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Around the Mall

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Two Musicians Make Historic Donations to Kick Off Jazz Appreciation Month

Two donations from living legends to the American History Museum represent the genre’s global reach

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The Story Behind Smithsonian Castle’s Red Sandstone

Author Garrett Peck talks about uncovering the stone’s history for his new book, The Smithsonian Castle and the Seneca Quarry

See the moon up close through a 16-inch telescope this Wednesday at the Air and Space Museum’s observatory.

Events April 9-11: Tarantulas, Star Gazing and an Award-winning Film

This week, hold some creepy crawlers, look at craters on the moon and watch a film based on Joseph Conrad’s first novel

Cosmetics have a long history.

Miss Piggy, My Feather Boa and A Moment to Consider Makeup’s Greasy Past

No Fools Need Apply to the Smithsonian’s Curatorial Conference On Stuff, A Sometimes Annual Scholarly Gathering on a Subject Rarely Considered

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Would You Like to Browse an Edo-Period Japanese Bookstore?

The brush to block revolution saw a flowering of Japanese popular culture that still intrigues and enchants

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, a National Historic Landmark, was designed in the 1870s by Calvin T.S. Brent, Washington, DC’s first black architect. Learn more about famous black architects and how they shaped the city in “Master Builders”at the Anacostia Community Museum on Sunday.

Events April 5-7: Japanese Art, Poetry Month and African-American Architects

This week, experience Japanese design, celebrate poetry with your family and learn about African Americans’ roles in shaping Washington, DC’s architecture

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Photos: Scenes From Life Under the Sea

Three decades in and photojournalist Brian Skerry is still getting acquainted with the ocean’s many characters

Earthworms may play a crucial role in helping plants defend themselves from being devoured by slugs.

Earthworms: A Nightmare for America’s Orchids?

Though assumed to be great for soil, earthworms actually may be killing off orchids by ingesting their seeds

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Play Ball (and Tunes): Sheet Music from the Game’s Early Days

From celebrating championships to begging teams to stay, baseball music has a lot more than Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Poet Marianne Moore, 81, threw out the first pitch at the opening of the 1968 baseball season at Yankee Stadium on April 10th, against the Los Angeles Angels.

Poetry Matters: In Baseball, No Poet Has Yet to Do the Game Justice

Smithsonian historian David Ward umpires the field of poetry, honoring the boys of spring, and calls a strike

Astronauts float in zero gravity outside the Challenger space shuttle in 1984.

How IMAX Pulled Spaceflight Down to Earth

The 1985 film that famously revealed the lives of astronauts in zero gravity returns to the big screen

Darius Brubeck with students from Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, 2007

Dave Brubeck’s Son, Darius, Reflects on His Father’s Legacy

As a global citizen and cultural bridge-builder, Dave Brubeck captivated the world with his music, big heart and a vision of unity

Gerhard Richter (above) is one of the world’s most accomplished living painters. Watch a documentary about him and his creative process at the Hirshhorn Museum this Thursday.

Events April 2-4: Native Sousa Music, Free Art Lessons and Gerhard Richter

This week, learn about a little-known Native American musical tradition, make something creative and see a world-class painter in action

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How Crisco Went From Cryst to Disco

The American History Museum covers all things grease for its April Fool’s Day conference open to the public

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VIDEO: “MLK: The Assassination Tapes” now a Peabody Award Winner

The award-winning program brings to light recently rediscovered footage and offers a fresh perspective on one of America’s greatest tragedies

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PHOTOS: Rarely Seen Central American Ceramics Dating from 1,000 Years Ago

Animal forms, human figures and abstract designs all provide valuable information about the diverse cultures of the region

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Sounds of 1950s New York City and More from Folkways Magazine

Under a new editor, the latest issue features a day in a dog’s life, audio postcards from around the world and more

The tiny parasitic wasps flourish by laying eggs inside other insects (above: a wasp punctures a fruit fly).

Events March 29-31: Parasitic Wasps, Joseph Henry and Victorian Portraits

This weekend, learn about wasps that live inside their prey, meet Smithsonian’s first secretary from 1846 and see living rooms from 150 years ago

These flowers are always in bloom at the American Art Museum.

Butterflies, Baseball and Blossoms: Tours for Your Spring Vacation

Two custom tours come fully loaded with insider information, digital postcards and step-by-step directions

The Aloha Boys bring island sound to the East Coast.

Can’t Afford a Trip to Hawaii? Here’s Some Aloha Right Here in D.C.

Families preserving the old ways in the young keep Hawaiian culture blooming in DC area

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