Museum Happenings This April: Jazz Appreciation Month, Events & More

This April, at the National Museum of American History, we’re celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month! Check out the calendar to learn more!

Jazz Appreciation Month

JAZZ

April is Jazz Appreciation Month, known as JAM and this April marks the 24th annual commemoration, which was originally created by the museum as a celebration of jazz as both a historical and living American art form. JAM has spread across the world and it will be celebrated at the museum across the entire month. The historical role Harlem has played in stimulating and popularizing jazz music will be highlighted through performances and public programs, including concerts, film screenings, jam sessions, conversations, and more. More about JAM and the full roster of programs can be found on the Museum’s events website and on the JAM page. 
 
The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra presents:
Jazz at the Cotton Club
Sunday, April 6; 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Baird Auditorium
National Museum of Natural History

Harlem's Cotton Club opened its doors to jazz from 1923 to 1940. Launching the careers of Jimmie Lunceford, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and many others, this uptown cabaret was instrumental in providing a home base for orchestras cultivating the fabric of modern music. SJMO features music from these legendary big bands including “The Mooche” by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills; “Harlem Camp Meeting” by Harry White and Cab Calloway; and “Organ Grinder’s Swing” by Will Hudson, Mitchell Parish, and Irving Mills. 
Purchase Tickets:

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Jazz at the Cotton Club - Smithsonian Associates
Members: $30; Non-members $40

“Daily Music: U.S. Army Strings 75th Anniversary Celebration”
Featuring the U.S. Army Jazz Trio
Thursday, April 24; Noon and 1 p.m.
Flag Hall, Second Floor Center

The U.S. Army Strings are celebrating 75 years of music, service and patriotism and will offer special performances at the Museum throughout the year that inspire and unite. The U.S. Army Strings Jazz Trio is a unique combination of violin, guitar and double bass. Formed in 2023, their instrumentation creates a distinctive sound that allows listeners to experience jazz in a fresh way and offers a thrilling mix of jazz standards and American Songbook favorites.

PROGRAMS

Innovative Lives: Stephen and Elizabeth Wampler
Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation
First Floor, Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza
Thursday, April 3, 6 – 8:30 p.m.
Free registration required 

In conjunction with their the “Change Your Game”/“Cambia tu juego” exhibition, the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation will present a conversation with Stephen and Elizabeth Wampler, visionaries who challenge conventional limits and champion the power of perseverance, creativity, and innovation. Stephen Wampler made history in 2010 as the first person with cerebral palsy to summit El Capitan—one of the most formidable rock-climbing challenges in the world. Using an innovative cable pulley system of his own design and a custom-built climbing chair, Wampler pulled himself up the 3,000-foot rock face in an extraordinary six-day journey, completing 20,000 pull-ups, just inches at a time. His feat was more than a test of physical endurance; it was an act of invention, proving that ingenuity can overcome even the steepest obstacles. Together with his wife, Elizabeth, Wampler continues to push boundaries through the Stephen J. Wampler Foundation, which provides outdoor education programs that empower children with physical disabilities to embrace adventure and challenge. 
 
History Film Forum presents: 
Marcella 
April 24; 6:30 p.m.
Warner Bros. Theater, First Floor, Center
Tickets: $25. For details and to register, visit the Museum’s events website
 

The Museum’s History Film Forum, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Food History Project and the American Experience PBS, will offer a special screening of “Marcella,” the upcoming documentary telling the improbable, inspiring story about this culinary icon who changed how Americans cook Italian food. Cookbook author and teacher Marcella Hazan (1924–2013) is considered one of the foremost authorities on Italian cooking. Born in a small Italian fishing village and trained as a scientist, Marcella never cooked until she married and, in 1955, moved to America with her husband, Victor. There, she worked to recreate the Italian dishes she and Victor craved from home. Embarking on a career of teaching Italian cooking, she eventually collaborated with Victor to write six landmark cookbooks that have become essential references for home cooks while inspiring generations of professional chefs. Following a reception with food and drink, the evening will continue with a special early screening of the film followed by a discussion with the film’s director, Peter Miller; Marcella’s husband, Victor; and their son, Giuliano. Guests will have an opportunity to view Marcella’s culinary objects, donated to the museum by her family.
 
CHAMBER MUSIC
 
Smithsonian Chamber Music Society Presents: Series: Masterworks of Five Centuries
Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music
Sat. April 12, 2025, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. 
Sun. April 13, 2025, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. 
 
The 48th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society presents musical masterpieces from the late 16th century to the cusp of the 21st, played on some of the world’s most highly prized instruments. This concert features the music of John Jenkins and William Lawes, played by the Smithsonian Consort of Viols: Kenneth Slowik, Arnie Tanimoto, Ryan Cheng, Catherine Slowik and Chelsea Bernstein. 
 
To purchase tickets: 
Sat. Apr. 12: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/scms-masterworks-1P0859
Sun. Apr. 13: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/scms-masterworks-1P0865
Members: $32; Non-members $36
 
VISITING

What to know:
The museum is open seven days a week, except Dec. 25, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, and passes are not required. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu/visit

Food:  
The Eat at America’s Table Cafe is open for complete food and beverage service, featuring a menu of Icelandic Cod, Miso & Furikake, Grilled Sweet & Spicy Tofu, Stir Fry Bok Choy, Snap Peas, Asparagus, Carrot Tops Garlic & Ginger along with Root & Stalk "Miso Soup" Tofu, Recovered Garden Vegetables.. The Leroy Neiman Jazz Cafe offers light lunch, including Chicken Etouffee, Shrimp Creole and Dirty Rice, Cajun Grilled Cheese Sandwich & Creole Tomato Soup, and desserts, as well as hot and cold beverages, including Starbucks coffee. For more information, visit the website.
 

This month, Restaurant Associates introduced Mollie Kaufman as the new executive chef dedicated to the Museum. Most recently she served as culinary operations manager with World Central Kitchen and previously also as executive chef a several popular Washington D.C restaurants.

Bottled water is allowed in the museum. We recommend bringing a refillable water bottle for fountains.
Stores: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 
 

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum, located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, is open daily except Dec. 25 and in 2025, Jan. 20, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. The doors of the museum are always open online and the virtual museum continues to expand its offerings, including online exhibitions, K–12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media via Instagram and Facebook. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.

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Amy Kehs is a brand strategist and communications expert for museums.