This
hCalendar-compliant page
is optimized for search engines. View this calendar as published at
music.si.edu.
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.
'Hands-on' Human Evolution
One-Time Events
Curious about what our ancestors used their hands for? Want to give an ape or a hominin a high-five? Come Join Amy Little, a master's student at The George Washington University, to get up close and hands-on with ancient hominin and modern primate hands and compare them to your own. Feel the differences between human hands, our extinct relatives like Neanderthals and Australopithecus, and our living primate cousins. Discover how hands help tell the story of tool use, climbing, creativity, and what it means to be human.
Presented by: Amy L. Little, MS Student, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology (CASHP) GWU
Image courtesy of Amy L. Little.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 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.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 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 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.
Making History: Building the National Museum of the American Latino Community Night
American Latino Museum
Note: the event times are Pacific Time, not Eastern Time.
Join the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes for a FREE, fun-filled evening to celebrate community storytelling and the preservation of family histories. Learn how the National Museum of the American Latino can build a museum that honors the dreams, challenges, and triumphs of U.S. Latinos, elevating our stories within the nation’s narrative. Light bites and refreshments will be available.
Event Highlights: Ongoing (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) “Try-It!” Tesoros and Tiliches: Preserving your Family Heritage — Learn how to prevent damage to your precious family heirlooms. , Interactive Tables — Meet local community-based organizations to learn about their work and resources. Scheduled: La Plática (7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) Los Angeles community leaders will join the National Museum of the American Latino to discuss their efforts to preserve local histories through art, community building, and foodways.…
Event Location: LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes (501 N Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012). Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/making-history-building-the-national-museum-of-the-american-latino-tickets-1339074270189.
Friday, May 16, 2025, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. 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 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 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. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/35794513/malcolm-x-at-100a-commemoration-of-his-life-and-legacy-washington-national-museum-of-african-american-history-culture-public-programs.
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.
NY | Hands On: Celebrate Hawaiian Culture
One-Time Events
In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, join museum educators in the imagiNATIONS Activity Center for hands-on activities related to Hawaiian culture. Stop by the imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom to learn about the process used by Native Hawaiians to create kapa, cloth made from paper mulberry tree bark, or wauke. Chat with educators, learn about the tools used to create kapa, and as a keepsake, stamp a bag with kapa designs to take home.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 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.
Empowering Voices: Spanish-Language Research Talks at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
One-Time Events
English Description of the Program
The Empowering Voices program offers scientific talks in Spanish at the National Museum of Natural History to bring science closer to Spanish-speaking audiences. In the third talk, Dr. Susette Castañeda Rico shows how studying museum specimens of mice, foxes, and bats —including little-known, widespread, and extinct species— reveals crucial information about evolution, biodiversity, and conservation through techniques such as morphology and genomics.
Presented by: Susette Castañeda Rico, Postdoctoral Fellow, National Zoological Park
This program will be presented in Spanish. Image credit: Sally Bornbusch, Spanish Description of the Program / Descripción del Programa en Español
Empowering voices: Cajones que guardan tesoros: Lo que los ejemplares de museo nos revelan sobre la evolución de los mamíferos.
El programa Empowering Voices ofrece charlas científicas en español en el National Museum of Natural History para acercar la ciencia al público hispanohablante. En la…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Mammal Hall Theater. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:00 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. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/53055468/malcolm-littlethe-boy-who-grew-up-to-become-malcolm-x-a-storytime-with-drilyasah-shabazz-washington-national-museum-of-african-american-history-culture-public-programs.
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 Maria Fernanda, the event features performances by acclaimed poets Sasa Aakil and Kenneth Carroll. 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. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/82159857/words-and-musicmalcolm-xs-legacy-in-verse-and-sound-washington-national-museum-of-african-american-history-culture-public-programs.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 1:15 PM – 2:15 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.
NY | Hands On: Celebrate Hawaiian Culture
One-Time Events
In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, join museum educators in the imagiNATIONS Activity Center for hands-on activities related to Hawaiian culture. Stop by the imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom to learn about the process used by Native Hawaiians to create kapa, cloth made from paper mulberry tree bark, or wauke. Chat with educators, learn about the tools used to create kapa, and as a keepsake, stamp a bag with kapa designs to take home.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 2:00 PM – 4:00 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.
The program will be presented at the Warner Bros. Theater at the National Museum of American History.
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 at the National Museum of American History. Cost: Free; Registration is Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/33553439/historically-speakingmalcolm-x-and-the-civil-rights-movement-washington-national-museum-of-african-american-history-culture-public-programs.
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.
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 20, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
When Imagination Began
One-Time Events
We humans are great at recognizing and expressing the things we see around us. Whether it is hearing a dog bark, seeing footprints in the snow, smelling your favorite food, your mind knows what it is. We can even imagine things we have never seen before. When did humans start to do this? Come and find out!
Presented by: Taylor Mitchell, MS, The George Washington University
Image courtesy of Taylor Mitchell.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
African American Artists and the Federal Art Project
Resident Associate Program
The New Deal art projects were created to provide financial relief to artists in the form of employment during the Depression. By design, the Federal Art Project (FAP) was intended to be race-blind, so many Black artists hoped these programs would redress their chronic disadvantages. Art historian Mary Ann Calo argues that although FAP administrators sought to address the needs of the Black artistic community, the impact was undermined by their unwillingness to address the consequences of institutional discrimination and systemic racism. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263467?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/263467?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
The Ocean Around Us Tour
One-Time Events
Explore the Sant Ocean Hall to learn about some of the exciting animals and habitats featured and how they are connected to your everyday life no matter where you live. This is a 30-minute interactive walking tour where you can meet a North Atlantic Right Whale, find out what is the most productive marine ecosystem, touch coral, and so much more.
Registration is required for this small group tour of up to 10 people. Each visitor may bring up to 3 guests, but the total number of visitors on the tour will be capped at 10.
Photo by Phillip R. Lee, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall, Under the Large Jellyfish. Cost: Free. Registration is required. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
The Changing Face of Television: YouTube, Bingeing, Streaming, and Beyond
Resident Associate Program
Watching television used to be a fairly simple enterprise: You turned on the set, selected one of 500 channels, and enjoyed your program. Now, more and more viewers are canceling cable television, preferring to watch online-only channels. An entire generation of younger viewers has given up on the TV set in favor of their laptops and phones. Drawing on video clips, media historian Brian Rose explains why the old days of simply “watching TV” are fast disappearing.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263468?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/263468?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
The Films of Bette Davis
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 Bette Davis.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263435?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/263435?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
Major Discoveries in Rome and Pompeii
Resident Associate Program
The last 30 years have seen an abundance of striking archaeological discoveries in Rome and Pompeii. C. Brian Rose, a professor of Mediterranean archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, examines how the appearance of these cities changed during the Republic and early Empire and how their residents prepared for religious festivals, dinner parties, and gladiatorial games. He also reviews how the explorations of Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum have had a lasting impact on European and American culture.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263469?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/263469?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
In Slavery’s Wake Highlights Tour
One-Time Events
Learn about the freedom-making practices of Black communities navigating both the histories and the legacies of racial slavery and colonialism. Through powerful artifacts, stories, and interactive displays, this immersive exhibition invites visitors into a global conversation on the continued impacts of slavery and colonialism.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets in the In Slavery’s Wake exhibition, located on Concourse Level C. Morning tour programs take place at 10:15 AM and 11:30 AM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 9:45 AM – 12:45 PM.
Storytime Studio: Spin and Sway
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’re teaming up with an educator from the Washington Ballet to find joyful opportunities to express your best self! This week, we’ll explore the painting Mis Cuatro Gracias (Brendan, Camilo, Carlos, Jorge) (2018) by artist Aliza Nisenbaum. Adult and child artists will explore how the body moves and create their own group portraits with photos and colorfully painted patterns.
Featured Book: Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae
Program Schedule
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience, with entry times at 10 AM and 11 AM. No registration is required. Visitors receive their entry time upon arrival. Depending on availability, you may be asked to enjoy the galleries prior to your start time. 10 AM–noon: Open play (felt, blocks, sketching) , 10:20 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…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Mini Art Lesson: Illumination Station.
Wednesday, May 21, 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 21, 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 21, 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 21, 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 21, 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.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
The Fragmented Image: Pointillism from Georges Seurat to Chuck Close
Resident Associate Program
Pointillism, the painting form based on tiny dots of color used by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, found only a few followers because of its slow and fastidious method of precision work. It was, however, embraced at times by painters including the Cubists, Matisse, and contemporary artists such as Chuck Close. Art historian Joseph P. Cassar surveys the development of Pointillism as a technique and artistic movement. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263470?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/263470?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Double Take: Pictures of Belonging
One-Time Events
SOLD OUT
In this gallery talk, learn more about the World War II-era works of artist Hisako Hibi with Melissa Ho, curator of twentieth-century art at SAAM, and Noriko Sanefuji, museum specialist at the National Museum of American History. These paintings, featured in the exhibition Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo, were created by Hibi when she and thousands of other Japanese Americans were incarcerated in government-run camps due to their heritage.
This program is part of the Double Take series where Smithsonian specialists from different disciplines team up to talk about artworks from SAAM’s collection.
Image credit: Hisako Hibi, Floating Clouds, 1944, oil on canvas, 19 1/16 × 23 × 1 1/2 in. (48.4 × 58.4 × 3.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the American Women's History Initiative Acquisitions Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, 2023.6.1, © 2024, Ibuki Hibi Lee.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in G Street Lobby. Cost: SOLD OUT. Related Exhibition: Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 5:30 PM.
The Olmec Culture: Monuments, Masterpieces, and Mysteries
Resident Associate Program
The Olmec culture on Mexico’s southern gulf coast, best known for creating colossal stone heads more than 3, 000 years ago, produced other distinctive artworks in a variety of materials. It also has left some of the earliest evidence of urban planning in North America and of a system of numbering and of glyphic writing. Cultural historian George Scheper explores the archaeological and sculptural wonders of the Olmec, along with their role in shaping the culture of Mesoamerica.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263380?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/263380?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:15 PM.
Women Architects at Work: Making American Modernism
Resident Associate Program
In the decades preceding World War II, professional architecture schools enrolled increasing numbers of women, but career success did not come easily. Architectural historians Mary Anne Hunting and Kevin D. Murphy tell the stories of the resilient, resourceful women who surmounted barriers of sexism, racism, and classism to take on crucial roles in the establishment and growth of Modernism across the United States.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263401?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/263401?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
ONLINE: Reflections on Captivity
One-Time Events
Sixty years ago this fall, Lt. (j.g.) Porter Halyburton’s McDonnell F-4B Phantom was struck by anti-aircraft artillery while flying over North Vietnam. The pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Stan Olmstead, was killed, and Halyburton, the Radar Intercept Officer, ejected over enemy territory. Halyburton spent most of his seven years, four months as a POW in Hỏa Lò prison, infamously known as the Hanoi Hilton. Despite the physical and mental torture, meager diet, and inadequate medical care that characterized life for the POWs, Halyburton and the hundreds of American pilots and aviators being held at the prison formed a community, supporting each other and creating bonds that lasted long past their release in 1973.
Tune in as Halyburton delivers a candid talk about his seven years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.
Event Location: Online (YouTube). Cost: Free with registration. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Captioning.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Reflections on Captivity
One-Time Events
Sixty years ago this fall, Lt. (j.g.) Porter Halyburton’s McDonnell F-4B Phantom was struck by anti-aircraft artillery while flying over North Vietnam. The pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Stan Olmstead, was killed, and Halyburton, the Radar Intercept Officer, ejected over enemy territory. Halyburton spent most of his seven years, four months as a POW in Hỏa Lò prison, infamously known as the Hanoi Hilton. Despite the physical and mental torture, meager diet, and inadequate medical care that characterized life for the POWs, Halyburton and the hundreds of American pilots and aviators being held at the prison formed a community, supporting each other and creating bonds that lasted long past their release in 1973.
Join us as Halyburton delivers a candid talk about his seven years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.
Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Airbus IMAX Theater. Cost: Free with registration. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 8:00 PM – 9:00 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 22, 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 22, 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 22, 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 22, 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 22, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Keeping Up With Human Evolution
One-Time Events
The study of human origins is changing rapidly, not only in what we know but in how we come to know it. Much of our knowledge about early humans has come from slow, painstaking study, but this field also holds plenty of surprises based on new evidence and new methods. What can a mere science-adjacent writer do to help the interested public keep track of it all?
Sandra J. Ackerman, a Contributing Editor to American Scientist Magazine, will discuss some of the challenges and rewards that come with writing about human evolution for nonspecialist readers.
Moderator: Briana Pobiner, paleoanthropologist and educator at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
This program is part of the ongoing HOT (Human Origins Today) Topic series and will be presented as a Zoom video webinar. A link will be emailed to all registrants.
Photo credit: Chip Clark/Smithsonian Institution.
Event Location: Online; Internet connection required. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/48108999/keeping-up-with-human-evolution-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Accessibility: Captioning.
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. In Slavery’s Wake Highlights Tour
One-Time Events
Learn about the freedom-making practices of Black communities navigating both the histories and the legacies of racial slavery and colonialism. Through powerful artifacts, stories, and interactive displays, this immersive exhibition invites visitors into a global conversation on the continued impacts of slavery and colonialism.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets in the In Slavery’s Wake exhibition, located on Concourse Level C. Afternoon tour programs take place at 1:15 PM and 2:30 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur.
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 1:15 PM – 3:45 PM.
Eye-Popping Art: Tours for People with Colorblindness
One-Time Events
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a docent-led tour of highlights from the museum’s collection using museum-provided, colorblind correcting glasses that bring the vibrancy of these works to life.
Image credit: Photo by Mary Tait.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1T1Ef.
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 5:30 PM.
Lincoln's Peace: The Struggle to End the Civil War
Resident Associate Program
Historian Michael Vorenberg examines the complex aftermath of the Civil War, challenging the assumption that the conflict concluded with Lee’s surrender. He surveys the bloody and turbulent period following Appomattox—characterized by guerrilla warfare, insurgency, political upheaval, and the evolving meaning of freedom. He concludes that the peace Lincoln envisioned required many endings, the most significant of which came well over a year after his death.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263472?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/263472?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Little Goddesses and Burial Mounds: Earthly Religions in Early India
Resident Associate Program
Two thousand years ago in northern India, artisans fabricated beautiful diminutive terracotta female figurines in great abundance, sculptors carved colossal stone deities they called yakshas (male) and yakshis (female), and Buddhists began to decorate the burial mounds holding the relics of their founding teachers with exuberant narrative and symbolic sculptures. Richard Davis, a professor emeritus of religion, delves into the world of the flourishing popular religious cultures of India in the centuries from 200 B.C.E. to the year 100.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263471?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/263471?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 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 22, 2025, 11:00 PM – Friday, May 23, 2025, 12:00 AM.
In Slavery’s Wake Highlights Tour
One-Time Events
Learn about the freedom-making practices of Black communities navigating both the histories and the legacies of racial slavery and colonialism. Through powerful artifacts, stories, and interactive displays, this immersive exhibition invites visitors into a global conversation on the continued impacts of slavery and colonialism.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets in the In Slavery’s Wake exhibition, located on Concourse Level C. Morning tour programs take place at 10:15 AM and 11:30 AM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur.
Friday, May 23, 2025, 9:45 AM – 12:45 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 23, 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 23, 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 23, 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/263363?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, May 23, 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 23, 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 23, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
DC | Caring for Textiles
One-Time Events
Join the museum’s textile conservation team to learn how the 48 fiber artworks featured in Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay were prepared for display. Textile Conservator Susan Heald, and Mellon Fellow in Textile Conservation Olga Calvo Díaz, will share how they worked together and with Diné artist DY Begay. Our conservators will demonstrate conservation techniques with prop textiles and point out examples in the gallery. Audience participation is welcome, but capacity is limited. Free registration is required.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 3, "Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay". Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://eventactions.com/eareg.aspx?ea=Rsvp&invite=015y6kwfuvmc5ye8yjpe1hayedstv6f0mkfukmhkprnkfksjufhw. Related Exhibition: Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay.
Friday, May 23, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:30 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.
Friday, May 23, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
From Shepherd to Hero: The Artistic Evolution of David
Resident Associate Program
The figure of David has long captivated artists and audiences, embodying faith, heroism, and the potential of the human spirit. From the Middle Ages to the Baroque era, his image undergoes a fascinating transformation—from symbolic, stylized depictions to a dynamic, humanized hero. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo examines key works by masters such as Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini, showcasing how each reimagines David and reflects centuries of artistic innovation and cultural change. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263473?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/263473?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, May 23, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Art Bites Gallery Talk
One-Time Events
Join SAAM’s research fellows for this lunchtime series of gallery talks as they share new discoveries about artworks on view. Learn the stories behind these objects and what each one tells us about the diverse cultural landscape of the United States. Rachel Tang, Betsy James Wyeth Predoctoral Fellow in Native American Art, discusses a work by Shan Goshorn in the exhibition The Shape of Power.
*Please be advised that artist Shan Goshorn (Eastern Band of Cherokee) intentionally titled this work with a slur.
Image credit: Shan Goshorn, Squaw, 2018, arches watercolor paper splints printed with archival inks, artificial sinew, copper frame, Photo: David Stover © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: In-person | Smithsonian American Art Museum. Cost: Free | Meet in G Street Lobby.
Friday, May 23, 2025, 12:15 PM – 12:45 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 23, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. In Slavery’s Wake Highlights Tour
One-Time Events
Learn about the freedom-making practices of Black communities navigating both the histories and the legacies of racial slavery and colonialism. Through powerful artifacts, stories, and interactive displays, this immersive exhibition invites visitors into a global conversation on the continued impacts of slavery and colonialism.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets in the In Slavery’s Wake exhibition, located on Concourse Level C. Afternoon tour programs take place at 1:15 PM and 2:30 PM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur.
Friday, May 23, 2025, 1:15 PM – 3:45 PM.
DC | Caring for Textiles
One-Time Events
Join the museum’s textile conservation team to learn how the 48 fiber artworks featured in Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay were prepared for display. Textile Conservator Susan Heald, and Mellon Fellow in Textile Conservation Olga Calvo Díaz, will share how they worked together and with Diné artist DY Begay. Our conservators will demonstrate conservation techniques with prop textiles and point out examples in the gallery. Audience participation is welcome, but capacity is limited. Free registration is required. .
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 3, "Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay". Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://eventactions.com/eareg.aspx?ea=Rsvp&invite=gv11azn1ut15h587w6ddfrjw9fxag2x7x282bcctgb7abruwbfyj. Related Exhibition: Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay.
Friday, May 23, 2025, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
National Mall Bird Walk
One-Time Events
As we have since 2022, the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum will host spring bird walks on the National Mall and Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Garden. We are teaming up with DC Bird Alliance, so gather your family and friends and join us for some fun as we celebrate nature in the Nation’s Capital — no experience or equipment required.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Steps to main entrance of the National Museum of Natural History at Madison Drive NW and 10th Street (south side on the Mall). Cost: Free. Registration is required. Register. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/68323933/national-mall-bird-walk-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Related Events: Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Garden Bird Walk, May 31st. Related Exhibition: Birds of DC, Ground Floor.
Saturday, May 24, 2025, 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM.
