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Around the Mall

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The Evolution of the Spacesuit

The traveling exhibition “Suited for Space” depicts spacesuits through the ages

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Not Too Hot and Not Too Cold, These Goldilocks Planets are Just Right

At the Air and Space Museum, a new sculpture debuts, showing all of the stars with orbiting “Goldilocks planets,” those that could sustain life

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Last Meal on Earth: What Astronauts Eat on Launch Day

One NASA instructor’s Cubans and empanadas became a Kennedy Space Center tradition

Tune into the National Zoo’s newly reinstalled panda cams and watch Mei Xiang and Tian Tian any time of day.

Cool New Panda Cams Deliver Panda Life in Living Color

Watch the pandas munch bamboo on 24-hour live-stream cams at the Zoo and check out new video of Mei Xiang

The National Zoo’s senior female cheetah, Tumai, died last night.

Cheetah Dies at the National Zoo

The 13-year-old Tumai gave birth to the Zoo’s first cheetah cubs in 2004

This gold and pearl hair ornament from the days of China’s Qing Dynasty shows the symbolic significance of the phoenix in Chinese culture. Come see an exhibit at the Sackler Gallery showcasing materials from the creation of Chinese artist Xu Bing’s Phoenix Project, on display until September 2.

Hurry In! These Smithsonian Exhibitions Won’t Be Here Much Longer

Spend your remaining summer days at the museums, and don’t miss out on the Smithsonian’s soon-to-be-closed exhibits

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What the Handwriting Says About the Artist

A new exhibition by the Archives of American Art examines the handwriting of more than 40 American artists

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Smithsonian Displays Its Own AIDS Memorial Quilt Panel

Created by Smithsonian volunteers and staff, the panel will be on view in the Kogod Courtyard one day only, July 17

Grab some popcorn for this summer’s blockbusters.

Minions! Did You See How Much a Movie Ticket Might Cost One Day?

Best way to beat the heat, says curator Amy Henderson, is the summer blockbuster, but are they going the way of the dinosaurs

Rina Banerjee’s “A world Lost…” is now on view in the Sackler Gallery pavilion.

“A world Lost…” Is the Stuff of Dreams and Nightmares

Rina Banerjee weaves personal and global history into her new Sackler Gallery installation, opening July 13

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Sneak Peek: Artist Rina Banerjee Creates “A world Lost…” at the Sackler

Debuting later this week, the new installation at the gallery incorporates everything from shells to ostrich eggs

Alexander Calder’s ‘Gwenfritz’ will be reinstalled in its original location on the west side of the American History Museum in October. This mock-up shows the sculpture at its new and old home in a reflecting pool, part of Calder’s intended aesthetic.

How Do You Freshen Up an Alexander Calder? Bolt by Precious Bolt

Alexander Calder’s 40-foot black steel sculpture is getting a makeover and then returning to its original location near the American History Museum

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Breaking Ground

The “Legacy of Slavery” Comes to the Smithsonian with Angola Prison Guard Tower Donation

Donations from the notorious Louisiana prison highlight a controversial history of incarceration

Celebrate Nikola Tesla’s Birthday with an Excerpt from a New Biography of the Inventor

Scholar W. Bernard Carlson explores Tesla’s experiments with automatons and radio controlled boats in this excerpt from his new book

Bring your friends to the Renwick Gallery for a night of craft art and craft beer at an adults-only DIY how-to.

Events July 9-11: Verbal Gymnastics, Craft Art and Beer and West African Music and Storytelling

This week, unlock your inner poet, make DIY garden-themed craft art and drink craft beer and sway to the beat of West African music and storytelling

Johnny Depp’s Tonto Isn’t Offensive, Just Weird, Says the Director of the American Indian Museum

We sent the Director of the American Indian Museum to the Lone Ranger; here’s what he thought

An Indian woman and her children from Kajõ, a village in the East Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh, India, listen to a recording of a song in Koro. The Tibeto-Burman language is considered endangered.

July 7: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival

Check out today’s events at the Folklife Festival, including dapper dressing, Welsh songs and Hungarian flavors

Members of a New Orleans social aid and pleasure club sport stylish and costly outfits and masquerade regalia. Organizations like these walk together in funerals and parades, such as the famous New Orleans Mardi Gras parade.

July 6: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival

Check out today’s events at the Folklife Festival, including Roma fiddlers, Quecha music and headwrapping

Continue the patriotic celebration Friday, July 5, with the United States Air Force Band, which will perform at the Air and Space Museum.

Events July 5-7: Listen to Air Force Tunes, Dance the Day Away and Get Local with Art

This weekend, listen to sounds of the U.S. Air Force Band, participate in a day of dance and get a glimpse of a local artist’s perspective on art

Ayana Mongush, a throat singer from Kyzyl in the Republic of Tuva, Russian Federation, plays an igil. She is part of Tyva Kyzy, an all-female throat singing group, a profession which was traditionally prohibited for women.

July 5: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival

Check out today’s events at the Folklife Festival, including shepherd culture, Tuvan music and histories of style

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