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American Road Trip
Resident Associate Program
Pack up the station wagon, pop in a mix tape, and take to the road to discover Smithsonian marvels from across the USA! Campers design and construct their own modes of transportation and map their journeys as they “travel” the Electronic Superhighway at the American Art Museum. At the Natural History Museum, they explore amazing natural formations and animals native to diverse biomes across the American landscape. They celebrate the inventions and outstanding figures from many states highlighted at the American History Museum. Criss-cross the country, sample the states, and reinvent roadside attractions as this week-long journey unfolds.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262659?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Astro Adventures
Resident Associate Program
Future Astrophysiststs Prepare! Campers spend the week exploring outer space discovering amazing things about our solar system. They visit the Udvar-Hazy Center and the Air and Space Museum to explore the moon and the stars, planets, and the galaxies that fill our universe. Campers create crafts, experience simulations, conduct experiments, and take part in other exciting activities with an eye on space. On Friday, they launch a Show-and-Share guaranteed to be out of this world!
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263829?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Comics 101
Resident Associate Program
Campers hone their storytelling skills in one of the most accessible and dynamic ways we know: comics! Inspired by the digitized collection of classic comic books, zines and other sequential art around the Smithsonian, they discover the importance of comics to our past, present, and future. Campers refine their skills in every step of the process—from writing, to drawing, to even the art of the word balloon—as they self-publish original visual stories for a Friday release.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263830?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Go Green
Resident Associate Program
Campers explore the possibilities and solutions that address some of our planet's most significant challenges through new ways of living, learning, and working toward a shared sustainable future. Visits to the Natural History Museum, National Zoo, and Smithsonian gardens pair with the Institution’s science resources to inspire civic action as campers undertake experiments, design campaigns, and develop sustainable solutions for daily challenges.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262660?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Kinetic Colors
Resident Associate Program
Campers are introduced to a wide variety of art forms that evoke movement. From Calder to Hokusai and butterflies to gazelles, campers gather their own movement inspiration from visits to the National Zoo, the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, and the African Art Museum. They also investigate concepts of motion by painting with marbles, making spin art, and experimenting with balance as they make mobiles. The week ends with what’s sure to be a very moving exhibition.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262658?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Museum Explorers
Resident Associate Program
The Smithsonian’s collections are full of objects that carry fascinating and unique tales. Young museologists travel to the many museums on the National Mall to learn about the cultural significance of these treasures found right in our own back yard. They discover the backstories of the Hope Diamond, Dorothy’s ruby slippers, Willie Nelson’s tour jacket, the SR-71 Blackbird aircraft—and more. Campers visit a different museum each day and explore these special objects through games and challenges. By week’s end they have created a catalogue of objects and are ready to present their own exhibition.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262663?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Rainforest Researchers
Resident Associate Program
The tropical rainforest—thought to be the oldest land-based ecosystem on earth—is certainly the most diverse. Campers grab their pith helmets and journals as they venture across the Smithsonian to discover the unique and mysterious Amazon. A visit to the National Zoo’s Amazonia exhibit brings campers close to the animals that thrive along the Amazon River. Throughout the week, they explore the layers of the forest and its flora and fauna. A visit to the Museum of the American Indian brings the campers closer to the culture of the region. Campers create an immersive rainforest for families to enjoy, inspired by the week's journey.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262656?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Smithsonian School of Wizardry (Beginner)
Resident Associate Program
The doors are open at the Smithsonian School of Wizardry! Campers visit Smithsonian museums to learn about the history, mythology, and science behind works of magical fiction. Visits to the American History and Natural History museums and the National Zoo reveal real-world inspiration for fictional magical transportation and locations; illuminate astronomy; and explore the natural origins of mythical beasts. They study the chemistry of potions, explore medicinal plants, learn about creatures from mythology (and of course pick up a little magic, too)—all in the shadow of our own Smithsonian Castle.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262662?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Star-Spangled Summer
Resident Associate Program
The week of the Fourth of July is the perfect time for campers to explore the history of our nation’s beginning. They view the original Star-Spangled Banner and visit exhibits in the American History Museum, as well as some of the Mall’s famous monuments. They sing the National Anthem and other traditional patriotic songs, and make their own flags, noisemakers, pinwheels, and fireworks-inspired art for an all-American show-and-share at the end of the week.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262655?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
The Art of Recycling
Resident Associate Program
Who knew that by reusing, recycling, and repurposing everyday items you would be able to create amazing sculptural art? Campers learn about recycling and how artists have used trash to make both beautiful art and functional objects. On museum visits, they view sculptures fashioned from recycled game pieces, a coral reef made from trash found on the beach and explore innovative creations to examine the inner workings of the battle on trash. They bend, mold, and reuse ordinary materials, much like the revolutionary artists of the 21st century.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262657?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
The Space Race
Resident Associate Program
Campers strap on their rocket packs and discover the history of the Cold War and the technological innovations that were a product of it. As they explore the contest between two world powers to put the first human on the moon, campers create their own model NASA and Russian rockets. A visit to the Udvar-Hazy Center and virtual exploration of the Air and Space Museum inform campers as they participate in a mock peace accord among diplomats negotiating for geographic dominance, resources, and armament policies.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262661?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
What's Really Real: AI and Photography
Resident Associate Program
Is that photo real or fake? Was it enhanced? Can you tell if a pixel is out of place? Uncover the history of photomanipulation and techniques for identifying altered images. Campers learn the basics of open-source photo editing and fotoforensic tools. Young photo investigators work in teams to uncover the truth behind some of our most iconic images, as well as analyze other teams' images. Can you avoid detection? Or can you find the truth?
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262664?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 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.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Virtual Story Time
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join educators from the National Postal Museum for live, interactive story time. Designed for children ages 4-7, but all are welcome!
Mondays at 11:00 (ET) National Postal Museum educators will read stories aloud and lead related activities in a Zoom meeting for children and their caregivers. Explore a range of postal-related topics and more! Sessions will be interactive and last approximately 45-60 minutes. Caregivers are expected to be present with children for the duration of the program.
Event Location: Online Only. Online Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/story-time-with-the-national-postal-museum-registration-141338917507. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/story-time-with-the-national-postal-museum-registration-141338917507. Categories: Kids & Families. Webcasts & Online.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 11:00 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.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the National Portrait Gallery. Join educators every Monday to explore a new topic and different materials. Participants will look at art, enjoy hands-on activities, listen to music and participate in story time. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other. Our friends from DC Public Library will join us on the second Monday of each month for a special story time about the day’s theme.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Regsitration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Tours | The 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: Detail, The Princess from the Land of Porcelain (La Princesse du pays de la porcelaine), James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), United States, 1863–65, oil on canvas, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1903.91a–b.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 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: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 2:00 PM – 2:45 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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.
Monday, June 30, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House (Pond Animals)
NZP Kids and Families
Waddle, jump, or hop on down and join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo!
Let's explore different plants and animals that live in and near ponds. We'll learn about some of the amazing ducks that live in the Prairie Pothole exhibit of the Bird House, explore color theory as we mix paint to create a lily pad, and discover how pond animals live together through sensory play.
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
Note: Water tables may be closed if the heat index is above 100.
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, July 1, 2025, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Little Artists, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 15 a.m. Select Tuesdays and Thursdays through September 25, 2025
Duration: About 1 hour
For all guided experiences, advanced registration for groups of 10 or more is required at least one week prior to your visit. When registering for groups of 10 more, groups may request free bus transportation. Bus transportation is available on a first come, first served basis. Please fill out the guided student tour form available here at least one week prior to your group's arrival.
Questions? Email the ACM Education team at ACMTours@si.edu.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1396883820109?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM.
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, July 1, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Flights of Fancy Story Time
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Museum staff read stories about famous aviators, hot-air balloon flights, trips to Mars, characters visible in the night sky, or creatures that have their own wings. Each session includes one story and a hands-on activity. The featured book changes each month. See the full schedule.
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, July 1, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. DC | Cradleboards and Crawlers
One-Time Events
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.