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 24, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Open Studio: Art Is Better Together
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.
This week, we’ll challenge you to incorporate community into your art. Inspired by artist Aliza Nisenbaum, we will experiment with bright colors and lively composition to create vivid scenes that reflect togetherness with friends and family.
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 art-making. Activities are designed…
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: Earth Sermon: Beauty, Love, and Peace .
Saturday, May 24, 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 24, 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 24, 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 24, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
NMAAHC Kids Story Time: Rocket Says Look Up!
One-Time Events
NMAAHC Kids Story Time: Rocket Says Look Up! Designed for ages 4-8 and adult caregivers
Reach for the stars with NMAAHC Kids! During this program we’ll learn about planets, stars and astronauts as we read Rocket Says Looks Up! by Nathan Byron, visit NMAAHC's futuristic Mothership and create a galaxy-inspired collage.
Program Schedule:
10:30 am - 12:45 pm: Ongoing Create & Explore Time
10:45 am & 11:45 am: Read Alouds
11:30 am & 12:30 pm: Children’s Gallery Tours, featuring Afro-futuristic objects in the Museum!
Questions? Email us at NMAAHCEarlyChildhood@si.edu.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor Classrooms. Cost: FREE, registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/95071875/nmaahc-kids-story-timerocket-says-look-up-washington-national-museum-of-african-american-history-culture-early-childhood-education.
Saturday, May 24, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:45 PM.
Drop-in Arts & Crafts: Flowers Galore
One-Time Events
Mark your calendar to drop by the museum for arts and crafts. Grab someone and come! Bring the whole family out to create flower-themed cards, posters, and more.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/drop-in-arts-crafts-flowers-galore-tickets-1272623965539?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, May 24, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
CANCELLED - 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 24, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. 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 25, 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 25, 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 25, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
CANCELLED - 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 25, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. DC | Service and Sacrifice
One-Time Events
On Memorial Day, honor Indigenous service members who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Hear from Native veterans, make prayer ties to remember loved ones, visit the exhibition Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces, and pay your respects during a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Native American Veterans Memorial. SCHEDULE, Level 4, Patrons Lounge, 10 AM–5 PM | Veterans Hospitality Suite, Veterans are invited to gather in this space for conversation or take a break from the day's events; seating and light refreshments provided. Level 3, imagiNATIONS Activity Center
10 AM–4 PM, Families are invited to visit the Activity Center throughout the day, museum educators will be on hand to help young learners use the play-based interactive experiences. Level 1, Potomac Atrium, 10 AM-5:30 PM | Information Tables and Exhibition, Office of Tribal Government Relations, United States Department of Veterans Affairs Veronica Duncan (San…
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 1: Potomac Atrium and Rasmuson Theater, Level 4: Patrons Lounge, Outdoors: National Native American Veterans Memorial. Cost: FREE. Related Exhibition: Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces.
Monday, May 26, 2025, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
For more info visit www.americanindian.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.
Monday, May 26, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
NMAAHC Kids at The National Zoo!
One-Time Events
NMAAHC Kids Celebrates Birds at The National Zoo! Designed for ages 0-5 and adult caregivers.
Play and learn with us on May 27th and 29th as we join our friends at the National Zoo to celebrate birds and birdwatching!
At the Zoo’s Bird House Classroom and Nature Play Space, enjoy an interactive read-aloud of Sparrow Loves Birds by Murry Burgess led by a NMAAHC Kids educator, create a bird art collage and explore hands-on bird activity stations. Plus, you can visit live birds throughout the Bird House!
Location: This program takes place at the NATIONAL ZOO (3001 Connecticut Ave. NW). Entry passes for the Zoo are required and free - get them here! Once inside, follow the Asia trail to meet us at the Bird House.
More Info: This program is a part of the National Zoo’s Little Critters Nature Play series.
Questions: Email the NMAAHC Kids team at NMAAHCEarlyChildhood@si.edu.
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: The Bird House Classroom at the National Zoo. Cost: FREE Zoo Entry Passes are required. Get Tickets/Register: https://secure.nationalzoo.si.edu/events?_gl=1*1mvt3kz*_gcl_au*MTk3OTU0MDMwNy4xNzQ0MjA1NTY2*_ga*MTA5MTA2NzQ5MS4xNzQ0MjA1NTY1*_ga_FZ22Y9JDR2*czE3NDY1MzIxODkkbzI0JGcxJHQxNzQ2NTMyMjg5JGowJGwwJGgw*_ga_2JEVMJZZBX*czE3NDY1MzIxODkkbzI0JGcxJHQxNzQ2NTMyMjg5JGowJGwwJGgw.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 9:30 AM – 1:30 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.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Birds!
One-Time Events
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
On Tuesday, May 27, we invite you to join us in celebrating birds and birdwatching! Together through play and art-making, families will engage in different ways to observe and record their own observations of birds they see outside (or even inside) the museum. Come and join us for a fun time learning through play and exploration!
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5), their caregivers, and families.
Location: This program is held in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, on the Ground Floor of the museum. Please enter through the Constitution Avenue entrance. Q?rius is located on the right as you enter the museum.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with advanced notice. However, accommodations may not be possible with…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center (Ground Floor). Cost: Free. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, May 27, 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 27, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. 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.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
The Neuroscience of Choice and Change
Resident Associate Program
Whether deciding on lunch or a career, changing our routines or other people’s minds, it can feel difficult to make the decisions that align with the things we care about. Neuroscientist Emily Falk, author of What We Value: The Neuroscience of Choice and Change, explains how we can work strategically with our brains to make more fulfilling choices by connecting our decisions with our core values, which can make us less defensive, broaden our curiosity through different perspectives, and spark innovation.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263400?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/263400?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM.
Storytime Studio: Sky Color
One time events
Creativity is in full bloom on Wednesdays at Storytime Studio. Celebrate spring with your littlest artist. Every week offers a new adventure.
This week: Explore new horizons! Join us on an adventure to paint a colorful sky. We’ll explore artworks in the exhibition OSGEMEOS: Endless Story that feature a never-ending horizon line. Then we’ll enjoy a read-aloud of Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds and create our own landscape art.
Featured Book: Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds
Program Schedule
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience, with entry times at 10 AM and 11 AM. No registration is required. Visitors receive their entry time upon arrival. Depending on availability, you may be asked to enjoy the galleries prior to your start time.
10 AM–noon: Open play (felt, blocks, sketching)
10:20 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…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the 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, May 28, 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 28, 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 28, 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 28, 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 28, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Resident Associate Program
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261691?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=273765.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261691?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=273766.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Resident Associate Program
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261702?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=273765.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261702?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=273766.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
King Tyrant: What We’ve Learned About Tyrannosaurus rex
Resident Associate Program
Tyrannosaurus rex is the world’s favorite dinosaur. Drawing on his book King Tyrant: A Natural History of Tyrannosaurus rex, Mark P. Witton discusses everything from the research history of T. rex to their anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, behavior, and extinction. He also addresses T. rex in popular culture, showing how our love for this dinosaur has both helped and hindered research.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263474?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/263474?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
The Fantastic Imagination of Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Resident Associate Program
Utagawa Kuniyoshi is one of the most creative print designers of the Edo period in Japan. He is known for his imaginative responses—including bizarre monstrous figures—to the censorship restrictions imposed by the military government. Kit Brooks, curator of Asian art at the Princeton University Art Museum, explores Kuniyoshi’s works and why they are so striking. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263475?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/263475?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
A. A. Milne and a Century of Winnie-the-Pooh
Resident Associate Program
One hundred years ago, A. A. Milne published a whimsical short story that introduced the world to a “bear of very little brain” called Winnie-the-Pooh. Today young readers remain captivated by Pooh, Christopher Robin, Eeyore, Kanga, Tigger, and Piglet. Celebrate the centenary of Winnie-the-Pooh as author Daniel Stashower delves into Milne’s life and legacy and actor Scott Sedar brings some of the writer’s beloved works to life.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263476?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/263476?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Saudi Arabia: An Overview of History
Resident Associate Program
Saudi Arabia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, a major player on the international stage, and the site of Islam’s two holiest cities. It is also one of the world’s few absolute monarchies. How did it become what it is today? Saudi specialist David Commins surveys the history of Saudi Arabia from oasis emirate to present-day attempts to leap to a post-petroleum economy.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263477?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/263477?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Virtual Lavender Literary Society Book Club
One-Time Events
Celebrate World Pride with SAAM and the American LGBTQ+ Museum for a special edition of their Lavender Literary Society book club. Join author and designer Jon Key for a discussion of Black, Queer, & Untold: A New Archive of Designers, Artists, and Trailblazers (2024). In his book that is part memoir and part history lesson, Key highlights influential artists, activists, political figures, writers, musicians and more from the nineteenth century to today. Kimberly Drew, author of This is What I Know About Art, leads the conversation. This program is presented in celebration of World Pride 2025, hosted in Washington, DC.
Image credit: Photo courtesy Jonathan Key.
Event Location: online. Cost: Free | Registration required at the American LGBTQ+ Museum site. Get Tickets/Register: https://americanlgbtqmuseum.org/event/may-lavender-literary-society-jon-key-x-kimberly-drew/?date=202505281900. Accessibility: Captioning.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 7:00 PM.
Did Venus Ever Have Oceans? (Exploring Space Lecture)
One-Time Events
Often called Earth's twin, there is much debate over Venus' status as a watery world: If Venus had oceans, where did all that water go? Join Rita Parai from Washington University in St. Louis as she explores the question "Did Venus Ever Have Oceans?" She will also discuss a current mission concept that hopes to return a sample of Venus's atmosphere for analysis here on Earth to further enhance our understanding of the planet Venus. Rita Parai is an assistant professor of geochemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. Her laboratory for high-precision noble gas isotopic analyses pursues high-precision measurements of isotopes in rocks to better understand the formation and evolution of planetary bodies. This lecture series is made possible by the generous support of Aerojet Rocketdyne: An L3Harris Technologies Company and United Launch Alliance.
Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Gallery 104. Cost: Free with registration. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
ONLINE: Did Venus Ever Have Oceans? (Exploring Space Lecture)
One-Time Events
Often called Earth's twin, there is much debate over Venus' status as a watery world: If Venus had oceans, where did all that water go? Join Rita Parai from Washington University in St. Louis as she explores the question "Did Venus Ever Have Oceans?" She will also discuss a current mission concept that hopes to return a sample of Venus's atmosphere for analysis here on Earth to further enhance our understanding of the planet Venus. Rita Parai is an assistant professor of geochemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. Her laboratory for high-precision noble gas isotopic analyses pursues high-precision measurements of isotopes in rocks to better understand the formation and evolution of planetary bodies. This lecture series is made possible by the generous support of Aerojet Rocketdyne: An L3Harris Technologies Company and United Launch Alliance.
Event Location: YouTube. Cost: Free with registration. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
NMAAHC Kids at The National Zoo!
One-Time Events
NMAAHC Kids Celebrates Birds at The National Zoo! Designed for ages 0-5 and adult caregivers.
Play and learn with us on May 27th and 29th as we join our friends at the National Zoo to celebrate birds and birdwatching!
At the Zoo’s Bird House Classroom and Nature Play Space, enjoy an interactive read-aloud of Sparrow Loves Birds by Murry Burgess led by a NMAAHC Kids educator, create a bird art collage and explore hands-on bird activity stations. Plus, you can visit live birds throughout the Bird House!
Location: This program takes place at the NATIONAL ZOO (3001 Connecticut Ave. NW). Entry passes for the Zoo are required and free - get them here! Once inside, follow the Asia trail to meet us at the Bird House.
More Info: This program is a part of the National Zoo’s Little Critters Nature Play series.
Questions: Email the NMAAHC Kids team at NMAAHCEarlyChildhood@si.edu.
Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: The Bird House Classroom at the National Zoo. Cost: FREE Zoo Entry Passes are required. Get Tickets/Register: https://secure.nationalzoo.si.edu/events?_gl=1*1mvt3kz*_gcl_au*MTk3OTU0MDMwNy4xNzQ0MjA1NTY2*_ga*MTA5MTA2NzQ5MS4xNzQ0MjA1NTY1*_ga_FZ22Y9JDR2*czE3NDY1MzIxODkkbzI0JGcxJHQxNzQ2NTMyMjg5JGowJGwwJGgw*_ga_2JEVMJZZBX*czE3NDY1MzIxODkkbzI0JGcxJHQxNzQ2NTMyMjg5JGowJGwwJGgw.
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 9:30 AM – 1:30 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 29, 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 29, 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 29, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Resident Associate Program
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261703?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=273765.
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261703?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=273766.
Thursday, May 29, 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.
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Resident Associate Program
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261705?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=273765.
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261705?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=273766.
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Identifying the Clouds
Resident Associate Program
The mystery of clouds has captivated scientists and artists alike. Atmospheric scientist Edward Graham draws on his new book, Clouds: How to Identify Nature’s Most Fleeting Forms, as he shares the meteorological techniques of nephology (the study of clouds and cloud formation) that offer skyward-gazers insights into these elusive and transmutable shapes. He also showcases artists who painted clouds from a scientific viewpoint, such as John Constable, Frederic Edwin Church, J.M.W. Turner, and Caspar David Friedrich.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263478?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/263478?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
Pride Gallery Talk
One-Time Events
Join a staff-led gallery talk with a focus on two works by LGBTQ+ artists represented in SAAM’s collection. Compare George Tooker’s enigmatic painting The Waiting Room (1959) with the mysterious narrative that unfolds in Night in Bologna (1958) by Paul Cadmus. This tour is offered in celebration of World Pride 2025, hosted in Washington, DC.
Image credit: Paul Cadmus, Night in Bologna, 1958, egg tempera on fiberboard, 50 3/4 x 35 in. (129.0 x 89.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1986.6.87.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in G Street lobby. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1iYDV.
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 2:30 PM.
Pride Gallery Talk
One-Time Events
Join a staff-led gallery talk with a focus on two works by LGBTQ+ artists represented in SAAM’s collection. Explore the symbolism in Joey Terrill’s still life A Bigger Piece (2008) and compare it to Lenore Chinn’s forthright portrait of gay identity, Land’s End (1987). This tour is offered in celebration of World Pride 2025, hosted in Washington, DC..
Image credit: Joey Terrill, A Bigger Piece, 2008, acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 36 × 60 × 1 1/2 in. (91.4 × 152.4 × 3.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2025.5, Image courtesy of the artist, Ortuzar, New York and Marc Selwyn Fine Arts, Los Angeles. Photo: Steven Probert. Artwork © Joey Terrill.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in G Street Lobby. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1iYQP.
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 5:30 PM.
The Complete(ish) History of Sculpture in One Lecture
Resident Associate Program
Can art history be an adrenaline sport? The answer is yes when art-history professor Noah Charney guides a rapid-fire survey of sculpture. He focuses on key technical and aesthetic developments and new ways of thinking about what three-dimensional art can be. He begins with prehistoric sculpture, speeds through the centuries, and crosses the finish line with modern and contemporary works, including digital sculpture. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263479?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/263479?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
How Animals Heal Themselves
Resident Associate Program
Ages before the dawn of modern medicine, wild animals were harnessing the power of nature’s pharmacy to heal themselves. Drawing on interviews with scientists from around the globe as well as his own research, biologist Jaap de Roode reveals what researchers are learning about such practices. Hear about apes who swallow leaves to dislodge worms, sparrows who use cigarette butts to repel parasites, and bees who incorporate sticky resin into their hives to combat pathogens.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263480?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/263480?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 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 30, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Story Time
One-Time Events
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas.
Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”.
Meet in the Museum Lobby.
If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g. ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact NPMprograms@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free ; no registration required.
Friday, May 30, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, May 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.
Friday, May 30, 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/263364?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, May 30, 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 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.
Friday, May 30, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Resident Associate Program
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261706?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=273765.
Friday, May 30, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261706?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=273766.
Friday, May 30, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Resident Associate Program
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261707?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=273765.
Friday, May 30, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Jojo's Backyard Safari
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 6. Join Jojo for this musical mini-travelogue that brings together science, math, literacy—and plenty of fun!
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/261707?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2024FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=273766.
Friday, May 30, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 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.
Friday, May 30, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. The Ocean Around Us Tour
One-Time Events
Explore the Sant Ocean Hall to learn about some of the exciting animals and habitats featured and how they are connected to your everyday life no matter where you live. This is a 30-minute interactive walking tour where you can meet a North Atlantic Right Whale, find out what is the most productive marine ecosystem, touch coral, and so much more.
Registration is required for this small group tour of up to 10 people. Each visitor may bring up to 3 guests, but the total number of visitors on the tour will be capped at 10.
Photo by Phillip R. Lee, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall, Under the Large Jellyfish. Cost: Free. Registration is required. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 30, 2025, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
Asia After Dark| Storytelling Through Performance
Performances
Tune in for this after-hours salon of performance storytelling, such as dance, theater, and public art. Through discussions and live performances, local and national talents will share how they tell their stories and express their full, authentic selves on stage.
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).
This event is part of our annual IlluminAsia Festival in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Join us for the entire weekend to continue celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month and World Pride!
Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival.
, Image: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, photo by Sonya Pencheva.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/illuminasia-asia-after-dark-storytelling-through-performance-tickets-1325501944999?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program.
Friday, May 30, 2025, 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM.
Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens Bird Walk
One-Time Events
As we have since 2022, the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum will host spring bird walks on the National Mall and Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. We are teaming up with DC Bird Alliance, so gather your family and friends and join us for some fun as we celebrate nature in the Nation’s Capital — no experience or equipment required.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Visitor Center (outside), 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20019. Cost: Free. Registration is required. Click here to register. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/59063230/kenilworth-park-and-aquatic-garden-bird-walk-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Related Events: National Mall Bird Walk, May 24th. Related Exhibition: Birds of DC, Ground Floor.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM.
In Slavery’s Wake Highlights Tour
One-Time Events
Learn about the freedom-making practices of Black communities navigating both the histories and the legacies of racial slavery and colonialism. Through powerful artifacts, stories, and interactive displays, this immersive exhibition invites visitors into a global conversation on the continued impacts of slavery and colonialism.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: Program meets in the In Slavery’s Wake exhibition, located on Concourse Level C. Morning tour programs take place at 10:15 AM and 11:30 AM. Cost: Free; walk-in
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 9:45 AM – 12:45 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 31, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Growing Community: Garden Friends I
One-Time Events
This will also be the first installment of our 3-part youth workshop series.
This will also be the first installment of our 3-part youth workshop series. In this session, students will use magnifying glasses to explore the garden/ Carver Trail and learn which animals and insects live there and their benefits. Students will also use recycled materials, leaves, branches, etc. to build an insect hotel for our garden friends.
All participating students must be accompanied by an adult. .
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/growing-community-garden-friends-i-tickets-1248179320949?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Growing Community: Legacies in Gardening
One-Time Events
Legacies in Gardening w/NMAI gardens Horticulturist- Christine Price Abelow In this workshop, we will discuss how locations and culture have influenced gardening methods. Through examining how gardening has evolved in diverse cultures, we will unpack the methods that have influenced the differences in the way people grow food.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/growing-community-the-past-present-and-future-of-acm-tickets-1248174887689?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Open Studio: New Horizons
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.
Sunny days are on the horizon! This weekend, join us at Art School as we take inspiration from landscape paintings by twin artists OSGEMEOS. Create your own landscape artwork and connect horizon lines to create an endless story.
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 art-making. Activities are designed to captivate…
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: Layered Landscapes.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Sound Scene 2025: Connected
One time events
FREE
Registration encouraged.
What is Sound Scene?
Sound Scene is the Washington, D.C. region’s premier, interactive sound and multi-sensory arts festival.
It is a free, all-ages celebration of sonic and sensory arts featuring artists from Washington, D.C. and around the world. 2025 Featured Artists and Works
INSTALLATIONS
Echo Nexus – David Cardona, Alvaro Morales, Anna Schwartz
Echo Nexus is an interactive installation driven by a custom icosahedron-shaped musical instrument. Audiences are invited to engage with these instruments for exploring collective expression of real-time music and visuals, building novel sensory experiences based on collaboration and collective interplay.
Touch – Katrin Enni
Touch by Katrin Enni is an interactive sonic installation inviting visitors to explore the intimate connection between gesture, sound, and invisible materiality. Through hand movements alone—tracked by camera-based sensors—participants sculpt and shape dynamic, electronic soundscapes in real-time. By…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Hirshhorn Museum. Cost: Free, Registration is encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/42979635/sound-scene-2025connected-washington-hirshhorn-museum-and-sculpture-garden.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 10:00 AM – 5:00 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 31, 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 31, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Finding the History in Shakespeare?s History Plays
Resident Associate Program
Shakespeare’s history plays are criticized by many today for their “unfair” or “non-historical” portrayals of some of England’s most famous figures. In a day-long seminar Tudor historian Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger dives into the world of the Henrys, Richards, and other rulers to examine these plays’ intent; how their author used English history and his imagination to tell stories that met his political and economic goals; and the ways these works continue to affect our understanding of history.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263381?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/263381?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, May 31, 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 31, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
NY | Hands On: Celebrate Hawaiian Culture
One-Time Events
In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, join museum educators in the imagiNATIONS Activity Center for hands-on activities related to Hawaiian culture. Stop by the imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom to learn about the process used by Native Hawaiians to create kapa, cloth made from paper mulberry tree bark, or wauke. Chat with educators, learn about the tools used to create kapa, and as a keepsake, stamp a bag with kapa designs to take home.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Contemporary Jazz Yoga
One-Time Events
Join us in a 1-hour yoga session to the sounds of Contemporary Jazz. Sessions are suitable for all levels, welcoming beginners, and experienced yogis alike. Ideal for those who enjoy the fusion of music and movement. Participants should wear clothing that allows for the ease of movement and expression. Bring a yoga mat and optionally, water or a towel to stay hydrated and comfortable throughout the class. The workshop is for ages 18 and over. The workshop is facilitated by Khepera Wellness. Spaces are very limited. Reserve your spot now. If for some reason you are not able to make it, please cancel your reservation so others can attend since we are only able to accommodate a limited number of spots for the comfortability of participants.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/contemporary-jazz-yoga-tickets-1333023361759?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Pride Family Festival
One-Time Events
Join SAAM and the National Portrait Gallery to celebrate World Pride. Enjoy performances by DC’s Different Drummers, GenOUT, the youth chorus of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, and GRIDLOCK Dance. Throughout the day, the curated music stylings of Les The DJ keep the creative energy high while participants enjoy hands-on craft activities. Celebrate LGBTQ+ artists represented in the museums’ collections with coloring sheets based on artworks, a scavenger hunt through the galleries, and a drop-in story time featuring biographies. This festival is presented in celebration of World Pride 2025, hosted in Washington, DC.
Image credit: Photo by Norwood Photography.
Venue: American Art Museum. Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Kogod Courtyard. Cost: Free | Registration encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR1iXKf. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM.
In-Gallery Portrait Signs
One-Time Events
Portrait Signs is a Deaf-led tour in American Sign Language. Tours explore portraiture, history and biography through the lens of our special exhibitions and permanent collection. Dates and topics are continually updated.
Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-signs-a-tour-in-asl-tickets-713964475967?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Just Write: Inspiring Book Writer’s Workshop
One-Time Events
Have you thought about writing a book and don’t know where to start? Have you started writing and have gotten stuck? If so, then this workshop is for you. Join us as Author Danielle N. Hall shares helpful tips and engages participants in a writing exercise taken from her 4-session course, Just Write. Supplies are provided. Danielle N. Hall is a published author, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and an overall people person. Her love for people is what inspires her writings, public speaking, and all that she does.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/just-write-inspiring-book-writers-workshop-tickets-1333026461029?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
CANCELLED - 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 31, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. NY | Hands On: Celebrate Hawaiian Culture
One-Time Events
In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, join museum educators in the imagiNATIONS Activity Center for hands-on activities related to Hawaiian culture. Stop by the imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom to learn about the process used by Native Hawaiians to create kapa, cloth made from paper mulberry tree bark, or wauke. Chat with educators, learn about the tools used to create kapa, and as a keepsake, stamp a bag with kapa designs to take home.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Teen Studio: Street Style, Part 1
One time events
Teens: Are you ready to level up your art? Join us for Teen Studio, a free art-making program exclusively for teens (ages 13–18). Push your artistic boundaries using materials and techniques inspired by the Hirshhorn Museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art. Each month, we’ll introduce new artists, materials, and opportunities for art-making!
Get ready to dive into the bold, boundary-breaking world of street art and graffiti! In this two-part workshop, we’ll take inspiration from iconic street and graffiti artists on view at the Hirshhorn, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Banksy, and OSGEMEOS.
Have you ever wondered how graffiti artists develop their distinct styles or instantly recognizable tags? In Part 1, we’ll explore how artists like OSGEMEOS create a unique street identity. Then you’ll practice graffiti lettering and symbols to create your own tag using stickers, magnets, and vinyl!
Although this program is designed to span two sessions on consecutive weekends, we also welcome participants…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Teen Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Art School Everywhere, Hirshhorn Teens on OSGEMEOS and Hand-Lettering.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. No/Bodies: Tattoos and the Work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres
One-Time Events
Join us for a panel exploring the relationship audiences have with Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s work through tattooing. Co-curators Charlotte Ickes and Josh T. Franco will be in conversation with art historian Julia Bryan-Wilson and curator Meg Onli, both of whom have chosen to express their appreciation for Gonzalez-Torres and his work by getting tattoos. We look forward to a fantastic conversation about art, the body, memory and the unexpected.
Event Location: McEvoy Auditorium. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nobodies-tattoos-and-the-work-of-felix-gonzalez-torres-tickets-1058134571989?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. SAMASAMA Market
Performances
Register in advance to get the best experience. Food and art will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
Shop, eat, and celebrate at our outdoor SAMASAMA market featuring AANHPI artists and friends! Meet and shop with the creators and learn about the beautiful multicultural landscape of our diaspora community. Artworks and food will be available for purchase.
Enjoy crafts at the SAMASAMA table with Julie Wu and a DJ set by Les The DJ! Plus, get a chance to redo picture day at our reimagined school photo booth! Celebrate your authentic self and get your portrait taken by photographer Airin Yung.
About SAMASAMA
SAMASAMA (Tagalog for "all together") began with the humble mission of celebrating diversity through art and gathering. Founded in Washington, DC, in 2016 as a collective art show and benefit celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, SAMASAMA has evolved to curate year-round programs, events, and partnerships to…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Plaza. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1338701725899?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
The Bronx in Bloom: Gardens, Art, and Local Culture
Resident Associate Program
A two-day tour of the Bronx, the northernmost borough of New York City is led by arts journalist Richard Selden. Sites visited include the urban oasis of Wave Hill, 28 acres of gardens overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades; the New York Botanical Garden, featuring the “Van Gogh: Painting with Flowers” exhibition; the 84-year-old Arthur Avenue Retail Market in the center of the Bronx’s Little Italy; and the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, the early 19th-century farmhouse where the writer spent the last years of his life.
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/263307?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Sunday, June 1, 2025, 7:30 AM – Monday, June 2, 2025, 11:00 PM.
Sound Scene 2025: Connected
One time events
FREE
Registration encouraged.
What is Sound Scene?
Sound Scene is the Washington, D.C. region’s premier, interactive sound and multi-sensory arts festival.
It is a free, all-ages celebration of sonic and sensory arts featuring artists from Washington, D.C. and around the world. 2025 Featured Artists and Works
INSTALLATIONS
Echo Nexus – David Cardona, Alvaro Morales, Anna Schwartz
Echo Nexus is an interactive installation driven by a custom icosahedron-shaped musical instrument. Audiences are invited to engage with these instruments for exploring collective expression of real-time music and visuals, building novel sensory experiences based on collaboration and collective interplay.
Touch – Katrin Enni
Touch by Katrin Enni is an interactive sonic installation inviting visitors to explore the intimate connection between gesture, sound, and invisible materiality. Through hand movements alone—tracked by camera-based sensors—participants sculpt and shape dynamic, electronic soundscapes in real-time. By…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Hirshhorn Museum. Cost: Free, Registration is encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/42979635/sound-scene-2025connected-washington-hirshhorn-museum-and-sculpture-garden.
Sunday, June 1, 2025, 10:00 AM – 5:00 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.
Sunday, June 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.
Sunday, June 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.
Sunday, June 1, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
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, June 1, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
World Pride Film Screening: Saving Face
Films
In Person: Alice Wu, director, in conversation with Shari Frilot, chief curator, New Frontier program, Sundance Film Festival
Watch the trailer
In celebration of WorldPride DC 2025, we present a special screening of Alice Wu’s debut feature. Originally released in 2005, Saving Face is now regarded as an ahead-of-its-time landmark in queer and Asian American cinema.
This romantic comedy tells the story of Wilhelmina “Wil” Pang (Michelle Krusiec), a closeted surgeon who falls for Vivian (Lynn Chen), a charismatic ballet dancer she meets by chance. But tensions rise when Vivian insists on making their relationship public. Meanwhile, Wil’s forty-something widowed mother (Joan Chen) moves in with her after revealing she is pregnant but refusing to name the father. Wil resolves to fix her up with a new beau before the baby is born.
An emotional rollercoaster, Saving Face hits all its marks as a delightful rom-com and has influenced countless movies since its release. After the film, Wu will be in conversation…
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-pride-film-screening-saving-face-tickets-1330450305679?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Sunday, June 1, 2025, 2:00 PM – 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, June 2, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
DC | Sweetheart Dancers
One-Time Events
Watch Sean and Adrian challenge the rulebook of the Native American Sweetheart Special as they attempt to compete in a powwow’s annual couples’ competition. Dancing not only against the other dancers, but against the drums of oppression and closed-mindedness, this couple is determined to rewrite the rules of "one man, one woman" with their resplendent charisma, character and resilience. Director: Ben-Alex Dupris (Colville), USA, 2019, 13 min.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 1: Rasmuson Theater. Cost: Free.
Monday, June 2, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM.
Exploring Animal and Human Brain Evolution
One-Time Events
Got brains on your mind? Ever wonder how animal and hominin brains evolved? Join anthropologist and neuroscientist Dr. Chet Sherwood in the Hall of Human Origins to talk about brain evolution and learn more about how our ancestors' brains influenced their behavior and evolution!
Presented by: Chet Sherwood, Professor of Anthropology, The George Washington University
Image courtesy of Chet Sherwood.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 2, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 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, June 2, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Museums of the South France
Resident Associate Program
Attracted by the light and the beauty of the Mediterranean coast, artists including Renoir, Chagall, Matisse, Dufy, Bonnard, and Picasso settled in the French Riviera. Art historian Joseph Cassar discusses the importance of the South of France as an inspirational location for artists and surveys the major museums highlighting their works in the fabled region. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263597?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/263597?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 2, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Portugal: The Nation on the Edge
Resident Associate Program
Far from being just “Spain’s little brother, ” Portugal has its own fascinating history and culture. Medievalist Paul B. Sturtevant explores the background of the country that has alternated between peripheral frontier and seat of imperial power, international pariah and tourism darling.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263499?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/263499?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 2, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
DC | Sweetheart Dancers
One-Time Events
Watch Sean and Adrian challenge the rulebook of the Native American Sweetheart Special as they attempt to compete in a powwow’s annual couples’ competition. Dancing not only against the other dancers, but against the drums of oppression and closed-mindedness, this couple is determined to rewrite the rules of "one man, one woman" with their resplendent charisma, character and resilience. Director: Ben-Alex Dupris (Colville), USA, 2019, 13 min.
Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Event Location: Level 1: Rasmuson Theater. Cost: Free.
Monday, June 2, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM.
From Holbein to Hockney: A Survey of British Painting
Resident Associate Program
Artists in Britain have delved into all major genres of painting, including historical subjects, landscapes, still life, and portraiture. Art historian Bonita Billman examines the major artists and movements in British painting, the social and cultural context in which their works were created, and the pivotal roles these painters have played from the Tudor period to the present. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/263382?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/263382?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, June 2, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM.