's animal enrichment and demonstrations. Or, grab a bite to eat at one of the Zoo’s restaurants. It's a day of fun, discovery, and unforgettable moments at the Smithsonian's National Zoo!
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: Great Meadow. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/passes/entry?perfid=421. Categories: Kids & Families. Celebrations.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the Portrait Gallery! Join educators every Monday as we explore a variety of topics and artistic materials. Participants will get a closer look at art with hands-on activities, music and story times. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Tours | Arts of China
Gallery Talks & Tours
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Big Objects, Big Stories: The Paradox of the Liberty
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join us for a docent-led tour to get a fresh look into the Museum's featured object. At each of these 15-minute talks visitors will hear incredibly big stories about a big object.
About this Program:
The paradox of the American Revolution is the fight for liberty in an era of widespread slavery. Talk with a museum docent and explore the tension between slavery and freedom—who belongs and who is excluded. Consider how this paradox resonates through the nation’s history and spurs the American people to wrestle constantly with building “a more perfect Union.”.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets at the Paradox of Liberty section, Level C3. Talks take place at: 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, and 3:30 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Slavery and Freedom Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Explore the complex story of slavery and freedom. Visitors will view priceless objects, connect to the past, and hear about the actions of ordinary men and women, demanding freedom and transforming our nation.
Photo Credit: NMAAHC.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets in the Slavery and Freedom exhibition, located on C3. One hour tours take place at 1:15 PM and 2:45 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Slavery and Freedom.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Saturdays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Abiding Nowhere – Stream Online
Films
Watch the Trailer, Stream the Film
Don't miss the streaming premiere of the tenth film in Taiwan-based Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series. In the Walker films, Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng very slowly traverses landscapes and cities around the world. The series is inspired by the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who famously walked from China to India in search of scriptures.
The first Walker film shot in the United States, Abiding Nowhere takes place here at the National Museum of Asian Art and other locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Here, the camera follows both Lee and Laotian actor Anong Houngheuangsy. Tsai describes Abiding Nowhere as “two lonely souls on separate journeys, sometimes crossing paths but never once meeting.”
Director: Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan, United States). Released: 2024. Length: 79 min. Format: Streaming. No dialogue. Image Courtesy of Homegreen Films.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Categories: Films. Webcasts & Online.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House (Animal Patterns)
NZP Kids and Families
Stripes, spots, scales, and everything in between!
Join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo as we learn about and describe different animal patterns. Little Critters: Nature Play is designed for ages 0-5 and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Parents and guardians must remain with their children.
Location: Bird House Classroom.
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: Bird House Classroom. Cost: Free drop-in program; no pre-registration required.Parents and guardians must remain with their children. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Sundays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: International Beaver Day!
One-Time Events
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
This Tuesday is a special celebration for beavers in celebration of International Beaver Day! Come learn through play about these animals and how they are important animals to their ecosystem.
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 American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals (1st Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
DC | Cradleboards and Crawlers
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Designed for early learners (ages 0-2), their caregivers, and families, this drop-in program offers young visitors the opportunity to enjoy a book by a Native author or illustrator read by a Museum Educator, engage in free play and sensory enrichment, and participate in other hands-on learning.
*Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3.
**Recommended for visitors ages 0-2 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 3, imagiNATIONS Activity Center. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM.
NY | Indigenous Games
One-Time Events
Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Demonstrations.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Flights of Fancy Story Time: Sally’s Great Balloon Adventure by Stephen Huneck
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Sally the dog, accidentally takes off in a hot air balloon after being lured by the smell of fried chicken. What would you take with you on a hot air balloon ride
After the story we will make hot air balloons and use our imaginations to visit amazing places.
Takes place at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center each Tuesday and Thursday at 11 am and 11:30 am.
These programs are made possible through the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: At the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Ask at the Welcome Center for the exact location of that day's story time. Cost: Free, Parking $15. Categories: Kids & Families.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. Tea, Plastic, and Performance in the Global Pacific
Lectures & Discussions
What can a tea ceremony teach us about ocean plastic pollution? Quite a lot, according to the art and research collective Tea Ceremony with Pacific Plastics.
Founded in 2022 by a group of students and faculty at UCLA, this initiative aims to address sustainability and oceanic plastic pollution through the cultural practice of chanoyu (commonly called “Japanese tea ceremony” in English.)
Chanoyu conveys a legacy of Pacific Rim cultural exchange and migration, a tradition of integrating unlike and unusual items into a cohesive whole, and a focus on mindfulness and co-presence with others. All these characteristics can be effectively incorporated into a creative response to a pressing global concern.
Over the past three years, the collective has cultivated relationships with artists, designers, engineers, craftspeople, scholars, and culture bearers across California, Boston, and Japan. Leading an interdisciplinary team, they built a tea house from salvaged and recycled materials and use tea-inspired performan…
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hwWHMmmEQBWdfdfmJ430VQ. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
Gallery Talks & Tours
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Workshops
Register to join the sessions.
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.
All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Gong Xian (ca. 1610–1689); Winter Landscape; China, mid- to late 17th century; album leaf; ink on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1961.11.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/8R9H5FxSRciJf6x6PSGd0w. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/8R9H5FxSRciJf6x6PSGd0w. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Jazz Afternoons
One-Time Events
The National Museum of American History is home to jazz collections that include 100,000 pages of Duke Ellington’s unpublished music and such objects as Ella Fitzgerald’s dresses, Dizzy Gillespie’s angled trumpet, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme manuscript and Benny Goodman’s clarinet. Each year during Jazz Appreciation Month, visitors to the museum on Tuesday afternoons can engage with museum curators and see a small number of jazz treasures brought out of storage that represent the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz. During these Objects-Out-of-Storage events, musicians from the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra will host pop-up jam sessions, as well as interact with and educate visitors about their instruments and artistry. .
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 3 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Lectures & Discussions. Related Events: Jazz Appreciation Month. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Virtual Tour | Cherry Blossoms
Gallery Talks & Tours
Embrace hanami, the traditional Japanese custom of “flower viewing” across our Japanese collections, with works from medieval Japan to Hokusai and beyond. In this virtual tour, you’ll explore Japanese symbols, values, and traditions associated with cherry blossoms, or sakura, through paintings, woodblock prints, and more. Wind-screen and cherry tree 桜に幔幕図屏風; Japan, 1615–86; color over gold on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1897.3.
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PoHtDtJpS_eOTQt5Ol0jXw. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
NY | Indigenous Games
One-Time Events
Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Demonstrations.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
ONLINE | Native Knowledge 360° "Americans" Session 1: Thanksgiving
One-Time Events
American Indian images, names, and stories infuse American history and contemporary life. Pervasive, powerful, at times demeaning, the images, names, and stories reveal the deep connection between Americans and American Indians as well as how Indians have been embedded in unexpected ways in the history, pop culture, and identity of the United States.
This three-part professional development series focuses on the stories and images presented in the exhibition Americans, on view at the National Museum of the American Indian DC and through Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street. Educators will explore ways in which American Indians have been part of the nation’s identity since before the country began and learn new ways of understanding a few familiar events. Educators will be guided through Native Knowledge 360° classroom resources, delving into three stories: April 7, 2026 | Session 1: Thanksgiving , April 14, 2026 | Session 2: Battle of Little Bighorn , April 21, 2026 | Session 3: Trail of Tears, Free |…
Event Location: Online via ZOOM. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RdwZwlFgT3qYCY8LLNHv5w#/registration. Categories: Webcasts & Online. After Five.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
For more info visit smithsonian.zoom.us. Abiding Nowhere – Stream Online
Films
Watch the Trailer, Stream the Film
Don't miss the streaming premiere of the tenth film in Taiwan-based Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series. In the Walker films, Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng very slowly traverses landscapes and cities around the world. The series is inspired by the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who famously walked from China to India in search of scriptures.
The first Walker film shot in the United States, Abiding Nowhere takes place here at the National Museum of Asian Art and other locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Here, the camera follows both Lee and Laotian actor Anong Houngheuangsy. Tsai describes Abiding Nowhere as “two lonely souls on separate journeys, sometimes crossing paths but never once meeting.”
Director: Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan, United States). Released: 2024. Length: 79 min. Format: Streaming. No dialogue. Image Courtesy of Homegreen Films.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Categories: Films. Webcasts & Online.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
A Spring Walk on Theodore Roosevelt Island
Resident Associate Program
Enjoy a morning walk on a natural oasis in the Potomac River with naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley. She shares an overview of Theodore Roosevelt Island’s fascinating mix of trees, wildflowers, birds, and other wildlife and highlights the island’s history and the legacy of the conservationist president it memorializes. The morning also includes pauses for moments of guided forest bathing to quietly soak up the beauty of this wild island near the capital city.
Event Location: Tour meets in the Theodore Roosevelt Island parking lot next to the footbridge. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264816?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Storytime Studio: Welcome Back, Birds!
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
We’ll be joined by friends from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo to welcome the birds migrating to (and through) DC in springtime! After making our very own binoculars, we’ll go “birdwatching” in the galleries and see how many different birds we can spot.
Featured book: Bring on the Birds by Susan Stockdale, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience.
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to one hour.
No pre-registration is required.
Entry to Storytime Studio is first-come, first-served. When the 10 AM session…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: This One Is for the Birds.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Big Objects, Big Stories: The Paradox of the Liberty
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join us for a docent-led tour to get a fresh look into the Museum's featured object. At each of these 15-minute talks visitors will hear incredibly big stories about a big object.
About this Program: The paradox of the American Revolution is the fight for liberty in an era of widespread slavery. Talk with a museum docent and explore the tension between slavery and freedom—who belongs and who is excluded. Consider how this paradox resonates through the nation’s history and spurs the American people to wrestle constantly with building “a more perfect Union.”.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets at the Paradox of Liberty section, Level C3. Talks take place at: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 12:30 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Slavery and Freedom Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Explore the complex story of slavery and freedom. Visitors will view priceless objects, connect to the past, and hear about the actions of ordinary men and women, demanding freedom and transforming our nation.
Photo Credit: NMAAHC.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets in the Slavery & Freedom exhibition, located on C3. One hour tours take place at 10:15 AM and 11:45 AM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Sundays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
DC | Cradleboards and Crawlers
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Designed for early learners (ages 0-2), their caregivers, and families, this drop-in program offers young visitors the opportunity to enjoy a book by a Native author or illustrator read by a Museum Educator, engage in free play and sensory enrichment, and participate in other hands-on learning.
*Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3.
**Recommended for visitors ages 0-2 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 3, imagiNATIONS Activity Center. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM.
NY | Indigenous Games
One-Time Events
Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Demonstrations.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Expert Is In: Orchid Collections and Care
Smithsonian Gardens
Meet an orchid expert from Smithsonian Gardens or the United States Botanic Garden and learn more about this incredible plant family! This week Smithsonian Gardens Living Collections Manager Sarah Hedean will share more about the orchid collections on display and how you can collect and care for your own orchid collection. Drop in at any time during the program and be sure to bring your orchid questions.
This program is offered in conjunction with the exhibition More Than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, open during museum hours through April 26, 2026.
Free tickets are available for this program here.
Visitors are welcome to drop in at any time during the program, however free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor Classrooms. Cost: FREE. Event tickets or timed-entry passes for the museum required. Get Tickets/Register: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/7accede4-d3b3-cd15-7a2d-2a5984eccc39?tg=ee2fa8f8-68e2-1aaa-9e41-be2209801e08. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. DC | Welcome to a Native Place
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Enjoy tribal songs from Alaska to Florida with Dennis Zotigh (Kiowa/Isanti Dakota/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo) in the Potomac Atrium. At the end of the 30-minute presentation, visitors are encouraged to ask questions pertaining to the museum and Indigenous culture, past and present. Presentations may be canceled without prior notice.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
NY | Indigenous Games
One-Time Events
Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Demonstrations.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Rashomon
Films
A riveting psychological thriller that investigates the nature of truth and the meaning of justice, Rashomon is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made. Four people give different accounts of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife, which director Akira Kurosawa presents with striking imagery and an ingenious use of flashbacks. This eloquent masterwork and international sensation revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema—and a commanding new star by the name of Toshiro Mifune—to the Western world. Description courtesy of Janus Films.
Director: Akira Kurosawa. Country: Japan. Released: 1950. Length: 88 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Janus Films.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://nmaamatinees.eventive.org/films/69496cc4335ee12f50d1cf66. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
Conservation Classroom: Saving Endangered Species
NZP Kids and Families
Saving Endangered Species This virtual school program is part of Conservation Classroom, a collection of monthly lessons for K-5 students. Each lesson has four elements: wonder (video), engage (live virtual program), act (activities), and connect (video). Follow along with all four parts or pick and choose the videos and activities you want to explore. Explore Saving Endangered Species Resources, Grade/Learning Level: K-5
Standards: Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 5-ESS3-1
Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns, system and system models, cause and effect
Program Details: What does it mean when an animal is endangered and what can we do to help? Meet one of the National Zoo’s most endangered species and learn how staff care for these special animals. , Aligned with K-5 Next Generation Science Standards , Designed for all audiences, from individual students to large groups or schools , Webinar-styled; Participants’ audio and video will be off , Students can engage…
Event Location: Online. Cost: Free! Registration required. Categories: Kids & Families. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Captioning. Spanish-interpreted program.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Handi-hour
One-Time Events
Bring your creativity to DC’s original crafting happy hour with live music at the Renwick Gallery! Learn how to make hand-quilted potholders and find inspiration from the quilts on display in State Fairs: Growing American Craft. Try local cider and beer from ANXO cider. Light snacks, crafting materials, two drinks, and after-hours access to both floors of the exhibition galleries are included in the ticket price.
Attendees must be 21+ to attend and show a valid ID with birthdate at the door. Tickets are $25 and are available beginning March 25.
Venue: Renwick Gallery. Event Location: Renwick Gallery. Cost: $25| Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR2wiU9. Categories: After Five. Workshops. Related Exhibition: State Fairs: Growing American Craft.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
Folklife Film Premiere: “Ctrl + Alt + HERITAGE”
In the summer of 2025, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrated Youth and the Future of Culture, exploring how young people influence and engage with culture, and how they create, innovate, and sustain cultural practices and traditions.
While the program unfolded on the National Mall, our own team of young media makers, interns in the Folklife Storytellers Workshop, documented the performances, conversations, and demonstrations led by youth participants and their mentors. They interviewed artists and experts, program curators, and visitors to capture the experience of the Folklife Festival on film—and share it with you!
This is the world premiere of their culminating documentary film, Ctrl + Alt + HERITAGE: Youth and the Future of Culture. We invite you to the free screening, followed by a Q&A with lead curator Michelle Banks, storyteller interns, and Festival participants. Come early to take your photo on the Folklife red carpet!
Accessibility
The film is open captioned. Live captioning and ASL…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Basement level, Ring Auditorium. Cost: Free, registration recommended. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/folklife-film-premiere-ctrl-alt-heritage-tickets-1984416975593. Categories: Films. Lectures & Discussions. After Five. Accessibility: Captioning. Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:45 PM.
Abiding Nowhere – Stream Online
Films
Watch the Trailer, Stream the Film
Don't miss the streaming premiere of the tenth film in Taiwan-based Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series. In the Walker films, Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng very slowly traverses landscapes and cities around the world. The series is inspired by the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who famously walked from China to India in search of scriptures.
The first Walker film shot in the United States, Abiding Nowhere takes place here at the National Museum of Asian Art and other locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Here, the camera follows both Lee and Laotian actor Anong Houngheuangsy. Tsai describes Abiding Nowhere as “two lonely souls on separate journeys, sometimes crossing paths but never once meeting.”
Director: Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan, United States). Released: 2024. Length: 79 min. Format: Streaming. No dialogue. Image Courtesy of Homegreen Films.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Categories: Films. Webcasts & Online.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
Baltimore Irish Trad Fest
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
The Baltimore Irish Trad Fest is a weekend of workshops and performances led by world-renowned traditional Irish musicians, presented by the Baltimore Irish Music School. From evening concerts at the Creative Alliance to a ceili social at Mobtown Ballroom to lectures and recitals up and down the Avenue in Hampden, venues across the city unite to celebrate Baltimore’s rich tradition of Irish music and its context within the global Irish music community.
Categories: Performances. Workshops. Categories: Performance. Workshop. Cost: $20-$200, depending on session and day. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.baltimoreirisharts.com/register-1. Event Location: Baltimore, Maryland.
Thursday, April 9, 2026 – Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Various venues
Baltimore, MD.
For more info visit www.baltimoreirisharts.com. A Spring Walk on Theodore Roosevelt Island
Resident Associate Program
Enjoy a morning walk on a natural oasis in the Potomac River with naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley. She shares an overview of Theodore Roosevelt Island’s fascinating mix of trees, wildflowers, birds, and other wildlife and highlights the island’s history and the legacy of the conservationist president it memorializes. The morning also includes pauses for moments of guided forest bathing to quietly soak up the beauty of this wild island near the capital city.
Event Location: Tour meets in the Theodore Roosevelt Island parking lot next to the footbridge. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264817?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House (Animal Patterns)
NZP Kids and Families
Stripes, spots, scales, and everything in between!
Join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo as we learn about and describe different animal patterns. Little Critters: Nature Play is designed for ages 0-5 and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Parents and guardians must remain with their children.
Location: Bird House Classroom.
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: Bird House Classroom. Cost: Free drop-in program; no pre-registration required.Parents and guardians must remain with their children. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Big Objects, Big Stories: Point of Pines Plantation Slave Cabin
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join us for a docent-led tour to get a fresh look into the Museum's featured object. At each of these 15-minute talks visitors will hear incredibly big stories about a big object.
About this Program: Visitors cannot overlook the Point of Pines Plantation Slave Cabin, a circa early 1800s slave cabin from the Point of Pines Plantation on Edisto Island, S.C. The cabin is one of two remaining slave dwellings on Edisto Island. Its story provides a revealing glimpse into the most formative and troubling chapters in American history.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets at the Point of Pines Planation Slave Cabin, Level C3. Talks take place at: 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Sundays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
NY | Indigenous Games
One-Time Events
Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Demonstrations.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Flights of Fancy Story Time: Sally’s Great Balloon Adventure by Stephen Huneck
Ongoing Activities
Sally the dog, accidentally takes off in a hot air balloon after being lured by the smell of fried chicken in this story by Stephen Huneck. What would you take with you on a hot air balloon ride?
After the story we will make hot air balloons and use our imaginations to visit amazing places.
Takes place each at the National Air and Space Museum in DC each Thursday at 11 am.
No event reservations, but remember to get your free timed-entry pass to the Museum.
These programs are made possible through the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: At the National Air and Space Museum in DC. Ask at the Welcome Center for that day's exact location. Cost: This is a free drop-in story time. You will need free timed-entry passes to enter the Museum. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. Flights of Fancy Story Time: Sally’s Great Balloon Adventure by Stephen Huneck
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Sally the dog, accidentally takes off in a hot air balloon after being lured by the smell of fried chicken. What would you take with you on a hot air balloon ride
After the story we will make hot air balloons and use our imaginations to visit amazing places.
Takes place at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center each Tuesday and Thursday at 11 am and 11:30 am.
These programs are made possible through the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: At the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Ask at the Welcome Center for the exact location of that day's story time. Cost: Free, Parking $15. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
Gallery Talks & Tours
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Making A Way Out of No Way Highlight Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Learn about the ways in which African Americans created possibilities in a world that denied them opportunities. On this docent led tour visitors will reflect on the perseverance, resourcefulness, and resilience required by African Americans to survive and thrive in America.
Photo Credit: NMAAHC.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets in the Making A Way Out of No Way exhibition, L3. Each 1-hour tour takes place at 1:30 PM and 2:45 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Making A Way Out of No Way.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. NY | Indigenous Games
One-Time Events
Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Demonstrations.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Tours | Arts Across Asia
Gallery Talks & Tours
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Get a Head Start with the Smithsonian: Big, Small, Let's Measure Them All
NZP Kids and Families
Get a Head Start with the Smithsonian: Big, Small, Let's Measure Them All
In this field trip, kids will practice identifying what is big, medium, and small. With the help of the National Zoo's Asian elephants and the Black and rufous elephant shrew, kids will also become familiar with other measurement terms such as longer, shorter, taller, bigger, and smaller.
Visit https://nationalzoo.si.edu/big-small-lets-measure-them-all for classroom activities supporting your Pre-K classroom's exploration of music and sound.
Grades: Preschool; Young Children
Standards: Supports Head Start ELOF Goals IT-ATL 3; IT-ATL 6; IT-ATL 8; IT-PMP 1; IT-PMP 3; P-ATL 6; P-ATL 8; P-ATL 11; P-ATL 12; P-PMP 1; P-PMP 2; P-PMP 3
Get a Head Start with the Smithsonian Live Virtual Programs
"Big, Small, Let's Measure Them All" is part of the GHSS virtual field trip series to the National Zoo developed in collaboration with the National Head Start Association. These high-energy music and movement programs are designed to engage young…
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/big-small-lets-measure-them-all. Cost: Free; registration is required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_j4PAzgkNQGSFkeOZPSgxpg?ampDeviceId=82d7c8be-dd82-4009-b120-b562bccbf57e&SessionId=1755027278659#/registration. Categories: Kids & Families. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: "Get a Head Start with the Smithsonian" is a series of high-energy music and movement field trips to the National Zoo developed by educators from across the Smithsonian in cooperation with the National Head Start Association to engage young children ages 0-5. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Spanish-interpreted program.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Portrait Signs: A Tour in ASL
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Portrait Signs is a Deaf-led tour in American Sign Language that explores a variety of topics related to portraiture, history and biography, focusing on works from the museum’s special exhibitions and permanent collection.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-signs-a-tour-in-asl-tickets-713964475967?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Beyond the Frame: An Inside Look at the Portrait Gallery
One-Time Events
Curious about the inner workings of a museum? Ever wondered how conservators care for centuries-old artworks or how lighting designers illuminate exhibitions? Peek behind the curtain at the National Portrait Gallery and hear from staff who work behind the scenes to bring our collection to life.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-the-frame-an-inside-look-at-the-portrait-gallery-tickets-1334324994979?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Shanghai Quartet
Performances
Seating is limited. Reserve your seat in advance to pick where you sit ($6 fee per seat). Join the standby line for remaining seats on the day of the concert, free of charge.
Over the past forty-two years, the Shanghai Quartet has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. Their elegant style, impressive technique, and emotional breadth allow the group to move seamlessly between masterpieces of Western music, traditional Chinese folk music, and cutting-edge contemporary works. In their long history of championing new music, the quartet highlight works that juxtapose the traditions of Eastern and Western music.
Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, soon after the end of China’s harrowing Cultural Revolution, the group came to the United States to complete its studies and were based in the US for more than thirty-five years while touring throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. In September 2020, the Shanghai Quartet moved back to China to join the resident faculty of The Tianjin…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shanghai-quartet-tickets-1977543413584?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Performances. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Soar Together at Air and Space: Plants Take Flight
One-Time Events
What do seeds, bees, and helicopters have in common?
Find out with new at-home activities that explore how plants, nature and air and space are connected!
Sign up HERE to receive reminder emails when the Soar Together at Air and Space webpage launches!
Event Location: Online. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Webcasts & Online.
Friday, April 10, 2026 – Sunday, April 12, 2026.
For more info visit mailchi.mp. Abiding Nowhere – Stream Online
Films
Watch the Trailer, Stream the Film
Don't miss the streaming premiere of the tenth film in Taiwan-based Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series. In the Walker films, Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng very slowly traverses landscapes and cities around the world. The series is inspired by the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who famously walked from China to India in search of scriptures.
The first Walker film shot in the United States, Abiding Nowhere takes place here at the National Museum of Asian Art and other locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Here, the camera follows both Lee and Laotian actor Anong Houngheuangsy. Tsai describes Abiding Nowhere as “two lonely souls on separate journeys, sometimes crossing paths but never once meeting.”
Director: Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan, United States). Released: 2024. Length: 79 min. Format: Streaming. No dialogue. Image Courtesy of Homegreen Films.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://abiding.eventive.org/films/69b83a84005bf7f3e179f78d. Categories: Films. Webcasts & Online.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
A Spring Walk on Theodore Roosevelt Island
Resident Associate Program
Enjoy a morning walk on a natural oasis in the Potomac River with naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley. She shares an overview of Theodore Roosevelt Island’s fascinating mix of trees, wildflowers, birds, and other wildlife and highlights the island’s history and the legacy of the conservationist president it memorializes. The morning also includes pauses for moments of guided forest bathing to quietly soak up the beauty of this wild island near the capital city.
Event Location: Tour meets in the Theodore Roosevelt Island parking lot next to the footbridge. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265187?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Story Time
One-Time Events
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas.
Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”.
Meet in the Museum Lobby.
If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g. ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact NPMprograms@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free ; no registration required. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Due to inclement weather, Wonderplace will open at 12 noon on Friday, January 19, pending staff availability. We will update this entry if the operating status for Wonderplace changes. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis.At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Discovery Station: Orchids
Smithsonian Gardens
Stop by the Smithsonian Gardens Discovery Station and explore the connective power of orchids! Take a closer look at the amazing traits that orchids share, uncover the history of vanilla, and get inspired by the Smithsonian Gardens’ orchid collection. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to answer your orchid care questions.
Find the Discovery Station in the exhibition during the following times through April 26, 2026. Mondays: 1–4 p.m. , Tuesdays–Sundays: 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Programs are subject to volunteer availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Notes: Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for this program. Be sure to reserve your entry pass here: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/4561cfa0-226f-6a98-2228-1b72ec70494f Advance timed-entry passes are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Same-day timed-entry passes are available daily at the entrance. See NMAAHC staff for assistance.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: L2 in the More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids Exhibition. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: More than a Flower: The Connective Power of Orchids. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
It's beginning to feel like spring in the garden! Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW for a tour of this hidden gem. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: The Enid A. Haupt Garden tour starts at the sign at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW, near the entrance to the S. Dillon Ripley Center. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
University Jazz Jam
One-Time Events
Hear top collegiate jazz ensembles from across the region at the University Jazz Jam. Performers from Shenandoah Conservatory, UMBC, Temple University, American University, and more local institutions will spotlight the energy, artistry, and innovation thriving in our region’s university jazz programs.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West, Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Related Events: Jazz Appreciation Month.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM.
How to Chase a Chimpanzee, and Other Tales from the Field
One-Time Events
Ever wonder what it's like to live with chimpanzees in the wild? What do chimps do in their daily lives, and how do scientists learn more about them, and our own origins? Come chat with Abby McClain and Sims Patton, PhD candidates from The George Washington University, to learn about their research and what it's like to be a real-life Jane Goodall! Ask them about their field experiences, see the equipment they use, and practice your own observation skills along the way!
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Hall of Human Origins. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Gallery Talks & Tours
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Sweet Home Café Chef’s Table featuring Cliff Rome
One-Time Events
Visit Sweet Home Café on April 10, 2026 for a special Chef’s Table featuring international award-winning chef and culinary entrepreneur, Cliff Rome.
With over 30 years of experience in the food service industry, Chef Rome has received numerous awards and recognition from local, national, and international media. Chef Rome’s culinary career extends from Chicago to Europe, where his journey took him from Paris to Cannes, eventually continuing aboard luxury yachts that enriched his global perspective on food and hospitality.
In 2000, Chef Rome founded Rome’s Joy Companies, which boasts a diverse portfolio of businesses, all located in the heart of Chicago's Bronzeville community. Chef Rome has provided a multitude of job opportunities throughout the Chicagoland area via Mise en Place, a culinary and hospitality training program that helps at-risk youth obtain jobs in the culinary field, while his Clean Habits custodial program expands career pathways beyond hospitality.
Looking ahead, Chef Rome will con…
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Concourse Level. Cost: Free to attend. Menu items vary in price. Categories: Culinary Arts.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit nmaahc.si.edu. Meditation and Mindfulness
Workshops
Register to join the sessions.
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.
All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Gong Xian (ca. 1610–1689); Winter Landscape; China, mid- to late 17th century; album leaf; ink on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1961.11.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/8R9H5FxSRciJf6x6PSGd0w. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/8R9H5FxSRciJf6x6PSGd0w. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, April 10, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Artful Movement | SEL Webinar for Students K–3
Kids and Family
Get ready to observe, chat, and move with art! In these webinars, students (grades K–3) will look carefully at a work of art through facilitated exploration. Then, they will breathe, stretch, and flow through a guided mindful movement. This month’s theme is “Water Play.”
These sessions are perfect for families, homeschool groups, virtual schools, and teachers who may want to review a recording with their students after the live session. Everyone who registers gets a link to the recording. Each session includes American Sign Language interpretation. Sessions take place on Fridays from 1 to 1:30 p.m. We present these webinars in partnership with Create Calm. Toyokuni II (1777–1835); Carp; Japan, 1827–35; ink and color on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Dr. John Fuegi, F1996.27a-b.
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T2wnDAXXSCm9ZerxUvoNdw. Categories: Kids & Families. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
Gallery Talks & Tours
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM.
Tours | Arts Across Asia
Gallery Talks & Tours
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Gallery Talks & Tours
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Hands-On Conservation
Gallery Talks & Tours
Explore conservation for yourself at our pop-up cart! Touch and see the tools and materials we use to preserve art, manuscripts, and other historic objects. Check out fluorescent glue samples, paper and brushes used for scroll mounting, and more. This is your chance to get a peek at what our conservators and scientists are up to behind the scenes. Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Event Location: West Building (Mall Entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Jazz Concert featuring Meklit Hadero
One-Time Events
Celebrate National Jazz Appreciation Month at African Art with Ethiopian-American vocalist, songwriter, and composer Meklit Hadero!
Meklit Hadero is an Ethiopian-American vocalist, songwriter, and composer whose performances have taken her to renowned stages across four continents. She is the former Chief of Programs at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and is a sought after thought leader and speaker, including at TED Stages, the United Nations, and National Geographic Storytellers Summit. She has been an Artist-in-Residence at Stanford University and Harvard University. Meklit is co-founder, co-producer, and host of Movement, a podcast, radio series , live performance series and community building initiative uplifting the songs and stories of immigrant musicians.
A Piece of Infinity (2025, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings) features powerful collaborations with harpist Brandee Younger and saxophonist/flutist Camille Thurman. On the album, Meklit reimagines Ethiopian traditional songs in her…
Venue: African Art Museum. Event Location: Sylvia Williams Gallery (Sublevel 1). Cost: FREE. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984326826956?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Celebrations. Performances. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.