Event Location: Level 3, imagiNATIONS Activity Center. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.
Great Hall Story Time
One-Time Events
Join us in the Portrait Gallery’s picturesque Great Hall for an interactive story time that gets up close and personal with art. Participants will look closely at portraits and read stories as they learn more about the people who have shaped history.
Event Location: Great Hall. Cost: Free. Registration Encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/great-hall-story-time-tickets-1335479447979?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Tours | Whistler's World
Gallery Talks & Tours
Join a walk-in, docent-led tour to explore the many sides of Whistler. Experience Whistler’s paintings along with objects by Asian artists that inspired his style and subjects. Image: Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room, James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), 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 Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 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: Hishikawa Sori / Landscape: two of the four seasons; autumn and winter, Japan, late 18th–early 19th century, color, ink, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1906.234.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/NeVySe_xTkGKsbcKbl_syQ. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/NeVySe_xTkGKsbcKbl_syQ. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Visionaries in Art: Exploring Black Creativity & Expression
One-Time Events
Explore the rich legacy of Black Arts Education in Washington, DC through an immersive experience designed for youth audiences. Engage in close-looking activities featuring works by influential local artists and art educators, then bring your own creativity to life through hands-on artmaking. Through inquiry-based discussions and artistic exploration, young learners will deepen their understanding of self-expression and connect their observations to their own creative process.
Recommended Audience: Youth 8+
Time and Schedule: 1:00 p.m. Select Tuesdays and Thursdays through September 25, 2025
Duration: About 75 minutes
For all guided experiences, advanced registration for groups of 10 or more is required at least one week prior to your visit. When registering for groups of 10 more, groups may request free bus transportation. Bus transportation is available on a first come, first served basis. Please fill out the guided student tour form available here at least one week prior to your group's arrival.…
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/visionaries-in-art-exploring-black-creativity-expression-tickets-1396981753029?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Gallery Talks & Tours. Workshops.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:15 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 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.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:30 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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, July 1, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Storytime Studio: Music Makers
One time events
Looking for a creative community? Each week at Storytime, you’ll find opportunities to connect with your littlest artist through joyful play and art-making.
This Week: With help from a National Symphony Orchestra musician, we’ll explore connections between visual art and music. Learn how music influences the street art of twin artists OSGEMEOS, and make your own music maker.
Featured Book: Listen by Gabi Snyder
Program Schedule
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. No registration or ticket is required. Visitors receive their entry time upon arrival. Depending on availability, you may be asked to enjoy the galleries prior to your start time. 10 AM–noon: Open play (felt, blocks, sketching) , 10:15 AM: Read-aloud #1 in Art School , 10:30 AM: Art-making begins , 10:45 AM: Gallery tour #1 , 11:15 AM: Read-aloud #2 in Art School , 11:30 AM: Art-making begins , 11:45 AM: Gallery tour #2
Meet in the Hirshhorn Art School on the Lower Level. ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Art Project: Hidden Noise Maker.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 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, July 2, 2025, 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, July 2, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Free weekly tours of the Enid A. Haupt Garden are offered every Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. from April 30 through September 26, 2025, weather permitting.
Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the tour sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, Meet at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 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.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: July 2–7, 2025
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
The Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall from July 2–7, 2025 with the theme “Looking Forward: Youth and the Future of Culture.”
In 2025, Youth and the Future of Culture will explore creativity, vitality, resilience, and intergenerational learning and exchange through the contributions and experiences of youth. The program will underscore how young people influence and engage with culture, and how they create, innovate, and sustain cultural practices and traditions.
Drawing from diverse communities and perspectives, Youth and the Future of Culture will feature youth-centered—and often youth-led—projects and organizations, and individuals who are generating new ideas, transforming their communities, and confronting contemporary challenges. By bringing people together in conversation, the program will foster intergenerational connections and explore how young people engage with tradition, influence future generations, and agitate for change.
Youth have participated in many Festival pr…
Venue: Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Event Location: National Mall. Cost: Free. Categories: Celebrations. Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Performances. Shopping/Book Signing. Workshops.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
For more info visit festival.si.edu. DC | Cradleboards and Crawlers
One-Time Events
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.
Event Location: Level 3, imagiNATIONS Activity Center. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 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: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Civic Season 2025: Curator Theo Gonzalves, NMAH’s 250th anniversary team, and the White House Historical Association
One-Time Events
Join us in our Civic Pavilion for Ask a Curator with NMAH’s Theo Gonzalves and programming with NMAH’s 250th anniversary team and the White House Historical Association. The Civic Pavilion on 2 East will bring Civic Season to life with daily activities. Can’t join us in person? Follow us on social media and get involved with hybrid activities all season long! The National Museum of American History welcomes visitors of all ages and abilities. This event is wheelchair accessible. ASL services, captioning, and assistive listening devices will be provided. Additional accommodations are available upon request; please email nmahprograms@si.edu. Two weeks’ notice is preferred.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 2 East. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Related Events: Learn more about the 2025 Civic Season. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 12:00 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 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, July 2, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:30 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Ancestral Artistry: The Influence of Africans & Creoles of Color on Louisiana Architecture
One-Time Events
Ancestral Artistry: The Influence of Africans and Creoles of Color on Louisiana Architecture explores the rich architectural legacy that began 300 years ago with the arrival of enslaved Africans skilled in the building trades in French colonial Louisiana. This special film screening is presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The film highlights these trades and tells the stories of contemporary master craftsmen in New Orleans, including plasterer Jeffrey Poree, blacksmith Darryl Reeves, and the late brick mason Teddy Pierre. After the screening, stay for a conversation with Poree, Reeves, and Jonn Hankins from the New Orleans Master Crafts Guild. They will share their hopes for preserving their fragile traditions and training apprentices to continue their crafts. The film, produced by the Louisiana Architecture Foundation, was made possible through public and private donations, with special thanks to the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, Division of…
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Oprah Winfrey Theater. Cost: Free; Registration is Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/95413154/ancestral-artistrythe-influence-of-africans-creoles-of-color-on-louisiana-architecture-washington-national-museum-of-african-american-history-culture-public-programs. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Films. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Audio description. Captioning.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:45 PM.
Virtual The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture Artist Conversation with Young Joon Kwak and Glenn Kaino
One-Time Events
This artist conversation explores the relationship between community, power, and monument making. Focusing on the dynamic practices of Young Joon Kwak and Glenn Kaino, this conversation examines how these artists intervene in public spaces to create sculptures that center communities and histories often erased from collective memory. The conversation is moderated by Grace Yasumura, assistant curator at SAAM and co-curator of The Shape of Power.
Image credit: Glenn Kaino, Bridge, 2013-2014, fiberglass, steel, wire and gold paint, dimensions variable, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Smithsonian Secretary and the Smithsonian National Board and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2022.34A-C, © 2013-2014, Glenn Kaino.
Event Location: Online via Zoom. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1ojiv. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. Related Exhibition: The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture. Accessibility: Captioning.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 7:00 PM.
*CANCELLED* Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House
NZP Kids and Families
Waddle, jump, or hop on down and join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo!
Let's explore different plants and animals that live in and near ponds. We'll learn about some of the amazing ducks that live in the Prairie Pothole exhibit of the Bird House, explore color theory as we mix paint to create a lily pad, and discover how pond animals live together through sensory play.
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, July 3, 2025, 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, July 3, 2025, 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, July 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Little Artists, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 15 a.m. Select Tuesdays and Thursdays through September 25, 2025
Duration: About 1 hour
For all guided experiences, advanced registration for groups of 10 or more is required at least one week prior to your visit. When registering for groups of 10 more, groups may request free bus transportation. Bus transportation is available on a first come, first served basis. Please fill out the guided student tour form available here at least one week prior to your group's arrival.
Questions? Email the ACM Education team at ACMTours@si.edu.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1396883820109?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM.
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, July 3, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: July 2–7, 2025
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
The Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall from July 2–7, 2025 with the theme “Looking Forward: Youth and the Future of Culture.”
In 2025, Youth and the Future of Culture will explore creativity, vitality, resilience, and intergenerational learning and exchange through the contributions and experiences of youth. The program will underscore how young people influence and engage with culture, and how they create, innovate, and sustain cultural practices and traditions.
Drawing from diverse communities and perspectives, Youth and the Future of Culture will feature youth-centered—and often youth-led—projects and organizations, and individuals who are generating new ideas, transforming their communities, and confronting contemporary challenges. By bringing people together in conversation, the program will foster intergenerational connections and explore how young people engage with tradition, influence future generations, and agitate for change.
Youth have participated in many Festival pr…
Venue: Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Event Location: National Mall. Cost: Free. Categories: Celebrations. Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Performances. Shopping/Book Signing. Workshops.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
For more info visit festival.si.edu. Flights of Fancy Story Time
Ongoing Activities
Museum staff read stories about famous aviators, hot-air balloon flights, trips to Mars, characters visible in the night sky, or creatures that have their own wings. Each session includes one story and a hands-on activity. The featured book changes each month. See the full schedule.
Takes place each at the National Air and Space Museum in DC each Thursday at 11 am.
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, July 3, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Flights of Fancy Story Time
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Museum staff read stories about famous aviators, hot-air balloon flights, trips to Mars, characters visible in the night sky, or creatures that have their own wings. Each session includes one story and a hands-on activity. The featured book changes each month. See the full schedule.
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, July 3, 2025, 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, July 3, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Civic Season 2025: Curator Katherine Ott and NMAH’s Archives Center
One-Time Events
Join us in our Civic Pavilion for Ask a Curator with NMAH’s Katherine Ott and programming with NMAH’s Archives Center. The Civic Pavilion on 2 East will bring Civic Season to life with daily activities. Can’t join us in person? Follow us on social media and get involved with hybrid activities all season long! The National Museum of American History welcomes visitors of all ages and abilities. This event is wheelchair accessible. ASL services, captioning, and assistive listening devices will be provided. Additional accommodations are available upon request; please email nmahprograms@si.edu. Two weeks’ notice is preferred.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 2 East. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Related Events: Learn more about the 2025 Civic Season. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Tours | Whistler's World
Gallery Talks & Tours
Join a walk-in, docent-led tour to explore the many sides of Whistler. Experience Whistler’s paintings along with objects by Asian artists that inspired his style and subjects. Image: Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room, James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), 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 Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Sketching the Smithsonian: Weekly Lunchtime Drawing Series
Resident Associate Program
Pull out your sketchbook and pencil to take an artful break as you explore the Smithsonian while drawing objects from vast and fascinating collections. Option to register for this program as a 6-session series.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263789?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263789?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
“The Ride Ahead” Film Screening and Discussion
One-Time Events
Join us for a screening of The Ride Ahead, a documentary by Emmy-Award winning father-son filmmaker duo Samuel and Dan Habib. The Ride Ahead follows Samuel Habib, a typical twenty-one-year-old, itching to move out, start a career, and find love. But no one tells you how to be an adult, let alone an adult with a disability.
Following the screening, Samuel and Dan will be joined by lawyer, scholar, activist, and community organizer Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎngsūn Brown (they/them) for a post-film discussion with the audience.
ASL interpretation, live real-time (CART) captioning, embedded audio description, and assistive listening will be available. For more accessibility information for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival or National Museum of American History, please visit our websites.
To learn more about the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, we invite you to visit our website: festival.si.edu.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Warner Bros. Theater, 1 Center. Cost: Free, but ticketed. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-ride-ahead-film-screening-and-discussion-tickets-1394743026939?aff=trumba. Categories: Films. Lectures & Discussions. Related Events: To learn more about the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, we invite you to visit our website: festival.si.edu. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Captioning. Audio description. Assisted listening devices.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Visionaries in Art: Exploring Black Creativity & Expression
One-Time Events
Explore the rich legacy of Black Arts Education in Washington, DC through an immersive experience designed for youth audiences. Engage in close-looking activities featuring works by influential local artists and art educators, then bring your own creativity to life through hands-on artmaking. Through inquiry-based discussions and artistic exploration, young learners will deepen their understanding of self-expression and connect their observations to their own creative process.
Recommended Audience: Youth 8+
Time and Schedule: 1:00 p.m. Select Tuesdays and Thursdays through September 25, 2025
Duration: About 75 minutes
For all guided experiences, advanced registration for groups of 10 or more is required at least one week prior to your visit. When registering for groups of 10 more, groups may request free bus transportation. Bus transportation is available on a first come, first served basis. Please fill out the guided student tour form available here at least one week prior to your group's arrival.…
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/visionaries-in-art-exploring-black-creativity-expression-tickets-1396981753029?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Gallery Talks & Tours. Workshops.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:15 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Introduction to Water-Soluble Colored Pencils
Resident Associate Program
Loved by artists for their versatility, water-soluble colored pencils emulsify when water is added, making them a viable alternative to watercolor paints. Students learn about the many types of water-soluble colored pencils on the market and how to use them.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263644?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263644?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 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: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.
For more info visit maps.google.com. 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.
Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival.
, 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: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Event Location: B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 3, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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, July 3, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 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, July 4, 2025, 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, July 4, 2025, 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.
Friday, July 4, 2025, 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.
Friday, July 4, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: July 2–7, 2025
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
The Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall from July 2–7, 2025 with the theme “Looking Forward: Youth and the Future of Culture.”
In 2025, Youth and the Future of Culture will explore creativity, vitality, resilience, and intergenerational learning and exchange through the contributions and experiences of youth. The program will underscore how young people influence and engage with culture, and how they create, innovate, and sustain cultural practices and traditions.
Drawing from diverse communities and perspectives, Youth and the Future of Culture will feature youth-centered—and often youth-led—projects and organizations, and individuals who are generating new ideas, transforming their communities, and confronting contemporary challenges. By bringing people together in conversation, the program will foster intergenerational connections and explore how young people engage with tradition, influence future generations, and agitate for change.
Youth have participated in many Festival pr…
Venue: Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Event Location: National Mall. Cost: Free. Categories: Celebrations. Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Performances. Shopping/Book Signing. Workshops.
Friday, July 4, 2025, 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
For more info visit festival.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.
Friday, July 4, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Tours | The 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: Detail, The Princess from the Land of Porcelain (La Princesse du pays de la porcelaine), James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), United States, 1863–65, oil on canvas, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1903.91a–b.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 4, 2025, 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: Hishikawa Sori / Landscape: two of the four seasons; autumn and winter, Japan, late 18th–early 19th century, color, ink, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1906.234.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/NeVySe_xTkGKsbcKbl_syQ. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/NeVySe_xTkGKsbcKbl_syQ. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, July 4, 2025, 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, July 4, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
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=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Friday, July 4, 2025, 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: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, July 4, 2025, 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.
Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival.
, 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: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Event Location: B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 4, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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.
Friday, July 4, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
*CANCELLED* Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House
NZP Kids and Families
Waddle, jump, or hop on down and join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo!
Let's explore different plants and animals that live in and near ponds. We'll learn about some of the amazing ducks that live in the Prairie Pothole exhibit of the Bird House, explore color theory as we mix paint to create a lily pad, and discover how pond animals live together through sensory play.
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, July 5, 2025, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Drop-In Arts & Crafts: Art Imagination
One-Time Events
Mark your calendar to drop by the museum for arts and crafts. Grab someone and come! Bring the whole family out to create, imagine and visually express yourself through arts and crafts.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/drop-in-arts-crafts-tickets-1442463670669?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
FRESHFARM ACM Farm Stand
One-Time Events
The FRESHFARM ACM Farm Stand returns for another farm stand season in 2025. It is the only direct-to-consumer farm stand of its kind East of the River in Ward 8.
The FRESHFARM ACM Farm Stand takes place on the outdoor plaza of the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum (1901 Fort Place, SE Washington, DC 20020) every Saturday (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) from April 19 - November 22, 2025.*
The FRESHFARM ACM Farm Stand is generously supported by The Hillside Foundation - Allan and Shelley Holt.
*Weather permitting. Be sure to follow the Anacostia Community Museum for updated information.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freshfarm-acm-farm-stand-tickets-1307850759829?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Open Studio: What’s Your Story?
One time events
Join Art School this July as we take inspiration from the best of summer camp with that extra-special Art School flair. Every Saturday throughout the month, come together at the Hirshhorn’s Open Studio for community camp-style crafts inspired by artists on view at the Museum. Each week, we’ll gather to create crafts including woven bracelets influenced by Anni Albers, sand art modeled on the work of André Masson, and journals and storytelling driven by Laurie Anderson’s narratives.
This Saturday, we’ll take inspiration from Laurie Anderson, exploring ways to tell stories by using mixed media (combining materials such as paper, paint, and images) to create a visual narrative!
Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in to explore modern and contemporary art through interactive hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and artworks on view. Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.
Every session introduces…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Story Layers.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 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, July 5, 2025, 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, July 5, 2025, 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, July 5, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Joy of African Movement
One-Time Events
Mentally and physically recharge with our Joy of African Movement series using a variety of dance movements from the African diaspora, including Capoeira, Contemporary Dance, Stepping, Hip Hop, and Traditional West African Dance.
On Saturday, July 5, join Afrochique, the premier African female choreography team at the University of Maryland, College Park. Learn contemporary African dance techniques.
Join us on the first Saturday of the month from 10:30am-11:45am. Saturday July 5, 10:30am-11:45am , Saturday August 2, 10:30am-11:45am , Saturday September 6, 10:30am-11:45am , Saturday October 4, 10:30am-11:45am , Saturday November 1, 10:30am-11:45am, Ages: 16+.
Venue: African Art Museum. Event Location: Sylvia Williams Gallery, Sublevel 1. Cost: FREE. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/joy-of-african-movement-tickets-1431351433669?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Demonstrations. Workshops. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM.
For more info visit africa.si.edu. CANCELLED - WILD Nature Play Club!
One-Time Events
Presented as a pilot program by the National Zoological Park’s Little Critters: Nature Play, our WILD Nature Play Club will meet on the first Saturday of every month at the Anacostia Community Museum where we will explore the half-mile loop trail right next to the museum.
Join us for unstructured play time in nature as well as a child-directed hike through the George Washington Carver Nature Trail. At the end of the hike, we will gather together for a story and nature activity then head back to the museum. Come prepared for our time together by dressing for the weather, bringing an extra pair of clothes, closed-toe shoes, water, and a snack!
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wild-nature-play-club-tickets-1374578825269?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: July 2–7, 2025
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
The Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall from July 2–7, 2025 with the theme “Looking Forward: Youth and the Future of Culture.”
In 2025, Youth and the Future of Culture will explore creativity, vitality, resilience, and intergenerational learning and exchange through the contributions and experiences of youth. The program will underscore how young people influence and engage with culture, and how they create, innovate, and sustain cultural practices and traditions.
Drawing from diverse communities and perspectives, Youth and the Future of Culture will feature youth-centered—and often youth-led—projects and organizations, and individuals who are generating new ideas, transforming their communities, and confronting contemporary challenges. By bringing people together in conversation, the program will foster intergenerational connections and explore how young people engage with tradition, influence future generations, and agitate for change.
Youth have participated in many Festival pr…
Venue: Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Event Location: National Mall. Cost: Free. Categories: Celebrations. Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Performances. Shopping/Book Signing. Workshops.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
For more info visit festival.si.edu. 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: Freer Gallery of Art. 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, July 5, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | The 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: Detail, The Princess from the Land of Porcelain (La Princesse du pays de la porcelaine), James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), United States, 1863–65, oil on canvas, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1903.91a–b.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
DC | Hula with Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo
One-Time Events
The museum welcomes Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo (School of the Living Voice of the Descendants), a hula school from the island of Hawaiʻi for a full-length performance that includes the entire hālau (school) and features hula (dances) and mele (songs) celebrating Ke Aukahi Hoʻōla ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiian Language Revitalization Movement.
The students grew up in Pūnana Leo nests and are either current students or alumni of immersion schools. Kumu hula (teachers) Pelehonuamea (Pele) and Kekoa Harman have dedicated their lives to the Hawaiian revitalization movement. Uniquely, Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo teaches hula exclusively through ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. The hālau embraces Kumu Honua Mauli Ola, a core philosophy to cultivate mauli Hawaiʻi, the unique life force of each Hawaiian person, through ʻōlelo (language), pili ʻuhane (spirituality), lawena (behavior, mannerisms), and ʻike kuʻuna (traditional knowledge). Pele is the great-granddaughter of the late Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui, who was honored…
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 1: Potomac Atrium. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families. Performances.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:45 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
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=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. 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.
Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival.
, 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: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Event Location: B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
DC | Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers
One-Time Events
The museum welcomes the Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers to perform traditional and new songs and dances. The Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers were formed in 1987 in Kodiak, Alaska. They continue to learn and share their Alutiiq/Sugpiaq ancestral heritage and increase pride through reawakening their dance traditions. The Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people have always danced as a community to perform rituals and ceremony, to share stories, and to entertain each other. Today, the group honors their ancestors by dancing their stories and living their culture.
At the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival (July 2-7), they will also hold dance workshops where visitors can try Alutiiq social dances. Visitors can watch and participate in Kakangaq, a traditional game to hone hunting skills, where players toss disks at a target on a seal hide. In the group’s tent, visitors can see salve making and headdress beading while learning about Alutiiq dress and regalia.
Image: Members of the Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers perform at the Sobriety Celebration. Photo…
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 1: Potomac Atrium. Cost: FREE. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 3:00 PM – 3:45 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.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.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 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, July 6, 2025, 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, July 6, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: July 2–7, 2025
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
The Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall from July 2–7, 2025 with the theme “Looking Forward: Youth and the Future of Culture.”
In 2025, Youth and the Future of Culture will explore creativity, vitality, resilience, and intergenerational learning and exchange through the contributions and experiences of youth. The program will underscore how young people influence and engage with culture, and how they create, innovate, and sustain cultural practices and traditions.
Drawing from diverse communities and perspectives, Youth and the Future of Culture will feature youth-centered—and often youth-led—projects and organizations, and individuals who are generating new ideas, transforming their communities, and confronting contemporary challenges. By bringing people together in conversation, the program will foster intergenerational connections and explore how young people engage with tradition, influence future generations, and agitate for change.
Youth have participated in many Festival pr…
Venue: Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Event Location: National Mall. Cost: Free. Categories: Celebrations. Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Performances. Shopping/Book Signing. Workshops.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
For more info visit festival.si.edu. 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Whistler's World
Gallery Talks & Tours
Join a walk-in, docent-led tour to explore the many sides of Whistler. Experience Whistler’s paintings along with objects by Asian artists that inspired his style and subjects. Image: Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room, James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), 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 Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
DC | Hula with Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo
One-Time Events
The museum welcomes Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo (School of the Living Voice of the Descendants), a hula school from the island of Hawaiʻi for a full-length performance that includes the entire hālau (school) and features hula (dances) and mele (songs) celebrating Ke Aukahi Hoʻōla ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiian Language Revitalization Movement.
The students grew up in Pūnana Leo nests and are either current students or alumni of immersion schools. Kumu hula (teachers) Pelehonuamea (Pele) and Kekoa Harman have dedicated their lives to the Hawaiian revitalization movement. Uniquely, Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo teaches hula exclusively through ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. The hālau embraces Kumu Honua Mauli Ola, a core philosophy to cultivate mauli Hawaiʻi, the unique life force of each Hawaiian person, through ʻōlelo (language), pili ʻuhane (spirituality), lawena (behavior, mannerisms), and ʻike kuʻuna (traditional knowledge). Pele is the great-granddaughter of the late Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui, who was honored…
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 1: Potomac Atrium. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families. Performances.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:45 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.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
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=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Spanish-Language Walk-In Tours
One-Time Events
Join a volunteer docent on select Sundays for lively tours of the Portrait Gallery in Spanish. We hope to see you there.
Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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.
Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival.
, 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: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Event Location: B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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, July 6, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
DC | Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers
One-Time Events
The museum welcomes the Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers to perform traditional and new songs and dances. The Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers were formed in 1987 in Kodiak, Alaska. They continue to learn and share their Alutiiq/Sugpiaq ancestral heritage and increase pride through reawakening their dance traditions. The Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people have always danced as a community to perform rituals and ceremony, to share stories, and to entertain each other. Today, the group honors their ancestors by dancing their stories and living their culture.
At the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival (July 2-7), they will also hold dance workshops where visitors can try Alutiiq social dances. Visitors can watch and participate in Kakangaq, a traditional game to hone hunting skills, where players toss disks at a target on a seal hide. In the group’s tent, visitors can see salve making and headdress beading while learning about Alutiiq dress and regalia.
Image: Members of the Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers perform at the Sobriety Celebration. Photo…
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 1: Potomac Atrium. Cost: FREE. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 3:00 PM – 3:45 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Freedom Was in Sight: Exploring Reconstruction in the Washington, D.C. Region (Educator Professional Learning)
One-Time Events
Note: This is a multiday workshop - Monday, July 7- Friday, July 11; 9am-4pm daily
Join the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture for a deep dive into the era of Reconstruction in the Washington, D. C region. Using the new graphic history, Freedom Was in Sight! A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington D.C. Region, we will take an in-depth look at how African Americans sought to build lives for themselves, their families and their communities. In addition to content and discussion sessions, participants will explore historic sites in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and meet with curators, historians and other experts on Reconstruction. This seminar investigates Reconstruction through a local lens while drawing connections to the national story of the years following the Civil War and the end of slavery. Throughout the week, sessions will demonstrate effective history teaching strategies and activities designed to meet teachers' personal and professional…
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor Classrooms. Cost: $200 (application should be submitted first; payment link will be sent upon acceptance). Get Tickets/Register: http://s.alchemer.com/s3/REGISTRATION-Freedom-Was-in-Sight-Exploring-Reconstruction-in-the-Washington-DC-Area-Educator-Professional-Learning-Event. Categories: Workshops.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Abstract Artists
Resident Associate Program
Abstract art opens up a boundless realm of creativity. From finger painting and blending watercolors campers explore colors, shapes, and textures in unique ways. Visits to the Hirshhorn, American Art Museum, and the National Gallery introduce campers to artists such Kandinsky, Pollack Gillam, and Alma Thomas. Throughout the week, campers create their own works of art using various mediums for a colorful end of the week exhibit.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263832?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
American Pastimes
Resident Associate Program
The nation's passion for sports is obvious every day—in football, baseball, kickball, capture the flag, soccer, and many other competitive arenas. From a handball used by Abraham Lincoln to Chris Evert's tennis racket to a baseball signed by Jackie Robinson, campers find many sports-related stories in Smithsonian museums. They design baseball cards, their own team logo, and their own sports-themed mini-museum. The week ends with an “out-of-the-park” presentation for family and friends.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262671?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Collect Them All!
Resident Associate Program
Inspired by the anime world of Pokémon, campers visit exhibits across the Smithsonian making connections to the fictional world and its inhabitants. Trips to the Air and Space, Natural History, and American History museums help campers create their own creatures, cards, and decks unique to the Smithsonian. Campers play games, solve trivia, and beat the nefarious Team Rocket.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262673?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
CSI: Campers Solve It
Resident Associate Program
Campers discover how police and detectives use science and technology to help them solve crimes in this investigative camp with the Science Guys of Baltimore. After trips to the International Spy Museum and the American History Museum to uncover the heroes and villains of historic crimes, they conduct experiments with DNA and fiber analysis, become fingerprint experts, and study anatomy. They collect clues, identify suspects, and crack cases using their crime-fighting tool kits. At the end of the week, the budding detectives work together and use their new skills to solve a mystery—and save the Science Guys!
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262670?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Eco-Heroes
Resident Associate Program
Campers discover fun ways to make our planet a bit greener—and better for all of us—as they learn about the ecological connections between the people and creatures that call it home. They explore many kinds of living organisms as they dig into gardening, explore ocean conservation efforts, conduct their own science experiments, and create eco-themed art. Visits to museums and gardens inspire campers to build an eco-friendly world.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262665?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Gross Me Out
Resident Associate Program
Know someone intrigued by the nasty, icky, and disgusting parts of nature? They can enjoy a week uncovering the science behind snot, the bacteria that live in our belly buttons, and gross creatures inside and outside our bodies. Bones and bodies at the Natural History Museum, insect-eating and poisonous plants at the U.S. Botanic Garden spark campers’ curiosity and inspire their experiments and creations. They share their own “Grossology” exhibit at the end of the week.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262668?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Home Sweet Home
Resident Associate Program
Campers explore the lives and conservation of animals around the world as they explore habitats such as grasslands, rainforests, desert, and the poles and the animals that live there. The week includes hands-on activities, craft projects, science experiments, and a visit to the National Zoo. Campers create a natural habitat of their own for guests to view at the end of the week.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262666?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Mammal Mania
Resident Associate Program
Did you know there are more than 4, 000 different kinds of mammals in the world—including such different animals as bats, pandas, buffalo, and dolphins? Campers investigate their world to discover these animals are great communicators, have highly developed senses, and can make unusual friends. In addition to games, crafts, and storytelling, visits to the National Zoo, and the Natural History, American Indian, and African Art museums inspire campers to create their own animal kingdom.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263831?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Marine Quest
Resident Associate Program
Campers spend a week discovering the amazing watery worlds hidden beneath the waves. They explore the creatures that live in the depths of the ocean and the diverse ecosystems through visits to the National Zoo and the Natural History Museum. Campers conduct experiments, create artworks, and play games designed to develop a new perspective on the 71% of the earth’s surface covered by water.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262667?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
President for a Week
Resident Associate Program
Campers follow in the footsteps of the presidents who guided our country throughout its history. They learn about democracy, the electoral process, and our government by devising team-led political campaigns and running for office. They use resources and inspirations found in the American History Museum, Portrait Gallery, and local historic sites to develop their political platforms, create campaign materials, and enhance their public-speaking skills as they write and deliver speeches designed to land them in the White House.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262672?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Soldiers and Dioramas ACW Petersburg, 1864
Resident Associate Program
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of Civil War battles fought around Petersburg, Virginia, from June 1864 to March 1865. More popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a classic military siege, but rather nine months of trench warfare waged by Union forces commanded by Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Campers explore the battle through discussions and historical simulations using information from maps, timelines, and museum visits. They create dioramas and fight battles with miniature soldiers, as well as engage in group-strategy games using large geographical maps. Fictional and nonfiction accounts, graphic novels, reference books, and related films and documentaries give campers a grounding in the period’s history.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262674?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Water Ways
Resident Associate Program
Our world is made of water. Campers take a deep look at this essential component of life on our planet, which is relied on biologically, environmentally, and symbolically. Visits to the Natural History Museum and Smithsonian art museums help campers understand how our local waterways impact and inspire water-themed artworks, erosion experiments, and conservation campaigns.
Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262669?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Garden Play: Plant Care!
Smithsonian Gardens
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden. Cost: Join Smithsonian Gardens in the Enid A. Haupt Garden for hands-on activities and a story time exploring this month’s topic, plant care! While you are in the Haupt Garden, be sure to check out plants from our tropical collection on display for the summer.
Location: Find us on the East Terrace of the Enid A. Haupt Garden, near the Spencer Fullerton Baird statue by the Arts and Industries Building, southeast of the Smithsonian Castle.
Garden Play is a drop-in program designed for children ages 2 and up… Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
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, July 7, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: July 2–7, 2025
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
The Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall from July 2–7, 2025 with the theme “Looking Forward: Youth and the Future of Culture.”
In 2025, Youth and the Future of Culture will explore creativity, vitality, resilience, and intergenerational learning and exchange through the contributions and experiences of youth. The program will underscore how young people influence and engage with culture, and how they create, innovate, and sustain cultural practices and traditions.
Drawing from diverse communities and perspectives, Youth and the Future of Culture will feature youth-centered—and often youth-led—projects and organizations, and individuals who are generating new ideas, transforming their communities, and confronting contemporary challenges. By bringing people together in conversation, the program will foster intergenerational connections and explore how young people engage with tradition, influence future generations, and agitate for change.
Youth have participated in many Festival pr…
Venue: Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Event Location: National Mall. Cost: Free. Categories: Celebrations. Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Performances. Shopping/Book Signing. Workshops.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
For more info visit festival.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.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the National Portrait Gallery. Join educators every Monday to explore a new topic and different materials. Participants will look at art, enjoy hands-on activities, listen to music and participate in story time. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other. Our friends from DC Public Library will join us on the second Monday of each month for a special story time about the day’s theme.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Regsitration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Tours | The 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: Detail, The Princess from the Land of Porcelain (La Princesse du pays de la porcelaine), James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), United States, 1863–65, oil on canvas, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1903.91a–b.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Converse with a docent. Learn how African Americans flourished in their own communities during the Era of Segregation 1876-1968 despite the turmoil around them. Under a time of intense pressure to take away their rights as citizens, African Americans not only survived the challenges set before them but crafted an important role for themselves in the nation.
Image Credit: NMAAHC.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: This one-hour tour program meets in the Defending Freedom, The Era of Segregation 1876-1968 exhibit, located on C2. Tours take place at 12:45 PM and 2:45 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 12:45 PM – 3:45 PM.
DC | Hula with Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo
One-Time Events
The museum welcomes Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo (School of the Living Voice of the Descendants), a hula school from the island of Hawaiʻi for a full-length performance that includes the entire hālau (school) and features hula (dances) and mele (songs) celebrating Ke Aukahi Hoʻōla ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiian Language Revitalization Movement. The final performance on Monday, July 7 at 1 PM ET will be webcast at americanindian.si.edu/livestream.
The students grew up in Pūnana Leo nests and are either current students or alumni of immersion schools. Kumu hula (teachers) Pelehonuamea (Pele) and Kekoa Harman have dedicated their lives to the Hawaiian revitalization movement. Uniquely, Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo teaches hula exclusively through ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. The hālau embraces Kumu Honua Mauli Ola, a core philosophy to cultivate mauli Hawaiʻi, the unique life force of each Hawaiian person, through ʻōlelo (language), pili ʻuhane (spirituality), lawena (behavior, mannerisms), and ʻike kuʻuna (traditional…
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 1: Potomac Atrium. Online Link: https://americanindian.si.edu/livestream. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families. Performances.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM.
For more info visit americanindian.si.edu. 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.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 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: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 2:00 PM – 2:45 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
DC | Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers
One-Time Events
The museum welcomes the Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers to perform traditional and new songs and dances. The final performance on Monday, July 7 at 3 PM ET will be webcast at americanindian.si.edu/livestream. The Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers were formed in 1987 in Kodiak, Alaska. They continue to learn and share their Alutiiq/Sugpiaq ancestral heritage and increase pride through reawakening their dance traditions. The Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people have always danced as a community to perform rituals and ceremony, to share stories, and to entertain each other. Today, the group honors their ancestors by dancing their stories and living their culture.
At the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival (July 2-7), they will also hold dance workshops where visitors can try Alutiiq social dances. Visitors can watch and participate in Kakangaq, a traditional game to hone hunting skills, where players toss disks at a target on a seal hide. In the group’s tent, visitors can see salve making and headdress beading while learning about Alutiiq dress…
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 1: Potomac Atrium. Online Link: https://www.americanindian.si.edu/livestream. Cost: FREE. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM.
For more info visit www.americanindian.si.edu. Birth of a City: From New Amsterdam to New York
Resident Associate Program
In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island in New Netherland. The British had dreams of empire, and the Dutch were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland’s canny director general. Drawing on his new book, Taking Manhattan, author Russell Shorto reveals the founding of New York to be the result of creative negotiations that blended the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263875?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263875?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Carve and Create: Learning to Love Linocuts
Resident Associate Program
Learn to love the linocut, a relief printmaking process. Go through each step and come away with a beautiful edition of prints.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263645?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263645?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Monday, July 7, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:45 PM.
Freedom Was in Sight: Exploring Reconstruction in the Washington, D.C. Region (Educator Professional Learning)
One-Time Events
Note: This is a multiday workshop - Monday, July 7- Friday, July 11; 9am-4pm daily
Join the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture for a deep dive into the era of Reconstruction in the Washington, D. C region. Using the new graphic history, Freedom Was in Sight! A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington D.C. Region, we will take an in-depth look at how African Americans sought to build lives for themselves, their families and their communities. In addition to content and discussion sessions, participants will explore historic sites in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and meet with curators, historians and other experts on Reconstruction. This seminar investigates Reconstruction through a local lens while drawing connections to the national story of the years following the Civil War and the end of slavery. Throughout the week, sessions will demonstrate effective history teaching strategies and activities designed to meet teachers' personal and professional…
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor Classrooms. Cost: $200 (application should be submitted first; payment link will be sent upon acceptance). Get Tickets/Register: http://s.alchemer.com/s3/REGISTRATION-Freedom-Was-in-Sight-Exploring-Reconstruction-in-the-Washington-DC-Area-Educator-Professional-Learning-Event. Categories: Workshops.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House (Pond Animals)
NZP Kids and Families
Waddle, jump, or hop on down and join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo!
Let's explore different plants and animals that live in and near ponds. We'll learn about some of the amazing ducks that live in the Prairie Pothole exhibit of the Bird House, explore color theory as we mix paint to create a lily pad, and discover how pond animals live together through sensory play.
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
Note: Water tables may be closed if the heat index is above 100.
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, July 8, 2025, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. 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.”.
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.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Little Artists, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 15 a.m. Select Tuesdays and Thursdays through September 25, 2025
Duration: About 1 hour
For all guided experiences, advanced registration for groups of 10 or more is required at least one week prior to your visit. When registering for groups of 10 more, groups may request free bus transportation. Bus transportation is available on a first come, first served basis. Please fill out the guided student tour form available here at least one week prior to your group's arrival.
Questions? Email the ACM Education team at ACMTours@si.edu.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1396883820109?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM.
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, July 8, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Flights of Fancy Story Time
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Museum staff read stories about famous aviators, hot-air balloon flights, trips to Mars, characters visible in the night sky, or creatures that have their own wings. Each session includes one story and a hands-on activity. The featured book changes each month. See the full schedule.
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, July 8, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. DC | Cradleboards and Crawlers
One-Time Events
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.
Event Location: Level 3, imagiNATIONS Activity Center. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.
Great Hall Story Time
One-Time Events
Join us in the Portrait Gallery’s picturesque Great Hall for an interactive story time that gets up close and personal with art. Participants will look closely at portraits and read stories as they learn more about the people who have shaped history.
Event Location: Great Hall. Cost: Free. Registration Encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/great-hall-story-time-tickets-1335479447979?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Tours | Whistler's World
Gallery Talks & Tours
Join a walk-in, docent-led tour to explore the many sides of Whistler. Experience Whistler’s paintings along with objects by Asian artists that inspired his style and subjects. Image: Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room, James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), 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 Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Palazzo Vecchio
Resident Associate Program
Constructed in 1299, Palazzo Vecchio was built to be the town hall of Florence. Although it remains a symbol and center for local government, Palazzo Vecchio is now a museum that is home to frescoes by Giorgio Vasari and Domenico Ghirlandaio as well as statues by Michelangelo, Donatello, and Giambologna. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero highlights this lesser-known museum that has become a symbol of Florence. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263540?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263540?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 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: Hishikawa Sori / Landscape: two of the four seasons; autumn and winter, Japan, late 18th–early 19th century, color, ink, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1906.234.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/NeVySe_xTkGKsbcKbl_syQ. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/NeVySe_xTkGKsbcKbl_syQ. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Visionaries in Art: Exploring Black Creativity & Expression
One-Time Events
Explore the rich legacy of Black Arts Education in Washington, DC through an immersive experience designed for youth audiences. Engage in close-looking activities featuring works by influential local artists and art educators, then bring your own creativity to life through hands-on artmaking. Through inquiry-based discussions and artistic exploration, young learners will deepen their understanding of self-expression and connect their observations to their own creative process.
Recommended Audience: Youth 8+
Time and Schedule: 1:00 p.m. Select Tuesdays and Thursdays through September 25, 2025
Duration: About 75 minutes
For all guided experiences, advanced registration for groups of 10 or more is required at least one week prior to your visit. When registering for groups of 10 more, groups may request free bus transportation. Bus transportation is available on a first come, first served basis. Please fill out the guided student tour form available here at least one week prior to your group's arrival.…
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/visionaries-in-art-exploring-black-creativity-expression-tickets-1396981753029?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Gallery Talks & Tours. Workshops.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:15 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.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 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.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 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.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:30 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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, July 8, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
The Backstory of Washington, D.C.'s Bedrock
Resident Associate Program
The capital of the United States is underlain by rocks that have a history as turbulent as that of the nation itself. Geologist Callan Bentley explores the variety of rocks found in Washington, D.C. area, and what they tell us about geologic events stretching back a billion years into Deep Time.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263853?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263853?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
When Washington Burned: The British Invasion of the Capital and a Nation's Rise from the Ashes
Resident Associate Program
The capture of Washington, D.C. on August 24, 1814, threatened the survival of the nation, but this event during the War of 1812 and the reasons behind it are little remembered. Historian Robert P. Watson examines the British campaign and American missteps that led to the fall of the city, as well how courageous young clerks and first lady Dolley Madison risked their lives to save priceless artifacts and documents, including the Constitution, from the flames.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263943?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263943?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
Freedom Was in Sight: Exploring Reconstruction in the Washington, D.C. Region (Educator Professional Learning)
One-Time Events
Note: This is a multiday workshop - Monday, July 7- Friday, July 11; 9am-4pm daily
Join the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture for a deep dive into the era of Reconstruction in the Washington, D. C region. Using the new graphic history, Freedom Was in Sight! A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington D.C. Region, we will take an in-depth look at how African Americans sought to build lives for themselves, their families and their communities. In addition to content and discussion sessions, participants will explore historic sites in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and meet with curators, historians and other experts on Reconstruction. This seminar investigates Reconstruction through a local lens while drawing connections to the national story of the years following the Civil War and the end of slavery. Throughout the week, sessions will demonstrate effective history teaching strategies and activities designed to meet teachers' personal and professional…
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor Classrooms. Cost: $200 (application should be submitted first; payment link will be sent upon acceptance). Get Tickets/Register: http://s.alchemer.com/s3/REGISTRATION-Freedom-Was-in-Sight-Exploring-Reconstruction-in-the-Washington-DC-Area-Educator-Professional-Learning-Event. Categories: Workshops.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Storytime Studio: Weaving Together
One time events
Looking for a creative community? Each week at Storytime, you’ll find opportunities to connect with your littlest artist through joyful play and art-making.
This Week: We’ll explore Anni Albers’s textile art and discover different fabrics and materials. We’ll enjoy a read-aloud of Rainbow Weaver / Tejedora del arcoíris by Linda Elovitz Martin and create our own woven artworks.
Featured Book: Rainbow Weaver / Tejedora del arcoíris by Linda Elovitz Martin
Program Schedule
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. No registration or ticket is required. Visitors receive their entry time upon arrival. Depending on availability, you may be asked to enjoy the galleries prior to your start time. 10 AM–noon: Open play (felt, blocks, sketching) , 10:15 AM: Read-aloud #1 in Art School , 10:30 AM: Art-making begins , 10:45 AM: Gallery tour #1 , 11:15 AM: Read-aloud #2 in Art School , 11:30 AM: Art-making begins , 11:45 AM: Gallery tour #2 Meet in the Hirshhorn Art School on…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Art Project: Weave It Together.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 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, July 9, 2025, 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, July 9, 2025, 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.”.
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, July 9, 2025, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Free weekly tours of the Enid A. Haupt Garden are offered every Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. from April 30 through September 26, 2025, weather permitting.
Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the tour sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, Meet at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 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.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Dead Letter Office: Gallery Experience
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Could you be a postal clerk? In this activity, a volunteer challenges you to sort mail, deciding which letters will be delivered and which would be sent to the Dead Letter Office. Complete the challenge and leave with a prize!
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Moving the Mail Atrium. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
DC | Cradleboards and Crawlers
One-Time Events
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.
Event Location: Level 3, imagiNATIONS Activity Center. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 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: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Curator Tour | Chinese Art with Ice and Snow
Gallery Talks & Tours
Cool off from the summer heat with this special tour of 12th-century Chinese art. Get expert insights from curator Jan Stuart as she guides you through ceramics and paintings, including a painting of snowy wind and a vase with a glaze pattern that resembles cracked ice.
Please meet at gallery 15 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Li Shan 李山 (mid-12th to early 13th century); Wind and Snow in the Fir Pines 風雪杉松圖; China, late 12th century; painting; ink and color on silk and paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer, F1961.34a-c.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Gallery 15. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/curator-tour-chinese-art-with-ice-and-snow-tickets-1371133179249?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Double Victory: The African American Military Experience Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Double Victory: The African American Military Experience conveys a sense of appreciation and respect for the military service of African Americans from the American Revolution to the War on Terror. Visitors have an opportunity to engage in a conversation with a museum docent and learn about the contributions of African Americans to the military history of the United States.
Tours take place at 1:15 pm and 2:30 pm.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: This one hour tour program meets at Level 3 in the Double Victory: The African American Military Experience exhibit. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Double Victory: The African American Military Experience.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 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, July 9, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Collage and Mixed Media: Animals and Nature
Resident Associate Program
Learn to sketch animals and objects found in nature, then combine your drawings with painting and additional elements and textures to create whimsical or serious mixed-media art.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263646?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263646?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
Godzilla
Films
Godzilla (a.k.a. Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from nuclear bombing and H-bomb testing in the Pacific. The film’s rampaging, radioactive beast—the poignant embodiment of an entire population’s fears—became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning almost thirty sequels. (Description adapted from Janus Films.)
(Dir.: Ishiro Honda, Japan, 1954, 96 min. DCP, Japanese with English subtitles), Image courtesy of Janus Films.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://nmaamatinees.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:45 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Dinner at Casa Teresa
Resident Associate Program
Inspired by the life and cooking of his abuela Teresa, chef Rubén García founded Casa Teresa in downtown Washington as an homage to the home cooks who created the tradition of Catalan cuisine. Enjoy a three-course menu designed for Smithsonian Associates that reflects García’s roots in simple, wood-fired dishes that offer diners a taste of the big family feasts from his childhood in Catalonia.
Event Location: Casa Teresa 919 19th St NW, Washington, DC. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263507?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Culinary Arts.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Drawing and Abstracting Inspired by the National Zoo
Resident Associate Program
Get inspired by the beloved animals at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Explore the line, shape, color, and texture of depicting animals in drawing and painting.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263647?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263647?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:45 PM.
Bamiyan Buddhas
Resident Associate Program
The stone statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, were the largest representations of standing Buddhas in the world until their destruction by the Taliban in 2001. Historian Justin M. Jacobs delves into the history of the Bamiyan Buddhas, their construction and original purpose and function, and how they exemplified Buddhist civilization in Central Asia. He also examines their complex and surprising relationship with successive Muslim rulers of Afghanistan.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263541?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263541?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
Jefferson, Madison, and the Forging of a Friendship
Resident Associate Program
In the spring of 1791, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison journeyed together through Upstate New York and parts of New England. Some observers at the time wondered whether this excursion into Federalist New England by the two most prominent southern members of the Democratic-Republican Party, had an ulterior motive. Historian Louis Masur of Rutgers University reveals that their journey, described as one for "health, recreation, and curiosity, " also provided these future presidents with the foundation of a longtime friendship.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263602?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263602?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
The Art of Black-and-White Photography
Resident Associate Program
Learn to harness digital tools to create powerful black-and-white images with the emotive power seen in works by Edward Weston, Paul Strand, and Alfred Hitchcock.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263648?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263648?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:45 PM.
The Art of Floral Design
Resident Associate Program
Learn the fundamentals of floral arranging as this class covers essential base mechanics, sourcing flowers, working with seasonal blooms, and photographing your work.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263649?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263649?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Freedom Was in Sight: Exploring Reconstruction in the Washington, D.C. Region (Educator Professional Learning)
One-Time Events
Note: This is a multiday workshop - Monday, July 7- Friday, July 11; 9am-4pm daily
Join the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture for a deep dive into the era of Reconstruction in the Washington, D. C region. Using the new graphic history, Freedom Was in Sight! A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington D.C. Region, we will take an in-depth look at how African Americans sought to build lives for themselves, their families and their communities. In addition to content and discussion sessions, participants will explore historic sites in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and meet with curators, historians and other experts on Reconstruction. This seminar investigates Reconstruction through a local lens while drawing connections to the national story of the years following the Civil War and the end of slavery. Throughout the week, sessions will demonstrate effective history teaching strategies and activities designed to meet teachers' personal and professional…
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor Classrooms. Cost: $200 (application should be submitted first; payment link will be sent upon acceptance). Get Tickets/Register: http://s.alchemer.com/s3/REGISTRATION-Freedom-Was-in-Sight-Exploring-Reconstruction-in-the-Washington-DC-Area-Educator-Professional-Learning-Event. Categories: Workshops.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Little Critters: Nature Play at the Bird House (Pond Animals)
NZP Kids and Families
Waddle, jump, or hop on down and join us for creative, drop-in play at the Zoo!
Let's explore different plants and animals that live in and near ponds. We'll learn about some of the amazing ducks that live in the Prairie Pothole exhibit of the Bird House, explore color theory as we mix paint to create a lily pad, and discover how pond animals live together through sensory play.
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
Note: Water tables may be closed if the heat index is above 100.
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, July 10, 2025, 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, July 10, 2025, 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, July 10, 2025, 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.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Little Artists, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 15 a.m. Select Tuesdays and Thursdays through September 25, 2025
Duration: About 1 hour
For all guided experiences, advanced registration for groups of 10 or more is required at least one week prior to your visit. When registering for groups of 10 more, groups may request free bus transportation. Bus transportation is available on a first come, first served basis. Please fill out the guided student tour form available here at least one week prior to your group's arrival.
Questions? Email the ACM Education team at ACMTours@si.edu.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1396883820109?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM.
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, July 10, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Flights of Fancy Story Time
Ongoing Activities
Museum staff read stories about famous aviators, hot-air balloon flights, trips to Mars, characters visible in the night sky, or creatures that have their own wings. Each session includes one story and a hands-on activity. The featured book changes each month. See the full schedule.
Takes place each at the National Air and Space Museum in DC each Thursday at 11 am.
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, July 10, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Flights of Fancy Story Time
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Museum staff read stories about famous aviators, hot-air balloon flights, trips to Mars, characters visible in the night sky, or creatures that have their own wings. Each session includes one story and a hands-on activity. The featured book changes each month. See the full schedule.
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, July 10, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. Drawn to Figures
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Discover your inner artist in this live virtual drawing workshop. Facilitated by artist Jill Galloway, each program will highlight a Portrait Gallery exhibition or a portrait from the collection. Open to all skill levels, ages 18 and up.
Event Location: Online via Zoom. Online Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-drawn-to-figures-tickets-880971558647?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-drawn-to-figures-tickets-880971558647?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Demonstrations. Lectures & Discussions. Workshops.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 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.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
U.S. Navy Country Current performs Bluegrass music
One-Time Events
The United States Navy Band Country Current is the Navy's premier country-bluegrass ensemble. The group is nationally renowned for its versatility and "eye-popping" musicianship, performing a blend of modern country music and cutting-edge bluegrass. This seven-member ensemble employs musicians from diverse backgrounds with extensive high-profile recording and touring experience in the music scenes of Nashville, New York, New Orleans and more. In the tradition of country music, each member is a skilled performer on multiple instruments.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor, Flag Hall. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Related Exhibition: The Price of Freedom: Americans at War. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Tours | Whistler's World
Gallery Talks & Tours
Join a walk-in, docent-led tour to explore the many sides of Whistler. Experience Whistler’s paintings along with objects by Asian artists that inspired his style and subjects. Image: Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room, James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), 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 Gallery of Art Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Sketching the Smithsonian: Weekly Lunchtime Drawing Series
Resident Associate Program
Pull out your sketchbook and pencil to take an artful break as you explore the Smithsonian while drawing objects from vast and fascinating collections. Option to register for this program as a 6-session series.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263790?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263790?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom Highlights Tour
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Converse with a docent. Learn how African Americans flourished in their own communities during the Era of Segregation 1876-1968 despite the turmoil around them. Under a time of intense pressure to take away their rights as citizens, African Americans not only survived the challenges set before them but crafted an important role for themselves in the nation.
Image Credit: NMAAHC.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: This one-hour tour program meets in the Defending Freedom, The Era of Segregation 1876-1968 exhibit, located on C2. Tours take place at 12:45 PM and 2:45 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 12:45 PM – 3:45 PM.
U.S. Navy Country Current performs Bluegrass music
One-Time Events
The United States Navy Band Country Current is the Navy's premier country-bluegrass ensemble. The group is nationally renowned for its versatility and "eye-popping" musicianship, performing a blend of modern country music and cutting-edge bluegrass. This seven-member ensemble employs musicians from diverse backgrounds with extensive high-profile recording and touring experience in the music scenes of Nashville, New York, New Orleans and more. In the tradition of country music, each member is a skilled performer on multiple instruments.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor, Flag Hall. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Related Exhibition: The Price of Freedom: Americans at War. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Visionaries in Art: Exploring Black Creativity & Expression
One-Time Events
Explore the rich legacy of Black Arts Education in Washington, DC through an immersive experience designed for youth audiences. Engage in close-looking activities featuring works by influential local artists and art educators, then bring your own creativity to life through hands-on artmaking. Through inquiry-based discussions and artistic exploration, young learners will deepen their understanding of self-expression and connect their observations to their own creative process.
Recommended Audience: Youth 8+
Time and Schedule: 1:00 p.m. Select Tuesdays and Thursdays through September 25, 2025
Duration: About 75 minutes
For all guided experiences, advanced registration for groups of 10 or more is required at least one week prior to your visit. When registering for groups of 10 more, groups may request free bus transportation. Bus transportation is available on a first come, first served basis. Please fill out the guided student tour form available here at least one week prior to your group's arrival.…
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/visionaries-in-art-exploring-black-creativity-expression-tickets-1396981753029?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Gallery Talks & Tours. Workshops.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:15 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.
The public can schedule reserved group tours using the online reservation form.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Information Desk (West Building). Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 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.
Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival.
, 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: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Event Location: B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art. 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, July 10, 2025, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Arms and Armor: Bringing the Past into the Future
Resident Associate Program
In our modern world, arms and armor reign supreme in the fantasy realms of pop culture. One of the world’s largest private collections of arms and armor holds more than 6, 000 objects, spanning 6, 000 years. It includes pre-Middle Age Viking swords, a rare ancient Greek iron breastplate, and one of the best examples in the world of a Chalcidian bronze helmet (ca. 450 B.C.E.). Nick Richey, “keeper of the arms, ” introduces the collection and discusses avenues of preservation that range from traditional restoration to cutting-edge digitization for a burgeoning metaverse.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263918?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263918?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
The History of the TV Talk Show: From Carson to Oprah to Stephen Colbert
Resident Associate Program
From its start in the early 1950s, the talk show has been one of television’s most durable formats. Pioneering programs like “Today, ” “Person-to-Person, ” and “Tonight” established the basic features that have guided the format, later embraced by Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman, and Jon Stewart, among others. Media historian Brian Rose looks at the history of the television talk show and examines its changing appeal.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263542?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263542?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.