This
hCalendar-compliant page
is optimized for search engines. View this calendar as published at
www.si.edu.
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, September 26, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
New Deal Projects, Part 2
Resident Associate Program
President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal left a tangible mark on the United States, with over 500 public works projects in Washington, D.C. alone. Join author David Taylor for a walking tour in Washington that focuses on landmarks, art, and other still-visible signs from the New Deal period not seen on the previous tour. Stops include the Library of Congress, old Social Security Administration building, and Jefferson Memorial.
Event Location: Tour meets at the main entrance of John Adams Building, Library of Congress. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264503?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, September 26, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
The Glorious Waltz: Music, Dance, and Society in Three-Quarter Time
Resident Associate Program
Blossoming in Vienna and spreading like a mania through Europe, the waltz proclaimed a new freedom of sexual expression and individual liberties in the early 19th century. Classical music and opera expert Saul Lilienstein traces the development of a musical form and a dance that changed history.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264416?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/264416?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Friday, September 26, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:30 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.
Friday, September 26, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. ¡Carritos! A Learning Activity Cart Program
American Latino Museum
Sept. 11–Oct. 11 only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays • 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino will present a series of mobile-cart activities and experiences in front of the Molina Family Latino Gallery in the American History Museum, as part of the Latino Museum’s learning program during Hispanic Heritage Month.
These 10-minute hands-on mobile-cart activity experiences will allow visitors of all ages to create and connect with items in the Latino Museum collection and themes from past and future exhibitions, as well as items from other Smithsonian collections or content.
--
Del 11 de septiembre al 11 de octubre, solo los jueves, viernes y sábados • 11 a. m. a 3 p. m.
El Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense presentará una serie de actividades y experiencias con carritos móviles frente a la Galería Latina de la Familia Molina, en el Museo de Historia Americana, como parte de su programa de aprendizaje durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Estas actividades prácticas de…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery, National Museum of American History American History Museum. Cost: Free. No registration required. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, September 26, 2025, 11:00 AM.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Resident Associate Program
With its magic spells, soaring lyricism, and playful plot, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the most beloved and frequently performed of Shakespeare’s comedies. Joseph Luzzi, a professor of literature at Bard College, explores its poetic forms and central themes as he situates the play within both the broader arc of Shakespeare’s career and his evolving understanding of the comic genre.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264512?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/264512?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Friday, September 26, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 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: Taki Katei; Autumn landscape; Japan, 1890; ink and color on paper; Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
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/gz7O3IOSRJKzNc-CWszhlg. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, September 26, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
DC | Curator Tour: "Unbound"
One-Time Events
Curated by Emil Her Many Horses (Oglala Lakota), this exhibition juxtaposes historical hides, muslins, and ledger books with more than 50 contemporary works commissioned by the museum. Illustrating everything from war deeds and ceremonial events to family life, Native identity, and pop culture, the artworks are as diverse as the individuals who created them. Join the curator for a guided tour of an exhibition that celebrates the full expression of narrative art among Native nations of the Great Plains.
Image: Hunkpapa Lakota dress (back), ca. 1880. North Dakota or South Dakota. Muslin, wool cloth, silk ribbon, thread, paint; 141.5 x 128.4 cm. (21/3665).
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 4, exhibition gallery. Cost: FREE. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Unbound: Narrative Art of the Plains.
Friday, September 26, 2025, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | Conserving a Japanese Folding Screen
Lectures & Discussions
Get a rare glimpse into a current conservation project: our remounting of a unique Japanese folding screen by Tawaraya Sōtatsu, which features six fan-shaped paintings attached to a painted background.
Our Japanese painting conservators will talk about the process of remounting folding screens. In this traditional conservation technique, a conservator removes the painting from its old screen, constructs a new screen, and carefully mounts the painting to the new surface. Explore models and materials from our conservation studio to see what this process entails, and learn why we do it.
Learn more about how we mount Japanese paintings. Image: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Building: West Building. Event Location: Gallery 5. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, September 26, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Setan Jawa
Films
Live musical accompaniment by singer Peni Candra Rini and her ensemble
Followed by a conversation with director Garin Nugroho.
Kick off our celebration of Indonesian cinema with a multimedia work by its most celebrated director, Garin Nugroho. Setan Jawa is inspired as much by Javanese mythology and shadow puppetry as it is by the German Expressionist silent film masterpieces Nosferatu and Metropolis.
The film follows a poor man from the countryside who falls in love with an aristocratic young woman and makes a deal with the devil so he can marry her. But when she learns of the pact, she sets out to negotiate for her husband’s soul.
Director: Garin Nugroho (Indonesia). Released: 2017. Length: 73 min. Format: DCP. Silent.
Peni Candra Rini is a renowned Javanese singer, composer, and faculty member at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts. The Kronos Quartet has described her as “one of the world’s greatest singers.” She is a master of several traditional forms and is regarded as one of Indonesia’s most…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://indonesia2025.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. After Five. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, September 26, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM.
DC | Worldwide Day of Play
One-Time Events
Bring your family to enjoy Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play. Multiple Smithsonian museums will offer interactive activities and experiences that encourage the importance of play for all ages. Adults must accompany children at all times. No registration required.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 1: Potomac Atrium. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 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, September 27, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Open Studio: Show Your True Colors
One time events
Start the fall with crisp opportunities for artistic expression every weekend in September at Open Studio. Discover how you can use art to explore your identity, find your power, and change the world! Collaborate or craft your own artwork to take home. Each week will introduce new ideas and creative challenges.
At this Saturday’s Open Studio, we’ll explore how artist Genesis Tramaine uses striking colors and abstract forms to create unique expressionist portraits. Then we’ll use oil pastels, paint, and vibrant colors to create our own self-portraits!
Meet in Art School on the Museum’s 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 a new theme and a fresh perspective on art-making. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Lower Level/ Art School. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Mixed-Up Portraits.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. The Splendors of the English Country House
Resident Associate Program
The country houses of England are among the country’s greatest treasures. In a day-long program, art historian Bonita Billman surveys a selection of these grand estates, known for their architectural magnificence, spectacular decorative art and art collections, and glorious gardens. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264417?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/264417?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:15 PM.
Lowriding Family Festival
One-Time Events
The Corazón y vida: Lowriding Family Festival celebrates the opening of the new exhibition Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture, a showcase of the artistic expression, technological innovations, and storytelling of lowriders.
Featuring activities for all ages, the festival includes local clubs with lowrider cars and bikes, live music performances and DJs of different genres, an expert panel offering insight into the intersection of lowrider culture and music, hands-on activities, a screening of related documentaries, and more.
The family festival is held in partnership with the National Museum of the American Latino.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Outdoors: Constitution Ave and Madison Drive (National Mall) Museum Entrance. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lowriding-family-festival-tickets-1588173282039?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Kids & Families. Films. Performances. Related Events: DCPL Storytime , History Film Forum. Related Exhibition: Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture
Marcia and Frank Carlucci Hall of Culture and the Arts
Third Floor West, North Gallery
Opens Sept. 26, 2025 through Oct. 3, 2027. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Story Time with DCPL: My Papi Has a Motorcycle Book by Isabel Quintero
One-Time Events
Join us for a special vehicle-themed Story Time in collaboration with the DC Public Library! Story Time is a fun way to introduce your child to language and literacy skills through an interactive experience.
This session is part of the Corazón y vida: Lowriding Family Festival, celebrating the opening of the exhibition Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture.
For questions about this event, please email us at: HistoryTeachers@si.edu.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Lowriding Family Festival.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM.
NY | Celebrate the Equinox with Sisa Pakari
One-Time Events
Andean culture bearers Sisa Pakari join us to celebrate the start of fall by marking the equinox. Equinoxes occur twice a year when the sun appears to be directly above the Earth's equator, marking the start of spring and autumn. Sisa Pakari will share their culture through performances of traditional Indigenous dances and music from the Ecuadorean Andes. Performances begin at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.
This program is part of the museum’s Hispanic Heritage Month events.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 2, Rotunda. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families. Celebrations. Performances.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Art & Me | Family Workshop: Silver Tells a Story
Kids and Family
Explore how silver objects from ancient Iran were made and preserved in this hands-on family workshop for children ages 3–8 and their caregivers. After a guided look at the exhibition Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran, participants will experiment with real silver and learn simple techniques inspired by the science of conservation. Image credit: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.
Venue: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Building: East Building. Event Location: ImaginAsia Studio, Gallery 21. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1587828280129?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
¡Carritos! A Learning Activity Cart Program
American Latino Museum
Sept. 11–Oct. 11 only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays • 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino will present a series of mobile-cart activities and experiences in front of the Molina Family Latino Gallery in the American History Museum, as part of the Latino Museum’s learning program during Hispanic Heritage Month.
These 10-minute hands-on mobile-cart activity experiences will allow visitors of all ages to create and connect with items in the Latino Museum collection and themes from past and future exhibitions, as well as items from other Smithsonian collections or content.
--
Del 11 de septiembre al 11 de octubre, solo los jueves, viernes y sábados • 11 a. m. a 3 p. m.
El Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense presentará una serie de actividades y experiencias con carritos móviles frente a la Galería Latina de la Familia Molina, en el Museo de Historia Americana, como parte de su programa de aprendizaje durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Estas actividades prácticas de…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery, National Museum of American History American History Museum. Cost: Free. No registration required. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 11:00 AM.
Story Time with DCPL: The ABC's of Lowriding by R. Cortez
One-Time Events
Join us for a special vehicle-themed Story Time in collaboration with the DC Public Library! Story Time is a fun way to introduce your child to language and literacy skills through an interactive experience.
This session is part of the Corazón y vida: Lowriding Family Festival, celebrating the opening of the exhibition Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture.
For questions about this event, please email us at: HistoryTeachers@si.edu.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Lowriding Family Festival.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Fotos y Recuerdos Festival
One-Time Events
Join the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a festival in the Kogod Courtyard. Our friends from Lil’ Libros are returning with more books, activities and fun at this bilingual event for all ages. Learn about figures and artists from both museums and celebrate art, history and culture with a day of art making, dancing, museum tours, story times, book signings and more!
Schedule:
11:30 a.m. Program begins
11:45 to 12:15 Performance by Fraternidad Alma Boliviana, followed by a dance workshop
12:20 p.m. story time with Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein, followed by book signing
12:50 p.m. National Portrait Gallery tour with curator Taína Caragol
1 p.m. Lotería
1:30 p.m. Performance by Fraternidad Alma Boliviana, followed by a dance workshop
2 p.m. The Life of/La Vida de story time with Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein, followed by book signing
2:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum tour
2:45 p.m. Lotería
3 p.m. Program concludes.
Event Location: Kogod Courtyard. Cost: Free. Registration Encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fotos-y-recuerdos-festival-tickets-1544733342009?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Performances. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Community Day
One-Time Events
Celebrate Community Day at the National Museum of African Art with a full day of programming!
Each September, the museum opens its doors to visitors of all ages to inspire them to learn more about the peoples and cultures of Africa and its diaspora through exhibitions, art-making, live performances, tours, and more!
Venue: African Art Museum. Event Location: Throughout the Museum and Haupt Garden. Cost: FREE. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-day-tickets-1657420392009?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Demonstrations. Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Performances. Workshops. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
For more info visit africa.si.edu. Kitchen Chemistry with Rain Young
One-Time Events
Join artist Rain Young in a fun workshop bridging science with art. Unleash your inner scientist in the kitchen! This hands-on class combines the art of ingredients with the science of chemistry, offering a fun and interactive way to learn about the fascinating reactions behind everyday recipes. Perfect for curious minds of all ages, this class will leave you with a deeper appreciation for the science that makes your meals delicious. No prior experience required—just bring your curiosity and taste buds! Supplies provided. Participants will experiment with ingredients to explore concepts like emulsification, fermentation, and leavening, turning ordinary pantry staples into extraordinary creations.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kitchen-chemistry-with-rain-young-tickets-1376730310419?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
In-Gallery Portrait Signs
One-Time Events
Portrait Signs is a Deaf-led tour in American Sign Language. Tours explore portraiture, history and biography through the lens of our special exhibitions and permanent collection. Dates and topics are continually updated.
Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-signs-a-tour-in-asl-tickets-713964475967?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Inspired by the Collections: Cold Connections and Alternative Materials
Resident Associate Program
The jewelry in the Cooper Hewitt’s Susan Grant Lewin Collection embodies the ingenious use of alternative materials. With an emphasis on upcycled materials, students learn to refine readily available trash items into unique works of contemporary jewelry.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264179?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/264179?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
NY | Celebrate the Equinox with Sisa Pakari
One-Time Events
Andean culture bearers Sisa Pakari join us to celebrate the start of fall by marking the equinox. Equinoxes occur twice a year when the sun appears to be directly above the Earth's equator, marking the start of spring and autumn. Sisa Pakari will share their culture through performances of traditional Indigenous dances and music from the Ecuadorean Andes. Performances begin at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.
This program is part of the museum’s Hispanic Heritage Month events.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 2, Rotunda. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families. Celebrations. Performances.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Visual Journaling: Creativity Workout
Resident Associate Program
In an afternoon of artistic experimentation designed to strengthen creative muscles and deepen skills in visual expression, explore five modes of visual thinking: working from memory, observation, imagination, narrative, and experimental approaches.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264139?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/264139?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Art & Me | Family Workshop: Silver Tells a Story
Kids and Family
Explore how silver objects from ancient Iran were made and preserved in this hands-on family workshop for children ages 3–8 and their caregivers. After a guided look at the exhibition Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran, participants will experiment with real silver and learn simple techniques inspired by the science of conservation. Image credit: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.
Venue: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Building: East Building. Event Location: ImaginAsia Studio, Gallery 21. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1587828280129?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
Summer Teen Studio: Main Character Energy
One time events
Teens: Ready to level up your art? Join us for Teen Studio, a free art-making program exclusively for teens ages 13–18. Push your artistic boundaries using materials and techniques inspired by artists whose work is on view at the Hirshhorn.
We’ll kick off the school year with some major main-character energy—this week, we’ll explore portraiture. Take inspiration from artist Genesis Tramaine, who uses bold colors and distorted forms to create unique portraits in an Abstract Expressionist style. Use oil pastels, paint, and vibrant colors to create portraits that represent the deep personality and emotions of your subject.
Drop in to Teen Studio every Saturday between 2:30 and 4 PM. Register for the entire school year by emailing HMSGeducation@si.edu (one-time registration covers all sessions). Join one or join them all! Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level.
Looking for more? Explore Art School Everywhere, wherever you are, to learn about artists at the Hirshhorn and get creative any time.
Do…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Lower Level/ Art School. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Teen Studio, Hirshhorn Art School Art School Everywhere, Hirshhorn Artist Diaries: Aliza Nisenbaum.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. NY | Celebrate the Equinox with Sisa Pakari
One-Time Events
Andean culture bearers Sisa Pakari join us to celebrate the start of fall by marking the equinox. Equinoxes occur twice a year when the sun appears to be directly above the Earth's equator, marking the start of spring and autumn. Sisa Pakari will share their culture through performances of traditional Indigenous dances and music from the Ecuadorean Andes. Performances begin at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.
This program is part of the museum’s Hispanic Heritage Month events.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 2, Rotunda. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families. Celebrations. Performances.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
History Film Forum: Lowriding from the 80s to Today
One-Time Events
Finishing off the Corazón y vida: Lowriding Family Festival, the History Film Forum presents a set of screenings exploring how Lowrider culture has evolved in the last 40 years. We begin with Rick Tejada-Flores's 1983 PBS documentary Low ‘N Slow, the Art of Lowriding, which presents a contemporary account of the early 80s lowriding scene. Then we move to the late 2010s with clips from Estevan Oriol's Lowriders, showcasing the community’s growth and change. Afterwards we’ll discuss the films, the history of lowriding culture, and the creation of the new exhibit Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture with museum curator L. Stephen Velazquez and 1970s lowrider poster artist Rudy O. Cuellar.
Before the film, visitors can see special objects out of storage from the museum’s collections related to—but not featured in—Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture.
This event received federal support from the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the National Museum of the American Latino.
________________________…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Warner Bros. Theater, 1 Center. Cost: Free, registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/history-film-forum-lowriding-from-the-80s-to-today-tickets-1660938765559?aff=trumba. Categories: After Five. Films. Related Events: Lowriding Family Festival. Related Exhibition: Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture
Marcia and Frank Carlucci Hall of Culture and the Arts
Third Floor West, North Gallery
Opens Sept. 26, 2025 through Oct. 3, 2027. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Gettysburg: The Battlefield and Beyond
Resident Associate Program
Some 160, 000 soldiers, both Union and Confederate, fought in the Battle of Gettysburg, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Historian Christopher Hamner leads a journey across the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg, delving into soldiers’ personal stories, which include moments of extraordinary courage, unbreakable camaraderie, and heart-wrenching loss. Explore sites like Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, and East Cemetery Hill while discussing the psychological toll of combat and living in the trenches.
Event Location: Departs from the Holiday Inn Capitol at 550 C St SW (corner of 6th & C Sts). Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264519?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Sunday, September 28, 2025, 8:00 AM – 6:30 PM.
Art Studio
One-Time Events
Calling all artists! Join the Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program where creativity knows no bounds. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery's collections and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery's Eventbrite page.
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: Workshops.
Sunday, September 28, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Performance: Balinese Wayang Kulit Shadow Play
Performances
Performed by I Gusti Putu Sudarta, accompanied by live gamelan and kroncong music performed by members of Gamelan Raga Kusuma.
This is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a master of the Wayang Kulit shadow puppet genre perform live! Wayang (“shadow”) Kulit (“skin”) are flat leather puppets made from carved and painted rawhide. The Javanese and Balinese shadow play tradition is at least 1000 years old. It is both a sacred genre and a mass entertainment for local communities. Besides philosophical and religious instruction, performances include a healthy dose of bawdy humor and manic fight scenes.
Sudarta will perform Sutasoma. In this shadow play, the only child of a royal family rejects the throne and escapes to the forest for a life of Buddhist contemplation. But first he must conquer various ogres in the forest, including an elephant-headed beast and a giant snake.
The performance lasts approximately 75 minutes. Afterwards, you can meet Sudarta and learn about his puppets.
I Gusti Putu Sudarta is…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/performance-balinese-wayang-kulit-shadow-play-tickets-1567769533879?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Performances. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, September 28, 2025, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM.
Opera Jawa
Films
Watch the trailer
In Person: Garin Nugroho, director
Followed by a reception courtesy of the Embassy of Indonesia!
This grand musical film boasts dazzling sets designed by contemporary visual artists, choreography by famed Indonesian dancer Eko Supriyanto, hypnotic gamelan music, and a story based on the abduction of Sita from the Hindu epic The Ramayana. Opera Jawa earned praise from no less a luminary than opera and theater director Peter Sellars, who commended its director, Garin Nugroho, for “creating a new language for film.”
Set in lush forests and pristine beaches, this film tells the story of a potter’s wife who, in a moment of weakness, is seduced by a flirtatious butcher, which sets off an epic battle for her affections. Nathan Lee of The Village Voice calls it “a radiant folk fantasia, at once sophisticated and elemental, freewheeling and composed.”
Director: Garin Nugroho (Indonesia, Austria). Released: 2010. Length: 120 min. Format: 35mm. Language: Bahasa Indonesia. Image courtesy of…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://indonesia2025.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, September 28, 2025, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
Blue Star Welcome Week for Military Families
One-Time Events
Join at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History as we celebrate, honor, and welcome military families to the museum through the Blue Star Families program. Visitors can enjoy docent-led programming in our Price of Freedom military history galleries. As a proud Blue Star Museum, the National Museum of American History welcomes active-duty military members and their families.
///Acompáñanos en el Museo Nacional de Historia Estadounidense para celebrar, honrar y dar la bienvenida a las familias de militares a través del programa Familias Estrella Azul. Los visitantes podrán disfrutar de una programación guiada por docentes en nuestras galerías de historia militar en El Precio de la Libertad. Como orgulloso Museo Estrella Azul, el Museo Nacional de Historia Estadounidense da la bienvenida a los militares en servicio activo y a sus familias. Ubicación: la entrada a El precio de la libertad: estadounidenses en guerra es por 3 East.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Price of Freedom: Americans at War exhibition entrance, 3 East. Cost: Free. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: The Price of Freedom: Americans at War. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, September 29, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Developing Your Creative Practice
Resident Associate Program
Drop the burden of a finished product and focus on developing your ideas. Begin to deal with procrastination, creative blocks, flow, problem solving, and finishing with the support of a stress-free environment. Build confidence alongside other creatives on the same journey.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264180?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/264180?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Monday, September 29, 2025, 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669561857459?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, September 29, 2025, 10:30 AM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
One-Time Events
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the Portrait Gallery! Join educators every Monday as we explore a variety of topics and artistic materials. Participants will get a closer look at art with hands-on activities, music and story times. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families.
Monday, September 29, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Artful Mind, Tranquil Mind
Resident Associate Program
In a series designed to provide a tranquil midday break, create small but satisfying works of art as a way to hit “pause” and incorporate a bit of creativity into your at-home routines.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264181?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/264181?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Monday, September 29, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669760722269?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, September 29, 2025, 1:30 PM.
The Book of Kells: The Flowering of Celtic Art
Resident Associate Program
The Book of Kells, housed at Trinity College in Dublin, is one of the most spectacular works of art in history. Manuscripts like this grew out of an artistic tradition that embraced other art forms, including metalwork, sculpture, and embroidery. Historian Jennifer Paxton looks at the diverse strands that influenced the Book of Kells, from indigenous Irish elements to motifs imported from other cultures, and discusses its influence on the revival of Celtic art from the 19th century to the present. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264418?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/264418?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, September 29, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:15 PM.
The Age of World's Fairs: Spectacles of Innovation
Resident Associate Program
World’s fairs have long served as global showcases for innovation, culture, and progress. These international expositions brought together nations to display a myriad of advancements, often reflecting the aspirations and challenges of their times. Art historian Jennie Hirsh delves into three pivotal exhibitions examining how these landmark events showcased each era’s groundbreaking achievements in technology, culture, science, art, and architecture. This session highlights the Paris World's Fair of 1900.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263981?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/263981?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Workshops.
Monday, September 29, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
The Martians
Resident Associate Program
A mere century ago, Martians were thought to be real, not fictional, creatures. Journalist David Baron draws on his new book, The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America, to examine this strange case of mass delusion. Although the Martians never were real, says Baron, the excitement about them was genuine and world-changing, since it sparked a new genre called science fiction and helped launch us into space—toward Mars.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264520?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/264520?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, September 29, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Blue Star Welcome Week for Military Families
One-Time Events
Join at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History as we celebrate, honor, and welcome military families to the museum through the Blue Star Families program. Visitors can enjoy docent-led programming in our Price of Freedom military history galleries. As a proud Blue Star Museum, the National Museum of American History welcomes active-duty military members and their families.
///Acompáñanos en el Museo Nacional de Historia Estadounidense para celebrar, honrar y dar la bienvenida a las familias de militares a través del programa Familias Estrella Azul. Los visitantes podrán disfrutar de una programación guiada por docentes en nuestras galerías de historia militar en El Precio de la Libertad. Como orgulloso Museo Estrella Azul, el Museo Nacional de Historia Estadounidense da la bienvenida a los militares en servicio activo y a sus familias. Ubicación: la entrada a El precio de la libertad: estadounidenses en guerra es por 3 East.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Price of Freedom: Americans at War exhibition entrance, 3 East. Cost: Free. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: The Price of Freedom: Americans at War. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Landscape Elements in Watercolor
Resident Associate Program
Gain confidence in your ability to paint important natural elements in watercolor. Demonstrations and exercises introduce techniques for creating flowing landscapes.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264182?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/264182?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, September 30, 2025, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Mighty Megalodon!
One-Time Events
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
This Tuesday we will learn about the mighty Megalodon! While Megalodons, an ancient shark that lived 23 – 3.5 million years ago, are no longer swimming in our ocean, people of all ages are fascinated by its size and large teeth! Together we will learn about this ancient shark that used to roam the ocean, make our own wearable artwork inspired by Megalodon teeth, and have the chance to hold a real Megalodon tooth!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5) and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome.
Location: This program is held in the Explorer Theater in the Sant Ocean Hall. Ocean Hall is on the 1st floor.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with advanced notice. However,…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Explorer Theater in the Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 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.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 3, imagiNATIONS Activity Center. Cost: FREE. Categories: Kids & Families.
Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.
How Things Are Made: The Hidden World of Manufacturing
Resident Associate Program
We live in a manufactured world. Unless you're completely disconnected from modern society, you're likely surrounded by a multitude of manufactured products—furniture, technology, clothing, even food. Yet the processes behind how these things come into our lives remain largely invisible. Tim Minshall, a professor at the University of Cambridge, traces the surprising paths everyday items travel from design and creation to delivery—and how they shape nearly every aspect of our daily lives.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264521?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/264521?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, September 30, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:15 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: Taki Katei; Autumn landscape; Japan, 1890; ink and color on paper; Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
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/gz7O3IOSRJKzNc-CWszhlg. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Exploring Color in Watercolor
Resident Associate Program
Enhance your knowledge and understanding of color theory in watercolor. Learn practical skills such as identifying and mixing colors correctly to create your own cohesive palette.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264183?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/264183?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, September 30, 2025, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Rigid Heddle Loom Weaving Continued: Make a Table Runner
Resident Associate Program
Level up your beginning weaving skills and create a distinctively textured, colorful table runner on your rigid heddle loom. Build on the plain weave structure with striking warp and weft float techniques.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264184?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/264184?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, September 30, 2025, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Cephalopod Life Cycles: From Alien Larvae to World's Most Patient Moms
Resident Associate Program
When it comes to finding a partner, cephalopods pull out all the stops. Pygmy squid squirt inky backdrops to highlight their dazzling courtship displays. Cuttlefish multitask, decorating one half of their bodies to seduce a mate while the other half flashes a warning to rivals. After fertilization, the situation gets even more incredible. Market squid carpet the seafloor with ghostly egg fingers that repel predators even as the parents are devoured. Deep-sea octopuses set a world record: The mothers guard their eggs for over four years. Biologist Danna Staaf leads a journey through the bizarre beauty of cephalopod life cycles.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264522?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/264522?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, September 30, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
The Golden Age of Vienna: The Art of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele
Resident Associate Program
At the turn of the 20th century, Vienna was a center of political power as well as avant-garde culture, home to some of the world’s greatest composers, architects, writers, and artists. Two who helped define this age of glamour, elegance, and decadence were artists Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Art critic Judy Pomeranz examines how they were influenced by their time and place and illustrates how powerfully they reflected them in works both beautiful and shocking. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264523?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/264523?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, September 30, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
Screening and Discussion: May All the Little Girls Win
Films
Enjoy a screening of artist Charmaine Poh’s short films and a post-screening discussion in this special event organized with the Goethe-Institut Washington.
Working across film, photography, media, and performance, Charmaine Poh examines ideas of agency, repair, and the body across worlds. Her work is also influenced by Eastern philosophy, media criticism, and cyberfeminism.
Order of Screenings Kin (2021, digital film, 2:54 min.) , What’s softest in the world rushes and runs over what’s hardest in the world (2024, 4K digital film, 14:30 min.) , public solitude (2022, 2-channel digital video, synthetic media, 4:00 min.) , GOOD MORNING YOUNG BODY (2023, performance-lecture digital video, synthetic media, 6:23 min.) , in the shadow of the cosmic (2023, performance-lecture, 30:00 min.), Register in advance to get the best experience.
About Charmaine Poh
Charmaine Poh (b. 1990) is an artist from Singapore working across media, moving image, and performance to peel apart, interrogate, and hold ideas of agency,…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1596572233529?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Films. Lectures & Discussions. After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Famous Orchids in History
Resident Associate Program
Humans and orchids have a long and storied history. Learn about highlights, including the Vanilla orchid, Darwin’s orchid, ghost orchid, and the first ladies Cattleya orchids.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264140?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/264140?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, September 30, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Storytime Studio: Shadow Play
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Kick off the spooky season by playing with shadows at Storytime. We’ll get inspired by artist Alberto Giacometti’s (1901–1966) long, thin sculptures and read Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch.
Featured book: Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to one hour.
No pre-registration required
Entry to Storytime Studio is first-come, first-served. When the 10 AM session reaches capacity, you’ll be given the option to return for entry to the 11 AM…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Avant-Garde Aluminum.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669561857459?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 10:30 AM.
Storytime Studio: Shadow Play
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Kick off the spooky season by playing with shadows at Storytime. We’ll get inspired by artist Alberto Giacometti’s (1901–1966) long, thin sculptures and read Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch.
Featured book: Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to one hour.
No pre-registration required
Entry to Storytime Studio is first-come, first-served. When the 10 AM session reaches capacity, you’ll be given the option to return for entry to the 11 AM…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Avant-Garde Aluminum.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669760722269?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 1:30 PM.
¡Carritos! A Learning Activity Cart Program
American Latino Museum
Sept. 11–Oct. 11 only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays • 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino will present a series of mobile-cart activities and experiences in front of the Molina Family Latino Gallery in the American History Museum, as part of the Latino Museum’s learning program during Hispanic Heritage Month.
These 10-minute hands-on mobile-cart activity experiences will allow visitors of all ages to create and connect with items in the Latino Museum collection and themes from past and future exhibitions, as well as items from other Smithsonian collections or content.
--
Del 11 de septiembre al 11 de octubre, solo los jueves, viernes y sábados • 11 a. m. a 3 p. m.
El Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense presentará una serie de actividades y experiencias con carritos móviles frente a la Galería Latina de la Familia Molina, en el Museo de Historia Americana, como parte de su programa de aprendizaje durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Estas actividades prácticas de…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery, National Museum of American History American History Museum. Cost: Free. No registration required. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, October 2, 2025, 11:00 AM.
First Thursdays: Come Look with Us
One-Time Events
Wind down after work with the National Portrait Gallery's educators as they share their favorite portraits with you. Participants will be able to slow down, get a closer look and engage in conversations about artworks in the galleries.
Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-thursdays-come-look-with-us-tickets-1233093649299?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, October 2, 2025, 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Postal pARTy
One-Time Events
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Historic lobby, first floor. Cost: Welcome to the Postal pARTy at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum! Get ready to immerse yourself in the world of art and postage. Come dressed as your favorite work of art on October 2 at 6:00 pm for a creative evening of exhibit exploration, hands-on activities, and a cash bar.
Don't miss this unique opportunity to explore the fascinating intersection of art and mail. Whether you're a seasoned philatelist or simply curious about the artistic side of postage, this event is perfect for everyone. Gra… Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/postal-party-tickets-1657578274239?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, October 2, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Drawing Techniques: Perspective
Resident Associate Program
One of the most exciting, and sometimes challenging, things about learning how to draw is recreating what you see in three-dimensional space on two-dimensional paper. Using lines that recede to the horizon, explore basic linear perspective and create objects that visually jump off the page.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264185?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/264185?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, October 2, 2025, 7:15 PM – 9:15 PM.
The Ultimate Celebratory Bakes with Paul Hollywood
Resident Associate Program
Host of “The Great British Baking Show” Paul Hollywood comes from a long line of bakers, started baking as a teenager, and now can be seen on screens around the world, judging amateur bakers’ creations. Drawing on his new book, Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round, and decades of baking experience, Hollywood talks with Washington Post food and dining editor Joe Yonan about his career and recipes for every holiday and occasion.
Event Location: University of the District of Columbia Theater of the Arts Auditorium. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264678?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.
Thursday, October 2, 2025, 7:30 PM – 8:45 PM.
Blue Star Welcome Week for Military Families
One-Time Events
Join at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History as we celebrate, honor, and welcome military families to the museum through the Blue Star Families program. Visitors can enjoy docent-led programming in our Price of Freedom military history galleries. As a proud Blue Star Museum, the National Museum of American History welcomes active-duty military members and their families.
///Acompáñanos en el Museo Nacional de Historia Estadounidense para celebrar, honrar y dar la bienvenida a las familias de militares a través del programa Familias Estrella Azul. Los visitantes podrán disfrutar de una programación guiada por docentes en nuestras galerías de historia militar en El Precio de la Libertad. Como orgulloso Museo Estrella Azul, el Museo Nacional de Historia Estadounidense da la bienvenida a los militares en servicio activo y a sus familias. Ubicación: la entrada a El precio de la libertad: estadounidenses en guerra es por 3 East.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Price of Freedom: Americans at War exhibition entrance, 3 East. Cost: Free. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: The Price of Freedom: Americans at War. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Enjoy a fall Friday in the Enid A. Haupt Garden and join one of our knowledgeable volunteers or staff for a free garden tour! Tours are offered each Friday in October at 10:00 a.m. and run approximately 40 minutes.
Meet at the tour sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW (between the Smithsonian Castle and the S. Dillon Ripley Center). No reservation is required. Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, Meet at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. ¡Carritos! A Learning Activity Cart Program
American Latino Museum
Sept. 11–Oct. 11 only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays • 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino will present a series of mobile-cart activities and experiences in front of the Molina Family Latino Gallery in the American History Museum, as part of the Latino Museum’s learning program during Hispanic Heritage Month.
These 10-minute hands-on mobile-cart activity experiences will allow visitors of all ages to create and connect with items in the Latino Museum collection and themes from past and future exhibitions, as well as items from other Smithsonian collections or content.
--
Del 11 de septiembre al 11 de octubre, solo los jueves, viernes y sábados • 11 a. m. a 3 p. m.
El Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense presentará una serie de actividades y experiencias con carritos móviles frente a la Galería Latina de la Familia Molina, en el Museo de Historia Americana, como parte de su programa de aprendizaje durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Estas actividades prácticas de…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery, National Museum of American History American History Museum. Cost: Free. No registration required. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, October 3, 2025, 11:00 AM.
Curator’s Tour: Basquiat x Banksy
One time events
FREE
Meet at the Information Desk in the Lobby
Hirshhorn curator Betsy Johnson will walk visitors through the exhibition Basquiat × Banksy, which highlights two major paintings, one by Jean-Michel Basquiat (b. Brooklyn, New York, 1960–1988) and the other by Banksy (anonymous; b. near Bristol, England). Placed in dialogue, Basquiat’s Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump (1982) and Banksy’s response, Banksquiat. Boy and Dog in Stop and Search (2018), reveal throughlines among street art, contemporary art, and the popular imagination.
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Basquiat × Banksy. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 3, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Assisi: Where the Past and Present Live
Resident Associate Program
Rarely can the spirit of the Middle Ages be so potently felt as in the Umbrian hill town of Assisi. A holy city for Christians and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Assisi is an eternal destination for pilgrims wanting to see the places where Saint Francis was born, where he worked, and where he died. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo leads a journey into Assisi’s extraordinary art, breathtaking architecture, and enduring sacred legacy. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264547?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/264547?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Friday, October 3, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 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: Taki Katei; Autumn landscape; Japan, 1890; ink and color on paper; Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
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/gz7O3IOSRJKzNc-CWszhlg. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, October 3, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Artful Movement | SEL Webinars for Students K–3
Kids and Family
Get ready to observe, chat, and move with art! In this webinar, students (grades K–3) will look carefully at a work of art through facilitated exploration. Then, they will breathe, stretch, and flow through a guided mindful movement. This month’s theme is “Take Flight.”
These sessions are perfect for families, homeschool groups, virtual schools, and teachers who may want to review a recording with their students after the live session. Everyone who registers gets a link to the recording. Each session includes American Sign Language interpretation. Sessions take place on Fridays from 1 to 1:30 p.m. We present these webinars in partnership with Create Calm. Dish with design of dragons and clouds; China, 1426–35; porcelain with cobalt under clear glaze, enamel over glaze; Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1965.4.
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AeoXV_i6Q_KyhWMxs-xN3g. Categories: Kids & Families. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Friday, October 3, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
2025 Predator and Prey 5K
Special Zoo Events
Embrace your inner animal at the Predator and Prey 5K, hosted by the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute! On Saturday, October 4, join hundreds of expected participants as you move for a mission: supporting the Zoo’s animal care and conservation programs.
Whether you sprint like a cheetah or pace yourself like a Przewalski's horse, this race through the Smithsonian's National Zoo is a true test of endurance and animal instinct.
More details coming soon. Race Details
The Predator and Prey 5K lets you experience the Zoo like never before. Racers will stride past animal habitats along the winding pathways and trails inside the Zoo's campus in Washington, D.C. This course offers amazing views, but expect plenty of hills: the run features over 170 feet of elevation change. Pricing and Registration (Opening Soon) All registered participants must be 18+ to run. , Zoo members get early access to registration — become a member today! Your participation in this event directly supports…
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: Race starts at Parking Lot D (lower Zoo). Cost: $75 per individual. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. Art Along Long Island Sound: The Hamptons and Beyond
Resident Associate Program
The stark natural beauty of Long Island’s South Fork has inspired painters from William Merritt Chase and Childe Hassam to Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Lee Krasner. Participants in a 5-day tour covering locations in New York State and Connecticut led by arts journalist Richard Selden encounter works by these artists and others in the Hamptons, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Yale University Art Gallery. Visits to the former home and studio of Krasner and Pollock, the Long Island fishing village of Montauk, and charming Mystic, Connecticut are also on the itinerary. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit).
Event Location: Detailed information for overnight tours is emailed approximately FOUR WEEKS. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263970?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 8:00 AM – Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 9:30 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, October 4, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Open Studio: Are You Sur(Real)?
One time events
Step into the strange and unexpected this October at Open Studio.
Each week, we’ll dive into the mysterious and unsettling, exploring works by artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Nicolas Party, Max Ernst, and more.
Join us this Saturday as we draw inspiration from Giacometti’s haunting sculpture Tall Figure (1947/1956). Using materials like wire, pipe cleaners, and foil, we’ll create our own Surrealist-inspired masterpieces.
Meet in Art School on the Museum’s 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 a new theme and a fresh perspective on art-making. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—and allow them to craft, create, and learn.
No reservations or tickets are required. Stroller parking…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Avant-Garde Aluminum.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. From the Dark Wood to the Stars: Reading Dante’s Inferno
Resident Associate Program
Even though it was written seven centuries ago, Dante’s Divine Comedy is essential reading today. Literature professor Joseph Luzzi explains why as he leads three all-day seminars focusing on each of the Divine Comedy’s three canticles: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. He highlights the originality and brilliance of Dante’s poetic vision, explaining how this great poem became one of the most influential works in literary history. This session focuses on Dante's Inferno.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264072?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/264072?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Keeping Up with the Sketchbook Habit
Resident Associate Program
Jump-start your creative ideas by enriching your sketchbooking with new techniques. Learn how to map your day, get creative with colored pencil on mid-tone kraft paper, and draw one object over several weeks.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264186?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/264186?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Joy of African Movement with Joy of Motion Dance Center
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, October 4, join Joy of Motion Dance Center to learn Hip Hop dance techniques. Joy of Motion cultivates a diverse community of students, educators, artists, and audiences in D.C. by providing creative experiences that open doors for all ages and abilities.
Join us on the first Saturday of the month from 10:30am-11:45am through November for our Joy of African Movement series! 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-1587806775809?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Demonstrations. Workshops. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM.
For more info visit africa.si.edu. Constructing Quilts from Vintage Textiles
Resident Associate Program
Create spectacular color combinations in your quilts as you build your color theory vocabulary and learn how to beautifully incorporate many types of printed fabric through exercises presented in this class for quilters ready to level up.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264187?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/264187?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM.
WILD Nature Play Club
One-Time Events
Dig in the dirt! Stomp in puddles!
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-1685421634479?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Story Time with author Alice Bianchi-Clark
One-Time Events
Explore the fascinating world of rare stamps and stamp collecting with the book Windows to the World, based on author Alice Bianchi-Clark's own history. The program features a book reading by the author and interactive activities. The book will be available for sale in the gift shop and the author will hold a book signing immediately after the program. Recommended for ages 3 - 8, but all are welcome.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Atrium. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Shopping/Book Signing. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Chuseok Family Festival
Kids and Family
Celebrate Chuseok, Korea’s beloved harvest festival, with the museum! Learn about both past and current traditions of one of the biggest holidays in South Korea. Enjoy delicious food, crafts, family activities, and dynamic performances (including K-pop dance and traditional arts). Plus, this year’s event features 씨름 (Ssireum), Korea’s traditional wrestling, with live demonstrations and interactive workshops.
Register in advance to make sure you get the best experience. Some activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis.
View a detailed schedule and map.
About Ssireum (Korean Traditional Wrestling), Ssireum is an age-old sport celebrated during holidays like Chuseok and is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Throughout the day, we’ll have live demonstration matches and interactive workshops that invite visitors to step into the ring and try the techniques themselves.
Following the matches, explore historical photos, video clips, and authentic wrestling props…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Building: East Building. Event Location: National Museum of Asian Art. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1583066999009?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Kids & Families. Performances. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Family Fun | Chuseok Scavenger Hunt & Story Time
Kids and Family
Bring the kids to celebrate Chuseok, the Korean mid-autumn festival! Enjoy a scavenger hunt in the Peacock Room and the Korean art gallery. Story time in the courtyard will feature folk and fairy tales from Korea. No reservation required.
The National Museum of Asian Art is grateful for the partnership of our docents. They generously contribute their energy and creativity to our museum-wide festivals and make Family Fun activities happen. Image: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Tellie Simpson.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Building: West Building. Event Location: Freer Courtyard, Gallery 12, Gallery 14. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Celebrations. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Watercolor Supplies Demystified
Resident Associate Program
This practical lecture covers essential tools, materials, tips, and tricks that are critical to the success of your journey as a watercolorist. Learn how to choose the best materials to prepare you for an easier start; enhance your painting experience; and confidently fit materials to your budget.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264188?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/264188?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
¡Carritos! A Learning Activity Cart Program
American Latino Museum
Sept. 11–Oct. 11 only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays • 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino will present a series of mobile-cart activities and experiences in front of the Molina Family Latino Gallery in the American History Museum, as part of the Latino Museum’s learning program during Hispanic Heritage Month.
These 10-minute hands-on mobile-cart activity experiences will allow visitors of all ages to create and connect with items in the Latino Museum collection and themes from past and future exhibitions, as well as items from other Smithsonian collections or content.
--
Del 11 de septiembre al 11 de octubre, solo los jueves, viernes y sábados • 11 a. m. a 3 p. m.
El Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense presentará una serie de actividades y experiencias con carritos móviles frente a la Galería Latina de la Familia Molina, en el Museo de Historia Americana, como parte de su programa de aprendizaje durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Estas actividades prácticas de…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery, National Museum of American History American History Museum. Cost: Free. No registration required. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 11:00 AM.
Embroidery on Paper and Photographs
Resident Associate Program
Learn how to add distinctive patterns, color, and texture to photographs using embroidery.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264189?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/264189?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Art Studio
One-Time Events
Calling all artists! Join the Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program where creativity knows no bounds. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery's collections and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery's Eventbrite page.
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: Workshops.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Teen Studio: The Art of Existing
One time events
Teens: Ready to level up your art? Join us for Teen Studio, a free art-making program exclusively for teens ages 13–18. Push your artistic boundaries using materials and techniques inspired by artists whose work is on view at the Hirshhorn.
This October, we’re exploring sculpture—with a spooky twist. Get ready to encounter the most haunting artworks lurking in the Hirshhorn’s collection. This Saturday, we’ll learn about Tall Figure (1947/1956), an existentialist sculpture by Alberto Giacometti. Then we’ll morph clay and aluminum wire into sculptures that reflect what it truly means to exist as a human being.
Drop in to Teen Studio every Saturday between 2:30 and 4 PM. Register for the entire school year by emailing HMSGeducation@si.edu (one-time registration covers all sessions). Join one or join them all! Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level.
Looking for more? Explore Art School Everywhere, wherever you are, to learn about artists at the Hirshhorn and get creative any time. Do this at home! …
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Teen Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Avant-Garde Aluminum.
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Autumn Sketching in the Smithsonian Gardens - In Person
Resident Associate Program
October and November are magical in the Enid A. Haupt Garden. Sketch in this stunning garden using watercolors to capture the changing light of the season.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264190?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Sunday, October 5, 2025, 10:15 AM – 1:15 PM.
Resist! Gel Prints Beyond the Ordinary - In Person
Resident Associate Program
Oppose and defy the ordinary and mundane to create mixed-media gems using an array of resist materials on gel plates.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264191?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Sunday, October 5, 2025, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Art Studio
One-Time Events
Calling all artists! Join the Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program where creativity knows no bounds. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery's collections and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery's Eventbrite page.
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: Workshops.
Sunday, October 5, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Postwar Italian Cinema
Resident Associate Program
Few national cinemas offer as compelling a mirror to social transformation as Italy’s. In the decades following World War II, Italian filmmakers shaped a legacy of innovation, reflection, and artistry that still resonates on the global stage. In a four-part series, art historian Jennie Hirsh explores pivotal moments in Italian cinema from the birth of Neorealism to the bold experimentation of contemporary filmmakers, and how they captured—and questioned—their time. This session focuses on Italian Neorealism.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264714?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/264714?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Sunday, October 5, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Spanish-Language Walk-In Tours
One-Time Events
Join a volunteer docent on select Sundays for a lively tour of the National Portrait Gallery in Spanish.
Event Location: F Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-spanish-language-docent-tours-tickets-1530971289339?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Spanish-interpreted program.
Sunday, October 5, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Masterworks of Three Centuries Series
Resident Associate Program
The 49th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society features musical masterpieces from the early 17th century to the middle of the 20th, played on some of the world’s most highly prized musical instruments in an 8-concert series. This concert features music of Alfonso Ferrabosco the Younger and William Lawes with the Smithsonian Consort of Viols.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: National Museum of American History Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264857?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Workshops.
Sunday, October 5, 2025, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669561857459?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, October 6, 2025, 10:30 AM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
One-Time Events
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the Portrait Gallery! Join educators every Monday as we explore a variety of topics and artistic materials. Participants will get a closer look at art with hands-on activities, music and story times. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families.
Monday, October 6, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Secrets and Symbols in Art: An Introduction to Iconography
Resident Associate Program
The study of iconography—how symbols and allegories function in art—offers a way to understand masterpieces that have puzzled scholars for generations. Art historian Noah Charney examines how viewers of Old Master paintings decoded images through an allegorical and symbolic lens as he focuses on Jan Van Eyck’s The Arnolfini Portrait of 1434, a work that opens the door to this lost visual language. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264689?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/264689?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Monday, October 6, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669760722269?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, October 6, 2025, 1:30 PM.
The Ten Greatest Photographs of All Time, Part II
Resident Associate Program
Historian Clay Jenkinson, who has previously shared his list of notable photographs, returns with another selection of 10 magnificent images—this time Pulitzer Prize winners—to explore how great photographs epitomize a moment or an era, capture an extraordinary event, provide a window into the human condition, or fill us with appreciation and wonder. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264548?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/264548?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, October 6, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
The Genius of Benjamin Franklin: Lessons from the Age of Invention
Resident Associate Program
Benjamin Franklin was the genius of his age—but what can this master inventor, statesman, and self-made celebrity teach us about genius today? Historian Caroline Winterer leads a survey of his most remarkable creations and groundbreaking ideas that reveals how Franklin was very much a man of his own century, as well as how he continues to offer timeless lessons that help us explore our own possibilities for genius today.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264549?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/264549?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, October 6, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Spots & Stripes
One-Time Events
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
Tuesday, October 7th is about different patterns found in nature! Families can make close observations of select pieces from our collection, learn why some animals have spots or stripes, and create their own take-home artwork inspired by patterns in nature!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (0-5) and their caregivers and families.
Location: This program is held in the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals exhibit on the 1st floor of the museum. Please note that space is dependent on the location of that week's event. Some locations have less capacity than others. It is possible that the program might be at capacity when you arrive. If this happens, please enjoy other areas of the museum and try again later in the program.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals (1st Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Japanese Tea Practice: Past and Present
Lectures & Discussions
In this webinar, three experts explore the past and present of Japanese tea practice through their unique perspectives as a curator, a tea practitioner/collector, and an art historian. The discussion is followed by a Q&A. This program is part of an online series celebrating the current exhibition Reasons to Gather: Japanese Tea Practice Unwrapped.
Speakers Louise Cort, curator emerita for ceramics, National Museum of Asian Art , Gregory Kinsey, tea practitioner and collector , Andrew Watsky, P.Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Professor of Japanese Art Emeritus, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University, Facilitated by Sol Jung, Shirley Z. Johnson Assistant Curator of Japanese Art, Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Colleen Dugan.
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bS7dB66JQeuPJlo0UD1SKw. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Ballet Music: The Soul of Movement
Resident Associate Program
Audiences love the spectacle and the sets, adore the costumes, and thrill to the brilliance and beauty of the choreography and the performers, and above all we are moved and exalted by the music. In a 4-session series, speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin uses her unique live piano demonstrations and historic and contemporary film clips to illustrate how the music from such ballet masterpieces as Giselle, Swan Lake, Daphnis and Chloë Le Sacre du Printemps, and Appalachian Spring became a treasured part of our cultural landscape.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264550?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/264550?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, October 7, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 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: Taki Katei; Autumn landscape; Japan, 1890; ink and color on paper; Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
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/gz7O3IOSRJKzNc-CWszhlg. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Aquaculture in the Neighborhood
One-Time Events
Have you ever thought about where most of the seafood in U.S. grocery stores comes from? The answer might surprise you. Aquaculture – growing fish, shrimp, bivalves, and seaweed – can supplement fishing while contributing to clean water and healthy ecosystems. Aquaculture can also exist in many spaces alongside other ocean uses and build resilient working waterfronts.
Presented by: Elizabeth Martin and Claire Gonzales, marine scientists, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Photographs courtesy of Elizabeth Martin and Claire Gonzales.
Thumbnail photo: NOAA Fisheries.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Still Life in Oil: Exploring Color Through Observation
Resident Associate Program
Discover the secrets of the Impressionists through the timeless art of still-life painting as you work from life to develop observational skills and explore the study of color.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264193?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/264193?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, October 7, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
The Exposure Triangle - In Person
Resident Associate Program
Learn to capture the depth of field, motion effects, and exposure you want by quickly making camera adjustments in the field. Topics covered include ISO, apertures, shutter speeds, exposure modes, metering modes, exposure compensation, and histograms.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264194?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Workshops.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Painting in France
Resident Associate Program
The style of 19th-century French painting known as Impressionism—filled with color, light, and brilliant brushwork—was seen as an act of rebellion when it appeared in the 1870s. The work of its modern masters—notably Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cassatt, and Morisot—led in turn to the radical art of the Post-Impressionists. Art historian Nancy G. Heller explores the sources, masterpieces, and later influences of these rebels. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264645?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/264645?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, October 7, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
Spies, Leaks, and Secrets: True Stories from the National Security Beat
Resident Associate Program
Scott Shane covered national security for The New York Times for 15 years and twice shared Pulitzer Prizes with his colleagues. He tells stories of his career, including what happened when he told the Obama White House the Times had a quarter-million secret diplomatic cables; how he spent a summer in an oversized high-security closet at the Times, poring over 60, 000 National Security Agency documents from Edward Snowden; and how he showed that Russian intelligence had created fake Americans and sprinkled them on Facebook to spout the Russian line.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264690?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/264690?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, October 7, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
Haunted: Remembering Edgar Allan Poe
Resident Associate Program
With stories of mystery and imagination and his haunting poems, Edgar Allan Poe broke new literary ground and set the pattern for generations of writers to come. On the anniversary of his death on October 7, 1849, explore the life and art of the original “man in black” with author Daniel Stashower and actor Scott Sedar as they raise a toast in celebration.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264551?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/264551?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, October 7, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Historically Speaking: Yet Here I Am — An Evening with Jonathan Capehart and Lonnie Bunch
One-Time Events
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and MSNBC anchor Jonathan Capehart will join Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III for an intimate conversation about Capehart’s new memoir, Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man’s Search for Home. Secretary Bunch will lead a conversation with Jonathan, rooted in personal history and resilience. Capehart’s memoir reflects on growing up between New Jersey and North Carolina, navigating questions of race and identity, and embracing his truth as a gay Black man. From an internship at The Today Show to his rise as one of the most influential voices in American media, his journey reveals the power of identity, opportunity, and self-discovery, blazing a path to become the familiar face in the news we know today. Book signing will be available courtesy of Smithsonian Enterprises.
Event Location: Oprah Winfrey Theater. Cost: Free; Registration is Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/94918a10-c682-0ccc-5060-cef2729a0bae. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Shopping/Book Signing. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
Storytime Studio: Puppet Play
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
We’ll bring the story of Pinocchio to life with an interactive read-aloud. Then we’ll visit Aleksandra Exster’s (1882–1949) Marionettes (1926), on view in the exhibition Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960, and make our own marionettes to take home.
Featured book: The Story of Pinocchio by Katie Daynes, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to one hour.
No pre-registration required
Entry to Storytime Studio is first-come, first-served. When the 10…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Naturally You! Art Project: Alien Buil.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. An Introduction to Watercolor: Loose and Beautiful - In Person
Resident Associate Program
Discover the versatility and fluidity of painting in watercolor, an exciting and unpredictable medium. Learn techniques such as graded washes, wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, dry brush, splattering, lifting, and glazing.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264195?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 10:15 AM – 1:15 PM.
Cave Art to the Renaissance
Resident Associate Program
In a 4-session survey, art historian Joseph Paul Cassar traces how the creative legacies of centuries of ancient civilizations affected the art of the Early Renaissance. He examines the influences of the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras; the ancient Near East; Egypt and its pharaohs; the Aegean world; and Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art. Cassar discusses several artworks from each period, leading up to the mosaics of Ravenna and the Scrovegni Chapel by Giotto in Padua. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264552?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/264552?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, October 8, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669561857459?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 10:30 AM.
Storytime Studio: Puppet Play
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
We’ll bring the story of Pinocchio to life with an interactive read-aloud. Then we’ll visit Aleksandra Exster’s (1882–1949) Marionettes (1926), on view in the exhibition Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960, and make our own marionettes to take home.
Featured book: The Story of Pinocchio by Katie Daynes, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to one hour.
No pre-registration required
Entry to Storytime Studio is first-come, first-served. When the 10…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Naturally You! Art Project: Alien Build.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. The Ocean Around Us Tour
One-Time Events
Explore the Sant Ocean Hall to learn about some of the exciting animals and habitats featured and how they are connected to your everyday life no matter where you live. This is a 30-minute interactive walking tour where you can meet a North Atlantic Right Whale, find out what is the most productive marine ecosystem, touch coral, and so much more.
Registration is required for this small group tour of up to 10 people. Each visitor may bring up to 3 guests, but the total number of visitors on the tour will be capped at 10.
Photo by Phillip R. Lee, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall, Under the Large Jellyfish. Cost: Free. Registration is required. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Introduction to Biological Illustration
Resident Associate Program
Scientific illustration is art in the service of science. In this class on biological illustration, work with traditional media to learn how to create visuals that interpret data and scientific concepts.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264196?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/264196?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, October 8, 2025, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Graphite: What You Need to Know
Resident Associate Program
This informative talk aims to help you navigate the world of graphite. Learn about where graphite is sourced, what makes it different from other drawing mediums, grading hardness, and brands you can count on for consistency. Other topics include appropriate erasers, colored graphite, and the medium’s shiny finish.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264197?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/264197?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, October 8, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM.
Still Life in Charcoal
Resident Associate Program
Working in charcoal, set up interesting still-life compositions and learn how to accurately represent the objects in your drawing using a variety of techniques.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264198?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/264198?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, October 8, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669760722269?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 1:30 PM.
The Man Who Left His Will on Film
Films
When a man chases down his stolen movie camera, the thief takes his own life by jumping off a building. But after the police take the camera as evidence, it becomes unclear if there was ever a thief in the first place.
This experimental film uniquely speaks to the cultural moment in Japan following the mass student protests of 1968. At the same time, The Man Who Left His Will on Film asks more universal questions about subjectivity and truth. (Description adapted from Janus Films)
Director Nagisa Oshima. Country: Japan. Released: 1970. Length: 94 min. Format: 35mm. Language: Japanese with English subtitles. Image Courtesy of Janus Films.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://nmaamatinees.eventive.org/films/68cad24985e7e1b18d5f0eaf. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Curating a Life: Art as Memoir
Resident Associate Program
Keep a visual-thinking journal as you learn to see like an artist and create works of art that are personally meaningful. Then use text, images, and newly developed visual-thinking skills to create a “memoir museum”—a handmade map that traces where you’ve been in your life and where you have yet to explore.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264199?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/264199?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, October 8, 2025, 3:30 PM – 6:00 PM.
Taj Mahal
Resident Associate Program
The Taj Mahal, built as a tomb for the Persian wife of a male descendant of Genghis Khan, showcases the splendid craftsmanship of South Asian artisans, the motifs of Persian-inspired Muslim art and architecture, and the political influence of Central Asian conquerors in India. Historian Justin M. Jacobs simulates the experience of a visit to the Taj Mahal complex, highlighting historical themes and revealing architectural details along the way.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264553?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/264553?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, October 8, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
Betty Crocker: The Brand That Revolutionized American Cooking
Resident Associate Program
Long before Martha Stewart became a household name, there was Betty Crocker. Created in 1921 as part of a promotional campaign, Betty Crocker wasn’t a real person, but she quickly became one of the most trusted resources in American kitchens. In 1950, Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book debuted to phenomenal success. Today, the Betty Crocker Cookbook remains a staple in kitchens across the country. Cultural historian Leslie Goddard explores the story of Betty Crocker: how she was created, why her cookbook has endured, and how her brand’s lasting influence was built on emotional connection and consumer engagement.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264703?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/264703?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, October 8, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Frank Lloyd Wright and the Arts and Crafts Movement
Resident Associate Program
Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture consistently reflected the core values of the European Arts and Crafts movement, reinterpreted through his modern lens. Architectural historian Bill Keene explores how Wright’s vision aligned with—and redefined—the movement, shaping his legacy and influencing future generations. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264702?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/264702?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, October 8, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Portrait Painting in Oil and Acrylic
Resident Associate Program
Learn how to paint expressive portraits as you improve your observational skills, ability to see angles and shapes, and understanding of color and value. The class emphasizes how to define a subject’s unique features by determining shapes of light and shadow.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264200?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/264200?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, October 8, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM.
¡Carritos! A Learning Activity Cart Program
American Latino Museum
Sept. 11–Oct. 11 only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays • 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino will present a series of mobile-cart activities and experiences in front of the Molina Family Latino Gallery in the American History Museum, as part of the Latino Museum’s learning program during Hispanic Heritage Month.
These 10-minute hands-on mobile-cart activity experiences will allow visitors of all ages to create and connect with items in the Latino Museum collection and themes from past and future exhibitions, as well as items from other Smithsonian collections or content.
--
Del 11 de septiembre al 11 de octubre, solo los jueves, viernes y sábados • 11 a. m. a 3 p. m.
El Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense presentará una serie de actividades y experiencias con carritos móviles frente a la Galería Latina de la Familia Molina, en el Museo de Historia Americana, como parte de su programa de aprendizaje durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Estas actividades prácticas de…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery, National Museum of American History American History Museum. Cost: Free. No registration required. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 11:00 AM.
Exploring Ancient Egypt: Culture, Commerce, and Daily Life
Resident Associate Program
Discover the fascinating world of ancient Egypt in a 4-session series that explores the daily life, culture, and innovations of one of the world’s most influential civilizations. Scholar Shelby Justl of the Penn Museum in Philadelphia draws on the discoveries of ongoing archaeological explorations and experimental archaeology to bring to life the rich history of Egypt and its expanding role on the global stage. This session explores ancient Egyptian adornments.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264024?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/264024?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Lectures & Discussions.
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Exploring the Arts of Latin America
Resident Associate Program
From colossal Olmec heads to the paintings of Frida Kahlo, Aztec temples to Mexican murals, this survey of Latin American art sweeps through the centuries and locations including ancient Mesoamerica, coastal Peru, and the top of the Andes. Michele Greet, professor of art history at George Mason University, traces the significant creators, works, influences, and trends that defined and shaped the arts of Latin America from their earliest expression through the 19th and 20th centuries. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264554?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/264554?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, October 9, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 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, fascinating collections. The theme is inspired by the shifting of the seasons and heavily features nature and objects that speak to the changing colors of fall.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264422?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/264422?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, October 9, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Developing Your Sketchbook
Resident Associate Program
A sketchbook is so much more than just a book for drawing. Is yours boring? Do you want to learn how to start a sketchbook? This is the class for you. Boost your creativity and in the process transform your sketchbook into a powerful expression of your inner self.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264201?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/264201?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, October 9, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Virtual Portrait Signs
One-Time Events
Portrait Signs is a Deaf-led tour in American Sign Language. Tours explore a variety of topics related to portraiture, history and biography through the lens of the museum’s special exhibitions and permanent collection.
Note: Registration will close at 11 a.m. on the day of the program, and the Zoom link will be emailed by noon.
Event Location: Online via Zoom. Online Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/national-portrait-gallery-810710525. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/national-portrait-gallery-810710525. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Spanish-Language Walk-In Tours
One-Time Events
Join a volunteer docent on select Sundays for a lively tour of the National Portrait Gallery in Spanish.
Event Location: F Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-spanish-language-docent-tours-tickets-1530971289339?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Spanish-interpreted program.
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Air and Space After Hours: Innovating Galleries
One-Time Events
From groundbreaking technologies to creative preservation methods, innovation is at the heart of the National Air and Space Museum’s exhibitions. Join us for an after-hours event at the Museum to: Talk to our curators about the past, present, and future of aviation and space , Get behind-the-scenes stories from staff that care for our artifacts and develop our exhibitions , Explore the new Allan and Shelley Holt Innovations Gallery , Enjoy a live tour of the sky in the Northrop Grumman Planetarium , Sample aviation and space themed food and beverages (first come, first served) , Listen to music by strolling musicians throughout the building, This program is for guests 21 or older. Guests must present a valid ID for entry. This event is free but tickets are required.
Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Main entrance (National Mall) and throughout building. Cost: Free with registration. Get Tickets/Register: https://airandspace.si.edu/whats-on/events/air-and-space-after-hours-2025. Categories: After Five. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. Feelings About Our Changing Planet
Resident Associate Program
Climate change isn’t happening just in the computer models used to test out disaster scenarios—it’s also happening to us. As such, it is important to focus not only on the challenges we face on our rapidly changing Earth but also on how these changes make us feel, says climate scientist Kate Marvel. Interweaving earth science, mythology, natural history, and personal narrative, Marvel charts an inspiring and surprisingly funny course through our world.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264691?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/264691?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, October 9, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
Japanese Traditional Theater
Resident Associate Program
Enter a world colored by mythology, history, romance, and spiritual exploration with Japanese traditional theater, a living art form that stretches back centuries. Its many varieties range from masked Noh dance-dramas during medieval times to the Tokugawa/Edo period’s boisterous Kabuki plays and Bunraku puppet theater to the Shingeki (literally “new drama”) forms inspired by Western stage plays and the Butoh dance-theater. Linda Ehrlich, who has taught Asian studies and traditional theater for several universities, delves into these traditions.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264555?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/264555?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, October 9, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
The Socratic Method
Resident Associate Program
The Socratic method is an ethic of patience, inquiry, humility, and doubt. Drawing on his book The Socratic Method: A Practitioner’s Handbook, Ward Farnsworth of the University of Texas School of Law explains what the Socratic method is, how it works, and why it matters whether in law, politics, the classroom, or tackling life’s big questions at the kitchen table.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264613?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/264613?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, October 9, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Enjoy a fall Friday in the Enid A. Haupt Garden and join one of our knowledgeable volunteers or staff for a free garden tour! Tours are offered each Friday in October at 10:00 a.m. and run approximately 40 minutes.
Meet at the tour sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW (between the Smithsonian Castle and the S. Dillon Ripley Center). No reservation is required. Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, Meet at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. ¡Carritos! A Learning Activity Cart Program
American Latino Museum
Sept. 11–Oct. 11 only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays • 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino will present a series of mobile-cart activities and experiences in front of the Molina Family Latino Gallery in the American History Museum, as part of the Latino Museum’s learning program during Hispanic Heritage Month.
These 10-minute hands-on mobile-cart activity experiences will allow visitors of all ages to create and connect with items in the Latino Museum collection and themes from past and future exhibitions, as well as items from other Smithsonian collections or content.
--
Del 11 de septiembre al 11 de octubre, solo los jueves, viernes y sábados • 11 a. m. a 3 p. m.
El Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense presentará una serie de actividades y experiencias con carritos móviles frente a la Galería Latina de la Familia Molina, en el Museo de Historia Americana, como parte de su programa de aprendizaje durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Estas actividades prácticas de…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery, National Museum of American History American History Museum. Cost: Free. No registration required. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, October 10, 2025, 11:00 AM.
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: Taki Katei; Autumn landscape; Japan, 1890; ink and color on paper; Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
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/gz7O3IOSRJKzNc-CWszhlg. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, October 10, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | Preserving the Present
Lectures & Discussions
From fading colors to deteriorating plastics, contemporary art materials can pose unexpected preservation challenges. Join art conservator Kesha Talbert and lighting specialist Amber Meade to explore how science and technology help them monitor and protect these works. Get hands-on experience with damaged samples, see how tools like a light meter are used in real time, and learn how conservators and lighting experts work together to care for modern art both on display and in storage.
Learn more about how we preserve contemporary art. Image: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.
Venue: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 25. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: Cut + Paste: Experimental Japanese Prints and Photographs. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, October 10, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Portugal Perfection
Resident Associate Program
The wine culture of Portugal represents virtually every style imaginable. This wide range of options and flavor profiles, along with hundreds of indigenous grapes, puts Portuguese wine at the forefront of every wine pro's mind. Explore Portugal through the lens of some of its most compelling wines.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264718?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/264718?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.
Friday, October 10, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Theodore Roosevelt's North Dakota: Badlands, Bison, and the Making of a Conservationist
Resident Associate Program
Over the course of the more than three decades he lived or visited there, the Badlands of western North Dakota transformed Roosevelt into the kind of vigorous outdoorsman that he’d idealized as a youth—and that shaped his public image as president. Perhaps more importantly, this corner of the West turned him into a passionate conservationist dedicated to the preservation of its rugged landscapes and native wildlife. Experience those landscapes on a 5-day study tour led by naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley that brings you into the heart of Roosevelt’s Badlands and the national park that bears his name.
Event Location: Detailed information for overnight tours is emailed approximately FOUR WEEKS. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263797?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, October 10, 2025, 6:00 PM – Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 12:30 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, October 11, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Open Studio: Unsettling Characters
One time events
Step into the strange and unexpected this October at Open Studio.
Each week, we’ll dive into the mysterious and unsettling, exploring works by artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Nicolas Party, Max Ernst, and more.
Join us this Saturday as we draw inspiration from Party’s large and captivating sculpture Head (2018). Using materials like paint, googly eyes, and styrofoam, we’ll then create our own unsettling characters.
Meet in Art School on the Museum’s 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 a new theme and a fresh perspective on art-making. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—and allow them to craft, create, and learn.
No reservations or tickets are required. Stroller parking is…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Alien Build with Huma Bhabha.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
Resident Associate Program
Step into the wild at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, where nature unfolds in vivid detail just 25 miles from Washington, D.C. Spend the day with naturalist Liana Vitali and a team of volunteers as you explore the sanctuary’s rich mosaic of ecosystems. Venture along some of the sanctuary’s 19 miles of scenic trails—binoculars in hand—to spot any of nearly 300 species of birds. Then climb aboard a pontoon boat for a ride through the wetlands to a hands-on archaeological dig site.
Event Location: Tour meets at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary 1361 Wrighton Road, Lothian, MD 20711. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264704?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Growing Community: First Fruits of Fall
One-Time Events
In this workshop, we will uncover what the month of October has meant over the last half-century and how the practices of today differ from the ones of the past.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/growing-community-first-fruits-of-fall-tickets-1248548234379?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Workshops.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
¡Carritos! A Learning Activity Cart Program
American Latino Museum
Sept. 11–Oct. 11 only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays • 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino will present a series of mobile-cart activities and experiences in front of the Molina Family Latino Gallery in the American History Museum, as part of the Latino Museum’s learning program during Hispanic Heritage Month.
These 10-minute hands-on mobile-cart activity experiences will allow visitors of all ages to create and connect with items in the Latino Museum collection and themes from past and future exhibitions, as well as items from other Smithsonian collections or content.
--
Del 11 de septiembre al 11 de octubre, solo los jueves, viernes y sábados • 11 a. m. a 3 p. m.
El Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense presentará una serie de actividades y experiencias con carritos móviles frente a la Galería Latina de la Familia Molina, en el Museo de Historia Americana, como parte de su programa de aprendizaje durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Estas actividades prácticas de…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery, National Museum of American History American History Museum. Cost: Free. No registration required. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 11:00 AM.
Knight At The Museum: Celebrating American Chess Day
One-Time Events
Celebrate American Chess Day in this special program featuring a three-round unrated chess tournament with prizes for top finishers, alongside interactive family activities and reflections on the cultural impact of chess in American history. Guests can also enjoy the museum’s exhibits and may participate in a special film screening that highlights how chess connects community, creativity, and culture. Come play, learn, or cheer on the competitors in this unique celebration. Open to all ages and skill levels.
The Big Chair Chess Club, guided by the motto “Think B4U Move,” empowers youth and communities through chess-based education, mentorship, and life skills development. By blending chess with social-emotional learning and STEAM education, the club transforms the game into a platform for personal growth, opportunity, and community impact.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/knight-at-the-museum-celebrating-american-chess-day-tickets-1685527812059?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Workshops.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Sightlines Saturday Guided Tour and Activity: Murals, Maps, and Memory
One-Time Events
Join us for our monthly in-gallery program for Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond, an exhibition showcasing the contributions of Asian Americans to Washington, DC. Participants will enjoy a guided tour of the exhibition at noon, followed by a drop-in activity from 1-3 p.m. creating their own personalized map through a collage.
Event Location: Sightlines Gallery. Cost: Free | Registration encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sightlines-saturday-guided-tour-and-activity-murals-maps-memory-tickets-1645027644969?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond, presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, is currently on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum through November 30, 2025.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Art Studio
One-Time Events
Calling all artists! Join the Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program where creativity knows no bounds. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery's collections and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery's Eventbrite page.
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: Workshops.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Teen Studio: The Party Starts Now!
One time events
Teens: Ready to level up your art? Join us for Teen Studio, a free art-making program exclusively for teens ages 13–18. Push your artistic boundaries using materials and techniques inspired by artists whose work is on view at the Hirshhorn.
This October, we’re exploring sculpture—with a spooky twist. Get ready to encounter the most haunting artworks lurking in the Hirshhorn’s collection. This Saturday, we’re taking on Head (2018), by Nicolas Party—a giant surreal bust that is equally unsettling and beautiful. Then we’ll use chalk pastels and papier-mâché to design our own masks.
Drop in to Teen Studio every Saturday between 2:30 and 4 PM. Register for the entire school year by emailing HMSGeducation@si.edu (one-time registration covers all sessions). Join one or join them all! Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level.
Looking for more? Explore Art School Everywhere, wherever you are, to learn about artists at the Hirshhorn and get creative any time. Do this at home! Join artist Nicolas Party in his…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Teen Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Nicolas Party: At Home in His Studio.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Art Studio
One-Time Events
Calling all artists! Join the Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program where creativity knows no bounds. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery's collections and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery's Eventbrite page.
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: Workshops.
Sunday, October 12, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. On-Location Photography - In Person
Resident Associate Program
Great shoots start with great locations—and Washington, D.C. offers plenty of unbeatable visual inspiration. Learn to capture this vibrant city and sharpen your way of thinking about shooting outdoors as you deploy a minimal amount of equipment and a lot of fresh perspective.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264192?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Sunday, October 12, 2025, 1:45 PM – 4:45 PM.
Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669561857459?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, October 13, 2025, 10:30 AM.
Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669760722269?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Monday, October 13, 2025, 1:30 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: Taki Katei; Autumn landscape; Japan, 1890; ink and color on paper; Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
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/gz7O3IOSRJKzNc-CWszhlg. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Contemporary Glass Mosaics
Resident Associate Program
Find inspiration in both the ancient art of mosaics and the form’s international modern-day movement as you learn cutting techniques and approaches to design while you are guided through the process of creating a contemporary glass mosaic.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264202?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/264202?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, October 14, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
The Domesday Book
Resident Associate Program
In 1085, determined to understand just what he controlled after he became king of England, William the Conqueror ordered an inquest be made in every shire into the landed and fiscal resources of the realm so that he could know what he owned and what taxes were due him. Historian Samuel Collins explores how and why this extraordinary document came to be and what it reveals about the governance and economy of late 11th-century England and the impact of the Norman Conquest.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264692?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/264692?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, October 14, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
Birding Along the California Coast
Resident Associate Program
Through photography and storytelling, naturalist Matt Felperin explores the variety of avian species found on the seaside and inland ecosystems of the California coast. In virtual explorations, follow Felperin into lush redwood forests, a national park, and coastal and offshore locations to survey the birds that make these habitats their home.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264705?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/264705?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, October 14, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Storytime Studio: The Story of Coppélia
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Join guests from the Washington Ballet to learn the story of Coppélia, a ballet about a lifelike mechanical doll. We’ll explore how to move like a doll, drawing inspiration from Aleksandra Exster’s (1882–1949) Marionettes (1926), on view in the exhibition Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960. Then we’ll create our own dancing puppets to take home.
Featured book: Bunheads by Misty Copeland, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to one hour.
No…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Naturally You! Art Project: Dancing Soft Sculptures.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. National Fossil Day at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
One-Time Events
Save the date for some fossil fun on Wednesday, October 15!
Celebrate National Fossil Day with real fossils and free, family-friendly activities in the museum’s Hall of Fossils – Deep Time, Ocean Hall, and Hall of Human Origins! Scientists and educators from the Smithsonian will be on hand to welcome families and anyone interested in exploring Earth’s deep past. No registration required. Visitors can: Touch and hold real fossils , Observe experts at work in the FossiLab , Get up-close to the Nation’s T. rex , And more!
Image Information (credit): Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops horridus (Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution).
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: National Fossil Day
One-Time Events
Wednesday, October 15th, is National Fossil Day! Come celebrate with us in our Deep Time fossil hall. At this special Play Date, families can learn about and make close observations of fossils from our collection and explore some of the features these prehistoric animals had! Come and join us for a fun time learning through play and exploration!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome.
Location: This program on the 1st Floor inside the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils - Deep Time exhibit. We will be in the Warner Age of Humans Gallery across from the Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with advanced notice. However, accommodations may not be possible with less than two-weeks…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor - David H. Koch Hall of Fossils - Deep Time exhibit. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Garden Play: Trees!
Smithsonian Gardens
Join Smithsonian Gardens in the gardens at the National Museum of African American History and Culture for activities and a story time exploring this month’s topic, trees! This month, we’ll be joined by our friends at the National Museum of African American History and Culture for a special Wednesday offering of Garden Play.
Location
Find us near the trees on the west lawn, between the National Museum of African American History and Culture and 15th Street NW.
Please note that if you would like to visit the museum after the Garden Play program, free timed-entry passes are required for all visitors, regardless of age.
About Garden Play
Garden Play is a drop-in program designed for children ages 2 and up and their caregivers. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but children of all ages are welcome. Parents and guardians must remain with their children.
Please come prepared for an outdoor experience. Wildlife and insects, including bees and mosquitoes, are a part of our gardens.…
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: The Gardens at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669561857459?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 10:30 AM.
Storytime Studio: The Story of Coppélia
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Join guests from the Washington Ballet to learn the story of Coppélia, a ballet about a lifelike mechanical doll. We’ll explore how to move like a doll, drawing inspiration from Aleksandra Exster’s (1882–1949) Marionettes (1926), on view in the exhibition Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960. Then we’ll create our own dancing puppets to take home.
Featured book: Bunheads by Misty Copeland, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to one hour.
No…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Lower Level/ Art School. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Naturally You! Art Project: Dancing Soft Sculptures.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Charcoal: Why Artists Love It
Resident Associate Program
Charcoal is in every artist’s toolkit. As a medium it can stand alone, work with other mediums, or simply begin the artistic process. Learn how it is made, what makes the best charcoal, the different types, and whether it’s a dry or wet medium.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264203?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/264203?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, October 15, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM.
Functional Floor Art Painting - In Person
Resident Associate Program
Express your flair as you paint a floor art piece. With expert guidance, you design a distinctive mat to accent your home or give as a gift.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264204?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM.
Sneak Peek Presentation: “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa”
American Latino Museum
Sept. 15–Oct. 15 only on Mondays and Wednesdays • 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The National Museum of the American Latino is offering preview presentations of its upcoming exhibition, "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," ahead of its spring 2026 opening. Participants will gain insight into the themes and concepts that will be explored in the exhibition. Preview presentations are available for a limited time and on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are required. Stay tuned for sign-up information at latino.si.edu.
Event Location: Virtual. Cost: Free. Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1669760722269?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 1:30 PM.
Defining Freedom Amongst Ideas of Liberty | Cultivating Learning
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
Join the National Museum of African American History and Culture to explore how the concept of liberty and freedom manifested for African Americans in the Revolutionary and New Nation eras. Together we will discover individual and community actions against slavery during these early periods. You will leave with resources and discussion prompts to deepen the story of the founding of the United States and the complex nature of liberty.
Program Details:
This is a Zoom webinar with automatic captioning. You’ll be able to participate using the chat and Q&A, and your camera and mic will be disabled. We’ll record and post the webinar on the Smithsonian Learning Lab’s Events page approximately 72 hours after the session ends.
For general questions, or if we can provide additional accessibility services to support your participation, please email us at learninglab@si.edu. Please make your accessibility request as far in advance as possible—preferably at least one week before the program date.
Thumbnail Image: …
Event Location: Online. Cost: Free. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Related Events: In this special 2025-2026 Cultivating Learning series, "Celebrating America at 250," Smithsonian educators share teaching techniques and resources that help tell the story of America's 250th. The series celebrates well-known people, events, and accomplishments of our nation and also provides opportunities to discuss lesser-told histories that together form our national narrative. Join us to explore strategies for using digital museum resources to support student learning at this milestone moment in American… Accessibility: Captioning.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
The Capitoline Museums
Resident Associate Program
The Capitoline Museums are a group of art and archaeological museums located on top of Capitoline Hill, which was the political and religious center of ancient Rome. Their collections focus on the history of Rome and include masterpieces such as the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the “Capitoline Wolf, ” the “Dying Gaul, ” and more. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero highlights these impressive collections. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264556?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/264556?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, October 15, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
The History of the British Monarchy: From Royal Power to Pomp and Ceremony
Resident Associate Program
The monarchy is the oldest form of government in the United Kingdom, stretching back to Anglo-Saxon England and Scotland, where smaller kingdoms were consolidated by the 10th century. Tudor and royal historian Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger traces the complicated history of the role of kings and queens through the centuries examining how the monarchy’s role evolved from absolute ruler to “Head of Nation”—a symbol of unity, stability, and national pride.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264646?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/264646?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, October 15, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
The Juedischer Kulturbund: Keeping the Arts Alive in Nazi Germany
Resident Associate Program
Established in 1933, the Kulturbund (the Culture League of German Jews) featured prominently as an outlet where many artists expelled from German institutions could present performances and lectures before exclusively Jewish audiences—bringing both opportunities and dilemmas for a persecuted minority under the authoritarian Nazi regime. Michael Brenner, Lillian and Seymour Abensohn chair in Israel studies at American University and professor of Jewish history and culture at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, explores the history of the Kulturbund and its impact on German Jews under Hitler’s rule.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264693?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/264693?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, October 15, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 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, fascinating collections. The theme is inspired by the shifting of the seasons and heavily features nature and objects that speak to the changing colors of fall.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264423?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/264423?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, October 16, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Preservation Station: Exploring the Family Treasures Toolkit
One-Time Events
Join us for a special, interactive session where museum professionals will guide you through the Family Treasures Toolkit and demonstrate—step by step—how to preserve a cherished heirloom quilt. Learn practical tips and strategies to keep your family treasures safe and accessible for generations to come. Whether it's a hand stitched quilt, recipe cards, military medals, photographs, or a treasured piece of jewelry we will teach you how to care for object's that tell your family's story. This engaging program features live demonstrations and easy-to-follow preservation activities you can try at home. If you are planning a family reunion or gathering, you’ll also discover ways to incorporate preservation activities into your event—making it both meaningful and memorable. Treasures Toolkits are available online for download. Whether you are safeguarding family heirlooms or leading a community preservation project, our Treasures Toolkits are here to guide you.
Click below to explore:
For Individuals and…
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor, Target Learning Classrooms. Cost: Free. Categories: Workshops. Lectures & Discussions.
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Art Signs: Artful Conversations in ASL
One-Time Events
Curious about American art? Join us for a 30-minute in-person conversation about selected works from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection. This program is presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with voice interpretation for hearing participants.
Image credit: Photo by Mary Tait.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1zEBx. Categories: After Five. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM.
Handi-hour
One-Time Events
Celebrate autumn at DC’s original crafting happy hour! Create miniature polymer clay pies and explore the exhibition, State Fairs: Growing American Craft. Enjoy live music by local folk duo, Beyond the Wall, and cider and beer provided by ANXO. Light snacks, crafting materials, two drinks, and after-hours access to both floors of the exhibition galleries are included in the ticket price.
Attendees must be 21+ to attend and show a valid ID with birthdate at the door. Tickets are $25 and available beginning October 2.
Image credit: Norwood Photography.
Venue: Renwick Gallery. Event Location: Renwick Gallery. Cost: $25 | Registration required
Tickets available beginning October 2. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1zUdJ. Categories: After Five. Workshops. Related Exhibition: State Fairs: Growing American Craft.
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
Night and the Cities: Film Noir's Suspense-driven World
Resident Associate Program
A police detective down on his luck. A beautiful woman with a shady past. A world of chain-smoking deceivers, drifters, loners, con artists, and killers—double-dealing their way toward an uncertain and possibly fatal future. This is film noir, one of the most original and stunningly stylized film genres of the 1940s and ’50s, whose impact still resonates in popular culture. Film historian Max Alvarez examines the origins and achievements of the actors, directors, writers, and craftspeople behind this remarkably enduring genre.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264614?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/264614?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, October 16, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
The World According to the James Webb Space Telescope
Resident Associate Program
Launched in 2021, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is a large, space-based observatory optimized for infrared light and designed to complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope. Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio showcases the remarkable images obtained by the mission and interprets the telescope’s discoveries to date.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264647?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/264647?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, October 16, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
Yumi Kurosawa Trio
Performances
Enjoy the unique combination of koto, violin, and percussion with the Yumi Kurosawa Trio as we we kick off the 2025–2026 Bill and Mary Meyer Concert Series!
Seating is limited. Reserve your seat in advance to pick where you sit ($6 fee per order). Join the standby line for remaining seats on the day of the concert, free of charge.
Japanese musician and composer Yumi Kurosawa performs on a modern twenty-string koto, joined by violinist Naho Parrini and percussionist Yousif Sheronick. Their program features exhilarating new compositions from Kurosawa alongside striking reinterpretations of favorites from her oeuvre, including pieces from the trio’s album Metamorphosis, highlighting the shared affinity between these seemingly disparate instruments.
About the Performers
Since winning the National Japanese Koto Competition and moving to the United States, Yumi Kurosawa has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater, Blue Note (New York), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), and venues across Europe.…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: $6 per order. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yumi-kurosawa-trio-tickets-1611689118539?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Performances. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Enjoy a fall Friday in the Enid A. Haupt Garden and join one of our knowledgeable volunteers or staff for a free garden tour! Tours are offered each Friday in October at 10:00 a.m. and run approximately 40 minutes.
Meet at the tour sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW (between the Smithsonian Castle and the S. Dillon Ripley Center). No reservation is required. Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, Meet at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. Meditation and Mindfulness
Workshops
Register to join the sessions.
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.
All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Taki Katei; Autumn landscape; Japan, 1890; ink and color on paper; Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
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/gz7O3IOSRJKzNc-CWszhlg. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, October 17, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Art Bites Gallery Talk
One-Time Events
Join SAAM’s research fellows for this lunchtime series of gallery talks as they share new discoveries about artworks on view. Learn the stories behind these objects and what each one tells us about an ever-changing culture in the United States. Gabrielle Christiansen, Douglass Foundation Predoctoral Fellow, discusses Emery Blagdon's The Healing Machine.
Image credit: Emery Blagdon, The Healing Machine, ca. 1955-1986, mixed media, dimensions variable, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment and gift of Dan Dryden, friend of Emery Blagdon, the Kohler Foundation, Inc. and John E. and Douglas O. Robson, from the Margaret Z. Robson Collection, VR.2014.49.GRP.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: In-person | Smithsonian American Art Museum. Cost: Free | Meet in G Street Lobby. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, October 17, 2025, 12:15 PM – 12:45 PM.
Architecture on the Nation's Front Lawn
Resident Associate Program
Bill Keene leads a walking tour through the history and design of the National Mall, tracing its transformation from early visions to its most recent landmarks. Discover a stunning array of architectural styles, from the Gothic Revival grandeur of the 1846 Smithsonian Castle to the bold, contemporary design of the 2016 National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Event Location: Tour meets outside the Smithsonian Metro, Mall Exit. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264741?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Lectures & Discussions.
Friday, October 17, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM.
Boo at the Zoo
Special Zoo Events
Get ready for a WILD Halloween evening! Boo at the Zoo, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s beloved family-friendly event, is back Oct. 17, 18 and 19, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets will go on sale closer to the event date.
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: Throughout the Zoo. Cost: $35 (Members get a 15% discount!)
$30 parking per vehicle. Get Tickets/Register: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/visit/events/boo-zoo. Categories: After Five. Kids & Families.
Friday, October 17, 2025, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu. A Toast to Smithsonian Associates
Resident Associate Program
Join in a weekend-long toast to the diamond anniversary of Smithsonian Associates. This evening program includes a special "How the Smithsonian Sparkles" lecture, highlighting three of the Smithsonian’s most scintillating exhibits: the studio model of the starship Enterprise from the original “Star Trek” series, which resides at the National Air and Space Museum; the Winston Red Diamond, a rare Fancy colored diamond that is part of a recently opened National Museum of Natural History exhibit along with its dazzling companions in the Winston Fancy Color Diamond Collection; and ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz from the National Museum of American History, which are one of the most asked-about artifacts at the Smithsonian. For in-person attendees, continue the evening with a cocktail demonstration and tasting by drinks historian Philip Greene, pop-up crafts, and light refreshments.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: In-person Registrants: Ripley Center 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264584?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/264584?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.
Friday, October 17, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts
Films
Watch the trailer
A widow poisons the gang of bandits who assaulted her and stole her cattle. She then sets off on a journey of redemption, but all the while, she totes the bandit leader’s head as a trophy.
A festival hit from Cannes to Toronto to Busan and everywhere in between, this “thoroughly enjoyable, visually ravishing feminist Western” (Lisa Nesselson, Screen International) is set in the beautifully rugged landscape of Indonesia’s Sumba Island. Director Mouly Surya mixes Sumba Island’s unique local culture with touchstones ranging from Caravaggio to Sergio Leone’s “Spaghetti Westerns,” creating one of Indonesia’s most talked-about films.
Surya’s latest feature, This City is a Battlefield, plays on October 19.
Director: Mouly Surya. Country: Indonesia. Released: 2017. Length: 93 min. Format: DCP. Language: Bahasa Indonesia with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Asian Shadows.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://indonesia2025.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. After Five. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 17, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:45 PM.