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Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/264995?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/264995?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Down on the (Fish) Farm
One-Time Events
More than half of the seafood we eat comes from aquatic farming, also known as aquaculture. Hundreds of species of plants and animals are grown in the water, including in the open ocean! But what exactly does an ocean farm entail? Come learn about what it means to farm in the sea – who grows what, where, and how?Presented by:
Dr. Robin Fail, Marine Social Scientist, Marine Mammal Commission
Hayley Lemoine, Marine Social Scientist, NOAA Fisheries
Photos courtesy of Dr. Robin Fail and Hayley Lemoine.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Microalgae Biotechnology: Tiny Powerhouses Shaping Our Future
One-Time Events
Meet the "tiny but mighty" powerhouses that eat carbon to create fuel, health compounds, and clean our environment. Marine and molecular biologist Abdulmajid Alrefaie explores how these microbes break down carbon sources, transforming them into valuable oils, pigments, and bioactive molecules for the energy, health, and food industries.
Presented by: Abdulmajid Alrefaie, Legislative Policy Fellow, U.S. House of Representatives and
Marine & Molecular Biologist, University of Maryland.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/264996?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM.
Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265036?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265036?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Diving Deep into the Ocean’s Twilight Zone
One-Time Events
The twilight zone is home to the most abundant fish species on the planet, like myctophids and bristlemouths. Some of these fish, along with other twilight zone animals, perform a daily vertical migration that may be the largest migration on the planet. Come discover these creatures and learn why they’re important to other marine animals and even to us humans!
Dr. Helena McMonagle, Ocean Scientist, University of Washington
Image Credits: Marley Parker.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Investigating Objects: From Inquiry to Action | Cultivating Learning
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
Many voices of the American people have contributed to and continue to shape the nation and its communities, from its earliest beginnings to the present. Join Orlando Serrano of the National Museum of American History (NMAH) to consider how material culture can be a point of departure for inquiry, analysis, research, and information sharing. Orlando shares techniques developed from his time as a classroom teacher and in his role as Head of PreK-12 Learning at NMAH. You’ll leave with resources to activate learning in your classroom and a deeper understanding of the never-ending process to become one nation.
Program Details:
This is a Zoom webinar with automatic captioning. You’ll be able to participate using the chat and Q&A, and your camera and mic will be disabled. We’ll record and post the webinar on the Smithsonian Learning Lab’s Events page approximately 72 hours after the session ends.
For general questions, or if we can provide additional accessibility services to support your participation, please…
Event Location: Online. Cost: Free. Related Events: In this special 2025-2026 Cultivating Learning series, "Celebrating America at 250," Smithsonian educators share teaching techniques and resources that help tell the story of America's 250th. The series celebrates well-known people, events, and accomplishments of our nation and also provides opportunities to discuss lesser-told histories that together form our national narrative. Join us to explore strategies for using digital museum resources to support student learning at this milestone moment in American… Accessibility: Captioning.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Virtual America InSight: Verbal Description Tours
One-Time Events
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a docent-led virtual tour designed for participants who are blind or have low vision. Discover highlights from the collection through rich verbal descriptions that invoke a multisensory experience.
Image credit: Photo by Mary Tait.
Event Location: Online. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR2MdCr.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 5:30 PM.
Our Universe in a New Light: Exploring the Chandra X-ray Observatory’s High-Energy Wonders
Resident Associate Program
For over 25 years, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has revealed a dramatic, invisible universe where black holes collide, stars explode, and galaxies erupt with high-energy light. Join Chandra visualization scientist Kimberly Arcand of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for a dynamic journey through some of space telescope Chandra’s most breathtaking discoveries, transformed into stunning images, immersive experiences, and even sound. Explore stellar nurseries, hear the echoes of black holes, and experience deep space like never before.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264947?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264947?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
Story Time
One-Time Events
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas.
Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”.
Meet in the Museum Lobby.
If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g. ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact NPMprograms@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free ; no registration required.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/264997?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/264997?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
The Mysteries of Methane in the Deep Ocean
One-Time Events
Have you ever wondered what the ocean floor looks like? Come chat with Sajjad Akam, a marine geologist who studies seafloor sites where gases and fluids seep from deep beneath the sediments. Ask him about his research on the role of methane seeps in shaping both modern and ancient deep-ocean ecosystems.
Presented by: Dr. Sajjad Akam, Marine Geologist, Our Unique Planet Fellow, Department of Mineral Sciences
Image courtesy of Sajjad Akam.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/264998?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM.
Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265037?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265037?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
1789: Threshold of the Modern Age
Resident Associate Program
The adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the start of the French Revolution—events that occurred in remarkable chronological parallel—were for much of the last two centuries seen as contrasting, but equally indisputable, pillars of modernity. Historian David Andress examines their shared, complex interaction with the continued growth of the British Empire and how far the political turning-points of this moment also hinged on shifts in technology, trade, and exploitation that had a global reach.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265137?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265137?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
Volcanoes That Changed the World
Resident Associate Program
Over the course of history, volcanoes have influenced culture, art, agriculture, scientific innovation, and even media. Was the French Revolution sparked by volcanic activity? Did a volcanic eruption influence Edvard Munch’s The Scream? Could volcanic mining be a solution to electrification for the future? Volcanologist Samuel Mitchell explores the ways in which volcanoes have shaped our world, drawing on examples from the beginning of our planet through this year.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264948?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264948?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/264999?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/264999?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM.
Sonoma Uncorked
Resident Associate Program
The geography of Sonoma County, California, ranges from coastal and inland mountains to sweeping valleys and high benchlands. With a seemingly endless range of microclimates and growing conditions, Sonoma’s wines run the gamut from cool coastal appellations to hot inland valleys. Enjoy this delicious deep dive into the varieties, flavors, and terroirs of Sonoma.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264720?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264720?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Films
The world is a perplexing, peaceful mystery to Amélie until a miraculous encounter with chocolate ignites her wild sense of curiosity. As she develops a deep attachment to her family’s housekeeper, Nishio-san, Amélie discovers the wonders of nature as well as the emotional truths hidden beneath the surface of her family’s idyllic life as foreigners in postwar Japan.
Adapted from the autobiographical novel by Amélie Nothomb and brought to life in the completely original animated style of directors Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain tells a tender, poignant, and visually stunning story about the healing power of human connection. Description courtesy of GKids
Directors: Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han. Countries: France, Belgium. Released: 2025. Length: 77 min. Format: DCP. Language: French with English subtitles. Image courtesy of GKids.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://nmaanimation.eventive.org/films. Accessibility: Captioning. Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, December 12, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Open Studio: Art in Motion
One time events
This December, explore how artists use light, reflection, and shadow at Open Studio. Each week, we’ll get inspired by artists such as Alexander Calder, Olafur Eliasson, and Louise Nevelson.
This week, get ready to explore Alexander Calder’s suspended sculptures, called mobiles! Use pipe cleaners, coated wire, aluminum foil, and other loose parts to explore suspension and build your own hanging sculpture!
Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level. ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in to explore modern and contemporary art through interactive hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and artworks on view. Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.
Every session introduces a new theme and a fresh perspective on art-making. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—and allow them to craft, create, and learn.
No reservations or tickets are required. Stroller parking is available in the…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Dancing Soft Sculptures.
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
The Holidays in Old Town Alexandria
Resident Associate Program
Step back in time as Lynn O’Connell leads an exploration of how Christmases of yesteryear were celebrated in Alexandria, Virginia. As you walk through Old Town Alexandria, learn how John Carlyle, George Washington, and other city leaders of the 18th century marked the seasons and which new customs were brought to Alexandria in the 1880s and 1890s. Get the delicious details on the holiday feasts served at historic Gadsby’s Tavern in the 19th century, including George Washington’s favorite dish—and his rather boozy eggnog.
Event Location: Tour meets at Market Square 300 King St, Alexandria, VA. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265101?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
The Love that Moves the Stars: Reading Dante’s Paradiso
Resident Associate Program
Even though it was written seven centuries ago, Dante’s Divine Comedy is essential reading today. Literature professor Joseph Luzzi explains why as he leads three all-day seminars focusing on each of the Divine Comedy’s three canticles: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. He highlights the originality and brilliance of Dante’s poetic vision, explaining how this great poem became one of the most influential works in literary history. This session focuses on Dante's Paradiso.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264074?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264074?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
NMAAHC Kids Story Time: When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree
One-Time Events
NMAAHC Kids Story Time: When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree, Designed for children ages 4-8 years
Celebrate Kwanzaa with NMAAHC Kids! Together, we’ll read When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree by Jamie L.B. Deenihan, and learn about the Kwanzaa principle of Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics). Children will “grow” their own garden inspired collages, enjoy lemony sensory play activities and explore exhibits for story-inspired objects.
Join us in the classrooms on the museum's 2nd floor! This program will take place from 10:30am to 12:30pm and follow the program schedule below:
-10:30am-12:30pm: Ongoing Create & Explore Time
-10:45am & 11:45am: Read Alouds
-11:00am & 12:00pm: Children’s Gallery Tours.
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor Classroom. Cost: Free. Registration required! Get Tickets/Register: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/01997725-09d8-f2dd-c7a5-71f2374a60d1.
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
Coffee & Collections: Photographer Rick Reinhard
One-Time Events
For over five decades, Washington, D.C. photographer Rick Reinhard has captured powerful images of the city’s residents at work, at home, and in their neighborhoods. His large body of work, now in the museum’s collection, earned him a designation as “the go-to chronicler of D.C.’s Latino and activist communities.” Join us for a conversation with Mr. Reinhard about the role of photography in documenting historic moments, inspiring reflection, and sparking change.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coffee-collections-photographer-rick-reinhard-tickets-1975215647172?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra: A Holiday Suite in Swing
One-Time Events
Performances of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite during the holiday season have been a cherished tradition worldwide for decades. In the vibrant world of jazz, this timeless masterpiece has sparked the imagination of composers and arrangers alike, inspiring swinging adaptations that reimagine its beloved melodies with bold orchestrations.
On Saturday, December 13, the SJMO will bring this festive magic to life by performing three spirited jazz versions of Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic, The Nutcracker Suite—selections from Frank Comstock's brilliant version written for the Les Brown band; Shorty Roger's own 1960 version, The Swingin’ Nutcracker; and Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington's arrangements assembled from the original manuscripts held in the Strayhorn Repository and the Ellington Collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
This program takes place during public hours and is free and open to the public. Reservations are taken to estimate seating and space needs. Seating priority…
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West: Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/smithsonian-jazz-masterworks-orchestra-a-holiday-suite-in-swing-tickets-1974257408053?aff=trumba. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Teen Studio: Chronically Online
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.
We are finishing our sculpture unit this Saturday with a special collaboration with Boolean Girl! You’ll learn basic coding techniques to create artworks inspired by the geometric wonder of Olafur Eliasson’s Your oceanic feeling (2015).
Drop in to Teen Studio every Saturday between 2:30 and 4 PM. Register for the entire school year by emailing HMSGeducation@si.edu (one-time registration covers all sessions). Join one or join them all! Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level.
Looking for more? Explore Art School Everywhere, wherever you are, to learn about artists at the Hirshhorn and get creative any time. Do this at home! Create a light sculpture inspired by artist Olafur Eliasson.
Olafur Eliasson: Rainbow Reflections
, ABOUT TEEN STUDIO
Teens ages 13–19…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Teen Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Olafur Eliasson: Rainbow Reflections, Boolean Girl.
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Henri Rousseau at the Barnes Foundation
Resident Associate Program
Known for his lush jungle scenes and imaginative compositions, Henri Rousseau was a self-taught artist whose work defied convention and captivated generations of Modernists. Art historian Ursula Wolfman takes you into his vibrant world at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia with the special exhibition “Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets, ” co-organized with the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.
Event Location: Departs from the Holiday Inn Capitol at 550 C St SW (corner of 6th & C Sts). Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265103?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Sunday, December 14, 2025, 7:30 AM – 7:00 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Sunday, December 14, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, December 14, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
The Holidays in Old Town Alexandria
Resident Associate Program
Step back in time as Lynn O’Connell leads an exploration of how Christmases of yesteryear were celebrated in Alexandria, Virginia. As you walk through Old Town Alexandria, learn how John Carlyle, George Washington, and other city leaders of the 18th century marked the seasons and which new customs were brought to Alexandria in the 1880s and 1890s. Get the delicious details on the holiday feasts served at historic Gadsby’s Tavern in the 19th century, including George Washington’s favorite dish—and his rather boozy eggnog.
Event Location: Tour meets at Market Square 300 King St, Alexandria, VA. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265102?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Sunday, December 14, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, December 14, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 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. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265000?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265000?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265001?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the National Portrait Gallery. Join educators every Monday to explore a new topic and different materials. Participants will look at art, enjoy hands-on activities, listen to music and participate in story time. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other. Our friends from DC Public Library will join us on the second Monday of each month for a special story time about the day’s theme.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Regsitration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265038?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265038?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Secrets and Symbols in Art: The Iconography of Christmas
Resident Associate Program
The study of iconography—how symbols and allegories function in art—offers a way to understand masterpieces that have puzzled scholars for generations. Art historian Noah Charney explores the rich stories hidden in details of paintings associated with Christmas, specifically representations created by a variety of artists of the adoration of the Christ Child by the Magi or shepherds. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265138?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265138?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Kelp! I Am Stuck in a Forest!
One-Time Events
Come under the canopy to learn about giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, and its ecosystem! This brown alga can grow a foot per day and provides a habitat to many species in its dense forests. Join us to learn more about kelp forests, how they are found around the world in cold waters, and how rising sea temperatures may affect kelp growth and the animals that rely on this foundation species.
This program will be presented by Roxanne-Alexa Garibay, Marine scientist, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories / NOAA Knauss Ocean Policy Fellow.
Photo by Roxanne-Alexa Garibay.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Christmas Ghost Stories
Resident Associate Program
Today, the December holidays are all about joyous magic, warm evenings curled by the fire, and celebrations of the triumph of good and light in the world. Traditionally, however, the winter season also ushers in the terrors of the dark and the cold. One of the most fascinating, long-established cultural traditions that blends these very different impulses is the Christmas ghost story. Folklorists Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman trace the history of the winter ghost story, exploring how it became tied to Christmas and sharing tales.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265104?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265104?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
Viktor Frankl: Life, Work, and Legacy
Resident Associate Program
Viktor Frankl (1905–1997) was a philosopher, practicing therapist, and author of 39 books, including A Psychologist’s Experiences in the Concentration Camp, chronicling his imprisonment during World War II. He created the theory and exercise of logotherapy, a school of psychotherapy that described a search for life’s meaning and purpose as a central human dynamic. Historian and author Dennis B. Klein reviews Frankl’s work, exploring how meaning-making can respond to what he called “inner emptiness.”.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265145?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265145?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Estudio de Cuentos: ¡Bailemos salsa!
One time events
Estudio de Cuentos is held every third Tuesday of the month. Facilitation is entirely in Spanish. We recommend that at least one person in your group (child or caregiver) speaks Spanish. The program’s English-language version, Storytime Studio: Let’s Salsa! will be held Wednesday, December 17. SOBRE ESTUDIO DE CUENTOS
Estudio de Cuentos ocurre cada tercer martes del mes, a las 10 y 11 de la mañana, y está diseñado para niños desde recién nacidos hasta los 6 años y sus cuidadores. Los participantes son bienvenidos a nuestro estudio de arte para disfrutar de una hora especial de juego, lecturas en voz alta, y exploración artística. El programa es completamente en español, y se recomienda que por lo menos un miembro de su grupo (niño o cuidador) hable español.
Estudio de Cuentos tiene cupo limitado. La entrada es por orden de llegada. ESTA SEMANA
Siente el ritmo mientras bailamos salsa juntos con educadores del Museo Nacional Del Latino Estadounidense y las figuras en la pintura del artista Aliza…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Community Portraits with Aliza Nisenbaum | Retratos Comunitarios con Aliza Nisenbaum.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Estudio de Cuentos: ¡Bailemos salsa!
American Latino Museum
Feel the rhythm as we dance salsa together with educators from the National Museum of the American Latino and the Hirshhorn Museum as we explore the figures in the painting by artist Aliza Nisenbaum, My Four Graces (Brendan, Camilo, Carlos, Jorge) (2018). Our dance party will continue during the read-aloud, while we take Polaroids to decorate and take home. Featured Book: 1, 2, 3 Salsa! by Delia Ruiz, illustrated by Graziela Andrade. This program will be facilitated fully in Spanish language. We recommend that at least one person in your group (child or caregiver) speaks Spanish. This program is designed for children from 0 to 6 years of age and their caregivers.
Estudio de Cuentos, held every third Tuesday of the month at 10 and 11 AM, is a free Spanish-language program of the Hirshhorn Museum. No pre-registration is required.
Entry is first-come, first-served. Once the 10 AM session reaches capacity, you’ll be given the option to return for entry to the 11 AM session until capacity is reached. For…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Hirshhorn Museum, Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free/Gratis.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265002?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265002?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Play Date at NMNH: Pockets & Pouches
One-Time Events
Tuesday, December 16th, is all about ocean animals with pockets and pouches! Families will learn look up close at specimens that have pockets and pouches and learn what they hold in their pocket or pouch. Families will also be invited to create their own pouch to carry their own favorite or special item.
The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome.
Location: This program is held in the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals exhibit on the 1st floor of the museum. Please note that space is dependent on the location of that week's event. Some locations have less capacity than others. It is possible that the program might be at capacity when you arrive. If this happens, please enjoy other areas of the museum and try again later in the program.
Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation,…
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals (1st Floor). Cost: Free. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265003?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM.
Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265039?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265039?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Houseplants: The Science Behind the Scenes
Resident Associate Program
By understanding how plants work, you can be more successful at caring for them, since knowledge of basic plant biology can be a valuable tool for indoor gardeners fascinated by plants and their unique characteristics. Virginia Velez Thaxton, a horticulturist with the Interiors Section of Smithsonian Gardens, explores the essential factors plants need from their environment and offers an overview of the physiological processes at play.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264768?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/264768?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
The Ocean Around Us Tour
One-Time Events
Explore the Sant Ocean Hall to learn about some of the exciting animals and habitats featured and how they are connected to your everyday life no matter where you live. This is a 30-minute interactive walking tour where you can meet a North Atlantic Right Whale, find out what is the most productive marine ecosystem, touch coral, and so much more.
Registration is required for this small group tour of up to 10 people.
Photo by Phillip R. Lee, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall, Under the Large Jellyfish. Cost: Free. Registration is required. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
Q?rius After Hours - December
One-Time Events
It’s your final chance of the year to join us for an evening of Q?rius After Hours in the Coralyn W. Whitney Q?rius Science Education Center. Take a break from holiday season craze and warm up with science and joy, crafts, puzzles, and games, the chance to explore NMNH collections specimens, and these featured NMNH experts: The Art of Preserving Plants featuring hands-on botany specimen preparation with museum specialist in the Department of Botany Erika Gardner , Dive Into Your National Marine Sanctuaries! with NOAA marine scientist and educator and Knauss Marine Policy Fellow Danielle Becker , It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superbird!: Exploring Super Senses In Seabirds with marine ecologist and NOAA Knauss Marine Policy Fellow Jess Kusher, Register Here
About the series:
If you think back to a time when you were having fun as a kid, what were you doing that made you so happy? Odds are it included some of the universal elements of play – a concept we know is critical for kids to build decision-making…
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/73652847/qrius-after-hours-december-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. The Irresistible Movie Musicals of MGM
Resident Associate Program
Bursting with big talent with big dreams, MGM in the 1940s and ’50s produced the most glorious string of musicals in film history: gems like On the Town, Singin’ in the Rain, An American in Paris, The Band Wagon, and Gigi. Grab a bowl of popcorn and join documentary filmmaker Sara Lukinson, who combines a lively lecture with an abundant sample of film clips that will have you singing in the rain. That’s entertainment!
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265172?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265172?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
Winslow Homer: Portraits of American Life
Resident Associate Program
Winslow Homer remains one of the most celebrated American artists of the 19th century, renowned for his evocative portrayals of everyday life and the natural world. Rather than focus on society’s elite, Homer turned his attention to ordinary Americans, capturing them with honesty, restraint, and quiet empathy. Art historian Janetta Rebold Benton traces Homer’s artistic evolution, his commitment to American Realism, and the parallel yet sharply contrasting career of Thomas Eakins. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265173?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265173?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM.
Storytime Studio: Let’s Salsa!
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Feel the rhythm as we salsa alongside the figures in artist Aliza Nisenbaum’s painting Mis Cuatro Gracias (Brendan, Camilo, Carlos, Jorge) (2018). Our dance party will continue during the read-aloud, and as we snap Polaroids to decorate and take home.
Featured book: ¡1, 2, 3 Salsa! by Delia Ruiz, illustrated by Graziela Andrade, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to one hour.
No pre-registration required
Entry to Storytime Studio is first-come, first-served. When the…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Community Portraits with Aliza Nisenbaum | Retratos Comunitarios con Aliza Nisenbaum.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Winter's Colors: A Reflective Writing Workshop
Resident Associate Program
Discover the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Experience new ways to contemplate the gifts of winter inspired by the vibrant Winter Landscape by Wassily Kandinsky, an artist who embraced the transcendent power of color. Designed for writers of all levels, and for the curious, the workshop invites participants to look outwardly at art and to look inwardly through writing.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265174?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265174?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Ezra Jack Keats? The Snowy Day
Resident Associate Program
Ages 3 to 7. Join us for a screening of the film adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved book.
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/265007?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Ezra Jack Keats? The Snowy Day
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 7. Join us for a screening of the film adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved book.
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/265007?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Art in the A.M.
One-Time Events
Inspire early childhood creativity with SAAM during Art in the A.M. Children ages up to 5 years and their caregivers are invited to the museum before hours to learn, connect, and create in the galleries. During this program, participants will take a journey through the seasons by exploring the exhibition Grandma Moses: A Good Day’s Work. Afterward, participants will create a Grandma Moses-inspired greeting card.
Image credit: Grandma Moses, Out for Christmas Trees, 1946, oil and glitter on high-density fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Kallir Family in honor of Hildegard Bachert, © Grandma Moses Properties Co. New York.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in G Street Lobby. Cost: Free | Registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://events.blackthorn.io/5f4ZMUx7/5a2bVR2Kba9. Related Exhibition: Grandma Moses: A Good Day's Work.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 10:30 AM.
Story Time with DCPL
One-Time Events
Join us for Story Time in collaboration with the DC Public Library! Story Time is a fun way to introduce your child to language and literacy skills through an interactive experience.
For questions about this event, please email us at: HistoryTeachers@si.edu.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: 1 West. Cost: Free.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 10:45 AM – 11:15 AM.
Ezra Jack Keats? The Snowy Day
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 7. Join us for a screening of the film adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved book.
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/265008?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM.
Ezra Jack Keats? The Snowy Day
Resident Associate Program
Ages 3 to 7. Join us for a screening of the film adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved book.
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/265026?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Ezra Jack Keats? The Snowy Day
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 7. Join us for a screening of the film adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved book.
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/265026?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Exploring our Sightlines: Integrating Local Stories across Subject Areas | Cultivating Learning
Smithsonian Sponsored Events
Join the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s Education Team to explore a new virtual tour experience based on the exhibition Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond. During its run at the Smithsonian American Art Museum from September 2024 to November 2025, Sightlines provides visitors with glimpses into the complexity and depth of Asian American connections to Washington, D.C. across time. Through artwork, material culture, images, and other graphic material from Smithsonian collections and local D.C. community members, this session will address the importance of multicultural storytelling and emphasize how local places can be integrated into any school subject area. You’ll leave with actionable strategies to help students explore the importance of documenting local places and connect to national histories and movements.
Program Details:
This is a Zoom webinar with automatic captioning. You’ll be able to participate using the chat and Q&A, and your camera and mic will be disabled. We’ll record and post…
Event Location: Online. Cost: Free. Related Events: In this special 2025-2026 Cultivating Learning series, "Celebrating America at 250," Smithsonian educators share teaching techniques and resources that help tell the story of America's 250th. The series celebrates well-known people, events, and accomplishments of our nation and also provides opportunities to discuss lesser-told histories that together form our national narrative. Join us to explore strategies for using digital museum resources to support student learning at this milestone moment in American… Accessibility: Captioning.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
The Dogfaces’ War: The American GI Experience in World War II
Resident Associate Program
Millions of American GIs served in the European Theater of Operations during the Second World War, fighting their way through Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands before pushing into Germany itself. Most were not professional soldiers, but ordinary young men drafted and sent overseas to confront one of the most formidable armies in history. Historian Christopher Hamner explores the experience of these ground troops—nicknamed “dogfaces”—from their stateside training and transatlantic journey to the brutal and bewildering realities of combat on the European continent.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265175?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265175?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM.
A Midcentury Christmas
Resident Associate Program
Journey back to the time when aluminum trees shimmered in living rooms, Shiny Brite ornaments sparkled on branches, and cartoon holiday specials became beloved TV traditions. Through period photographs, vintage advertisements, and colorful catalogs, cultural historian Leslie Goddard brings to life the spirit of Christmas in the United States from the late 1940s through the 1960s. Goddard explores how the holiday evolved during an era marked by postwar prosperity and cultural optimism for many.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265147?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265147?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
The Hidden History of Brainwashing
Resident Associate Program
In an increasingly data-driven world anyone can fall victim to mind control, says historian of science Rebecca Lemov, who examines how brainwashing techniques once reserved for warfare and cults are now woven into the fabric of everyday life. She traces mind control from procedures used against American POWs in North Korea to the “soft” brainwashing of today’s social media.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265146?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265146?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Ezra Jack Keats? The Snowy Day
Resident Associate Program
Ages 3 to 7. Join us for a screening of the film adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved book.
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/265009?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Ezra Jack Keats? The Snowy Day
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 7. Join us for a screening of the film adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved book.
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/265009?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Connecting Communities: The Power Behind the Signal
One-Time Events
What keeps us connected in a world that never stops moving? Come meet experts from T-Mobile and the Telecommunications Bureau of Puerto Rico, and explore how networks, education, and innovation come together to bridge the digital divide. From 5G to Project 10Million, discover how technology connects students, families, and communities across the nation and beyond.
This program is part of our Expert Is In series: informal cart discussions in the exhibit galleries. It will be facilitated by: Dr. Kiesha King – Head of U.S. Education Strategy, T-Mobile , Paola Saad-Castillo – Solutions Engineer, T-Mobile , Osvaldo Soto García – President of Telecommunications for Puerto Rico.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor, Cellphone Exhibition Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Ezra Jack Keats? The Snowy Day
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 7. Join us for a screening of the film adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved book.
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/265010?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM.
Soulful Stitching with Kianga Art
One-Time Events
Discover the restorative power of hand stitching in this immersive workshop with Guest Presenter Kianga Jinaki. Participants will create a personal Affirmation Journal using African mudcloth and fabrics, with the option to add meaningful embellishments such as cowrie shells, a brooch, pin, or fabric swatch that carry personal significance. Rooted in the preservation of traditional craft, this cultural preservation program highlights the intentional practice of Long and Whip Stitching—a mindful use of hand sewing needles that encourages stillness, reflection, and rest. The workshop weaves together purpose, intention, and community, offering both creative expression and a meditative experience. This workshop is part of the Save Our African American Treasures initiative, which inspires preservation efforts across the nation by empowering all individuals, families, groups, and organizations to protect and share their history. Program Highlights: Hands-on workshop with fiber artist, Kianga Jinaki , Guided…
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor Classrooms. Cost: $30. Get Tickets/Register: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/019a07bc-fe0f-cc5c-d5d3-796a0a115b0e?tg=019a07bc-fe11-01b1-87e3-30675bde7934.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Recent Fossil Discoveries at Drimolen Cave, South Africa
One-Time Events
Drimolen Cave, South Africa, is one of a very few places in the world that preserves evidence of human evolution when our own genus, Homo, became distinct from other ancient human relatives, the australopiths. In recent years, dating of the cave site has been established and new fossil discoveries there shed light on the origin of Homo and evolutionary change in the australopiths. Dr. David Strait, Professor of Biological Anthropology at Washington University and one of the lead scientists working at Drimolen, will present these new discoveries. Moderator: Briana Pobiner, paleoanthropologist and educator at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
This program is part of the ongoing HOT (Human Origins Today) Topic series and will be presented as a Zoom video webinar. A link will be emailed to all registrants. Photo Credit: Jesse Martin.
Event Location: Online; Internet connection required. Cost: Free; Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/31854046/recent-fossil-discoveries-at-drimolen-cavesouth-africa-washington-national-museum-of-natural-history. Accessibility: Captioning.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.etix.com. Ezra Jack Keats? The Snowy Day
Resident Associate Program
Ages 3 to 7. Join us for a screening of the film adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved book.
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/265027?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Ezra Jack Keats? The Snowy Day
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 3 to 7. Join us for a screening of the film adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved book.
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/265027?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Fire and Ice: The Art of Scandinavian Glass
Resident Associate Program
Few art forms capture the spirit of design and function quite like Scandinavian glass, celebrated worldwide for its elegant simplicity and innovative craftsmanship. From classic pieces like Alvar Aalto’s flowing Savoy vase to the bold experimentation of mid-century designers, Scandinavian glass transformed the art world and redefined everyday objects as works of art. Art historian Jennie Hirsh traces the evolution of this distinctive Danish, Swedish, and Finnish glassmaking from the 19th century to the present, with a special focus on the groundbreaking developments of the 20th century. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265176?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265176?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Invisible Threat: How Chemicals in Stormwater Affect Salmon
One-Time Events
For decades, scientists were puzzled by mysterious salmon deaths in the Pacific Northwest. Adult salmon returning to spawn were suddenly dying before they could reproduce. In 2020, the researchers discovered the surprising culprit: a chemical from vehicle tire washing into streams. Come explore the “hidden” chemical habitat, how stormwater affects salmon survival, and what we can do to protect them.
Presented by: Caitlin Lawrence, Aquatic Toxicologist, NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Fellow.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Portrait Gallery Reading Rhythms
One-Time Events
Join the Portrait Gallery and Reading Rhythms for a reading party designed to make it easy for people to gather and read socially. We invite folks to bring any book they want while we facilitate silent reading periods, as well as 1-on-1 breakouts, and group discussions to pull on the threads of the books and art that everyone is engaging with. This adult program unites a community of readers to learn together, to experience the wonder of beautiful art in a breathtaking venue with curated music. Free – Registration Required.
Event Location: Great Hall. Cost: Free. Registration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/portrait-gallery-reading-rhythms-tickets-1527502674619?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 5:15 PM – 7:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Golden Prague: Art and Politics in the Heart of Europe
Resident Associate Program
Poets and patriots have long called Prague “the Golden City.” Historian Cynthia Paces discusses how the city earned that name. Meet the emperors, artists, and architects who built the Golden City. Discover the Gothic and Renaissance buildings that still stand today and learn the real stories of the city’s alchemists and astronomers, poets and painters. And find out why two historic eras of peace and prosperity ended in bloody wars.
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265177?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265177?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
AirSpace Live! The Future of Cooking in Space
One-Time Events
The AirSpace podcast is cooking up something very special . . . our first-ever LIVE episode recording from the museum! Hosts Matt & Emily will be joined by an expert panel to discuss the future of cooking in space. Our panel will include Jennifer Levasseur, curator of space history at the National Air and Space Museum; Jim Sears, inventor of SATED Space Oven; and Chef Charisse Grey, Jose Andres Group.
Visit the Museum's galleries from 6-7pm, then watch our episode live from 7-8pm. Your registration includes: A ticket to AirSpace Live! from 7-8pm. , Concessions available for purchase prior to 7pm. , Access to select Museum galleries from 6-7pm. Check the event website for more information. , Opportunities to visit drop-in education stations from Museum staff and SATED Kitchen/Jose Andres Group from 6-7pm. Check out the event website for more information. .
Event Type: Lecture. Ask an Expert. Demonstration. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: National Air and Space Museum. Cost: Free with registration.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. ONLINE: AirSpace Live! The Future of Cooking in Space
One-Time Events
The AirSpace podcast is cooking up something very special . . . our first-ever LIVE episode recording from the museum! Join our livestream on the Museum's YouTube channel on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
Hosts Matt & Emily will be joined by an expert panel to discuss the future of cooking in space. Our panel will include Jennifer Levasseur, curator of space history at the National Air and Space Museum; Jim Sears, inventor of SATED Space Oven; and Chef Charisse Grey, Jose Andres Group.
Watch the live conversation and ask questions in real time through our live broadcast on YouTube.
For more information about this event, you can always check out our event page.
ASL interpretation will be available to view on YouTube.
Event Type: Ask an Expert. Demonstration. Lecture. Event Location: Online. Cost: Free with registration.
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
For more info visit airandspace.si.edu. Story Time
One-Time Events
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas.
Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”.
Meet in the Museum Lobby.
If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g. ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact NPMprograms@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Historic Lobby. Cost: Free ; no registration required.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265004?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265004?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265005?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM.
Soulful Stitching with Kianga Art
One-Time Events
Discover the restorative power of hand stitching in this immersive workshop with Guest Presenter Kianga Jinaki. Participants will create a personal Affirmation Journal using African mudcloth and fabrics, with the option to add meaningful embellishments such as cowrie shells, a brooch, pin, or fabric swatch that carry personal significance. Rooted in the preservation of traditional craft, this cultural preservation program highlights the intentional practice of Long and Whip Stitching—a mindful use of hand sewing needles that encourages stillness, reflection, and rest. The workshop weaves together purpose, intention, and community, offering both creative expression and a meditative experience. This workshop is part of the Save Our African American Treasures initiative, which inspires preservation efforts across the nation by empowering all individuals, families, groups, and organizations to protect and share their history. Program Highlights: Hands-on workshop with fiber artist, Kianga Jinaki , Guided…
Venue: African American History and Culture Museum. Event Location: 2nd Floor Classrooms. Cost: $30. Get Tickets/Register: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/019a07bc-fe0f-cc5c-d5d3-796a0a115b0e?tg=019a07bc-fe11-01b1-87e3-30675bde7934.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Seasons of Light
Resident Associate Program
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265040?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
Seasons of Light
Discovery Theater Automatic Upload
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
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/265040?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-DT-ev&utm_content=DT-Trumba-event&promo=276224.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM.
The Renaissance Artist at Work: Life Behind the Masterpieces
Resident Associate Program
Artists in the Renaissance had to know mathematics and geometry and studied anatomy, classical culture, theology, and philosophy. Previously they had been seen as craftsmen valued only for skill, but with the rediscovery of classical art and new techniques, increasing value was placed on artistic innovation and creativity. From her home in Florence, Renaissance art historian Elaine Ruffolo examines how painting, sculpture, and architecture came to be considered part of the liberal arts rather than menial trades. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit).
Event Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265178?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223. Cost: Click here to view prices. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/265178?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2025FY-Trumba-SA-ev&utm_content=SA-Trumba-event&promo=276223.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Art Bites Gallery Talk
One-Time Events
Join SAAM’s research fellows for this lunchtime series of gallery talks as they share new discoveries about artworks on view. Learn the stories behind these objects and what each one tells us about the ever-changing cultural landscape of the United States. Diane Ahn, SAAM-APAC-Terra Predoctoral Fellow in Asian American Art, discusses Bumpei Usui’s Portrait of Yasuo Kuniyoshi in His Studio (1930).
Image credit: Bumpei Usui, Portrait of Yasuo Kuniyoshi in His Studio, 1930, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Regis Corporation.
Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: In-person | Smithsonian American Art Museum. Cost: Free | Meet in G Street Lobby.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM.
NY | Hands On: Celebrate Winter
One-Time Events
Did you know that a familiar holiday decoration has deep Indigenous roots? Celebrate the season with us by learning about cuetlaxochitl (Nahuatl, pronounced: kwet-la-SHO-she), the plant commonly known as poinsettia. Join our Museum Educators to learn about the plant’s cultural significance and trace its journey from Indigenous communities in Mexico and Central America to worldwide appreciation. Then, enjoy a hands-on activity by creating your own paper flower to take home. All ages welcome*.
*Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Friday, December 19, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
Open Studio: Artistic Reflections
One time events
This December, explore how artists use light, reflection, and shadow at Open Studio. Each week, we’ll get inspired by artists such as Alexander Calder, Olafur Eliasson, and Louise Nevelson.
Join us this Saturday as we draw inspiration from Olafur Eliasson’s artwork Your oceanic feeling (2015) and create our own suspended sculptures. Join us and Boolean Girl to use LED lights and circuits to play with reflections of light and color!
Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level. ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in to explore modern and contemporary art through interactive hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and artworks on view.
Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.
Every session introduces a new theme and a fresh perspective on art-making. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—and allow them to craft, create, and learn.
No reservations or tickets are required. Stroller…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Inside a Diamond.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Growing Community: Indoor Winter Garden
One-Time Events
Join us for this two-topic winter pop-up Growing Community workshop, where you’ll learn how to grow vegetables and herbs on your windowsill and beyond. Additionally, we will explore holiday plants, the gift that keeps giving! You will also learn tips on how to keep them healthy and thriving all year long.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: 1901 Fort Place SE. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/growing-community-indoor-winter-garden-tickets-1975216114570?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
African Art Marketplace
One-Time Events
Don’t miss the African Art Marketplace featuring artists, vendors, music, and more!
Located on the Concourse Level/Sublevel 3, the Marketplace will include artisans as well as vendors offering unique art and handcrafted items.
Enjoy music and a hot beverage as you explore the Marketplace.
Be sure to visit the rest of the National Museum of African Art, including the Museum Store (Sublevel 1)!
Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: Concourse Level. Cost: FREE. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/african-art-marketplace-tickets-1975321381426?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
For more info visit africa.si.edu. NY | Hands On: Celebrate Winter
One-Time Events
Did you know that a familiar holiday decoration has deep Indigenous roots? Celebrate the season with us by learning about cuetlaxochitl (Nahuatl, pronounced: kwet-la-SHO-she), the plant commonly known as poinsettia. Join our Museum Educators to learn about the plant’s cultural significance and trace its journey from Indigenous communities in Mexico and central America to worldwide appreciation. Then, enjoy a hands-on activity by creating your own paper flower to take home. All ages welcome*.
*Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Portrait Signs
One-Time Events
Portrait Signs is a Deaf-led gallery talk in American Sign Language. Tours explore a variety of topics related to portraiture, history, and biography, from special exhibitions to the permanent collection. Dates and tour topics are continually updated. Select tours include English interpretation.
Event Location: G Street Lobby. Cost: Free. Registration Encouraged. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-signs-a-tour-in-asl-tickets-713964475967?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Anne Spencer: Floral Design and Poetry Lab
One-Time Events
Join us as we explore the world of Anne Spencer—poet, teacher, civil rights activist, librarian, and gardener—whose home served as a sanctuary for African Americans traveling through Virginia at the turn of the 20th century. Together, we will celebrate her legacy in a hands-on workshop, composing poetry and arranging flowers as she once did from her beloved garden. A landscape alive with pecan and wisteria trees, grapevines, snapdragons, and nasturtiums—the blossom that inspired her acclaimed poem, 'Lines to a Nasturtium.'
The day’s experience will be guided by Kehmari Norman of BLK FLWR MRKT, International Slam Poet Tony McPherson, and NMAAHC colleague Carla Thomas McGinnis. You will craft your own bouquet, write an original poem, and take home a copy of Do Not Separate Her from Her Garden—three keepsakes from an afternoon of creativity.
Please note that this workshop will be held off-site, hosted at Eaton Wellness in downtown Washington DC. For inquiries, please contact NMAAHCEngage@si.edu.
Event Location: Eaton Wellness. Cost: $20. Get Tickets/Register: https://tickets.si.edu/nmaahc/events/019a20dd-2523-5b8f-957b-86df1ce41eaa?tg=019a20dd-2525-6876-43c4-57301fe515ad.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
NY | Hands On: Celebrate Winter
One-Time Events
Did you know that a familiar holiday decoration has deep Indigenous roots? Celebrate the season with us by learning about cuetlaxochitl (Nahuatl, pronounced: kwet-la-SHO-she), the plant commonly known as poinsettia. Join our Museum Educators to learn about the plant’s cultural significance and trace its journey from Indigenous communities in Mexico and Central America to worldwide appreciation. Then, enjoy a hands-on activity by creating your own paper flower to take home. All ages welcome*.
*Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
Teen Studio: You’re So Gelli!
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 on view at the Hirshhorn.
Roll up your sleeves: this December, we’re diving into printmaking! Experiment with various printmaking techniques by creating a design to use over and over again. This Saturday, we’ll take in the vivid color variations in Aliza Nisenbaum’s painting Mis Cuatro Gracias (Brendan, Camilo, Carlos, Jorge) (2018). Then we’ll use gel printing plates and acrylic paint to create a vibrantly colorful work of art.
Drop in to Teen Studio every Saturday between 2:30 and 4 PM. Register for the entire school year by emailing HMSGeducation@si.edu (one-time registration covers all sessions). Join one or join them all! Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level.
Looking for more? Explore Art School Everywhere, wherever you are, to learn about artists at the Hirshhorn and get creative…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Teen Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Andy Warhol: Flower Power.
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Sunday, December 21, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, December 21, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, December 21, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
American Bison Cart Chat
One-Time Events
Join educators in the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals to discover more about the Nation's Mammal - the American Bison. Learn how these fascinating animals alter their ecosystem in ways that benefit other animals and their habitat, as well as their importance to humans.
Image by Jean Beaufort, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83971372.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, December 21, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, December 22, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Portrait Gallery Kids
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the National Portrait Gallery. Join educators every Monday to explore a new topic and different materials. Participants will look at art, enjoy hands-on activities, listen to music and participate in story time. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other. Our friends from DC Public Library will join us on the second Monday of each month for a special story time about the day’s theme.
Event Location: Education Center, E151. Cost: Free. No Regsitration Required. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-gallery-portrait-gallery-kids-tickets-654254040447?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile.
Monday, December 22, 2025, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, December 23, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
NY | Hands On: Celebrate Winter
One-Time Events
Did you know that a familiar holiday decoration has deep Indigenous roots? Celebrate the season with us by learning about cuetlaxochitl (Nahuatl, pronounced: kwet-la-SHO-she), the plant commonly known as poinsettia. Join our Museum Educators to learn about the plant’s cultural significance and trace its journey from Indigenous communities in Mexico and Central America to worldwide appreciation. Then, enjoy a hands-on activity by creating your own paper flower to take home. All ages welcome*.
*Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Tuesday, December 23, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
Storytime Studio: Art in Motion
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
Discover how art moves us—literally! We’ll explore how our bodies stretch and bend when we make big artworks, just as the famous abstract painter Jackson Pollock did. We’ll visit Pollock’s painting Number 3, 1949: Tiger (1949), now on view in the Museum, and then move our bodies to splatter and splash paint onto a large collaborative canvas.
Featured book: Jackson Pollock Splashed Paint and Wasn’t Sorry by Fausto Gilberti. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to one hour.…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Paint with No Rules.
Wednesday, December 24, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Wednesday, December 24, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, December 24, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, December 24, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, December 26, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, December 26, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, December 26, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Little Artists, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 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/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1974937135135?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Friday, December 26, 2025, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Kwanzaa 2025 at African Art
One-Time Events
Kwanzaa, celebrated annually from December 26 to January 1, is an international holiday that honors African heritage and African American culture. A harvest festival, Kwanzaa is organized around the Nguzo Saba, seven guiding principles that are celebrated individually each day of the holiday.
The principles included are:
Umoja (unity)
Kujichagulia (self-determination)
Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
Nia (purpose)
Kuumba (creativity)
Imani (faith)
Drop in to one of the artmaking workshops and exercise your Kuumba (creativity)!
Kwanzaa Creative Arts Workshops
11 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Education Workshop (Sublevel 2) Friday, December 26: Join a crochet circle (Umoja) , Saturday, December 27: Design an African mask (Kujichagulia) , Monday, December 29: Create a dot paint art project (Ujamaa) , Tuesday, December 30: Fashion a magnet or necklace (Nia) , Wednesday, December 31: Construct a card or ornament (Kuumba),
Grab a scavenger hunt from the Visitor Information Desk in the…
Venue: African Art Museum. Event Location: Education Workshop (Sublevel 2). Cost: FREE. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-2025-at-african-art-tickets-1974926440146?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, December 26, 2025, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit africa.si.edu. Kwanzaa At ACM: Umoja- Opening Program
One-Time Events
Umoja (Unity) Opening Program
Storytelling & Drumming with Mama Ayo & Baba Ras D
Join us for the opening program for our weeklong celebration of Kwanzaa. Participants will hear from Storyteller Mama Ayo, who will share the origins of Kwanzaa, and lead us in the traditional ceremony honoring the ancestors, pouring the libation, and candle lighting. Attendees will also enjoy African drumming with Baba Ras D, who will engage the audience in unity songs, and share African tales.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-at-acm-umoja-day-1-opening-program-tickets-1969879731304?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Friday, December 26, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Guided Tour: DC History 1900-2000: A Century of Black Arts Education
One-Time Events
In this guided tour, visitors discover the voices and perspectives of individuals who have shaped history in Washington, DC from 1900-2000. A Bold and Beautiful Vision exhibition tells the story of everyday African American life while highlighting how artist-educators made the city a center for Black arts education despite an underfunded, overcrowded, and segregated school system. Visitors will examine artworks, participate in close-looking activities, and contribute to inquiry-based discussions.
Recommended Audience: All ages
Time and Schedule: 2:00 p.m.
Duration: About 1 hour.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Sunburst Lounge. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-dc-history-1900-2000-a-century-of-black-arts-education-tickets-1975215061420?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Friday, December 26, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Open Studio: Found around Town
One time events
This December, explore how artists use light, reflection, and shadow at Open Studio. Each week, we’ll get inspired by artists such as Alexander Calder, Olafur Eliasson, and Louise Nevelson.
Join us this Saturday as we draw inspiration from Louise Nevelson’s Black Wall (1964) and her artistic use of everyday objects collected from her neighborhood. We’ll use wooden scraps, boxes, and other repurposed materials to build our own 3D sculptures.
Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level. ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in to explore modern and contemporary art through interactive hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and artworks on view. Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.
Every session introduces a new theme and a fresh perspective on art-making. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—and allow them to craft, create, and learn.
No reservations or tickets are required.…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Combine Design.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Little Artist, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 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/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1974937135135?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Kwanzaa 2025 at African Art
One-Time Events
Kwanzaa, celebrated annually from December 26 to January 1, is an international holiday that honors African heritage and African American culture. A harvest festival, Kwanzaa is organized around the Nguzo Saba, seven guiding principles that are celebrated individually each day of the holiday.
The principles included are:
Umoja (unity)
Kujichagulia (self-determination)
Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
Nia (purpose)
Kuumba (creativity)
Imani (faith)
Drop in to one of the artmaking workshops and exercise your Kuumba (creativity)!
Kwanzaa Creative Arts Workshops
11 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Education Workshop (Sublevel 2) Friday, December 26: Join a crochet circle (Umoja) , Saturday, December 27: Design an African mask (Kujichagulia) , Monday, December 29: Create a dot paint art project (Ujamaa) , Tuesday, December 30: Fashion a magnet or necklace (Nia) , Wednesday, December 31: Construct a card or ornament (Kuumba),
Grab a scavenger hunt from the Visitor Information Desk in the…
Venue: African Art Museum. Event Location: Education Workshop (Sublevel 2). Cost: FREE. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-2025-at-african-art-tickets-1974926440146?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit africa.si.edu. NY | Hands On: Celebrate Winter
One-Time Events
Did you know that a familiar holiday decoration has deep Indigenous roots? Celebrate the season with us by learning about cuetlaxochitl (Nahuatl, pronounced: kwet-la-SHO-she), the plant commonly known as poinsettia. Join our Museum Educators to learn about the plant’s cultural significance and trace its journey from Indigenous communities in Mexico and central America to worldwide appreciation. Then, enjoy a hands-on activity by creating your own paper flower to take home. All ages welcome*.
*Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Kwanzaa at ACM: Kujichagulia - Let Your Story Be Told
One-Time Events
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
Let Your Story Be Told with Playback Theatre
Join in the fun and learning through Playback Theatre, an innovative and powerful form of improvisational theatre where personal stories shared by the audience are immediately brought to life by a group of talented actors and musicians. In this interactive experience, audience members are invited to share real-life moments—whether joyful, challenging, funny, or profound—and see their stories transformed into dynamic theatrical performances. With a blend of live music and improvisation, Playback Theatre fosters a deep sense of connection, empathy, and community.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-at-acm-kujichagulia-day-2-let-your-story-be-told-tickets-1969886263843?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Guided Tour: DC History 1900-2000: A Century of Black Arts Education
One-Time Events
In this guided tour, visitors discover the voices and perspectives of individuals who have shaped history in Washington, DC from 1900-2000. A Bold and Beautiful Vision exhibition tells the story of everyday African American life while highlighting how artist-educators made the city a center for Black arts education despite an underfunded, overcrowded, and segregated school system. Visitors will examine artworks, participate in close-looking activities, and contribute to inquiry-based discussions.
Recommended Audience: All ages
Time and Schedule: 2:00 p.m.
Duration: About 1 hour.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Sunburst Lounge. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-dc-history-1900-2000-a-century-of-black-arts-education-tickets-1975215298128?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
NY | Hands On: Celebrate Winter
One-Time Events
Did you know that a familiar holiday decoration has deep Indigenous roots? Celebrate the season with us by learning about cuetlaxochitl (Nahuatl, pronounced: kwet-la-SHO-she), the plant commonly known as poinsettia. Join our Museum Educators to learn about the plant’s cultural significance and trace its journey from Indigenous communities in Mexico and Central America to worldwide appreciation. Then, enjoy a hands-on activity by creating your own paper flower to take home. All ages welcome*.
*Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
Teen Studio: Love, Hirshhorn Teens
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.
Roll up your sleeves: this December, we’re diving into printmaking! Experiment with various printmaking techniques and create a design to use over and over again. This Saturday, we’ll visit our exhibition Adam Pendleton: Love, Queen to gain insight into the artist’s process, then design our own silkscreen prints in Hirshhorn Art School.
Drop in to Teen Studio every Saturday between 2:30 and 4 PM. Register for the entire school year by emailing HMSGeducation@si.edu (one-time registration covers all sessions). Join one or join them all! Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level.
Looking for more? Explore Art School Everywhere, wherever you are, to learn about artists at the Hirshhorn and get creative any time. Do this at home! Create your own flower prints using…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Teen Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Andy Warhol: Flower Power.
Saturday, December 27, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Sunday, December 28, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, December 28, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, December 28, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Little Artist, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 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/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1974937135135?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Sunday, December 28, 2025, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Ocean Topics Cart Chat
One-Time Events
Looking for a deeper dive into ocean topics? Come and find one of our Ocean Educators to explore some of the latest discoveries in marine science, stationed at an interactive cart in the Sant Ocean Hall.
Image Credit: Phillip R. Lee, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, December 28, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Kwanzaa at ACM: Ujima - Kwanzaa Extravaganza with Culture Queen
One-Time Events
Ujima (Collective Work & Responsibility)
Culture Queen’s Kwanzaa Extravaganza
Culture Queen’s Kwanzaa Extravaganza is a vibrant, festive, and hands-on celebration led by Kwanzaa expert Culture Queen! On this third day of Kwanzaa, we honor Ujima — Collective Work & Responsibility. Families will collaborate to create custom-designed crafts celebrating this powerful principle. Along with lively music, storytelling, games, and the world-famous “Kwanzaa Slide” she co-created, this joyful experience invites everyone to sing, dance, connect, and celebrate family, culture, and community like never before!
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-at-acm-ujima-day-3-kwanzaa-extravaganza-with-culture-queen-tickets-1969891880643?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Sunday, December 28, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Guided Tour: DC History 1900-2000: A Century of Black Arts Education
One-Time Events
In this guided tour, visitors discover the voices and perspectives of individuals who have shaped history in Washington, DC from 1900-2000. A Bold and Beautiful Vision exhibition tells the story of everyday African American life while highlighting how artist-educators made the city a center for Black arts education despite an underfunded, overcrowded, and segregated school system. Visitors will examine artworks, participate in close-looking activities, and contribute to inquiry-based discussions.
Recommended Audience: All ages
Time and Schedule: 2:00 p.m.
Duration: About 1 hour.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Sunburst Lounge. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-dc-history-1900-2000-a-century-of-black-arts-education-tickets-1975215310164?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Sunday, December 28, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, December 29, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Little Artists, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 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/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1974938284573?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Monday, December 29, 2025, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Kwanzaa 2025 at African Art
One-Time Events
Kwanzaa, celebrated annually from December 26 to January 1, is an international holiday that honors African heritage and African American culture. A harvest festival, Kwanzaa is organized around the Nguzo Saba, seven guiding principles that are celebrated individually each day of the holiday.
The principles included are:
Umoja (unity)
Kujichagulia (self-determination)
Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
Nia (purpose)
Kuumba (creativity)
Imani (faith)
Drop in to one of the artmaking workshops and exercise your Kuumba (creativity)!
Kwanzaa Creative Arts Workshops
11 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Education Workshop (Sublevel 2) Friday, December 26: Join a crochet circle (Umoja) , Saturday, December 27: Design an African mask (Kujichagulia) , Monday, December 29: Create a dot paint art project (Ujamaa) , Tuesday, December 30: Fashion a magnet or necklace (Nia) , Wednesday, December 31: Construct a card or ornament (Kuumba),
Grab a scavenger hunt from the Visitor Information Desk in the…
Venue: African Art Museum. Event Location: Education Workshop (Sublevel 2). Cost: FREE. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-2025-at-african-art-tickets-1974926440146?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, December 29, 2025, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit africa.si.edu. Guided Tour: DC History 1900-2000: A Century of Black Arts Education
One-Time Events
In this guided tour, visitors discover the voices and perspectives of individuals who have shaped history in Washington, DC from 1900-2000. A Bold and Beautiful Vision exhibition tells the story of everyday African American life while highlighting how artist-educators made the city a center for Black arts education despite an underfunded, overcrowded, and segregated school system. Visitors will examine artworks, participate in close-looking activities, and contribute to inquiry-based discussions.
Recommended Audience: All ages
Time and Schedule: 2:00 p.m.
Duration: About 1 hour.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Sunburst Lounge. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-dc-history-1900-2000-a-century-of-black-arts-education-tickets-1975215330224?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Monday, December 29, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Little Artists, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 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/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1974939119069?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Kwanzaa 2025 at African Art
One-Time Events
Kwanzaa, celebrated annually from December 26 to January 1, is an international holiday that honors African heritage and African American culture. A harvest festival, Kwanzaa is organized around the Nguzo Saba, seven guiding principles that are celebrated individually each day of the holiday.
The principles included are:
Umoja (unity)
Kujichagulia (self-determination)
Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
Nia (purpose)
Kuumba (creativity)
Imani (faith)
Drop in to one of the artmaking workshops and exercise your Kuumba (creativity)!
Kwanzaa Creative Arts Workshops
11 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Education Workshop (Sublevel 2) Friday, December 26: Join a crochet circle (Umoja) , Saturday, December 27: Design an African mask (Kujichagulia) , Monday, December 29: Create a dot paint art project (Ujamaa) , Tuesday, December 30: Fashion a magnet or necklace (Nia) , Wednesday, December 31: Construct a card or ornament (Kuumba),
Grab a scavenger hunt from the Visitor Information Desk in the…
Venue: African Art Museum. Event Location: Education Workshop (Sublevel 2). Cost: FREE. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-2025-at-african-art-tickets-1974926440146?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit africa.si.edu. NY | Hands On: Celebrate Winter
One-Time Events
Did you know that a familiar holiday decoration has deep Indigenous roots? Celebrate the season with us by learning about cuetlaxochitl (Nahuatl, pronounced: kwet-la-SHO-she), the plant commonly known as poinsettia. Join our Museum Educators to learn about the plant’s cultural significance and trace its journey from Indigenous communities in Mexico and central America to worldwide appreciation. Then, enjoy a hands-on activity by creating your own paper flower to take home. All ages welcome*.
*Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Kwanzaa at ACM: Nia - Celebrating Purpose Through Aromatherapy
One-Time Events
Nia (Purpose)
Celebrating Purpose Through Aromatherapy with Habeebah Muhammad
Join us as we celebrate the 5th day of Kwanzaa – Nia (Purpose). Habeebah Muhammad will lead a workshop on making essential oil sprays that are sure to tantalize your senses and lighten your mood. Throughout the workshop Mrs. Muhammad will lead a discussion on discovering your purpose through your gifts and talents. Materials are provided.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-at-acm-nia-day-5-celebrating-purpose-through-aromatherapy-tickets-1969911975748?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Guided Tour: DC History 1900-2000: A Century of Black Arts Education
One-Time Events
In this guided tour, visitors discover the voices and perspectives of individuals who have shaped history in Washington, DC from 1900-2000. A Bold and Beautiful Vision exhibition tells the story of everyday African American life while highlighting how artist-educators made the city a center for Black arts education despite an underfunded, overcrowded, and segregated school system. Visitors will examine artworks, participate in close-looking activities, and contribute to inquiry-based discussions.
Recommended Audience: All ages
Time and Schedule: 2:00 p.m.
Duration: About 1 hour.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Sunburst Lounge. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-dc-history-1900-2000-a-century-of-black-arts-education-tickets-1975215415479?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
NY | Hands On: Celebrate Winter
One-Time Events
Did you know that a familiar holiday decoration has deep Indigenous roots? Celebrate the season with us by learning about cuetlaxochitl (Nahuatl, pronounced: kwet-la-SHO-she), the plant commonly known as poinsettia. Join our Museum Educators to learn about the plant’s cultural significance and trace its journey from Indigenous communities in Mexico and Central America to worldwide appreciation. Then, enjoy a hands-on activity by creating your own paper flower to take home. All ages welcome*.
*Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
Storytime Studio: Walking into the New Year
One time events
ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO
Storytime Studio is a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 6 and their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning at 10 and 11 AM, visitors are welcomed into our studio to enjoy a special Storytime adventure.
Storytime Studio has limited capacity. Entry is first-come, first-served. THIS WEEK
3… 2…1…Happy New Year! We’ll spend the last few hours of 2025 exploring artist Annette Lemieux’s painting Nomad (1988), which she created by dipping her feet in paint and walking across her canvas. We’ll walk across our own canvases, journeying toward 2026, read a book about the months of the year, and decorate calendars to take home.
Featured book: Month by Month a Year Goes Round by Carol Diggory Shields, illustrated by True Kelley. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Storytime Studio is a one-hour experience
There are two Storytime sessions each Wednesday, with entry times at 10 and 11 AM. Participation for each adult and child is limited to…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Storytime Studio, About Hirshhorn Kids, Visiting with Kids, Art Project: Walk This Way.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit invention.si.edu. Wonderplace
Ongoing Tours & Activities
This learning space designed especially for children ages six and under combines age appropriate activities with museum collections and touchable objects to provide a gateway to history and a place to exercise curiosity for the youngest historians.
Admission to Wonderplace is on a first come, first-served basis. At busy times, we may use FREE, timed tickets to minimize wait time if needed. Tickets are available for 30-minute visits on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required for the first session from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. To visit during a later half-hour session, visitors may pick up a ticket at Wonderplace in 1 West. The last entry using timed tickets is at 3:30 p.m.
Hours are subject to change.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Wonderplace, 1 West. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Interactive Programs
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Docents offer interactive programming throughout the museum, in the form of Highlights tours of the museum, gallery spotlight talks, and hands-on cart programs.
Tours of the museum’s highlights generally take place daily at 10:15 AM and 1 PM. Additional tours may be offered on the hour between 11 AM and 3 PM as docents are available. Please check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Gallery spotlight talks take place throughout the day. Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object. Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Carts are located throughout the museum, and you can check either Welcome Desk for today’s schedule.
Year-Round:
Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Notes:
Programs are subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Multiple floors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Little Artist, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 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/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1974939189279?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM.
Kwanzaa 2025 at African Art
One-Time Events
Kwanzaa, celebrated annually from December 26 to January 1, is an international holiday that honors African heritage and African American culture. A harvest festival, Kwanzaa is organized around the Nguzo Saba, seven guiding principles that are celebrated individually each day of the holiday.
The principles included are:
Umoja (unity)
Kujichagulia (self-determination)
Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
Nia (purpose)
Kuumba (creativity)
Imani (faith)
Drop in to one of the artmaking workshops and exercise your Kuumba (creativity)!
Kwanzaa Creative Arts Workshops
11 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Education Workshop (Sublevel 2) Friday, December 26: Join a crochet circle (Umoja) , Saturday, December 27: Design an African mask (Kujichagulia) , Monday, December 29: Create a dot paint art project (Ujamaa) , Tuesday, December 30: Fashion a magnet or necklace (Nia) , Wednesday, December 31: Construct a card or ornament (Kuumba),
Grab a scavenger hunt from the Visitor Information Desk in the…
Venue: African Art Museum. Event Location: Education Workshop (Sublevel 2). Cost: FREE. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-2025-at-african-art-tickets-1974926440146?aff=oddtdtcreator. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit africa.si.edu. NY | Hands On: Celebrate Winter
One-Time Events
Did you know that a familiar holiday decoration has deep Indigenous roots? Celebrate the season with us by learning about cuetlaxochitl (Nahuatl, pronounced: kwet-la-SHO-she), the plant commonly known as poinsettia. Join our Museum Educators to learn about the plant’s cultural significance and trace its journey from Indigenous communities in Mexico and central America to worldwide appreciation. Then, enjoy a hands-on activity by creating your own paper flower to take home. All ages welcome*.
*Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
American Bison Cart Chat
One-Time Events
Join educators in the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals to discover more about the Nation's Mammal - the American Bison. Learn how these fascinating animals alter their ecosystem in ways that benefit other animals and their habitat, as well as their importance to humans.
Image by Jean Beaufort, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83971372.
Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals. Cost: Free and open to the public. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Kwanzaa at ACM: Kuumba - Scrapbooking Workshop with Tamara Thomas
One-Time Events
Kuumba (Creativity)
Scrapbooking Workshop with Tamara Thomas
Capture your memories in style as we celebrate the sixth day of Kwanzaa, Kuumba (Creativity)! Artist Tamara Thomas will facilitate this hands-on workshop that invites participants of all ages to explore the art of scrapbooking. Learn creative techniques for arranging photos, adding decorative elements, and telling your personal stories on the page. All materials will be provided. Your scrapbook could leave room to add photos or other mementos to add later to make it uniquely yours. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced crafter, you’ll leave with beautiful pages and new inspiration.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-at-acm-kuumba-day-6-scrapbooking-workshop-with-tamara-thomas-tickets-1969926394876?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Guided Tour: DC History 1900-2000: A Century of Black Arts Education
One-Time Events
In this guided tour, visitors discover the voices and perspectives of individuals who have shaped history in Washington, DC from 1900-2000. A Bold and Beautiful Vision exhibition tells the story of everyday African American life while highlighting how artist-educators made the city a center for Black arts education despite an underfunded, overcrowded, and segregated school system. Visitors will examine artworks, participate in close-looking activities, and contribute to inquiry-based discussions.
Recommended Audience: All ages
Time and Schedule: 2:00 p.m.
Duration: About 1 hour.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Sunburst Lounge. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-dc-history-1900-2000-a-century-of-black-arts-education-tickets-1975215432530?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
NY | Hands On: Celebrate Winter
One-Time Events
Did you know that a familiar holiday decoration has deep Indigenous roots? Celebrate the season with us by learning about cuetlaxochitl (Nahuatl, pronounced: kwet-la-SHO-she), the plant commonly known as poinsettia. Join our Museum Educators to learn about the plant’s cultural significance and trace its journey from Indigenous communities in Mexico and central America to worldwide appreciation. Then, enjoy a hands-on activity by creating your own paper flower to take home. All ages welcome*.
*Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: FREE.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Thursday, January 1, 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. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, January 1, 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. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, January 1, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Kwanzaa at ACM: Imani - Creating Mkeka Mats by Needlepoint
One-Time Events
Imani (Faith)
Creating Mkeka Mats by Needlepoint
In the celebration of Kwanzaa, the Mkeka mat is a symbol of our tradition and history and a foundation to grow and build. Join creative, Ranee Harris, as she facilitates a workshop on using needlepoint to craft a Mkeka mats. Using stencils and following basic patterns, participants will first draw their patterns on the mat and then using various stitches will began to create their mat using selected yarn colors to weave the yarn through the mat.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-at-acm-imani-day-7-creating-mkeka-mats-by-needlepoint-tickets-1969942359627?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Thursday, January 1, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Guided Tour: DC History 1900-2000: A Century of Black Arts Education
One-Time Events
In this guided tour, visitors discover the voices and perspectives of individuals who have shaped history in Washington, DC from 1900-2000. A Bold and Beautiful Vision exhibition tells the story of everyday African American life while highlighting how artist-educators made the city a center for Black arts education despite an underfunded, overcrowded, and segregated school system. Visitors will examine artworks, participate in close-looking activities, and contribute to inquiry-based discussions.
Recommended Audience: All ages
Time and Schedule: 2:00 p.m.
Duration: About 1 hour.
Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Sunburst Lounge. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-dc-history-1900-2000-a-century-of-black-arts-education-tickets-1975215555899?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Thursday, January 1, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Little Artist, Big Stories
One-Time Events
Discover the magic of creativity with our storybook reading program for early learners! Through engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C. building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.
Recommended Audience: 18 months – 7 years
Time and Schedule: 10: 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/little-artists-big-stories-tickets-1974939264504?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Thursday, January 1, 2026, 10:30 PM – 11:30 PM.
Spark!Lab
Ongoing Tours & Activities
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of 6 and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with art, history and creativity.
Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Spark!Lab, First Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free; first come, first served. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Friday, January 2, 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. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, January 2, 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. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, January 2, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Open Studio: Shape Your Year
One time events
Get a fresh start to your New Year with art—join us to celebrate 2026 at Open Studio!
This Saturday, we’ll draw inspiration from Barbara Kruger’s Belief+Doubt as we explore the power of text and image. Create your own New Year’s resolution collage using newspapers, magazines, and other print materials to visualize your intentions for the year to come.
Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level. ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in to explore modern and contemporary art through interactive hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and artworks on view. Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.
Every session introduces a new theme and a fresh perspective on art-making. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—and allow them to craft, create, and learn.
No reservations or tickets are required. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.
If there are…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Open Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Art Project: Collage for Change.
Saturday, January 3, 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. Related Exhibition: Places of Invention, Inventive Minds, Landmark Object: Ralph Baer's Workshop, Inventing in America.
Saturday, January 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. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, January 3, 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. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, January 3, 2026, 10:15 AM – 3:15 PM.
Teen Studio: Block (Print) Party!
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 on view at the Hirshhorn.
We’re closing our printmaking unit in a big way this Saturday! Experiment with various printmaking techniques and create a design to use over and over again. We’ll explore how street artist Banksy’s style is influenced by his need to work quickly. Then we’ll use block prints to create designs that can be used many times.
Drop in to Teen Studio every Saturday between 2:30 and 4 PM. Register for the entire school year by emailing HMSGeducation@si.edu (one-time registration covers all sessions). Join one or join them all! Meet in Art School on the Museum’s Lower Level.
Looking for more? Explore Art School Everywhere, wherever you are, to learn about artists at the Hirshhorn and get creative any time. Do this at home! Create your own flower prints using materials you have…
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Art School on the Lower Level. Cost: Free. Related Events: Teen Studio, Hirshhorn Art School, Art School Everywhere, Andy Warhol: Flower Power.
Saturday, January 3, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu.