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Storytime Studio: Mix it Up!
One time events
Creativity is in full bloom every Wednesday at Storytime Studio. Celebrate spring with your littlest artist. Every week offers a new adventure.
This week: Let’s mix it up! We will explore primary colors and mix colors to make new colors. Young artists will choose a favorite color to mix and then use to create a painting.
Featured Book: Mix It Up by Hervé Tullet
Program Schedule:
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience, with entry times at 10, 10:20, 10:40, and 11 AM. No registration is required. Visitors receive their entry time upon arrival. 10 AM–Noon: Open Play (felt, blocks, sketching) , 10:20 AM Read-aloud #1 in Art School , 10:30 AM Artmaking begins , 10:50 AM Gallery Tour #1 , 11:20 AM Read-aloud #2 in Art School , 11:30 AM Artmaking begins , 11:50 AM Gallery Tour #2
Meet in the Hirshhorn Art School on the Lower Level. ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Join us at the Hirshhorn Art School for Storytime Studio—a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Hirshhorn Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Mini Art Lesson: Red, Yellow, Blue.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Free weekly tours of the Enid A. Haupt Garden are offered every Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. from April 30 through September 26, 2025, weather permitting.
Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the tour sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, Meet at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Mother Earth and Me
Resident Associate Program
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/261881?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=273765.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Mother Earth and Me
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/261881?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=273766.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Ocean Topics Cart Chat
One-Time Events
Looking for a deeper dive into ocean topics? Come and find one of our Ocean Educators to explore some of the latest discoveries in marine science, stationed at an interactive cart in the Sant Ocean Hall.
Image Credit: Phillip R. Lee, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Mother Earth and Me
Resident Associate Program
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/261882?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=273765.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Mother Earth and Me
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/261882?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=273766.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
The Fall of Rome and the Birth of Europe
Resident Associate Program
At its peak, the Roman empire extended from Britain to the Sahara Desert, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates River. Yet in 476, the last western Roman emperor was deposed. In a 4-part series, historian David Gwynn analyzes the dramatic events which shaped the decline and fall of the Roman empire in the west, exploring the transformation from the ancient to the medieval world that laid the foundations for modern Europe. This session focuses on new kingdoms and the rise of papacy.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262522?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/262522?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
Botanical Illustration in Redwork
Resident Associate Program
Learn the history of redwork quilts and how this type of embroidery, primarily done in red but also in blue and black, can be used to make beautiful, delicate botanical illustrations. Students create designs based on plants native to their area, transfer those designs onto fabric, and then make a basic small quilt using their embroideries.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263065?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/263065?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM.
Birds and Nature in Collage
Resident Associate Program
Sketch birds and nature, then combine your drawings with painting, paper, and paint, adding textures to create mixed-media art.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263066?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/263066?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
Thomas Paine: Revolutions of a Founding Father
Resident Associate Program
Once lionized as our most relatable and revolutionary founding father Thomas Paine died a pariah: too radical and uncompromising for the cautious new country he had helped call into being. Historian Richard Bell examines Paine’s meteoric rise to celebrity status during the American Revolution and his equally dramatic fall from grace in the decades afterward.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262997?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/262997?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Thursday, May 1, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 1, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 1, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Ocean Topics Cart Chat
One-Time Events
Looking for a deeper dive into ocean topics? Come and find one of our Ocean Educators to explore some of the latest discoveries in marine science, stationed at an interactive cart in the Sant Ocean Hall.
Image Credit: Phillip R. Lee, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 1, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Sketch Break
One-Time Events
Join us for a sketching session in our galleries. Create, connect and sketch with fellow artists while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection. Participants can expect guided instruction from an artist educator before heading into the galleries to sketch on their own. Open to all skill levels, ages 18 and up. All materials will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring their own sketchbooks.
Event Location: In the Galleries. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-sketch-break-tickets-991180235767?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Thursday, May 1, 2025, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. U.S. Navy Commodore Septet presenting New Orleans Traditional Jazz
One-Time Events
U.S. Navy Commodores Septet
Jazz is America's music and the U.S. Navy Band Commodores, the Navy's premier jazz ensemble, have been performing the very best of big band jazz for the Navy and the nation for 50 years. A septet from the ensemble will perform a program of New Orleans traditional jazz. Their concerts are an eclectic mix of traditional big band music, exciting jazz vocal arrangements and fresh new instrumental music written specifically for the Commodores of today. This vibrant, dynamic musical group is constantly striving for musical excellence and the pursuit of new and exciting ways to communicate with their audiences.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor, Flag Hall. Cost: Free! Related Exhibition: The Price of Freedom—Americans at War, 3 East.
Thursday, May 1, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
U.S. Navy Commodore Septet presenting New Orleans Traditional Jazz
One-Time Events
U.S. Navy Commodores Septet
Jazz is America's music and the U.S. Navy Band Commodores, the Navy's premier jazz ensemble, have been performing the very best of big band jazz for the Navy and the nation for 50 years. A septet from the ensemble will perform a program of New Orleans traditional jazz. Their concerts are an eclectic mix of traditional big band music, exciting jazz vocal arrangements and fresh new instrumental music written specifically for the Commodores of today. This vibrant, dynamic musical group is constantly striving for musical excellence and the pursuit of new and exciting ways to communicate with their audiences.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor, Flag Hall. Cost: Free! Related Exhibition: The Price of Freedom—Americans at War, 3 East.
Thursday, May 1, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
First Thursdays: Come Look with Us
One-Time Events
Need to wind down after work? Let the National Portrait Gallery's educators share their favorite portraits with you. Participants spend time slowing down, conversing and looking at an artwork 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.
Thursday, May 1, 2025, 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Musicians from Marlboro III
Performances
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.
Young virtuosos and veteran artists from the venerable Marlboro Music Festival return for the last performance of our 24–25 concert series. The Washington Post calls the annual Marlboro concerts “among the most invigorating events of the classical season. Dozens of astoundingly gifted young virtuosos [give] . . . performances that radiate vitality and freshness.”
The program features
Haydn's String Quartet in D Minor, op. 76, no. 2
Helmut Lachenmann's Got Lost
Mozart's String Quartet in D Major, K. 575
Artists include soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon, pianist Sahun Sam Hong, violinists Claire Bourg and Leonard Fu, violaist Cara Pogossian, and cellist Maria Bitlloch.
This performance is part of the Bill and Mary Meyer Concert Series. Image courtesy of Marlboro Music Festival.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: 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. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1138537148259?aff=oddtdtcreator. Related Events: Musicians from Marlboro II. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Thursday, May 1, 2025, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Conversation Circles
One-Time Events
Calling all English-language learners – Join National Portrait Gallery educators and friends from all over the world to learn about U.S. art, history and culture through portraiture. Meet new friends, learn about different cultures and practice your English. For more information, email Beth Evans at evansb@si.edu.
Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. No Registration Required.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Southwest Washington
Resident Associate Program
Washington, D.C.'s Southwest Waterfront is a study in contrasts: The neighborhood retains some of the most historic architecture in the federal capital and boasts one of the largest private development projects in the city, the District Wharf. Laid out by the Carroll family in the 1770s, the neighborhood teemed with commercial activity by the 1830s. In the mid-20th century, huge swaths of the area were demolished in the name of urban renewal. Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, leads a tour of the historic neighborhood.
Event Location: Tour meets outside the main entrance to Arena Stage. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263359?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Free weekly tours of the Enid A. Haupt Garden are offered every Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. from April 30 through September 26, 2025, weather permitting.
Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the tour sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, Meet at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Dive Into Your National Marine Sanctuaries!
One-Time Events
Have you ever wanted to explore a shipwreck or see a giant humpback whale breaching above the waves? Your national marine sanctuaries offer the opportunity to see some of the world's most breathtaking marine ecosystems and species! Sanctuary habitats include beautiful coral reefs, lush kelp forests, whale migration corridors, spectacular deep-sea canyons, and underwater archaeological sites. Sanctuaries span more than 629,000 square miles and act as natural classrooms, cherished recreational spots, and valuable areas for commercial industries. Come explore with us and dive into your national marine sanctuaries!
Presented by:
Dr. Danielle Becker, Marine Scientist and Educator, NOAA Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, NOAA National Ocean Service Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Eleri Griffiths, Marine Scientist and Educator, NOAA Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, NOAA Office of Education
Photo credits: Joe Hoyt/NOAA, Matt McIntosh/NOAA.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Plato: His Life in Athens
Resident Associate Program
Plato is a key figure from the beginnings of Western philosophy, yet the impact of his lived experience on his thought has rarely been explored. Classicist Carol Atack of Newnham College, University of Cambridge, explores how Plato’s life in Athens influenced his thought, how he developed the Socratic dialogue into a powerful philosophical tool, and how he used the institutions of Athenian society to create a compelling imaginative world.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263337?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/263337?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
The Last Suppers of Florence
Resident Associate Program
Long before Leonardo da Vinci created his iconic Last Supper in Milan, artists in his native Florence were already experimenting with different ways of painting the final meal of Christ with his disciples. Today, these remarkable depictions of the Last Supper are scattered in quiet locations across the city, offering a rare opportunity to experience these masterpieces away from the bustling crowds. Art historian Laura Morelli leads an exploration of the Florentine versions of the Last Supper, including the pioneering contribution of Plautilla Nelli, the only woman artist of the Florentine Renaissance known to have taken on this subject. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263420?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/263420?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
Diving Deep into the Ocean’s Twilight Zone
One-Time Events
The twilight zone is home to the most abundant fish species on the planet, like myctophids and bristlemouths. Some of these fish, along with other twilight zone animals, perform a daily vertical migration that may be the largest migration on the planet. Come discover these creatures and learn why they’re important to other marine animals and even to us humans!
Dr. Helena McMonagle, Ocean Scientist, University of Washington
Image Credits: Marley Parker.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Problematic Powerhouse: The Green Crab Invasion from Coast-to-Coast
One-Time Events
Carcinus maenas—the “raving mad crab”—is a nonnative species disrupting ecosystems on both U.S. coasts. First spotted on the East Coast in the 1800s, green crabs outcompete native species, damage fisheries, and spread fast. Now found across the West Coast, their impacts are growing. Learn how researchers, communities, and you can help protect coastal habitats from this invader.
Presented by: Aina Hori, Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, NOAA Sea Grant
Image credit: Aina Hori.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. A Hard Day
Films
Watch the trailer
“When was the last time you saw a modern thriller with so much narrative and visual wit that you were simultaneously laughing and crying out in fear?” asked David Edelstein in his rave Vulture review of A Hard Day.
Lee Sun-kyun stars as Choi, a mildly corrupt cop who, while a little drunk and driving to his mother’s funeral, is involved in a fatal hit-and-run. His attempts to cover up his crime over a frenetic twenty-four hours only create an exponential set of new problems, as corpses pile up and a mysterious figure tries to blackmail him. A nail-biting thrill ride, A Hard Day is a perfect showcase for Lee’s talents, who Edelstein calls “a marvelous farceur, frozen-faced while physically hyper-reactive.”
(Dir.: Kim Seong-hun, Korea, 2014, 111 min. DCP, Korean with English subtitles)
Generous support for this program is provided by the National Museum of Korea. Image courtesy of Kino Lorber.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://lsk.eventive.org/films. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Paint Ball
One-Time Events
Do you like making art? Taking pictures with your friends? Winning prizes? Our Teen Museum Council planned Paint Ball so visitors aged 13 to 19 can have one last party before the school year ends. Please bring a school ID or some form of identification to verify you are eligible to participate.
Event Location: Kogod Courtyard. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/paint-ball-tickets-1300950972379?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. 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.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Open Studio: Found Around Town
One time events
This spring, creativity is in full bloom every Saturday at Open Studio! Discover fresh opportunities to express yourself and think like an artist. Each week introduces new artists, ideas, and creative challenges.
This week, we’ll explore artist Louise Nevelson and her work, Black Wall, 1964: an assemblage made from 24 stacked wooden crates, all painted black. Taking inspiration from Nevelson’s artistic use of everyday objects collected from her neighborhood, use wooden scraps, boxes, and other repurposed materials to build your own 3D sculpture.
Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.
ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in and explore modern and contemporary art through interactive, hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and remarkable artworks on view. Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.
Every session introduces a new theme and a fresh perspective on artmaking. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Open Studio , About Hirshhorn Kids , Art School Everywhere , Art Project: Paint it Black like Louise Nevelson.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
The World and Me: Amphibian Week Kickoff Celebration with the USDA Forest Service and Friends!
One-Time Events
Learn more about your place in the world through explorations of nature and culture.
Come celebrate Amphibian Week with a special kickoff event at The World & Me inside Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center! Join us Saturday, May 3rd, as we learn about amphibians with our friends from the USDA Forest Service, US Geological Survey, and more. Families with learners of all ages will be invited to explore different stations, see live amphibians, and explore play, art, and related museum collections.
This is a drop-in event. Families can drop in anytime from 10:00am - 12:30pm and stay for as long as your family would like. No registration is required. Cost: Free.
Location: Meet at the entrace of Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, on the Ground Floor of the museum. Q?rius is located next to the Constitution Avenue entrance.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, Ground Floor. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Excavations at Tell el-Amarna: A Window into Ancient Egypt
Resident Associate Program
Created by the “heretic” Pharaoh Akhenaten as the center of the monotheistic cult of worship of a sun god called the Aten, the ancient city of Tell el-Amarna is one of the most exciting archaeological sites in the world. Its extraordinary level of preservation provides an unmatched window into the population’s daily life and religious practices. Egyptologist Jacquelyn Williamson, a senior member of the Tell el-Amarna archaeological team, examines the latest discoveries at the site.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/262998?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/262998?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Quick-Sketch for a Day: Celebrating America
Resident Associate Program
Discover how to draw with fluid lines and paint with flowing watercolors as you capture scenes from coast to coast.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263069?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/263069?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM.
Southwest Washington
Resident Associate Program
Washington, D.C.'s Southwest Waterfront is a study in contrasts: The neighborhood retains some of the most historic architecture in the federal capital and boasts one of the largest private development projects in the city, the District Wharf. Laid out by the Carroll family in the 1770s, the neighborhood teemed with commercial activity by the 1830s. In the mid-20th century, huge swaths of the area were demolished in the name of urban renewal. Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, leads a tour of the historic neighborhood.
Event Location: Tour meets outside the main entrance to Arena Stage. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263360?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Crepe Paper Flower Posy
Resident Associate Program
Learn to fashion a hypericum (St. John’s wort) and roses in several stages of bloom, constructing petals and leaves with and without wire, using spun cotton and foam balls to turn paper into a beautiful posy.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263070?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/263070?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
NY | Haudenosaunee Family Fun Day
One-Time Events
Bring the whole family for a fun day of Haudenosaunee activities. It was through play that Haudenosaunee youth perfected the skills they would eventually use in their adult lives. In this family fun day, join the Haudenosaunee Dancers in a round dance, explore the galleries in a treasure hunt, and enjoy hands-on activities that include making a corn husk dragonfly and learning the significance of lacrosse. Image: Courtesy of the Haudenosaunee Dancers
This program is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 2: Rotunda. Cost: Free.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
WILD Nature Play Club
One-Time Events
Presented as a pilot program by the National Zoological Park’s Little Critters: Nature Play, our WILD Nature Play Club will meet on the first Saturday of every month at the Anacostia Community Museum where we will explore the half-mile loop trail right next to the museum. Join us for unstructured play time in nature as well as a child-directed hike through the George Washington Carver Nature Trail. At the end of the hike, we will gather together for a story and nature activity then head back to the museum. Come prepared for our time together by dressing for the weather, bringing an extra pair of clothes, closed-toe shoes, water, and a snack!
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wild-nature-play-club-tickets-1269109052339?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Children's Book Fair
Kids and Family
Register in advance to make sure you get the best experience. Activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis.
Join us for a children's book fair to kick off Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrations!
Enjoy book readings, drawing demos, crafts, and giveaways from an all-star lineup of authors and illustrators. Purchase books from the museum store and have them signed! Plus, kids can join our docents in the galleries for fun activities, such as finding patterns in the Peacock Room and drawing their own precious object inspired by a Chinese treasure cabinet.
Featured Authors and Illustrators:
Authors from left to right: Hanh Bui, Lian Cho, Sophia N. Lee, Sanyukta Mathur, Courtney Pippin-Mathur, Pat Tanumihardja, Chiêu Anh Urban
Hanh Bui
Inspired by her first teacher at the refugee camp, Hanh Bui pursued a master’s degree in early childhood education and taught second grade before becoming a children’s book author. Hanh’s stories…
Venue: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Event Location: Flex Space. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/childrens-book-fair-tickets-1264391502019?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
The Trouble of Color: An American Family Memoir with Martha S. Jones
One-Time Events
Join Dr. Martha S. Jones for a presentation of her latest book, The Trouble of Color: An American Family Memoir, documents the history of her paternal ancestors living on the “color line” while enslaved in Kentucky and as free people in North Carolina during the early 19th century. Dr. Jones shares her search for the intricate details of relationships created within the social and legal barriers of race in the South, and which became a theme for her own life decades later in New York. Selected as The Society of Black Alumni (SOBA) Presidential Professor at Johns Hopkins University in 2017, Dr. Jones is a graduate of Hunter College (BA), and Columbia University (PhD). She received a Doctor of Laws (honorary) from CUNY School of Law. For questions about this program, please email familyhistorycenter@si.edu.
Book signing and sale will be provided by Smithsonian Enterprises.
Philanthropic support provided by the New York Life Foundation.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Oprah Winfrey Theater + Streaming. Online Link: https://www.youtube.com/live/vQBcYHYZziU. Cost: Free; Registration is required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/35674380/the-trouble-of-coloran-american-family-memoir-with-martha-sjones-washington-national-museum-of-african-american-history-culture-public-programs.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Southwest Washington
Resident Associate Program
Washington, D.C.'s Southwest Waterfront is a study in contrasts: The neighborhood retains some of the most historic architecture in the federal capital and boasts one of the largest private development projects in the city, the District Wharf. Laid out by the Carroll family in the 1770s, the neighborhood teemed with commercial activity by the 1830s. In the mid-20th century, huge swaths of the area were demolished in the name of urban renewal. Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, leads a tour of the historic neighborhood.
Event Location: Tour meets outside the main entrance to Arena Stage. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263361?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Artists in Dialogue: Tsedaye Makonnen and Kebedech Tekleab
One-Time Events
Join artists Tsedaye Makonnen and Kebedech Tekleab in conversation with Heran Sereke-Brhan, Deputy Director of the National Museum of African Art!
The artists will present their work, participate in a moderated discussion led by Sereke-Brhan about the themes and ideas that spark their creative vision, followed by a Q&A with the audience.
Don’t miss a curator-led tour of the exhibition Tsedaye Makonnen—Sanctuary :: መቅደስ :: Mekdes!
By attending this event, you grant the Smithsonian Institution permission to photograph, film, videotape you and/or record your voice and likeness in connection with or the promotion of the project.
Venue: African Art Museum. Event Location: Sylvia Williams Gallery, Sublevel 1. Cost: FREE. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artists-in-dialogue-tsedaye-makonnen-and-kebedech-tekleab-tickets-1329081010079?aff=oddtdtcreator. Related Exhibition: Tsedaye Makonnen—Sanctuary :: መቅደስ :: Mekdes. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
For more info visit africa.si.edu. The Axelrod String Quartet: Stradivarius and Amati (Saturday series)
Resident Associate Program
Smithsonian Chamber Music Society audiences are privy to the unparalleled experience of being able to hear two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati—in this popular four-concert series on Saturdays. The concert features music composed by Mozart, Beethoven, and Ravel.
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/261540?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Georgia O'Keeffe's Artistic Vision: Artwork Inspired by the Environment - In Person
Resident Associate Program
This 3-session workshop invites participants to delve into the wonders of nature through the artistic vision of Georgia O'Keeffe. Each session emphasizes a different facet of O'Keeffe's life and artistry, intertwining art, environmental consciousness, and culinary experiences.
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/263071?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
¡Descubra! Free Family Festival
American Latino Museum
*Note: the event times are Pacific Time, not Eastern Time.
Join the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino at the Crocker Art Museum for a free family festival that showcases the extraordinary talents and cultural contributions of the Latino community. Inspired by “Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective,” the festival serves as a closing ceremony for the traveling exhibition and a celebration of the community!
Enjoy live performances from Mariachi Bonitas de Dinorah, Maya Latin Roots, Sol Peligro, and Lucha Libre Productions and creative art activities inspired by the de la Torre Brothers’ lenticular artworks. Guests can also view a community mural in the making, celebrate local artists, and catch a bumping lowrider show from the Sacramento Lowrider Commission. A series of mini-talks and docent-led tours of the exhibition showcase the binational and bicultural background of the artists, Jamex and Einar de la Torre, two brothers whose work connects to issues and ideas often…
Event Location: Crocker Art Museum (206 O St, Sacramento, CA 95814). Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://my.crockerart.org/admission/3244.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit www.crockerart.org. Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Spanish-Language Walk-In Tours
One-Time Events
Join a volunteer docent on select Sundays for lively tours of the Portrait Gallery in Spanish. We hope to see you there.
Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. No Registration Required.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Parasite
Films
Watch the trailer
A multiple Oscar winner—and the first non-English language film to win Best Picture—Bong Joon Ho’s masterpiece is a pitch-black comedy-thriller that lays bare Korea’s yawning class divide.
Bong regular Song Kang-ho plays Kim Ki-taek, patriarch of a poor family who schemes to get them all hired by the rich but clueless Park Dong-ik (Lee Sun-kyun) to work in his family’s palatial mansion under false identities. But their plan begins to unravel when the Parks' former housekeeper catches on and threatens to expose them. The result is, according to A.O. Scott of The New York Times, “wildly entertaining, the kind of smart, generous, aesthetically energized movie that obliterates the tired distinctions between art films and popcorn movies.”
As visually stunning as it is expertly plotted, Parasite is filled with standout performances and is well worth experiencing (or reexperiencing) on the big screen.
(Dir.: Bong Joon Ho, Korea, 2019, 132 min. DCP, Korean with English subtitles)
Generous…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://lsk.eventive.org/films. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible. Captioning.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM.
May the 4th Be With You: The Smithsonian Celebrates Star Wars Day
Resident Associate Program
Star Wars is a global phenomenon that people celebrate on May 4th every year. In conversation, curators from the National Air and Space Museum and National Museum of American History celebrate the Star Wars universe, its monumental legacy in pop culture, and its place in a familiar galaxy not so far, far away.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263416?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/263416?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM.
Film Screening: Earth, I Thank You: The Garden and Legacy of Anne Spencer
One-Time Events
In conjunction with the Reclaiming My Time exhibition, join us for the premiere of the documentary film, Earth, I Thank You: The Garden and Legacy of Anne Spencer, exploring the historic sanctuary of the Harlem Renaissance poet, civil rights advocate, and gardener. Produced by the Garden Conservancy, the film celebrates the cultural and historical significance of the Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum in Lynchburg, VA. Spencer's beloved garden was an oasis where she wrote much of her poetry, drawing inspiration and insights from the natural beauty surrounding her. It was also a vibrant gathering place, welcoming luminaries and civil rights leaders including Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, Zora Neale Hurston, Thurgood Marshall, George Washington Carver, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A panel discussion will follow the film.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Concourse, Oprah Winfrey Theater. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/38948346/earthi-thank-youthe-garden-and-legacy-of-anne-spencer-washington-national-museum-of-african-american-history-culture-public-programs. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM.
The Axelrod String Quartet: Stradivarius and Amati (Sunday series)
Resident Associate Program
Smithsonian Chamber Music Society audiences are privy to the unparalleled experience of being able to hear two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati—in this popular four-concert series on Sundays. The concert features music composed by Mozart, Beethoven, and Ravel.
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/261544?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, May 5, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science at the National Museum of Natural History
One-Time Events
Join us for The International Day of Women and Girls in Science event! From studying ancient reptiles of the past to how creatures are helping clean up the bottom of the sea, our experts have something to share that is sure to spark curiosity and wonder in our visitors.
Experts from the National Museum of Natural History will be featured at special carts in the following 1st floor exhibits: Sant Ocean Hall , David H. Koch Hall of Fossils - Deep Time , David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins , Kenneth E Behring Family Hall of Mammals, Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with advanced notice. However, accommodations may not be possible with less than two-weeks advanced notice. To request this service, please call (202) 633-5238 or e-mail NMNHAccessibility@si.edu.
Image Information (credit): Photo by James Di Loreto, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor Exhibits. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, May 5, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science Symposium
One-Time Events
Please join the National Museum of Natural History on the rescheduled date of Monday, May 5, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Symposium, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the Baird Auditorium, Ground Floor, Hybrid Event*
The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on May 5, 2025, with a symposium from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the Baird Auditorium, and also being streamed online, and family friendly activities in the museum suited for learners of all ages from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Symposium Agenda
Focusing on the Smithsonian’s Life on a Sustainable Planet and Mysteries of the Universe initiatives, the symposium will feature presentations from Smithsonian scientists who work on topics ranging from outer space to the deepest ocean and everything in between as well as an evening networking reception. We will hear from experts who are early in their career as well as world renowned career…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Ground Floor, Baird Auditorium. Online Link: https://video.ibm.com/channel/smithsonian-national-museum-of-natural-history. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/94341187/. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, May 5, 2025, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
For more info visit naturalhistory.si.edu. Portrait Gallery Kids
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the National Portrait Gallery. Join educators every Monday to explore a new topic and different materials. Participants will look at art, enjoy hands-on activities, listen to music and participate in story time. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other. Our friends from DC Public Library will join us on the second Monday of each month for a special story time about the day’s theme.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Regsitration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Monday, May 5, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Color and Illusion in Modern Quilts
Resident Associate Program
Learn how to use color and design to create the illusion of depth and take your quilting to the next level.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263072?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/263072?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, May 5, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
The Shape of Power Conversation with Monument Lab: Gods and Monsters
One-Time Events
SOLD OUT
SAAM has partnered with Monument Lab, a nonprofit public art, history, and design studio based in Philadelphia, for an engaging series of guided conversations about The Shape of Power exhibition. In each of the three events, Monument Lab curators Yolanda Wisher and Aubree Penney will focus on specific artworks to illustrate ideas and spark dialogue. This program examines the interplay between representations of people, gods, and monsters. Monument Lab will provide a toolkit for creative ways of looking at art and generating conversation around the exhibition. Space is limited.
Rina Banerjee, In Mute Witness... 2015/2023, wooden spindles, aluminum cloth, waxed nylon, wood, steel armature, Murano glass horns, rooster feather, porcupine quill, silk tassel, cowry shell, hemp cord, silkscreen print silk cloth, cotton thread, acrylic paint, tribal jewelry, abacá fibers, and gourd, Courtesy of the artist.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in G Street Lobby. Cost: SOLD OUT. Related Exhibition: The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture.
Monday, May 5, 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM.
Make Your Mark
Resident Associate Program
In the spirit of our ancestors who first took a tool and made a mark, this class focuses on intuitive exercises using a variety of simple tools to generate many types of marks.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263073?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/263073?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, May 5, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
Honoring America’s Fallen: The Cemeteries of WWII
Resident Associate Program
After World War II, the federal government sought to honor the sacrifice of American troops who died abroad by creating military cemeteries to commemorate the fallen at sites including the Normandy beachheads, the Ardennes, and the Italian peninsula. Distinguished by their striking rows of white crosses and Stars of David, they have become enduring symbols of the conflict. Historian Christopher Hamner surveys the design and layout of some of those cemeteries and examines how decisions made in the late 1940s and 1950s helped shape the way Americans remember World War II.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263417?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/263417?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, May 5, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Life of a Sailor
One-Time Events
Have you ever wondered what a sailor's life was like on a traditional wooden ship? Full of hardship and adventure alike, a seagoing life sometimes offered better opportunities than people could find on land. Join our visiting expert to learn about how water has shaped the lives of sailors from the past and present alike. Trace the evolution of sailing from the tall ships of history to the modern ships of today, compare traditional sailing tools with their modern counterparts, test your knot-tying skills, and more!
Presented by: Nick Iannacone, Program Coordinator, Department of Maritime Education, Living Classrooms.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Amphibian Week Celebration!
One-Time Events
Help us continue the Amphibian Week celebration with this week's Play Date at NMNH.
Tuesday, May 6th is all about amphibians! Families will learn make observations of different specimens, create their own amphibian-inspired artwork, and build different amphibian homes through play.
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5), their caregivers, and families.
Location: This program is held in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, on the Ground Floor of the museum. Please enter through the Constitution Avenue entrance. Q?rius is located on the right as you enter the museum.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with advanced notice. However, accommodations may not be possible with less than two-weeks advanced notice. To request this service, please call (202) 633-5238 or e-mail…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center (Ground Floor). Cost: Free. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
STEM Connections: Bridging the Science, History, and Culture of the Smithsonian
One-Time Events
Join the Smithsonian Science Education Center and the National Museum of African American History and Culture for a dynamic, hands-on celebration of science, history, and culture. To commemorate the Smithsonian Science Education Center’s 40th anniversary, this public event invites learners of all ages to explore interactive science activities drawn from the center’s resources and digital materials. Visitors will also engage with materials
developed by the National Museum of African American History and Culture that lead students through STEM principles and practices, grounded in stories of African American achievement. Come experience how science, learning, and storytelling come together in meaningful ways.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Explore More! Gallery. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
From Bach and Beethoven to Balanchine and Baryshnikov: First the Music, Then the Dance
Resident Associate Program
Discover the inherent physicality in great concert music, compositions never intended for dance brought to visual life through the imaginations of modern choreographers. Using works by Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, and some of the greatest music from the Romantic era and beyond, classical music expert Saul Lilienstein examines how these masterworks inspired George Balanchine, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twyla Tharp, and other creators, and were performed by renowned dancers and ensembles.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263378?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/263378?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
On-Location Photography with Neutral Density Filters - In Person
Resident Associate Program
Neutral-density filters can be used to achieve very slow shutter-speed photos in bright sunshine. Learn these controls in the classroom and then head out to practice in the field.
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/263075?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM.
The NASA Landolt Space Mission
Resident Associate Program
George Mason University will be the home of the recently approved NASA Landolt space mission that will put an artificial star into orbit around Earth. It will allow scientists to calibrate telescopes and more accurately measure the brightnesses of stars. The science associated with the mission and what astronomers hope to learn from it are explained by Peter Plavchan, the mission’s principal investigator and associate professor of physics and astronomy at George Mason University. Following the talk and a question-and-answer period, Rob Parks, director of the George Mason Observatory, brings the skies into your living room with remote control of the university observatory, weather permitting.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263338?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/263338?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Storytime Studio: Iggy Peck, Architect
One time events
Creativity is vibrant on Wednesdays at Storytime Studio. Celebrate spring with your littlest artist. Every week offers a new adventure.
This week: Be an architect! Join us as we explore architecture through a read-aloud of Iggy Peck, Architect. We’ll take a close look at the Hirshhorn’s largest sculpture: our building! Then we’ll learn more about architecture and design through a hands-on building activity.
Featured Book: Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
Program Schedule
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience, with entry times at 10, 10:20, 10:40, and 11 AM. No registration is required. Visitors receive their entry time upon arrival. 10 AM–noon: Open play (felt, blocks, sketching) , 10:20 AM: Read-aloud #1 in Art School , 10:30 AM: Art-making begins , 10:50 AM: Gallery tour #1 , 11:20 AM: Read-aloud #2 in Art School , 11:30 AM: Art-making begins , 11:50 AM: Gallery tour #2 Meet in the Hirshhorn Art School on the Lower Level. ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Join us at the Hirshhorn Art School for…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Balance Build.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Free weekly tours of the Enid A. Haupt Garden are offered every Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. from April 30 through September 26, 2025, weather permitting.
Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the tour sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, Meet at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
SAAM Fellows Lectures
One-Time Events
Come hear the 2024–2025 SAAM Fellows present new scholarship on a range of topics and time periods, media and messages. This multi-afternoon program will highlight a new generation of scholars who are engaging the Smithsonian’s collections and archives in order to tell new stories about American art. The lectures will be held in person and online; registration is required. View the full schedule of topics and presenters.
Image/Credit: SAAM 2024–2054 Fellows, courtesy of subjects.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: McEvoy Auditorium, Online via YouTube. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1RPOL. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Curator Tour: “Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return”
One-Time Events
Join curators Charlotte Ickes and Josh Franco for a tour of “Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return.” This exhibition focuses on artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s deep engagement with portraiture and how history is told and inherited.
Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-curator-tour-felix-gonzalez-torres-always-to-return-tickets-1116923270569?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Digital Drawing Fundamentals
Resident Associate Program
Learn to use the iPad, Apple Pencil, and Procreate for illustration and animation. Students get an introductory lecture on the basics of digital art production, demonstrations, and experience drawing in Procreate on an iPad.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263076?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/263076?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 6:15 PM – 9:15 PM.
Germany’s Surrender in WWII
Resident Associate Program
On May 7, 1945, after almost six years of brutal combat and death and destruction in the European Theater, German military leaders unconditionally surrendered to the Allies. On the 80th anniversary of this significant event, historian Mitchell Yockelson discusses how the death of President Roosevelt, the decision by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower not to enter Berlin before the Russians, the war’s final battles, and the suicide of Adolf Hitler led to Nazi Germany’s capitulation.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263418?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/263418?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
The Hidden World of Baby Animals
Resident Associate Program
Entire ecosystems rest on the shoulders (or tentacles or jointed exoskeletons) of animal babies. Biologist Danna Staaf invites you to explore these tiny lives and discover some of nature’s most ingenious workings. For example, a salamander embryo breathes with the help of algae inside its cells, the young grub of a Goliath beetle dwarfs its parents, and the spotted beak of a parasitic baby bird tricks adults of other species into feeding it. Our planet needs them all, the maggots as much as the kittens.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263339?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/263339?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Coral Reef Tank Talk
One-Time Events
Swim by the Sant Ocean Hall to meet some of the coral reef species that call the Smithsonian NMNH home! Hosted by an Ocean Educator, this interactive cart experience will walk you through the world of saltwater fish, coral colonies, and invertebrates galore!
Image Credit: Phillip Lee, Smithsonian.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Drawn to Figures
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Discover your inner artist in this live virtual drawing workshop. Facilitated by artist Jill Galloway, each program will highlight a Portrait Gallery exhibition or a portrait from the collection. Open to all skill levels, ages 18 and up.
Event Location: Online via Zoom. Online Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-drawn-to-figures-tickets-880971558647?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-drawn-to-figures-tickets-880971558647?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Abstract Watercolor for Beginners
Resident Associate Program
Learn to embrace and celebrate the unpredictability, versatility, and beauty of watercolor. Class discussions cover supplies; color theory, palettes and pigment control; and exercises and experiments to achieve different effects.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263068?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/263068?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM.
SAAM Fellows Lectures
One-Time Events
Come hear the 2024–2025 SAAM Fellows present new scholarship on a range of topics and time periods, media and messages. This multi-afternoon program will highlight a new generation of scholars who are engaging the Smithsonian’s collections and archives in order to tell new stories about American art. The lectures will be held in person and online; registration is required. View the full schedule of topics and presenters.
Image/Credit: SAAM 2024–2054 Fellows, courtesy of subjects.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: McEvoy Auditorium, Online via YouTube. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1X33N. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM.
Sketch Break After Dark
One-Time Events
Join us in the galleries for a drop-in sketching session with artist educator Laurain Park! Create, connect and sketch with fellow artists while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery's collection. All materials will be provided. Open to artists of all levels, ages 18 and up.
Event Location: In the Galleries. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-sketch-break-tickets-991180235767?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Intraterrestrials: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth
Resident Associate Program
Life thrives in the deepest, darkest recesses of Earth’s crust, and it is unlike anything seen on the surface. Discovered only in recent decades, intraterrestrials—bizarre subsurface beings that can live for millions of years—can exist in boiling water, pure acid, and even bleach. Biologist Karen Lloyd offers a firsthand account of the remarkable hunt for life beneath Earth’s surface and how new discoveries are challenging our most basic assumptions about the nature of life on Earth.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263419?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/263419?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
Great Americans Medal Presentation to Ava DuVernay
One-Time Events
On May 8th, witness Ava DuVernay become the tenth recipient of the National Museum of American History’s signature honor—the Great Americans Medal—in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the nation as a director, writer, producer, and film distributor. The museum’s Elizabeth MacMillan Director Anthea M. Hartig, Ph.D. will be joined by Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III and Smithsonian Institution Regent Emeritus David M. Rubenstein in this special presentation to DuVernay for her life’s work embodying American ideas and ideals. A conversation between the honoree and Rubenstein will close the program.
The Great Americans Medal is awarded to trailblazers who have made a lasting impact in their fields and whose philanthropic and humanitarian endeavors set them apart. Previous honorees include Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, Gen. Colin L. Powell, Thomas J. Brokaw, Cal Ripken Jr. Billie Jean King, Paul Simon, Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Yo-Yo Ma.
The Great…
Event Location: Online Webcast. Online Link: https://bit.ly/GreatAmWebcast. Cost: Free with webcast registration.
There are very limited in-person tickets available, please enquire through https://bit.ly/GreatAmWebcast. Accessibility: Captioning. ASL-interpreted program.
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
For more info visit bit.ly. Spring Gardens of Norfolk
Resident Associate Program
While Norfolk is celebrated as a city on the water, the highlights of this overnight visit are the 175 acres of vibrant spring gardens at Norfolk Botanical Garden and the historic estate at Hermitage Museum & Gardens. This tour is guided by horticulturist Chelsea Mahaffey.
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/262965?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, May 9, 2025, 7:00 AM – Saturday, May 10, 2025, 7:30 PM.
Conversation Circles
One-Time Events
Calling all English-language learners – Join National Portrait Gallery educators and friends from all over the world. Together, we’ll use portraiture to learn about U.S. art, history and culture. This program takes place every other week. Meet new friends, learn about different cultures and practice your English. For more information, email Beth Evans at evansb@si.edu.
Event Location: Online via Zoom. Cost: Free. No Registration Required.
Friday, May 9, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, May 9, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 9, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Free weekly tours of the Enid A. Haupt Garden are offered every Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. from April 30 through September 26, 2025, weather permitting.
Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the tour sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, Meet at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 9, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 9, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
SAAM Fellows Lectures
One-Time Events
Come hear the 2024–2025 SAAM Fellows present new scholarship on a range of topics and time periods, media and messages. This multi-afternoon program will highlight a new generation of scholars who are engaging the Smithsonian’s collections and archives in order to tell new stories about American art. The lectures will be held in person and online; registration is required. View the full schedule of topics and presenters.
Image/Credit: SAAM 2024–2054 Fellows, courtesy of subjects.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: McEvoy Auditorium, Online via YouTube. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1X3OL. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 9, 2025, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Friday, May 9, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Asia After Dark | Poetry! Comedy! Music!
Performances
Register in advance to get the best experience. Some activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis. All activities will take place in the West Building (Freer Gallery of Art).
Join us after-hours for a night of spoken word, poetry, comedy, activations, and performance. Gather, unwind from the long work week, and jam. This event is part of our annual IlluminAsia Festival in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. – Poetry/Spoken Word
8:30 p.m.–9:15 p.m. – WRIZZARDS performance
PERFORMERS, Regie Cabico (Emcee/Poet/Storyteller) is the first Asian American to win the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grand Slam and is a three-time National Poetry Slam finalist. He is the lead spoken word poetry educator at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Television credits include The Poet Speaks, HBO's Def Poetry Jam, NPR's Snap Judgment, and TEDx Talk. He's received several fellowships from the New York Foundation for the…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: National Museum of Asian Art, Freer Gallery of Art, Freer Courtyard. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/illuminasia-asia-after-dark-words-in-all-forms-tickets-1308831021819?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 9, 2025, 5:00 PM – 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.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Growing Community: Connecting the Past
One-Time Events
In this workshop, we will unpack the connections between modern urban gardens and our ancestral past to better understand urban gardening practices of today. We will examine how gardening in the mid-Atlantic has cultural contributions from many regions of the country and how this has influenced garden practices of today.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/growing-community-connecting-the-past-tickets-1248172861629?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Build Day
One time events
Calling all budding architects: Let’s build! Take a tour of the Enchanted City, a showcase designed and built entirely by elementary school artists in partnership with District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Arts, Boolean Girl, and George Washington University Fab Lab.
Find our city in the historic Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building (AIB; next door to the Museum) from 11 AM–4:30 PM. Find hands-on activities for builders and makers of all ages in Hirshhorn Art School, on the Lower Level of the Museum.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE ARTS + INDUSTRIES BUILDING?
11 AM–4:30 PM | Tour a showcase featuring artwork and Build Day projects by citywide DCPS elementary students. Find student projects in the AIB.
1–3 PM | Hear DCPS high school art and architecture students speak about their current projects in a special showcase in AIB’s West Hall.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE HIRSHHORN?
10 AM–2 PM | Want to create your own art and architecture? Head over to Open Studio at the Hirshhorn Art School to: create a…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Hirshhorn Museum, Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building. Cost: Free.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM.
Open Studio: Build Day
One time events
Celebrate springtime with vibrant opportunities for artistic expression every weekend in May at Open Studio. Together we will explore how artists collaborate, build, and grow to redefine art across mediums and break artistic boundaries. We’ll also discover the work of groundbreaking artists including Hiroshi Sugimoto, OSGEMEOS, and Aliza Nisenbaum.
It’s Build Day! Join Hirshhorn Kids, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Arts, George Washington University’s Fab Lab, and Boolean Girl for an all-day hands-on exploration of design and building. This weekend, Art School will be taken over by building and play zones for artists of all ages. Make an LED sculpture inspired by Olafur Eliasson with Boolean Girl, explore 3D printing with Fab Lab, or create your own building zone with bricks and blocks! There’s something for everyone.
Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in and explore modern and contemporary art through interactive,…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Open Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Art School Everywhere, Project: Bun(dt)shaft Cake-Off: Bake a Mini Hirshhorn!
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Rethinking Mark Twain: From Huckleberry Finn to Percival Everett’s James
Resident Associate Program
Percival Everett’s novel James from 2024 powerfully rewrites Mark Twain’s 19th-century Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the runaway slave Jim. Literature professor Joseph Luzzi explores the themes that drive both of these groundbreaking works and considers how Everett’s modern re-imagining addresses major concerns in American life today, especially ones related to race.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263340?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/263340?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Handwork and Mindfulness
Resident Associate Program
Explore handwork as a tool for mindful living. Find out how and why it is that making something with your hands can bring about a sense of peace, connection, satisfaction, wellness, and joy.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263078?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/263078?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
NY | Story Time
American Indian Museum NY
Families are invited to an interactive story time on the second Saturday of each month* featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity. All are welcome. Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. *Schedule subject to change.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.
Mother's Day Celebration: A Tribute to Love and Nurture
One-Time Events
Mother’s Day Celebration: A Tribute to Love and Nurture
Join us for a meaningful celebration honoring the essence of motherly love in all its beautiful forms. This inclusive event welcomes community leaders, teachers, multi-generational families, and anyone who embodies the nurturing spirit that strengthens and uplifts us all.
Event Highlights:
✨ Community Toast: Share in a collective moment of encouragement and inspiration.
🌈 Sand Blending Ceremony: A symbolic activity representing the strength and unity of motherly love.
🎵 Sound Bath Session with Ritual Artist + Wellness Consultant Tara Aura: Relieve stress and promote deep relaxation through soothing sound vibrations.
🎨 Explore Our Exhibition: A Bold and Beautiful Vision: A Century of Black Arts Education in Washington, DC (1900–2000).
Let’s come together to honor the power of nurturing love, celebrate those who guide us, and cultivate moments of joy and connection.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mothers-day-celebration-a-tribute-to-love-and-nurture-tickets-1322459675489?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Sightlines Saturday Guided Tour and Activity: Making Place, Making Space
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 a personal artwork inspired by maps and monuments and related to the exhibition's "Making Place" theme on Chinatown.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Sightlines Gallery. Cost: Free | Registration encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sightlines-saturday-guided-tour-and-activity-making-place-making-space-tickets-1304122939819?aff=oddtdtcreator. Related Events: Sightlines Saturday Feature Program: Reflection, Resilience, Reimagination: 50 Years of Southeast Asian American Journeys. Related Exhibition: Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond, presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum through November 30, 2025.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. The Last of the Sea Women
Films
In Person: Sue Kim, director
Watch the trailer
Sue Kim’s “affectionate and humorous” (Dennis Harvey, Variety) documentary tells the story of the haenyo, female divers who for centuries have harvested seafood off the coast of South Korea’s Jeju Island. Able to dive up to 100 meters and hold their breath for up to three minutes, these remarkable women—most of whom are senior citizens—are a dying breed, partly because of a lack of new recruits, and partly because of threats to the ocean’s ecosystem thanks to pollution and climate change.
Kim’s film revels in these women's feisty vitality while documenting their efforts to save their environment. Executive produced by Nobel Peace Prize-winner Malala Yousafzai, The Last of the Sea Women won the NETPAC Award at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
(Dir.: Sue Kim, United States, 2024, 87 min. DCP, English and Korean with English subtitles)
Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-screening-the-last-of-the-sea-women-tickets-1330423826479?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
NY | Story Time
American Indian Museum NY
Families are invited to an interactive story time on the second Saturday of each month* featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity. All are welcome. Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. *Schedule subject to change.
Image: Photo by Matailong Du for the National Museum of the American Indian.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 2:15 PM – 2:45 PM.
Sightlines Saturday Feature Program: 50 Years of Southeast Asian American Journeys
One-Time Events
The year 2025 marks 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, the Secret War in Laos, and the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 1975--events that displaced millions from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Seeking refuge in the U.S. these communities rebuilt their lives and, over five decades, have made enduring contributions to American society, embodying resilience, perseverance, and cultural vibrancy. Organized by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center with several Southeast Asian American community organizations, this program features screenings of short films and selected excerpts from longer works, followed by an intergenerational panel discussion with community leaders, filmmakers, and artists.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: McEvoy Auditorium. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sightlines-saturday-feature-program-50-years-of-se-asian-american-journeys-tickets-1304772522739?aff=oddtdtcreator. Related Events: Sightlines Saturday In-Gallery Program: Making Place, Making Space. Related Exhibition: Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond, presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum through November 30, 2025. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Sunday, May 11, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, May 11, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, May 11, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Sunday, May 11, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Delaware Bay: Shorebirds and Horseshoe Crabs
Resident Associate Program
Naturalist Matt Felperin leads a two-day adventure for nature lovers that explores the Delaware Bay and its environs, where the diverse life of a tidal marsh and the expanse of the bay come together. From observing horseshoe crabs breeding by moonlight to visits to the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, the Dupont Nature Center, and local beaches, the tour offers insights into a habitat in which a wide range of migratory shorebirds play a key role.
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/262533?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, May 12, 2025, 7:00 AM – Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 7:30 PM.
Garden Play: Shapes!
Smithsonian Gardens
Join Smithsonian Gardens for hands-on activities, story time, and a garden walk exploring this month’s topic, shapes!
Find us on the East Terrace of the Enid A. Haupt Garden, near the Spencer Fullerton Baird statue by the Arts and Industries Building, southeast of the Smithsonian Castle. Garden Play is a drop-in program designed for children ages 2 and up 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. Participants are encouraged to bring water and sun protection and are welcome to bring their own blankets for story time.
Activities may be subject to cancellation or modification due to weather conditions.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, May 12, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, May 12, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the National Portrait Gallery. Join educators every Monday to explore a new topic and different materials. Participants will look at art, enjoy hands-on activities, listen to music and participate in story time. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other. Our friends from DC Public Library will join us on the second Monday of each month for a special story time about the day’s theme.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Regsitration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Monday, May 12, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Lavinia Fontana, Artemisia Gentileschi, and the Dawn of Professional Female Artists
Resident Associate Program
Within decades of each other during the Renaissance, Lavinia Fontana and Artemisia Gentileschi achieved the status of painters of international renown by taking on Biblical and mythological themes, formerly the province of men. Art historian Elizabeth Lev surveys their remarkable careers, the obstacles they shattered, and how these painters offered a new, feminine—if not feminist—view of the most captivating heroines of Western art from Mary Magdalene to Judith. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263421?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/263421?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, May 12, 2025, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM.
Andy Warhol and Pop Art
Resident Associate Program
During the heyday of Pop Art, Andy Warhol was its king. His talent as an artist, filmmaker, photographer, and publisher made him a household name for far more than the “15 minutes of fame” he quipped that everyone would experience. Art historian Janetta Rebold Benton traces Warhol’s life and profound impact on modern culture, examining how his revolutionary art broke with all previous movements and expanded the definition of art itself. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263422?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/263422?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, May 12, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM.
The Unique Memorials of Washington
Resident Associate Program
From a tiny pocket park dedicated to a pop star turned politician to the only female equestrian statue in the capital, Washington, D.C. is full of unique and obscure memorials. Beyond the National Mall, there are monuments to middling presidents, forgotten founders, failed projects, and allies turned enemies. Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, takes a closer look at some of these odd and lesser-known monuments, memorials, and landmarks.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263398?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/263398?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, May 12, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Give Sorrow Words: A Reflective Writing Workshop
Resident Associate Program
Guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface, discover how reflective writing can offer a creative buoy for engaging with loss. Inspired by works of visual art and poetry, experience a process in which reflection and writing becomes a place of comfort and a space for holding sorrow as well as remembrance.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263433?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/263433?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Lights, Color, Action!
One-Time Events
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
Tuesday, May 13th, is all about exploring bioluminescent animals! Did you know that many animals in the ocean (and even some animals on land) are able to produce and give off light? Living organisms that can produce and emit light are called bioluminescent. During this Play Date at NMNH, families will learn reasons why bioluminescence might be important, make observations of different bioluminescent animals, and play with light in different ways. We also are excited to welcome our educator friends from the National Postal Museum to this Play Date. Come and join us for a fun time learning through play, art, and exploration!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5) 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…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Explorer Theater in the Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Virtual Young Portrait Explorers
One-Time Events
Join educators with the National Portrait Gallery as we learn about art, history and more. This 30-minute virtual workshop incorporates looking at portraiture, movement activities and artmaking. Recommended for children ages three and up and their adult companions.
Event Location: Online via Zoom. Online Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-young-portrait-explorers-tickets-991195732117?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-young-portrait-explorers-tickets-991195732117?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Learning across Disciplines with Art and Science | Cultivating Learning
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
Looking for ways to bring art and science together for STEAM education? Join educators Carol Wilson of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Alison Cawood from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and Carol O’Donnell from the Smithsonian Science Education Center to explore techniques to combine art and science into engaging activities for K-12 classrooms. They’ll discuss underlying strategies to integrate history, art, culture, data literacy, and science focused on real-world phenomena and problems. You will see three examples from the Smithsonian and leave with a collection of replicable activities and resources to make learning come alive.
Program Details:
This is a Zoom webinar with live 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…
Event Location: Online. Cost: Free. Related Events: This interactive webinar is part of “Cultivating Learning,” a professional development series focusing on techniques to use digital museum resources for learning. Visit the Smithsonian Learning Lab’s Events page to find our playlist of past “Cultivating Learning” sessions. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Natural History on the Big Screen: Why Dinosaurs?
One-Time Events
From prestigious museums and universities, to blockbuster films, amusement park rides, video games, and toys--dinosaurs have always fascinated us. But, why? Why Dinosaurs? a film by Pinto Productions, follows dino-obsessed youth James Pinto and his filmmaker father Tony on a journey around the globe, interviewing world-renowned paleontologists about the latest dinosaur research, digging up 150-million-year-old bones, and encountering dinosaur fanatics of all walks of life. Together they track down the filmmakers behind Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, see the world’s largest dinosaur toy collection, and attempt to discover why everybody loves dinosaurs! Join the National Museum of Natural History for a film screening and discussion of Why Dinosaurs? Following the film, Sant Director Kirk Johnson moderates a conversation and audience Q&A with co-directors Tony and James Pinto, co-host of PBS Eons and University of Montana Collections Manager Kallie Moore, and Wyoming paleontologist and author Jessica…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: National Museum of Natural History (Ground Floor). Cost: Free; registration is required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/96890329/natural-history-on-the-big-screenwhy-dinosaurs-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:45 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. The Films of Joan Crawford
Resident Associate Program
At Hollywood’s height, Joan Crawford and Bette Davis reigned supreme among leading ladies. Though similar, they differed in their approaches to acting and in the types of roles they chose. In a spring series, film historian Max Alvarez leads a gloriously melodramatic journey through the volatile lives and unforgettable careers of two extraordinary stars. Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night—or two. This session focuses on Joan Crawford.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263434?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/263434?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
Adventures in the Louvre
Resident Associate Program
The Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world, attracting millions of visitors every year to view masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, the "Venus de Milo, " and other magnificent works. Elaine Sciolino, author of Adventures in the Louvre, goes beyond the building’s imposing walls to reveal a magical space full of secrets and stories and shares how anyone can forge an intimate connection with the museum. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263436?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/263436?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Storytime Studio: All in the Family
One time events
Creativity is vibrant on Wednesdays at Storytime Studio. Celebrate spring with your littlest artist. Every week offers a new adventure.
This week, we’ll explore artworks made by twin- artist duo OSGEMEOS in collaboration with their mother. Adult and child artists will explore textile materials and collaborate on their own mixed-media works with fabric, yarn, and cutout images.
Featured Book: On Mother’s Lap, by Ann Herbert Scott
Program Schedule
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience, with entry times at 10, 10:20, 10:40, and 11 AM. No registration is required. Visitors receive their entry time upon arrival.
10 AM–noon: Open play (felt, blocks, sketching)
10:20 AM: Read-aloud #1 in Art School
10:30 AM: Art-making begins
10:50 AM: Gallery tour #1
11:20 AM: Read-aloud #2 in Art School
11:30 AM: Art-making begins
11:50 AM: Gallery tour #2
Meet in the Hirshhorn Art School on the Lower Level. ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Join us at the Hirshhorn Art School for Storytime Studio—a captivating blend of play,…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Mini Art Lesson: Clothing Composition.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Free weekly tours of the Enid A. Haupt Garden are offered every Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. from April 30 through September 26, 2025, weather permitting.
Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the tour sign near the northwest entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, Meet at the northwest entrance to the garden on Jefferson Drive, SW. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Girls of the Night
Films
In this '60s Japanese drama, director Kinuyo Tanaka explored the reformation of sex workers. The film follows Kuniko (Hisako Hara), an escort who enters a rehabilitation center after the Prostitution Prevention Law prohibits her line of work. But creating a new life proves treacherous—wherever Kuniko goes, the past seems to catch up with her. In once again taking on challenging subject matter, Tanaka paints an empathetic portrait of a fragile community of untamed outcasts. Description adapted from Janus Films.
(Dir.: Kinuyo Tanaka, Japan, 1961, 93 min. DCP, Japanese with English subtitles), Image courtesy of Janus Films.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://nmaamatinees.eventive.org/films. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible. Captioning.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Easter Island
Resident Associate Program
The instantly recognizable moai statues of remote Easter Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, pay silent tribute to the extraordinary seafaring skills of Polynesian migrants and their stewardship of an ecologically fragile island. The rediscovery of Easter Island by Western explorers in the modern era has led to debates about how its original settlers reached such a distant location and carved and transported such large statues. Historian Justin M. Jacobs explains how these giant statues came to dominate the most remote inhabited island in the world.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263342?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/263342?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
Spring at Longwood Gardens
Resident Associate Program
For 115 years, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, has stood as one of the world’s leading collections of plants, showcasing botanical splendor and state-of-the-art glasshouses. Spring, when the gardens come alive with blooms and birds, is the perfect time to experience its beauty. Karl Gercens, Longwood’s conservatory manager, leads a specially arranged curator’s tour of the outdoor gardens of this historic du Pont property, where azaleas, poppies, and a host of flowering shrubs greet the season.
Event Location: Departs Mayflower Hotel, DeSales St side 1127 Connecticut Ave NW. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263399?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 8:00 AM – 8:30 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
History of Western Architecture
Resident Associate Program
Tracing the history of Western architecture is like looking back at a long trail of footprints in the sand. Each step marks a particular moment of the journey, just as architectural movements and styles mark distinct moments in Western history. By examining four historical periods in Western architecture, Rocky Ruggiero, an architectural historian and expert in Renaissance art, traces the development of architectural styles, traditions, trends, and forms beginning in the ancient world and continuing through to the present day. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263343?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/263343?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Sketch Break
One-Time Events
Join us for a sketching session in our galleries. Create, connect and sketch with fellow artists while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection. Participants can expect guided instruction from an artist educator before heading into the galleries to sketch on their own. Open to all skill levels, ages 18 and up. All materials will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring their own sketchbooks.
Event Location: In the Galleries. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-sketch-break-tickets-991180235767?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. A Journey in Artistic Practice
Resident Associate Program
Explore your world and record what interests you by discovering many ways to communicate through art. Then create 60 sketches in your sketchbook.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263079?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/263079?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Science on a Sphere
One-Time Events
Come explore our blue planet with NMNH Ocean Educators. Through NOAA’s Science on a Sphere technology, you’ll encounter a series of interactive visualizations projected on the Sant Ocean Hall’s giant globe. Watch sea turtles migrate coast to coast, track ships through global waters in real-time, explore the changing climate patterns shaping our planet, and much more!
Photo credit: Jennifer Renteria, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Take 5: Jazz at SAAM with Kenny Rittenhouse
One-Time Events
Celebrate a uniquely American art form with Take 5: Jazz at SAAM, a series of free, live performances in the Kogod Courtyard. With a music career spanning 30 years, trumpeter Kenny Rittenhouse has performed with a variety of groups such as the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra. He is an educator, serving as an adjunct professor of jazz trumpet at both George Mason University and Morgan State University. Kenny and his quintet, the Kenny Rittenhouse Ensemble, will perform a dynamic blend of classic and modern jazz with soulful R&B influences.
Borrow a board game to play during the concert and stop by the Courtyard Café to purchase refreshments.
Image credit: Ron Rittenhouse.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Kogod Courtyard. Cost: Free | Registration encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1SmSX.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
A History of Catalan Cuisine: From the Middle Ages to Molecular Gastronomy
Resident Associate Program
As a leader in food and gastronomic excellence, Catalonia on Spain’s Iberian peninsula boasts a cuisine that reflects its rich history, stunning landscapes, the vibrant people, and their enduring customs. Paul Freedman, Chester D. Tripp professor of History at Yale University, discusses the evolution of Catalan cuisine and how the region created the most influential culinary trends of the 21st century.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263437?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/263437?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Conversation Circles
One-Time Events
Calling all English-language learners – Join National Portrait Gallery educators and friends from all over the world to learn about U.S. art, history and culture through portraiture. Meet new friends, learn about different cultures and practice your English. For more information, email Beth Evans at evansb@si.edu.
Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. No Registration Required.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
The National Zoo’s Bird House: Close-up on Avian Conservation
Resident Associate Program
Soar into the fascinating world of North American shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds at the Bird House in the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. In three indoor walk-through aviaries, visitors are surrounded by migratory birds as they explore realistic re-creations of key habitats that support them during their annual cycle. Brian Evans, an ornithologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and members of the Bird House’s animal-care team lead an exploration of the exhibitions and discuss the science that informs bird conservation.
Event Location: Tour meets at Smithsonian Bird House Smithsonian National Zoo. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263362?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:30 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. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
For more info visit gardens.si.edu. Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
DC | Close Look: Making a Statement
One-Time Events
Curator Anya Montiel (Mestiza/Tohono O'odham descent) offers a close look at the museum’s special installation Making a Statement, featuring custom Gucci gowns worn by actress Lily Gladstone (Siksikaitsitapi [Blackfeet]/Nimiipuu [Nez Perce]) at the 96th Academy Awards. Then join Montiel and one of our museum educators to get hands-on and learn more about different types of quillwork in the museum’s Teaching Collection.
Image: Photos by Norwood Photography for the National Museum of the American Indian.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 3: "Making a Statement" special installation. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Making a Statement.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Give 'Em the Boot: Wines from the Foot of Italy
Resident Associate Program
The southern regions of Italy produce some of the most exquisite warm-climate wines that channel the essence of the Mediterranean. From Puglia (the heel), Basilicata (the instep), Calabria (the toe), and Sicily (“kicked” by the boot), this sampling of delicious wines invites you to step up and learn to drink like an Italian sommelier with the help of sommelier Erik Segelbaum.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263297?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/263297?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Pol Pot Dancing
Films
In Person: Sophiline Cheam, choreographer; Toni Shapiro-Phim, cultural anthropologist and dance ethnologist.
Watch the trailer
This documentary frames the long reach and heavy weight of history through the multigenerational lineage of classical Cambodian dance.
Chea Samy, a star dancer at the Cambodian royal court, lovingly raises her husband’s little brother as her own son, who she later discovers has become the Khmer Rouge’s violent leader, Pol Pot. As one of the only dancers to survive the regime’s brutal genocide, Samy returns to Phnom Penh determined to preserve the knowledge of traditional dance. One of her first pupils, Sophiline Cheam, continues to bear this lineage by teaching and choreographing historically relevant, site-specific dances for a classical Cambodian dance ensemble.
Archival and contemporary footage trace the transformative resilience of these culture-bearers as they channel embodied memory toward historical redemption. Description courtesy of the San Francisco Dance Film Festival.…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/screening-pol-pot-dancing-tickets-1330432502429?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible. Captioning.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Malcolm X at 100: A Commemoration of His Life and Legacy
One-Time Events
In celebration of Malcolm X's 100th anniversary of his birth, the Museum will host an evening dedicated to honoring one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. The event will feature powerful poetry, inspiring music, and insightful conversation as we pay tribute to Malcolm's life journey from Malcolm Little to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, highlighting the bold vision he held for civil rights and self-determination. The evening will feature poet Sonia Sanchez and composer Terrence Blanchard, followed by a dynamic post-performance dialogue. This commemorative program reflects on a legacy that continues to influence the ongoing pursuit of civil rights around the world. Event Photo: "A pamphlet about Malcolm X (circa 1965)." From the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the family of Dr. Maurice Jackson and Laura Ginsburg.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Oprah Winfrey Theater. Cost: Free, Registration is Required.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 7:30 PM – 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.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Open Studio: Amuse-ing Creativity
One time events
Celebrate springtime with vibrant opportunities for artistic expression every weekend in May at Open Studio. Together we will explore how artists collaborate, build, and grow to redefine art across mediums and break artistic boundaries. We’ll also discover the work of groundbreaking artists including Hiroshi Sugimoto, OSGEMEOS, and Aliza Nisenbaum.
At this Saturday’s Open Studio, we’ll challenge you to find your family muse. We will explore collaborations between artist duo (and twin brothers) OSGEMEOS and their mother. Then, taking inspiration from colorfully patterned latch-hook rug artworks, we’ll experiment with creating our own textiles and wearables. Get ready to experiment with yarn, sequins, fabrics, and more to bring your own collaborative works of art to life!
Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in and explore modern and contemporary art through interactive, hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Open Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Weave it Together.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Tracing Jewish History: From Yemen to Yorkshire
Resident Associate Program
The known trajectory of Jewish history begins in ancient Israel, continues through 2, 000 years of Diaspora, and then reaches the two major events of the 20th century: the Holocaust and the establishment of the state of Israel. Within those years of Diaspora are little-known stories of Jewish communities that are well worth attention. Biblical scholar and historian Gary Rendsburg of Rutgers University leads a fascinating virtual tour across time and place to explore several of these surprising outposts including Hellenistic Egypt; Arabia; lands of the Roman and Holy Roman Empires; and medieval England.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263379?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/263379?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Blue Star Museum Celebration
One-Time Events
Join us as we celebrate the National Museum of American History's designation as a Blue Star Museum. We join nearly 2,000 institutions in this national initiative that welcomes military families to museums, and we'll be recognizing Blue Star Families from local chapters during a day of connection, discovery, and appreciation open to the public. Stop by the info desk to check on a time for our docent-led experiences in our Price of Freedom military history galleries (throughout the day).
The National Museum of American History welcomes visitors of all ages and abilities. This event is wheelchair accessible. ASL services, captioning, and assistive listening devices will be provided. Additional accommodations are available upon request; please email nmahprograms@si.edu. Two weeks’ notice is preferred.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Check info desks, 1 and 2 Center. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: The Price of Freedom: Americans at War. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM.
Painted Embroidery Workshop
Resident Associate Program
Create a simple but charming embroidered painting. First paint fabric in the hoop with acrylic paint and then use a variety of stitches and beads to embellish your image.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263080?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/263080?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X - A Storytime with Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz
One-Time Events
Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Malcolm X’s birth with a special Storytime featuring Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, author, activist, and daughter of Malcolm X. Dr. Shabazz will read from her acclaimed children’s book Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X, sharing the inspiring story of her father’s early life and the foundations of his enduring legacy. Following the reading, Tulani Salahu-Din, NMAAHC Museum Specialist of Language and Literature, will lead an engaging conversation exploring themes of resilience, family, and identity.
Book sales will be available following the program courtesy of Smithsonian Enterprises. Event Photo: Malcolm Little book cover, courtesy of Simon & Schuster.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Oprah Winfrey Theater. Cost: Free, Registration is Required.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
Charles Covington presents Ragtime and Stride Piano 12 Noon & 2 PM
One-Time Events
Pianist Charles Covington will perform discuss ragtime and stride music evolving from the 19th century, influenced by honky-tonk pianists, minstrel-show songs, African American banjo styles and syncopated dance rhythms. Ragtime music emerged from African American communities in the South after the Civil War and gained popularity during the Gilded Age in the 1890s. This music is exhibited in the performance repertoire of Scott Joplin, Eubie Blake, Tom Turpin, James P. Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton, and Art Tatum.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Third Floor West, Taubman Hall of Music. Cost: Free, 1st Come first served.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Many Shades of Wow: Glasses to Creative Fashion
One-Time Events
Join artist Rain Young for an exciting wearable art workshop! Transform ordinary sunglasses or personality glasses into bold fashion statements. Learn to paint, decorate, and design unique shades that reflect your style. All supplies, including glasses, are provided—just bring your creativity! Participants will learn: Preparation techniques for painting and decorating glasses. , Tips on color coordination, patterns, and embellishments. , How to turn functional eyewear into expressive wearable art.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/many-shades-of-wow-glasses-to-creative-fashion-tickets-1272634085809?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Words and Music: Malcolm X’s Legacy in Verse and Sound
One-Time Events
Experience Malcolm X's enduring influence through spoken word and live jazz in this dynamic program presented in partnership with the American Poetry Museum. Hosted by poet Brandon D. Johnson, the event features performances by acclaimed poets Sasa Aakil, Kenneth Carroll, and Laini Mataka. Jazz musician Pepe Gonzales leads the musical accompaniment along with William Knowles and Greg C. Halloway, weaving together rhythm, verse, and memory in celebration of Malcolm’s vision. Event Photo: "Untitled circa 1962 (Malcolm X at Michaux's Bookstore - Looking Down)." From the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, courtesy of Yoors Family and L. Parker Stephenson Gallery.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Oprah Winfrey Theater. Cost: Free; Registration is Required.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Charles Covington presents Ragtime and Stride Piano 12 Noon & 2 PM
One-Time Events
Pianist Charles Covington will perform discuss ragtime and stride music evolving from the 19th century, influenced by honky-tonk pianists, minstrel-show songs, African American banjo styles and syncopated dance rhythms. Ragtime music emerged from African American communities in the South after the Civil War and gained popularity during the Gilded Age in the 1890s. This music is exhibited in the performance repertoire of Scott Joplin, Eubie Blake, Tom Turpin, James P. Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton, and Art Tatum.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Third Floor West, Taubman Hall of Music. Cost: Free, 1st Come first served.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Historically Speaking: Malcolm X and the Civil Rights Movement – A Conversation with Dr. Peniel E. Joseph
One-Time Events
Join historian Dr. Peniel E. Joseph for an engaging discussion about Malcolm X’s role in the Civil Rights Movement and the lasting impact of his ideas on leadership, activism, and political thought. This conversation will focus on Malcolm X’s evolving vision for global human rights and explore his connections and differences with contemporaries such as Martin Luther King Jr. and others.
A book signing and sale will be available following the program courtesy of Smithsonian Enterprises. Event Photo: "Martin and Malcolm," from the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Roderick Terry.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Warner Bros. Theater. Cost: Free; Registration is Required.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Virtual Beyond the Studio Workshop: Paper Flowers with Emily Paluska
One-Time Events
SOLD OUT
Emily Paluska of Revery Paper Flora returns with her popular paper flower making workshop. Participants learn the fundamentals of how to create one-of-a-kind plants and flowers.
Tickets include the cost of materials needed for the activity, instructions, and postage. Materials kits will be shipped to participants in advance of the program. Please note that space is limited for this program, and registration is required. Participants must register by 7 p.m. ET on May 4.
If you live outside of the United States, please contact SAAMPrograms@si.edu before registering.
Photo by Laura Metzler Photography.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Online via Zoom. Cost: SOLD OUT. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1Rte9. Accessibility: Captioning.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists – Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Frank Lloyd Wright: Masterworks in the Midwest
Resident Associate Program
Frank Lloyd Wright left an indelible signature on the American Midwest: a legacy of buildings that trace the arc of his career as one of world’s most significant and innovative architects. A 5-day tour led by Bill Keene, a lecturer in urban studies and architecture, offers a one-of-kind opportunity for a close-up look at a wide range of Wright’s designs in Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as visits to seminal works by other architects of the early and mid-20th century. (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/262313?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 6:00 PM – Thursday, May 22, 2025, 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, May 19, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Science on a Sphere
One-Time Events
Come explore our blue planet with NMNH Ocean Educators. Through NOAA’s Science on a Sphere technology, you’ll encounter a series of interactive visualizations projected on the Sant Ocean Hall’s giant globe. Watch sea turtles migrate coast to coast, track ships through global waters in real-time, explore the changing climate patterns shaping our planet, and much more!
Photo credit: Jennifer Renteria, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, May 19, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the National Portrait Gallery. Join educators every Monday to explore a new topic and different materials. Participants will look at art, enjoy hands-on activities, listen to music and participate in story time. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other. Our friends from DC Public Library will join us on the second Monday of each month for a special story time about the day’s theme.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Regsitration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Monday, May 19, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Church and Museum of San Lorenzo
Resident Associate Program
The Basilica of San Lorenzo is one of the largest, and most recognizable, churches in Florence, Italy. It was the parish church of the Medici family and features the historically defining dome covering the Medici Chapels that can be seen from across the city. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero highlights San Lorenzo’s treasures, including Brunelleschi’s Old Sacristy, decorations and sculptures by Donatello, the Laurentian Library by Michelangelo, the Medici Chapels, the New Sacristy, and the Chapel of the Princes. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263438?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/263438?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, May 19, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.