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ONLINE | Quilt Along: Block 1 by Lauren Good Day (Pre-Contact to the American Revolution, prior and up to 1776)
One-Time Events
Reflect on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the ever-evolving nature of the country, communities, and future we share through a Native lens by participating in a free quilt along hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI).
This five-month, mystery-style quilt along invites quilters and anyone interested in quilting to sew along. You don’t need to be an expert quilter to participate. Each month from June to October 2026, the museum will release a new block pattern, followed by a border pattern and finishing instructions, to create a commemorative wall hanging. Learn more and sign up for updates.
The first block pattern is designed by Lauren Good Day. Good Day's block theme addresses the time period of Pre-Contact to the American Revolution (prior and up to 1776). The pattern will be revealed on the museum's Quilt Along web page and social media channels. Join the conversation on Facebook to share your tips and tricks or learn from…
Event Location: Online only. Cost: Participation and patterns are FREE; materials not included. Categories: Webcasts & Online.
Monday, June 1, 2026.
For more info visit 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the Portrait Gallery! Join educators every Monday as we explore a variety of topics and artistic materials. Participants will get a closer look at art with hands-on activities, music and story times. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Coral Restoration with the SCUBAnauts!
One-Time Events
Coral reefs are the rainforests of the ocean. They act as homes for thousands of species, serve as protective barriers from storms, and offer beautiful places for people to visit. But only if we protect them! Come and learn what corals are, why SCUBAnauts work to protect and restore them, and jump into a Florida Keys’ coral nursery without even getting wet!
Presented by: Coco Claypoole, Anya Amin, Isabel Avalos, Emma Carr, Eva Erwin, Ali Foster Claypoole, and Dana Henderson, Scientific SCUBA Divers, SCUBAnauts International, Inc, a 501 (c)3 organization
Photo from: SCUBAnauts International, Inc.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
The Shippers: Novelist Katherine Center and Why Love Is Good for You
All Programs
Romance novelist Katherine Center, known for stories about resilience and joy, discusses why she believes love is good for you. Her new novel The Shippers follows JoJo Burton, who boards a cruise for her sister’s wedding hoping to fix her bad luck in love by pursuing an old crush—with help from childhood friend Cooper. Close quarters rekindle unresolved feelings, and they stumble into realizing they might be meant for each other. Center explores how love, humor, hope, and real-life lessons shape her work.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/shippers-novelist-katherine-center?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Lectures & Discussions.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
Cinema + Conversation: Do You Remember? Featuring a Discussion on Musical Vision and Legacy with Clive Davis and Harvey Mason Jr.
One-Time Events
Join us at the Museum for a special screening of Do You Remember? a film celebrating the extraordinary career of Clive Davis and the music that has shaped generations. One of the most influential executives in modern music, Davis built his legacy in close collaboration with Black artists, producers, and entrepreneurs whose creativity transformed the soundscape of American culture.
With a remarkable ear for talent and a willingness to invest in it, Davis played a pivotal role in identifying, developing, and elevating artists at defining moments in their careers, including Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Earth, Wind & Fire, Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross, Gladys Knight, Sly and the Family Stone, Jennifer Hudson, TLC, Toni Braxton, Monica, Usher, Deborah Cox, Fantasia, Ray Parker Jr. and OutKast. He also contributed to the careers of jazz innovators, including Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock.
Early in his career, Davis forged a groundbreaking partnership between Columbia Records and legendary…
Event Location: Oprah Winfrey Theater. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/019e0d8d-a011-dbfc-ef66-0f8ae6c8cf75?tg=019e0d8d-a013-4e7a-6969-dc821ef4198c. Categories: After Five. Films. Related Exhibition: NMAAHC - Musical Crossroads. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 7:00 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: From These Lands
One-Time Events
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
Come join us as we celebrate our upcoming exhibit, From These Lands! This exhibit will explore the story of our nation through our collections. In this week's Play Date, we will be learning about different fossils highlighted in the new exhibit as well as some fossils from our education collection. Families will be able to explore through play, art-making, and storytelling.
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5) and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome.
Location: This program is held in 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…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center (Ground Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Guided Tour: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
American Latino Museum
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and on view in the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History.
This vibrant exhibition traces salsa’s journey from its Afro-Cuban roots to its rise as a defining sound in American music. Featuring nearly 300 artifacts—including instruments, performance attire, album covers, and rare memorabilia—the exhibition highlights legendary artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente alongside the musicians, dancers, and communities who shaped this global tradition.
During this 45-minute guided tour, visitors will explore the music, stories, and cultural movements that brought salsa from Caribbean rhythms to dance floors across the United States.…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery Entrance, 1st Floor East. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-puro-ritmo-the-musical-journey-of-salsa-tickets-1984186244470?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM.
For more info visit latino.si.edu. Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
Guided Tour: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
American Latino Museum
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and on view in the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History.
This vibrant exhibition traces salsa’s journey from its Afro-Cuban roots to its rise as a defining sound in American music. Featuring nearly 300 artifacts—including instruments, performance attire, album covers, and rare memorabilia—the exhibition highlights legendary artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente alongside the musicians, dancers, and communities who shaped this global tradition.
During this 45-minute guided tour, visitors will explore the music, stories, and cultural movements that brought salsa from Caribbean rhythms to dance floors across the United States.…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery Entrance, 1st Floor East. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-puro-ritmo-the-musical-journey-of-salsa-tickets-1984186244470?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.
For more info visit latino.si.edu. Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
Outsider Animals: Finding New Appreciation for Shunned Creatures
All Programs
Evolutionary biologist and writer Marlene Zuk highlights the often-ignored animals that share human environments, revealing how their lives illuminate adaptation and coexistence on a crowded planet. She argues that creatures commonly dismissed as pests offer valuable lessons about how species interact and what it means to belong in an ecosystem. Through examples ranging from coyotes and snakes to cockroaches, butterflies, cowbirds, and mynas, Zuk shows how these close-to-home creatures share intertwined lives with humans.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/outsider-animals?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/outsider-animals?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
The First Emancipation: Abolition in Revolutionary France
All Programs
On Feb. 4, 1794, the legislators of France’s revolutionary government abolished slavery in all its colonies. Their decree made France the first country to end an institution that had been fundamental to the enterprise of European colonization for three centuries. Historian Jeremy Popkin tells how pressure from the enslaved populations of France’s colonies met the idealistic principles of the French revolutionaries.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/first-emancipation?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/first-emancipation?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
Sealaska Heritage Institute Celebration
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
The largest gathering of Southeast Alaska Native people, Celebration was held in 1982 as an opportunity for Alaska Native people to engage with their ancestral songs, dances, customs, and regalia. That first Celebration helped spark the renaissance of Native culture, language, and art that continues to flower today. With Native dance and song at the center, Celebration has grown to draw thousands and to include an art market, art exhibitions, fashion, food, and more. Celebration is organized biennially in Juneau by the Sealaska Heritage Institute, and everyone is invited to join.
Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Culinary Arts. Cost: Tickets may be purchased at Centennial Hall during the event.
Four Day-Pass
General: $35
Youth (ages 7-12): $20
Elder (ages 65+): $20
Children 6 and under: Free
Daily Admission
General: $20
Youth (ages 7-12): $10
Elder (ages 65+): $10
Children 6 and under: Free. Event Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 – Saturday, June 6, 2026.
Centennial Hall
Juneau, AK.
For more info visit sealaskaheritage.org. Wellness Wednesdays
One-Time Events
Join the Portrait Gallery and wellness expert Aparna Sadananda for mindfulness programs inspired by the Portrait Gallery’s collection. On the first Wednesday of each month, join us for an artful meditation, where we will practice slow looking and experience portraiture through breath and slow movement. On the third Wednesday of each month, join us for a wellness program that inspires the senses and includes sound baths and musical meditation. These programs are for ages 18+ and are suitable for all skill levels. No experience is necessary.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-wellness-wednesdays-tickets-1982011714392?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile. Categories: Workshops.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Storytime Studio: Seeking Shade
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. During each hourlong session, starting at 10 and 11 AM every Wednesday and Thursday, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Summer is here, and this month we’ll find ways to beat the heat at Storytime. This week, we’ll be joined by the National Zoo to learn how animals adapt to protect themselves from the sun, and why shade is an important part of the Zoo’s animal exhibit design. We’ll cool off from the hot rays with a visit to Spencer Finch’s installation Cloud H20 (2006), on view in Big Things for Big Rooms, and make shadow artworks.
Featured book: There Was a Shadow: A Picture Book by Bruce Handy, illustrated by Lisk Feng, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO, Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience.
There are two Storytime…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Bun(dt)shaft Cake-Off: Bake a Mini Hirshhorn!
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Take your morning break with us in the garden! Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the sign just inside the stone garden gates on Independence Avenue, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: The garden tour begins just inside the stone garden gates on Independence Avenue. Look for the tour sign. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265079?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/under-baobab-tree?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Under the Baobab Tree
Discovery Theater
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265079?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224. Categories: Kids & Families.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Guided Tour: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
American Latino Museum
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and on view in the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History.
This vibrant exhibition traces salsa’s journey from its Afro-Cuban roots to its rise as a defining sound in American music. Featuring nearly 300 artifacts—including instruments, performance attire, album covers, and rare memorabilia—the exhibition highlights legendary artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente alongside the musicians, dancers, and communities who shaped this global tradition.
During this 45-minute guided tour, visitors will explore the music, stories, and cultural movements that brought salsa from Caribbean rhythms to dance floors across the United States.…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery Entrance, 1st Floor East. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-puro-ritmo-the-musical-journey-of-salsa-tickets-1984186244470?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM.
For more info visit latino.si.edu. SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/under-baobab-tree-DT28032?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265080?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
Discovery Theater
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265080?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224. Categories: Kids & Families.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
“Surviving Earth”: Bringing Prehistoric Worlds to Life with Creator Tim Haines
All Programs
Free Members-Only Program: Producer Tim Haines offers Smithsonian Associates members an inside look at the making of his new eight-part series, “Surviving Earth,” which explores how life has survived and thrived through Earth’s most catastrophic environmental crises. In conversation with journalist Hunter Ingram, Haines shares behind-the-scenes insights into the creation of "Surviving Earth," from scientific collaboration to pushing the boundaries of visual effects, and what it takes to bring long-extinct worlds to life.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/surviving-earth?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/surviving-earth?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
Guided Tour: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
American Latino Museum
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and on view in the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History.
This vibrant exhibition traces salsa’s journey from its Afro-Cuban roots to its rise as a defining sound in American music. Featuring nearly 300 artifacts—including instruments, performance attire, album covers, and rare memorabilia—the exhibition highlights legendary artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente alongside the musicians, dancers, and communities who shaped this global tradition.
During this 45-minute guided tour, visitors will explore the music, stories, and cultural movements that brought salsa from Caribbean rhythms to dance floors across the United States.…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery Entrance, 1st Floor East. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-puro-ritmo-the-musical-journey-of-salsa-tickets-1984186244470?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.
For more info visit latino.si.edu. Meet the Expert: Philanthropy in the Founding Era
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Amanda Moniz, Curator of Philanthropy, and learn about the business of philanthropy during the founding era.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: American Enterprise, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: American Enterprise.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Meet the Expert: Patent Medicine and the FDA
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Stop by this informal session to meet Alexandra Lord and Francis Riccio and learn about patent medicine and the creation of the 1906 Food and Drug Act.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 2 East. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
Animating the Victorians: Disney's Literary History
All Programs
Walt Disney frequently adapted Victorian children’s literature, from Alice in Wonderland to Peter Pan. Literary scholar Patrick Fleming follows how works evolved from concept to franchise, examining how Disney’s writers engaged with original texts and historical contexts throughout long production cycles. Fleming also notes that Disney’s ties to the Victorians extend beyond adaptation: Walt Disney’s career parallels that of Dickens, and Disney’s princesses, musicals, theme parks, and marketing rely on Victorian cultural and legal frameworks.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/animating-victorians?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/animating-victorians?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Lectures & Discussions.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
A Luxurious Detention: How the U.S. Held Axis Diplomats after Pearl Harbor
All Programs
In the chaotic days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Roosevelt administration made a controversial decision. To encourage reciprocal treatment of U.S. diplomats trapped abroad, it sent hundreds of Axis diplomats living in the United States to remote luxury hotels. Already stunned by the attack on Honolulu that killed more than 2,400 service members and civilians, many Americans were enraged by the government’s magnanimity towards its enemies. Writer Harvey Solomon makes this story come alive.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/luxurious-detention?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/luxurious-detention?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
ONLINE: Our Future on Mars? (Exploring Space Lecture)
One-Time Events
Touching down on Mars 50 years ago this summer, the two Viking landers obtained high-res images of the Martian surface, recorded data on atmosphere and surface composition, and even searched for possible life on Mars. This ambitious NASA mission provided invaluable information about the red planet and paved the way for future orbiters, landers, and rovers. The information collected over the past 50 years informs today’s plans for one day sending humans to explore Mars. Join Kelly Weinersmith and Emily Lakdawalla as they discuss the challenges and potential scientific rewards of human exploration on the Red Planet.
This lecture series is made possible by the generous support of L3Harris and United Launch Alliance.
Event Location: YouTube. Online Link: https://eventactions.com/eareg.aspx?ea=Rsvp&invite=00gsr6ktjt8e7rf0xgjwr8n3knxszjkz2gjm7zve5dnbfnkskhwk. Cost: Free with registration. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Our Future on Mars? (Exploring Space Lecture)
One-Time Events
Touching down on Mars 50 years ago this summer, the two Viking landers obtained high-res images of the Martian surface, recorded data on atmosphere and surface composition, and even searched for possible life on Mars. This ambitious NASA mission provided invaluable information about the red planet and paved the way for future orbiters, landers, and rovers. The information collected over the past 50 years informs today’s plans for one day sending humans to explore Mars. Join Kelly Weinersmith and Emily Lakdawalla as they discuss the challenges and potential scientific rewards of human exploration on the Red Planet. Visit the Museum's galleries from 7-8 pm then hear from Kelly Weinersmith and Emily Lakdawalla from 8-9 pm.
Your registration includes: A ticket to this Exploring Space talk from 8-9 pm. , Concessions available for purchase prior to 8 pm. , Access to select Museum galleries from 7-8 pm. Check the event website for a list of open galleries as we get closer to the program. , Opportunities to…
Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Lockheed Martin IMAX. Cost: Free with registration. Categories: After Five. Webcasts & Online. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
An Immersion in Nature: Japanese Forest Bathing in Rock Creek Park
All Programs
Experience forest bathing as Melanie Choukas-Bradley, a certified nature and forest-therapy guide, leads a 2-hour walk along a scenic stretch of Rock Creek in the nation’s oldest urban national park. Move slowly to soak up the beauty of the flowing creek and the lush greens of the trees. Focus on the sights, sounds, and woodsy fragrances of Rock Creek Park, letting go of cares while slowly exploring the surroundings through all senses.
Event Location: Tour meets at Picnic Grove 6 in Rock Creek Park, located along. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/forest-bathing-in-rock-creek-park?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM.
Storytime Studio: Seeking Shade
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. During each hourlong session, starting at 10 and 11 AM every Wednesday and Thursday, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Summer is here, and this month we’ll find ways to beat the heat at Storytime. This week, we’ll learn how shade protects both animals and humans from the sun, helping to keep us healthy. We’ll cool off from the hot rays with a visit to Spencer Finch’s installation Cloud H20 (2006), on view in Big Things for Big Rooms, and make shadow artworks.
Featured book: There Was a Shadow: A Picture Book by Bruce Handy, illustrated by Lisk Feng, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO, Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience.
There are two Storytime sessions each program day, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM.…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Bun(dt)shaft Cake-Off: Bake a Mini Hirshhorn!
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/under-baobab-tree-DT28041?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265081?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Under the Baobab Tree
Discovery Theater
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265081?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Guided Tour: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
American Latino Museum
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and on view in the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History.
This vibrant exhibition traces salsa’s journey from its Afro-Cuban roots to its rise as a defining sound in American music. Featuring nearly 300 artifacts—including instruments, performance attire, album covers, and rare memorabilia—the exhibition highlights legendary artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente alongside the musicians, dancers, and communities who shaped this global tradition.
During this 45-minute guided tour, visitors will explore the music, stories, and cultural movements that brought salsa from Caribbean rhythms to dance floors across the United States.…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery Entrance, 1st Floor East. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-puro-ritmo-the-musical-journey-of-salsa-tickets-1984186244470?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM.
For more info visit latino.si.edu. Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265082?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/under-baobab-tree-DT28042?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
Discovery Theater
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265082?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224. Categories: Kids & Families.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Salon Societies: The Women Who Shaped Modern Art
All Programs
Long before modern art found its home in museums, it thrived in salons, collections, and networks cultivated by women. From gatherings in Europe to avant-garde circles in early 20th-century New York, these women nurtured artists, championed emerging talent, and shaped the tastes that defined modern culture. In a 3-session series, art historian Jennie Hirsh highlights the salonnières and patrons who forged spaces where innovation flourished. This session focuses on Katherine Dreier, Florine Stettheimer, and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/salon-societies-1D0161B?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/salon-societies-1D0161B?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Guided Tour: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
American Latino Museum
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and on view in the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History.
This vibrant exhibition traces salsa’s journey from its Afro-Cuban roots to its rise as a defining sound in American music. Featuring nearly 300 artifacts—including instruments, performance attire, album covers, and rare memorabilia—the exhibition highlights legendary artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente alongside the musicians, dancers, and communities who shaped this global tradition.
During this 45-minute guided tour, visitors will explore the music, stories, and cultural movements that brought salsa from Caribbean rhythms to dance floors across the United States.…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery Entrance, 1st Floor East. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-puro-ritmo-the-musical-journey-of-salsa-tickets-1984186244470?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.
For more info visit latino.si.edu. Meet the Expert: Firefighters in the 1800s
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Stop by this informal session to meet curator Tim Winkle and learn about firefighters in the 1800s.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
First Thursdays: Come Look with Us
One-Time Events
Wind down after work with the National Portrait Gallery’s educators as they share their favorite portraits with you. Participants will enjoy close looking and engaging in conversations about artworks in the galleries.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-first-thursdays-come-look-with-us-tickets-1233093649299?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Special Screening and Reception: The President's Cake
Films
Watch the Trailer
Co-presented with the Arab Gulf States Institute
Followed by a panel discussion and reception featuring treats from Muncheez.
The first Iraqi film to compete in the Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Directors’ Fortnight section, The President's Cake won both the competition’s top prize and the audience award. Set in the 1990s during the rule of Saddam Hussein, this charming tragicomedy follows nine-year-old Lamia, who is assigned by her teacher the task of making a cake—the one Iraqis were required to make for Saddam’s birthday. Lamia sets off on a picaresque journey to beg for, borrow, or steal the ingredients she needs and, in the process, meets a cross-section of her country's population, all of whom are trying their best to make the best of difficult times. “The President's Cake offers an astute, poignant story of empathy for humanity caught in the crosshairs,” writes Diane Carson for the Alliance of Women Film Journalists.
Director: Hasan Hadi. Countries: Iraq, Qatar, United…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/special-screening-and-reception-the-presidents-cake-tickets-1989228441818?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Films. After Five. Culinary Arts. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks: Grandmasters of Comedy
All Programs
For more than seven decades, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks made America laugh, through either their remarkable solo careers or their legendary partnership. These giants of American comedy conquered every medium they took on: television, films, Broadway, and recordings. Media historian Brian Rose takes a look at their extraordinary achievements, from their work together on comedian Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” to their accomplishments as writers, directors, and performers.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/carl-reiner-and-mel-brooks?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/carl-reiner-and-mel-brooks?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
Amazing Oaks—A Look at Our National Tree
Smithsonian Gardens
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States, take a closer look at its national tree, the majestic oak.
With approximately 90 native species spanning the United States from coast to coast, oaks are seemingly everywhere yet deserve a closer look. Learn about how this keystone species benefits both human and plant communities.
Scholar and “key-oak” speaker Andrew Hipp, director of the Herbarium and lead scientist in Plant Systematics at The Morton Arboretum, will provide an overview of these amazing trees, followed by spotlights on significant oaks at both The Huntington in San Marino, California, and Smithsonian Gardens in Washington, D.C.
This event is organized by The Huntington and Smithsonian Gardens.
Quercus palustris (pin oak) at the National Museum of American History. Courtesy of Smithsonian Gardens. Photo by Hannele Lahti.
Event Location: Online only. Cost: Free. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Related Exhibition: Growing Tomorrow. Accessibility: Captioning.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM.
For more info visit smithsonian.zoom.us. An Immersion in Nature: Japanese Forest Bathing in Rock Creek Park
All Programs
Experience forest bathing as Melanie Choukas-Bradley, a certified nature and forest-therapy guide, leads a 2-hour walk along a scenic stretch of Rock Creek in the nation’s oldest urban national park. Move slowly to soak up the beauty of the flowing creek and the lush greens of the trees. Focus on the sights, sounds, and woodsy fragrances of Rock Creek Park, letting go of cares while slowly exploring the surroundings through all senses.
Event Location: Tour meets at Picnic Grove 6 in Rock Creek Park, located along. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/forest-bathing-in-rock-creek-park-1CSB02?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Due to inclement weather, Wonderplace will open at 12 noon on Friday, January 19, pending staff availability. We will update this entry if the operating status for Wonderplace changes. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis.At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Take your morning break with us in the garden! Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the sign just inside the stone garden gates on Independence Avenue, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: The garden tour begins just inside the stone garden gates on Independence Avenue. Look for the tour sign. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/under-baobab-tree-DT28051?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265083?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Under the Baobab Tree
Discovery Theater
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265083?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Big Moments, Little Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the power of storytelling and community through our early learners storytime experience inspired by We Make History! Through engaging stories, interactive gallery moments, and hands-on activities, children and caregivers will explore how everyday people, neighborhoods, and changemakers shape history in Washington, D.C. and beyond. Together, young learners will build curiosity and creativity.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 30 a.m.
Duration: About 1 hour.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Sunburst Lounge. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/big-moments-little-stories-tickets-1990727334045?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Community Archiving Workshop - Buffalo, NY
One-Time Events
Working with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (SI- NMAAHC) Robert Frederick Smith (RFS) Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History, the Community Archiving Workshop provides experienced archivists the opportunity to serve the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor and work with local volunteers to help the First Shiloh Baptist Church of Buffalo, the Colored Musicians Club and Jazz Museum, and the WUFO/Black Radio History Collective gain intellectual and physical control over endangered historical collections. Museum professionals are paired with community members to conduct basic processing, cataloging and inspection of audio and video tapes and photographs to learn how to identify risk factors and make recommendations for preserving historical collections.
Workshop participants will gain experience in working with and training other community historians to care for their collections. In this guided process, they will engage in h…
Event Location: Central Meeting Room, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, Central Library, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14203. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019de4040d4a707daca88af9bedb5717. Categories: Workshops.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM.
For more info visit app.smartsheet.com. Guided Tour: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
American Latino Museum
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and on view in the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History.
This vibrant exhibition traces salsa’s journey from its Afro-Cuban roots to its rise as a defining sound in American music. Featuring nearly 300 artifacts—including instruments, performance attire, album covers, and rare memorabilia—the exhibition highlights legendary artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente alongside the musicians, dancers, and communities who shaped this global tradition.
During this 45-minute guided tour, visitors will explore the music, stories, and cultural movements that brought salsa from Caribbean rhythms to dance floors across the United States.…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery Entrance, 1st Floor East. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-puro-ritmo-the-musical-journey-of-salsa-tickets-1984186244470?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM.
For more info visit latino.si.edu. Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/under-baobab-tree-DT28052?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
All Programs
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265084?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Under the Baobab Tree
Discovery Theater
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
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/265084?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
The Medici Villas: Power and Place
All Programs
The Medici dominated Florence from the 14th to 18th centuries, shaping European art, science, and architecture. Their villas embodied a new ideal of living with nature and became settings for leisure, scholarship, botanical experimentation, commercial ventures, and private passions. These estates mirrored evolving ideas about politics, philosophy, and design. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo reveals how Medici ambitions—both public and intimate—were realized through visionary architects, creating spaces where beauty, innovation, and power converged. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/medici-villas?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/medici-villas?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Lifelong Learners: Jazz Trivia
One-Time Events
Join the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum for the launch of Lifelong Learners, a new series designed for adults who believe learning, creativity, and connection have no age limit. Through culture, conversation, wellness, storytelling, and hands-on experiences, Lifelong Learners creates space for community members to gather, reflect, and grow together.
Kick off the series with an afternoon of Jazz Trivia, where music lovers and curious minds alike can test their knowledge of legendary artists, iconic songs, Black music history, and the cultural impact of jazz. Whether you are a devoted jazz enthusiast or simply looking for a fun and welcoming way to connect with others, this lively program invites participants to learn, laugh, and celebrate the rhythms that continue to shape generations.
Enjoy engaging conversation, and an introduction to upcoming Lifelong Learners programs focused on creativity, wellness, history, and intergenerational exchange. Come solo or bring a friend, there is always something…
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lifelong-learners-jazz-trivia-tickets-1990615462434?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Workshops.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
Guided Tour: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
American Latino Museum
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and on view in the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History.
This vibrant exhibition traces salsa’s journey from its Afro-Cuban roots to its rise as a defining sound in American music. Featuring nearly 300 artifacts—including instruments, performance attire, album covers, and rare memorabilia—the exhibition highlights legendary artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente alongside the musicians, dancers, and communities who shaped this global tradition.
During this 45-minute guided tour, visitors will explore the music, stories, and cultural movements that brought salsa from Caribbean rhythms to dance floors across the United States.…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery Entrance, 1st Floor East. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-puro-ritmo-the-musical-journey-of-salsa-tickets-1984186244470?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.
For more info visit latino.si.edu. Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
U Street: Shaped by History, Musical Legends, and Relative Newcomers
All Programs
The U Street NW neighborhood has long been a vibrant corridor for the rich social, civic, and cultural life of Washington's African American community. Join local guide Lynn O’Connell on a walking tour that focuses on the history of the neighborhood. Sites visited include the African American Civil War Memorial, the legendary Howard Theatre, and the locations of one-of-a-kind murals featuring such history makers as Duke Ellington and go-go legend Chuck Brown.
Event Location: Tour meets by the African American Civil War Memorial (Spirit of Freedom) at the. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/u-street?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra - Let Freedom Ring
All Programs
In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, SJMO presents a concert that explores the role of jazz as a guiding force in the national journey to “a more perfect union.” The program features stirring works that capture the spirit of protest, the hope of freedom, the depth of spirituality, and the pride of patriotism. Highlights include works by Billy Taylor, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: National Museum of American History Warner Bros. Theater. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/sjmo-let-freedom-ring?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM.
Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra: Let Freedom Ring
All Programs
In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, SJMO presents a concert that explores the role of jazz as a guiding force in the national journey to “a more perfect union.” The program features stirring works that capture the spirit of protest, the hope of freedom, the depth of spirituality, and the pride of patriotism. Highlights include works by Billy Taylor, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: National Museum of American History Warner Bros. Theater. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265446?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Categories: After Five. Workshops. Performances.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM.
DC STEAM Expo
One-Time Events
12:30–3:30 p.m. ET
Throughout this semester, fourth-grade students across DC Public Schools are challenged to identify issues affecting their neighborhoods, apply STEAM concepts in developing creative solutions, and build upon their personal experiences within their communities. The project culminates in the first-ever DC STEAM Expo, a poster-based science fair organized by the National Children’s Museum and hosted in the National Museum of American History’s Coulter Plaza.
Categories: Kids & Families. Demonstrations. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Washington, D.C.
Saturday, June 6, 2026.
Coulter Plaza, National Museum of American History
Washington, D.C.
Historic Frederick County
All Programs
Frederick County, Maryland, established in 1748, played a pivotal role in early American history. Nestled at the crossroads of major colonial roads, it became a hub for trade, agriculture, and settlement. The county saw action during both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, providing troops, supplies, and refuge. Today, Frederick County and its biggest city, Frederick, are known for well-preserved architecture, historic charm, and a vibrant cultural and artistic community. Join local guides as you spend the day exploring some of the county’s highlights.
Event Location: Departs from Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C St SW (corner of 6th & C Sts); Fringe: 270 Center. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/historic-frederick-county?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 7:30 AM – 7:00 PM.
FRESHFARM ACM Farm Stand
One-Time Events
The FRESHFARM ACM Farm Stand returns for another farm stand season in 2026. This farm stand is direct-to-consumer located 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 18 - November 21, 2026.*
You can learn more about what is happening at the farm stand from our friends over at FRESHFARM Markets.
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: Plaza. Cost: Free to Attend. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freshfarm-acm-farm-stand-tickets-1985418954539?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Shopping/Book Signing.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Growing Community: Gardens as Sites of Community
One-Time Events
Come celebrate the power of community through gardening! Join us as we explore what makes community gardens thrive and how we can make them even better. Our perennial garden attendees will showcase some of the spaces they nurture, and together, all workshop participants will share ideas and inspiration to reimagine our own garden for greater beauty, function, and connection.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Community Garden. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/growing-community-gardens-as-sites-of-community-tickets-1984523254476?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Workshops.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Open Studio: Stay Cool
One time events
Beat the heat every Saturday in June at Open Studio! Each week, we’ll take inspiration from the heat of summer and look at artworks by artists such as Nicolas Party, Spencer Finch, Joan Miró and more.
Join us this Saturday as we draw inspiration from Spencer Finch’s installation Cloud (H2O), on view in Big Things for Big Rooms. Teaching artist Karen Brown from Inspired Child will join us to help us dream of cooler weather and construct our own weather crowns. We’ll experiment with materials like construction paper, streamers, and paint sticks.
The teaching artist will be in Art School from 10 AM to 1 PM.
Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level.
Inspired Child is an award-winning nonprofit organization that provides early childhood arts education to underresourced communities in the District of Columbia. Its mission activates a love of learning and literacy through programs for children ages birth to 5, their families, and their caregivers and educators. A 501(c)(3), Inspired Child is a program of…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Catch the Sun.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
The Black Arts Movement
All Programs
Spend a day with Michele L. Simms-Burton, scholar of African American and Africana studies, exploring the Black Arts Movement in the United States. Study the post–World War II historic moments and cultural events that fostered an emergent Black aesthetic. Encounter artists, composers, musicians and writers from rural and urban areas and learn how their lives and experiences informed their artistic achievements. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/black-arts-movement?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/black-arts-movement?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Guided Tour: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
American Latino Museum
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and on view in the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History.
This vibrant exhibition traces salsa’s journey from its Afro-Cuban roots to its rise as a defining sound in American music. Featuring nearly 300 artifacts—including instruments, performance attire, album covers, and rare memorabilia—the exhibition highlights legendary artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente alongside the musicians, dancers, and communities who shaped this global tradition.
During this 45-minute guided tour, visitors will explore the music, stories, and cultural movements that brought salsa from Caribbean rhythms to dance floors across the United States.…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery Entrance, 1st Floor East. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-puro-ritmo-the-musical-journey-of-salsa-tickets-1984186244470?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM.
For more info visit latino.si.edu. Pride Family Day
One-Time Events
Join SAAM to celebrate Pride Month in DC. Enjoy performances by DC’s Different Drummers, GenOUT, the youth chorus of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, and Les The DJ. This event highlights LGBTQ+ artists represented in the SAAM’s collection with crafts, coloring sheets based on artworks, and an I Spy close looking activity in the Nick Cave: Mammoth exhibition. Pride-themed food and beverage specials will be available for purchase from the Courtyard Café.
Photo by Norwood Photography.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Kogod Courtyard. Cost: Free | Registration encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR3MtNV. Categories: Kids & Families. Performances. Related Exhibition: Nick Cave: Mammoth.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM.
Anacostia Skating Pavilion: 50 Years of Community on Wheels
One-Time Events
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Anacostia Skating Pavilion, one of the region’s only free, open-air public skating venues and a cornerstone of Washington, D.C. community life. Presented by curator and historian Tasha Klusmann, this 120-minute program explores the Pavilion’s evolution from neighborhood recreation site to culturally significant civic space.
Through archival photographs, oral histories, and visual storytelling, the program highlights grassroots stewardship, intergenerational traditions, and the power of community activation in preserving public space. The presentation includes excerpts from an upcoming documentary with the working title Love Letter to the Anacostia Skating Pavilion – DC Skate Story. The video presentation brings the Pavilion’s energy and atmosphere to life and is followed by a facilitated conversation and meet-and-greet with longtime skaters.
Participants are invited to share memories and contribute photographs or memorabilia to an ongoing community archive documenting t…
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/anacostia-skating-pavilion-50-years-of-community-on-wheels-tickets-1984634485170?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists! Join the Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program, where creativity knows no bounds. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collections and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Guided Tour: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
American Latino Museum
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and on view in the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History.
This vibrant exhibition traces salsa’s journey from its Afro-Cuban roots to its rise as a defining sound in American music. Featuring nearly 300 artifacts—including instruments, performance attire, album covers, and rare memorabilia—the exhibition highlights legendary artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente alongside the musicians, dancers, and communities who shaped this global tradition.
During this 45-minute guided tour, visitors will explore the music, stories, and cultural movements that brought salsa from Caribbean rhythms to dance floors across the United States.…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Molina Family Latino Gallery Entrance, 1st Floor East. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-puro-ritmo-the-musical-journey-of-salsa-tickets-1984186244470?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.
For more info visit latino.si.edu. Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Teen Studio: Riff-Off
One time events
Teens: Ready to level up your art? Join us for Teen Studio, a free art-making program exclusively for teens ages 13–19. Push your artistic boundaries using materials and techniques inspired by artists whose work is now on view at the Hirshhorn.
This week, get ready to dive into the bold, boundary-breaking world of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy! Graffiti artists often “riff” off one another, adding layers of characters, words, and images to existing work to expand a story in collaborative ways. In this Teen Studio, we’ll explore the exhibition Basquiat x Banksy, then head back to Art School for a riff-off of our own. Do this at home! Hirshhorn Teens on OSGEMEOS and Hand Lettering, , ABOUT TEEN STUDIO
Teens ages 13–19 are invited to hang out and get creative at the Hirshhorn’s Teen Studio, a free series of art-making workshops offered from 2:30 to 4 PM every Saturday during the school year. All skill levels are welcome—from the novice notebook doodler to the experienced teen artist, there’s something for…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Teen Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Hirshhorn Teens on OSGEMEOS and Hand Lettering.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Smithsonian Sleepover at the American History Museum for Girl Scouts
All Programs
Girl Scouts-Only In-person Program: Salute the country’s 250th birthday with your troop by taking an all-American road trip at the American History Museum. Unfold your map, turn on the engine, and follow the road through the museum’s galleries in a memorable overnight adventure made just for you. Geared for children in 3rd–8th grade, accompanied by an adult.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: National Museum of American History 14th St & Constitution Ave NW. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/ah-sleepover-1P0907?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Kids & Families.
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 7:00 PM – Sunday, June 7, 2026, 9:00 AM.
Discover Staten Island
All Programs
The borough of Staten Island is a place that’s often overlooked by visitors—and fellow New Yorkers. On a two-day excursion led by arts journalist Richard Selden, discover an array of cultural and historic treasures that prove this island deserves to shed its underdog reputation. Stops include Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden; the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art; and Clear Comfort, the waterfront home of pioneering photographer Alice Austen. And, of course, there’s a trip aboard the Staten Island Ferry.
Event Location: Detailed information for overnight tours is emailed approximately FOUR WEEKS. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/discover-staten-island?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 7:30 AM – Monday, June 8, 2026, 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Art Studio
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Calling all artists! Join the Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program, where creativity knows no bounds. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collections and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from a featured guest artist, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-art-studio-tickets-1112707681629?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
No Other Choice
Films
Watch the Trailer
You'll find yourself alternating between laugh-out-loud slapstick to end-of-your-seat suspense in this "deliriously entertaining satire on the derangement of being downsized” (Jessica Kiang, Variety). Superstar Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game, Mr. Sunshine) stars as Man-su, a content suburban family man who is laid off from his paper company job after 25 years. He endures humiliation and rejection at every turn until his desperation leads him to the most drastic measures. Director Park Chan-wook's swooping camera movements and razor-sharp plotting propel No Other Choice with exceptional energy.
Director: Park Chan-wook. Country: Korea. Released: 2025. Length: 139 min. Format: DCP. Language: Korean with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Neon Rated.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://pcw.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible. Captioning.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
U Street: Shaped by History, Musical Legends, and Relative Newcomers
All Programs
The U Street NW neighborhood has long been a vibrant corridor for the rich social, civic, and cultural life of Washington's African American community. Join local guide Lynn O’Connell on a walking tour that focuses on the history of the neighborhood. Sites visited include the African American Civil War Memorial, the legendary Howard Theatre, and the locations of one-of-a-kind murals featuring such history makers as Duke Ellington and go-go legend Chuck Brown.
Event Location: Tour meets by the African American Civil War Memorial (Spirit of Freedom) at the. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/u-street-1CWB08?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
World Ocean Day
One-Time Events
Celebrate World Ocean Day with us at the National Museum of Natural History on Monday, June 8, 2026! Join ocean scientists, researchers, and educators in the Sant Ocean Hall for a fun-filled series of interactive experiences. We'll be celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary by exploring fascinating organisms, amazing discoveries, and exciting research about the waters around the United States and its territories.
Get a complete list of our World Ocean Day programs, along with ocean-related videos and online resources.
Photo: Teodor Drobota on Unsplash.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Celebrations. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit naturalhistory.si.edu. Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the Portrait Gallery! Join educators every Monday as we explore a variety of topics and artistic materials. Participants will get a closer look at art with hands-on activities, music and story times. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other.
Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM.
The Iconography of Saints
All Programs
The study of iconography reveals how symbols and allegories help decode artworks that long puzzled scholars. Art historian Noah Charney examines how medieval viewers recognized saints in paintings despite widespread illiteracy. By identifying attributes tied to martyrdoms, such as Saint Lucy’s eyes on a platter or Saint Peter’s inverted cross, viewers understood each figure’s identity and meaning. Using Crivelli’s Demidoff Altarpiece, Charney shows how to read religious images like clues in a visual investigation. (World Art History Certificate elective,1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/iconography-of-saints?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/iconography-of-saints?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
Naples National Archaeological Museum
All Programs
Home to extraordinary finds from Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Naples National Archaeological Museum offers a glimpse into the ancient Roman world. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero introduces some of the museum’s most compelling treasures, from breathtaking mosaics and monumental sculptures to everyday objects that reveal how Romans lived, worked, and found pleasure nearly 2,000 years ago. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/naples-national-archaeological-museum?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/naples-national-archaeological-museum?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
The Devil's Decade: Britain in the 1930s
All Programs
Britain’s so-called “devil’s decade” saw the nation reeling from the 1929 Wall Street crash as unemployment, poverty, and widening class divisions reshaped daily life. Many turned to cinema glamour and theatrical escapism while tabloids fixated on sensational crimes and royal scandal, including Edward VIII’s affair with Wallis Simpson. At the same time, economic despair fueled support for Oswald Mosley’s fascist movement. Historian Julie Taddeo highlights this turbulent era as a clash between lingering Victorian traditions and an increasingly modern, fractured society.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/devils-decade-britain-in-1930s?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/devils-decade-britain-in-1930s?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
Money Beyond Borders: The Past and Future of International Currencies
All Programs
In an era marked by concerns over tariffs, political polarization, and shifting global alliances, questions about the durability of the U.S. dollar’s international dominance are becoming increasingly urgent. Economist Barry Eichengreen traces the evolution of cross-border money from the earliest coinage of the 7th century B.C.E. to modern cryptocurrencies and emerging central bank digital currencies. Eichengreen examines patterns in the life cycles of international currencies over the past 2,500 years, offering valuable lessons about how currencies rise—and why they fall.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/money-beyond-borders?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/money-beyond-borders?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Play Date at NMNH: Awesome Arachnids!
One-Time Events
Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators!
Come join us as we celebrate the many wonderful ways arachnids help our planet, make observations of different arachnid species, and create art inspired by the different colors and shapes found on arachnids! Families will be able to explore through play, art, and select specimens from our collection.
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5) and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome.
Location: This program is held in 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.…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center (Ground Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM.
The Brusilov Offensive and the WWI Europe That Could Have Been
All Programs
The Brusilov Offensive—launched amid the battles of Somme and Verdun—caused over 2.5 million casualties and may have been history’s deadliest battle. Historian Indy Neidell argues it was the best chance for an early World War I armistice, as Gen. Aleksei Brusilov’s innovative shock-troop tactics nearly forced Germany and Austria-Hungary to negotiate. Had Russia succeeded, the intact German, Russian, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian empires of 1916 might have shaped a radically different postwar world.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/brusilov-offensive?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/brusilov-offensive?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
Jazz Afternoon
One-Time Events
The National Museum of American History is home to jazz collections that include 100,000 pages of Duke Ellington’s unpublished music and such objects as Ella Fitzgerald’s dresses, Dizzy Gillespie’s angled trumpet, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme manuscript and Benny Goodman’s clarinet. Visitors to the museum can engage with museum curators and see a small number of jazz treasures brought out of storage that represent the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz. During these Objects-Out-of-Storage events, musicians from the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra will host pop-up jam sessions, as well as interact with and educate visitors about their instruments and artistry. .
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 3 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Lectures & Discussions. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/projects/smithsonian-jazz. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
Meet the Expert: Philanthropy in the Founding Era
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Amanda Moniz, Curator of Philanthropy, and learn about the business of philanthropy during the founding era.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: American Enterprise, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: American Enterprise.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet Mary Pickersgill, seamstress of the enormous garrison flag that inspired the lyrics to America’s national anthem and later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. What was it like to live in a nation defending its sovereignty? Learn about the War of 1812, considered America’s Second War of Independence, and about ways that widows like Mary expressed patriotism and resourcefulness through acquired skills and family connections.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Flag Hall, 2 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: The Star-Spangled Banner. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
Behind the Science with Zoologist Matt Girard and World Ocean Day!
One-Time Events
"From Depths to Databases: Building a National Resource to Identify US Marine Fishes"
In celebration of World Ocean Day (June 8th) we are going Behind the Science with zoologist Matt Girard for a look beneath the waves using DNA and explore how NMNH scientists are building a DNA reference library for fish species that live in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), part of the Museum’s Ocean DNA Initiative. DNA libraries like these are transforming our ability to detect and monitor marine life using tiny traces of genetic material leftover in seawater—known as environmental DNA (eDNA). Through new field research, historical museum collections, and modern sequencing approaches, Matt will highlight why building these DNA libraries is essential for species discovery, conservation, fisheries management, and understanding a rapidly changing ocean.
Registration is encouraged. Space is filled on a first come first served basis.
----------------
About the Series:Behind the Science
A monthly after-hours series…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: National Museum of Natural History (Ground Floor). Cost: Free; registration is required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/61682548/behind-the-sciencejune-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:15 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. Stories from the American Songbook
All Programs
Explore and enjoy glorious songs from the great American Songbook with stories about their long, often-unexpected lives. Three-time Emmy Award–winning writer and documentary filmmaker Sara Lukinson’s abundant sampling of clips—and lively storytelling—make for two joyful and moving evenings to spend with Irving Berlin and George and Ira Gershwin, along with the artists who keep their songs alive. This session focuses on Irving Berlin.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/stories-from-american-songbook?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/stories-from-american-songbook?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
The Westerners: Mythmaking and Belonging on the American Frontier
All Programs
Author Megan Kate Nelson explores how the American West took shape in the 19th century by highlighting communities that thrived even as frontier mythology erased them. Drawing from her book The Westerners, she examines federal and individual actions that fueled cultural tensions. She spotlights figures such as Sacajawea, more than just Lewis and Clark’s guide but an explorer who forged her own path; Jim Beckwourth, a biracial trader known for his cultural insight; and Polly Bemis, a Chinese immigrant who built a life in Idaho despite exclusion laws. Nelson also discusses several of the sources she used to write about the lived experiences of men and women who built the American West.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/westerners?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/westerners?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Storytime Studio: Journey to the Sun
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. During each hourlong session, starting at 10 and 11 AM every Wednesday and Thursday, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Travel to the sun with help from Joan Miró and educators from The Phillips Collection. Miró was often inspired by celestial bodies in his work, including his painting Woman and Little Girl in Front of the Sun (1946), on view in Revolutions. We’ll feel the heat as we touch the sun during our read-aloud and use UV rays to create cyanotype “sun prints” inspired by Miró’s work.
Interested in learning more about Miró? Don’t miss the Phillips’ exhibition Miró and the United States, on view through July 5. Plus, join Art School educators at The Phillips Plays drop-in family program on June 13…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Catch the Sun.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Take your morning break with us in the garden! Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the sign just inside the stone garden gates on Independence Avenue, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: The garden tour begins just inside the stone garden gates on Independence Avenue. Look for the tour sign. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
The Ocean Around Us Tour
One-Time Events
Explore the Sant Ocean Hall to learn about some of the exciting animals and habitats featured and how they are connected to your everyday life no matter where you live. This is a 30-minute interactive walking tour where you can meet a North Atlantic Right Whale, find out what is the most productive marine ecosystem, touch coral, and so much more.
Registration is required for this small group tour of up to 10 people. Each visitor may bring up to 3 guests, but the total number of visitors on the tour will be capped at 10.
Photo by Phillip R. Lee, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall, Under the Large Jellyfish. Cost: Free. Registration is required. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Fairies: A History
All Programs
Fairy lore was once far broader and stranger than the 19th-century image of tiny winged beings. Historian and folklorist Francis Young traces how European cultures imagined fairies as powerful, human-like supernatural entities—from Irish aos sí to Scandinavian elves and Balkan vilas. He illustrates how these beliefs adapted to Christianity, thrived through the Middle Ages, and survived major cultural shifts, including the Reformation and Enlightenment. Young also highlights how colonial expansion globalized the idea of fairies and how enduring beliefs in fairies influence contemporary culture.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/fairies-history?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/fairies-history?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster
Films
After laying waste to an alien civilization on Venus, the three-headed, lightning-emitting space monster Ghidorah brings its insatiable thirst for destruction to Earth. The monstrous foes Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra must join forces in order to deal with the unprecedented threat. An electrifying screen debut for Godzilla’s archenemy Ghidorah, this film also marks a turning point for the series—for the first time, the King of the Monsters acts to protect the planet. Description adapted from Janus Films.
Director: Ishirō Honda. Country: Japan. Released: 1964. Length: 92 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Janus Films.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://nmaamatinees.eventive.org/schedule/6949762530ce9578cb604536. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:45 PM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
U Street: Shaped by History, Musical Legends, and Relative Newcomers
All Programs
The U Street NW neighborhood has long been a vibrant corridor for the rich social, civic, and cultural life of Washington's African American community. Join local guide Lynn O’Connell on a walking tour that focuses on the history of the neighborhood. Sites visited include the African American Civil War Memorial, the legendary Howard Theatre, and the locations of one-of-a-kind murals featuring such history makers as Duke Ellington and go-go legend Chuck Brown.
Event Location: Tour meets by the African American Civil War Memorial (Spirit of Freedom) at the. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/u-street-1CWC08?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Grant Wood: The Man Behind American Gothic
All Programs
Grant Wood, famed for one of America’s most iconic paintings, crafted a nostalgic public image that masked a far more intricate inner life. Art historian and Wood biographer R. Tripp Evans uncovers the tensions between the “farmer painter” persona, and his artistic, familial, and personal influences. Through Wood’s personal documents and paintings, Evans presents a multidimensional portrait of a man who became an unwitting national symbol. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/grant-wood?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/grant-wood?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Thingvellir National Park
All Programs
Spread out over a scenic rift valley created by the separation of two tectonic plates and riddled with unusual geologic features, Thingvellir National Park marks the site of the first open-air parliament in Iceland. It also serves as the historical backdrop for the transformation of seafaring Vikings into some of the most isolated and hardy farmers in the world. Historian Justin M. Jacobs explores the Vikings’ migrations, their strategies for survival on an impoverished and volatile island, and the innovative political institutions they developed to prevent large-scale violence in Iceland.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/thingvellir?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/thingvellir?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
The Smithsonian Museums: Tracing the Arc of American Architecture
All Programs
The Smithsonian Institution has shaped the character of the National Mall since 1855. Washington’s most beloved museums trace the arc of American architecture, from James Renwick’s Gothic design of the Smithsonian Castle to the contemporary National Museum of African American History and Culture designed by a collaborative team led by David Adjaye, Philip Freelon, and J. Max Bond Jr. Romanesque to Victorian, Neoclassical to Brutalist, each unique building is an architectural study all its own. Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, investigates the backstories behind these celebrated structures. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/smithsonian-museums-architecture?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/smithsonian-museums-architecture?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Storytime Studio: Journey to the Sun
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. During each hourlong session, starting at 10 and 11 AM every Wednesday and Thursday, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Travel to the sun with help from Joan Miró and educators from The Phillips Collection. Miró was often inspired by celestial bodies in his work, including his painting Woman and Little Girl in Front of the Sun (1946), on view in Revolutions. We’ll feel the heat as we touch the sun during our read-aloud and use UV rays to create cyanotype “sun prints” inspired by Miró’s work.
Interested in learning more about Miró? Don’t miss the Phillips’ exhibition Miró and the United States, on view through July 5. Plus, join Art School educators at The Phillips Plays drop-in family program on June 13…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Catch the Sun.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Freedmen's Bureau Search Portal Training
One-Time Events
This workshop is an introduction to the Freedmen’s Bureau Search Portal created by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The United States Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, commonly known as the Freedmen's Bureau, was created by Congress in 1865 to assist in the political and social reconstruction of post-war Southern states and to help formerly enslaved people make the transition from slavery to freedom and citizenship. In the process, the Bureau created millions of records that contain the names of hundreds of thousands of formerly enslaved people and Southern white refugees.
Community members will learn how to research their ancestors in the Freedmen’s Bureau records and be able to conduct searches in real time. This comprehensive search platform is designed to help family historians and genealogists find their ancestors and to assist scholars and students in researching various topics found in more than 1.7 million pages of Freedmen’s Bureau records.…
Event Location: Meeting Room, Merriweather Branch Library, 1324 Jefferson Ave, Buffalo, NY 14208. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/019d8d40-1cff-0583-d9c4-e50cd09be615?tg=019d8d40-1d04-2c25-d8e9-2d64b0354b2e. Categories: Workshops.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit tickets.si.edu. Meet the Expert: Firefighters in the 1800s
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Stop by this informal session to meet curator Tim Winkle and learn about firefighters in the 1800s.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 Center. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
State Fairs Conversation and Close Looking with Poetry Camera
One-Time Events
Join us for an evening of close looking and conversation in the exhibition, State Fairs: Growing American Craft. Using Poetry Camera, an innovative new camera that generates poems rather than photographs, attendees will “see” artworks through verse. Participants will be encouraged to slow down to notice line, texture, and color in selected artworks, then join in conversation, moderated by SAAM staff, about the poems and the extraordinary and unconventional crafts on view. Space is limited.
Venue: Renwick Gallery. Event Location: Renwick Gallery, 1st Floor. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/en/5f4ZMUx7/lessigreaterstate-fairslessigreater-conversation-and-close-looking-with-poetry-camera-5a2bVR3MHlF/overview. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: State Fairs: Growing American Craft.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM.
Art Signs Gallery Talk: Artful Conversations in ASL
One-Time Events
Curious about American art? Join us for a 30-minute in-person conversation about selected works from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection. This program is presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with voice interpretation for hearing participants.
Image credit: Photo by Mary Tait.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR3MFjR. Categories: After Five. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM.
The Outwin 2025 tour with Smithsonian Gardens
One-Time Events
Calling all art lovers and green thumbs! Join a National Portrait Gallery educator and a Smithsonian Gardens horticulturist on a special tour through the exhibition The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today. We will highlight the use of plants as symbols and settings in contemporary portraiture and discuss the characteristics and special care of the indoor plants featured in the exhibition. This Smithsonian collaboration focuses on the beauty of nature – on canvas and in real life.
Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-outwin-2025-tour-with-smithsonian-gardens-tickets-1989927513761?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Transformed and Deformed: The Prints of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
All Programs
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) is often regarded as the last ukiyo-e artist, working across the transition between the feudal Edo period (1603-1868) and the Westernization of Japan in the Meiji era (1868-1912). Yoshitoshi is known as an artist of the macabre and bizarre. However, this ghoulish reputation can obscure the important contributions he made to the development of new artistic genres. Kit Brooks, curator of Asian art at the Princeton University Art Museum, explores Yoshitoshi's career, examining what makes his art—and life—so haunting. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/prints-of-yoshitoshi?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/prints-of-yoshitoshi?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
The Evolutionary Story of Human Sleep
All Programs
What does human evolution reveal about the way we sleep—and why do so many people struggle today? David R. Samson, associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at the University of Toronto, uncovers how our ancestors’ move from the safety of the forest canopy to more dangerous ground shaped the brain’s unique sleep patterns we follow today. He offers insights into how a fundamental yet overlooked aspect of human biology has shaped the evolutionary trajectory and continues to influence daily lives.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/evolutionary-story-of-human-sleep?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/evolutionary-story-of-human-sleep?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223.
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM.
Fiddle & Fork Festival
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
Presented by the Blue Ridge Music Center and The Bluffs Restaurant, Fiddle & Fork Festival celebrates the music and foodways of the Blue Ridge Mountain region that stretches from Alabama to Pennsylvania. In its inaugural year, the festival includes an immersive dinner of locally sourced ingredients, music performances, food and craft demonstrations, and interviews with local musicians.
Categories: Performances. Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Cost: Kick-Off Dinner: Tickets on sale soon
An Evening with Steep Canyon Rangers: $20-45
All other events are free and open to the public. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.blueridgemusiccenter.org/concert-events/steep-canyon-rangers-2026/. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Event Location: Galax, Virginia.
Friday, June 12, 2026 – Sunday, June 14, 2026.
The Bluffs
Sparta, NC
Blue Ridge Music Center
Galax, VA.
For more info visit www.blueridgemusiccenter.org. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Due to inclement weather, Wonderplace will open at 12 noon on Friday, January 19, pending staff availability. We will update this entry if the operating status for Wonderplace changes. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis.At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Tour
Smithsonian Gardens
Take your morning break with us in the garden! Meet one of our knowledgeable volunteers by the sign just inside the stone garden gates on Independence Avenue, SW. No reservation is required.
Venue: Smithsonian Gardens. Event Location: The garden tour begins just inside the stone garden gates on Independence Avenue. Look for the tour sign. Cost: Free
Tours may be subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Big Moments, Little Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the power of storytelling and community through our early learners storytime experience inspired by We Make History! Through engaging stories, interactive gallery moments, and hands-on activities, children and caregivers will explore how everyday people, neighborhoods, and changemakers shape history in Washington, D.C. and beyond. Together, young learners will build curiosity and creativity.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 30 a.m.
Duration: About 1 hour.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Sunburst Lounge. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/big-moments-little-stories-tickets-1990727334045?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Freedmen's Bureau Search Portal Training
One-Time Events
This workshop is an introduction to the Freedmen’s Bureau Search Portal created by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The United States Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, commonly known as the Freedmen's Bureau, was created by Congress in 1865 to assist in the political and social reconstruction of post-war Southern states and to help formerly enslaved people make the transition from slavery to freedom and citizenship. In the process, the Bureau created millions of records that contain the names of hundreds of thousands of formerly enslaved people and Southern white refugees.
Community members will learn how to research their ancestors in the Freedmen’s Bureau records and be able to conduct searches in real time. This comprehensive search platform is designed to help family historians and genealogists find their ancestors and to assist scholars and students in researching various topics found in more than 1.7 million pages of Freedmen’s Bureau records.…
Event Location: Meeting Room, Merriweather Branch Library, 1324 Jefferson Ave, Buffalo, NY 14208. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/019d8d40-1cff-0583-d9c4-e50cd09be615?tg=019d8d40-1d04-2c25-d8e9-2d64b0354b2e. Categories: Workshops.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit tickets.si.edu. NY | Curator Tour: Native New York—From the Bronx to Buffalo
One-Time Events
Reflect on 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence with a special curator-led tour of the ongoing exhibition, Native New York. The Revolutionary War (1775–1783) tested the bonds of the Haudenosaunee (Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations) Confederacy, an alliance of six nations that controlled most of the territory now known as New York State. Neighboring nations were also drawn into the conflict and all were forced to choose sides or try to remain neutral. Learn more about Indigenous history on both frontiers of the war in relation to the Mohican, Oneida, and Cayuga communities and in the war’s aftermath at Buffalo Creek.
Image courtesy of C&G Partners.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 2: Exhibition Gallery. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Native New York. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
American Realism
All Programs
American Realism usually refers to the Ashcan School, led by Robert Henri, which portrayed New York City’s gritty life around 1900. But “realism” also describes earlier artists like John Singleton Copley, trompe l’oeil painters such as Rembrandt Peale and William Harnett, and 19th century figures including Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, and John Singer Sargent. The term later extended to movements like Socialist Realism and Photo Realism. Art historian Heidi Applegate traces these varied meanings across art history. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/american-realism?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Cost: View registration price. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/american-realism?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223. Categories: Workshops.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
NY | Curator Tour: Native New York—From the Bronx to Buffalo
One-Time Events
Reflect on 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence with a special curator-led tour of our ongoing exhibition Native New York. The Revolutionary War (1775–1783) tested the bonds of the Haudenosaunee (Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations) Confederacy, an alliance of six nations that controlled most of the territory now known as New York State. Neighboring nations were also drawn into the conflict and all were forced to choose sides or try to remain neutral. Learn more about Indigenous history on both frontiers of the war in relation to the Mohican, Oneida, and Cayuga communities and in the war’s aftermath at Buffalo Creek.
Image courtesy of C&G Partners.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 2: Exhibition Gallery. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Native New York. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
SHOUT
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Join our ensemble of performers as they sing, dance, and teach through storytelling. Learn about the ring shout—a powerful practice blending song and rhythmic movement created by enslaved communities in the 1700s and 1800s. They combined various religious practices of Europe and Africa, creating a cultural tradition that became iconically American. Connect their syncopated musical rhythms from the past to the present and learn how music can be a form of joyful resistance in times of oppression.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Performances. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Meet the Wheelwoman
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Meet a cyclist pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness in the rapidly changing world of the 1890s. The explosive popularity of the safety bicycle at the turn of the century led to more personal mobility and independence for women, empowering them to advocate for change—whether it be less restrictive clothing, improved infrastructure, or even woman suffrage.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Related Exhibition: Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Object Project. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
From Seeds to Stories: A Conversation with Christopher DeMairo
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
From horticultural innovations in flower hybrids to inspiring the war and victory gardens of the 20th century, the Burpee company is a staple of American agriculture, and, even 150 years after its founding, Burpee continues to be the world’s largest home garden and seed company. Christopher DeMairo, author of The Burpee Seed Company: Planting U.S. History since the Nineteenth Century published by Smithsonian Scholarly Press, will discuss the history of the Burpee family enterprise and the 200 boxes of archival business records donated to the Smithsonian that detail this family legacy. After the conversation in Stage 4, attendees can join a garden party-style reception in the Atrium.
Event Location: Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. N.W. Washington, DC; for directions visit: https://www.studiotheatre.org/visit/directions-and-parking. Cost: Free, but registration is required due to space limitations. Get Tickets/Register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/28553xp. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 12, 2026, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM.