Celebrating America 250, Solstice, Civic Season and Flag Day at the National Museum of American History

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events!

NEW ON VIEW

“In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness”
On View Through 2026
Throughout the Museum

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History recently opened a bold and immersive exhibition to celebrate the 250th anniversary celebrations and explore the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness” features 250 objects which range from the 1700s to the 21st century and are spread across the 250,000 square feet of the museum’s three public floors. Highlights include the desk Jefferson used to draft the Declaration of Independence; the 1776 gunboat Philadelphia, an early American fighting vessel that helped stall the British; and the Star-Spangled Banner, the 1813 flag that inspired the lyrics to the song that later became the National Anthem. A free guide helps visitors locate the artifacts, which range from the 1700s to the 21st century. The museum also offers many daily activities and programs, information is available at the Information Desks and online. An extensive website provides a deep dive into this exhibition and the history it explores. 
 
FLAG DAY
 

“The Star-Spangled Banner, the Flag That Inspired the National Anthem”
Ongoing 
Second Floor, Center

Celebrate Flag Day on June 14: The museum is home to the original Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the National Anthem. On the morning of September 14, 1814, U.S. soldiers at Baltimore’s Fort McHenry raised a large American garrison flag to celebrate a crucial victory over British forces during the War of 1812, often called the second War of Independence. The sight of those broad stripes and bright stars inspired Francis Scott Key to write the lyrics to a song that in 1931 became the United States national anthem. For more information about the flag and its exhibition, please visit the website. 
 
SMITHSONIAN SUMMER SOLSTICE
June 19 & 20

All visitors are invited to stay late and to join the nation in celebration of 250 years of America with the Smithsonian and to mark the start of summer. All museums on the National Mall will be open until 11 p.m. on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20 and offer exhibitions, performances and other programs. The National Museum of American History is hosting the following events:

Indepen'DANCE!:
Fri., June 19, 2 - 11 p.m. 
Sat. June 20, 2 – 10 p.m.
Throughout the Museum 
 
Indepen’DANCE! celebrates the nation’s history and culture through the lens of dance. The museum has partnered with local organizations and artists to bring two days of live music, hands-on activities, film screenings, dance classes, and more. Learn how to “beat ya feet” to a live go-go band with The Go-Go Museum, dance on over to the National Museum of the American Latino's Molina Family Latino Gallery for salsa inspired activities and lessons or learn about a D.C. style of swing with the National Hand Dance Association. Other activities include Storytime with the DC Public Library, a “Wish Wall” pop-up where visitors may share their wishes for the future of the U.S., the Scott Silbert Big Band on the Terrace, and DJ sets throughout the museum. For details, visit the website.
 

History Film Forum presents:
“Hairspray” (1988)
Warner Bros. Theatre: First Floor Center
Wed., June 20, 2 p.m. 

The History Film Forum presents “Hairspray” as part of Indepen’DANCE! It’s 1962, and TV dance shows are sweeping the nation. Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad’s (Ricki Lake) dream of becoming a local dance queen kicks off more than a dance battle — it ignites a fight for racial desegregation within the city itself. Written and directed by John Waters, the film is a sweetly satirical look back at the conventions, structures, and challenges of the 1960s. In 2022 the Library of Congress selected “Hairspray” for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” This film has been rated PG, or “Parental Guidance Suggested” by the MPA (Motion Picture Association). Free but reservations encouraged via Eventbrite.com.

“Story Time” with DC Public Library and CityDance Studios
Wed. June 20, 10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Plaza, First Floor, West
 
The museum hosts a monthly “Story Time” in collaboration with the DC Public Library. Children, and their grown-ups, enjoy a story to explore language and literacy skills. “Story Time” is designed for learners ages 5 and under, but all are welcome. This special Storytime is part of Indepen'Dance! - the weekend-long celebration of dance in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. CityDance Studios will teach dances and lead creative movement to accompany the stories. For more details, visit the website.

PROGRAMS

DC STEAM Expo
Sat., June 6, 12 – 5:30 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, First Floor, West
 
Throughout this semester, fourth-grade students across D.C. Public Schools have been working on exploring issues affecting their neighborhoods and to apply STEAM concepts (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) in developing creative solutions. The project culminates in the DC STEAM Expo, a poster-based science fair organized by the National Children’s Museum and hosted in the National Museum of American History’s Coulter Plaza. For more details, visit the website.

National History Day 2026:
“Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History”
Student Exhibit Showcases and Performances
Wed., June 17, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Various locations within the Museum and Nicholas F. and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music
 
In collaboration with the National History Day Organization, the museum’s three public floors will be taken over by 50 table-top displays created by middle and high school students competing in the 2026 National History Day contest. Students will also present a selection of their performances between 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. in the Nicholas F. and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music. 
 
Civic Season 2026: 
June 19 - July 4; Noon - 4 p.m.
Throughout the Museum

Each year, the museum joins hundreds of other museums, cultural and civic organizations across the country in celebrating and recognizing Civic Season, Juneteenth (June 19) to July 4. In a collaboration with Made By Us—a national coalition working with the next generation to shape the future through history—the museum will offer a gathering space for reflection and informal conversation with curators and community leaders. This year, as the nation is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the museum will host daily drop-in programs connected to the “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness” exhibition. 
 
MUSIC

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Presents:
“Let Freedom Ring”
Fri., June 5, 7 p.m.
Warner Bros. Theater
 
Since 1776, generations of Americans have pursued life, liberty, and happiness—the “unalienable rights” enshrined in the nation’s founding document. In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, SJMO presents a powerful concert that explores the role of jazz as a guiding force in the national journey to “a more perfect union.” Jazz, with its roots in resilience, resistance, and reinvention, has long been a soundtrack to America’s evolving story. The program features stirring works that capture the spirit of protest, the hope of freedom, the depth of spirituality, and the pride of patriotism. Highlights include Billy Taylor’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free,” Charles Mingus’ “Fables of Faubus,” and Max Roach’s “Freedom Day.” 
 
Tickets: Members: $30; Non-members: $40 
Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra - Let Freedom Ring
 

Jazz Afternoon
Objects out of Storage & pop-up Jam Session
Tuesday, June 9, 1 – 3 p.m.
Third Floor West
 
The National Museum of American History is home to jazz collections that include 100,000 pages of Duke Ellington’s unpublished music and such objects as Ella Fitzgerald’s dresses, Dizzy Gillespie’s angled trumpet, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme manuscript and Benny Goodman’s clarinet. Visitors will be able to see a small number of jazz treasures while musicians from the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra will host pop-up jam and chat sessions.

Music From the Hearts of America presents: 
“Brian Gaffney with Brendan’s Voyage”
Fri., June 13, Noon & 2 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, First Floor, West  

The music of the Washington D.C. band “Brendan’s Voyage” is rooted in the “people’s history,” songs born in cottages, carried across the Atlantic and sustained in the social halls and pubs of American cities. Brian Gaffney uses storytelling to bridge the gap between ancient melodies and the modern Irish American experience. Songs may include: “Rosie’s,” “Girl in My Dreams,” and “Song from Home.”

Music From the Hearts of America presents: 
“U.S. Army String Quartet”
Thurs., June 25, Noon & 1:30 p.m.
Nicholas F. and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music, Third Floor, West  

Chamber music is a core element of the U.S. Army Strings’ mission, providing a backdrop for official Army functions and public performances. Join us for a performance that will include works by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Alice Hong, Caroline Shaw, Charles Ives, as well as a rendition of Sousa’s Stars and Stripes.

Music From the Hearts of America presents: 
“David Cole and the Main Street Blues Band”
Sat., June 27, Noon & 2 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, First Floor, West
 
Guided by guitarist and vocalist David B. Cole, the show will unfold as a living history lesson—told through sound, storytelling, and stylistic shifts to trace the evolution of the blues from its rural Southern roots to its electric and urban transformation.

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:

This summer, Executive Chef, Mollie Kauffmann and her team are commemorating the Nation’s 250th Anniversary in both cafes with special menus, including themed hot dogs and sandwiches.

The Eat at America’s Table Café is open for complete food and beverage service and will also offer Backyard BBQ menu, featuring Bourbon Glazed Smoked Chicken Thighs and Pulled Pork with Peach BBQ Sauce with Maple Baked Beans, Roast Summer Squash with Blistered Tomato, Apple Fennel Slaw or Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad on the side. The Leroy Neiman Jazz Café will continue to offer Starbucks Coffee hot and cold beverages, seasonal cafe favorites, and a selection of desserts. For more information, visit the website.

Bottled water is allowed in the museum. Refillable water bottles for fountains are recommended.
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, 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, PK–12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media on Instagram and Facebook. For more information, go to the museum's website. 

Amy Kehs | Read More

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