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At the Smithsonian

Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin, July 24, 1969

Apollo at 50: We Choose to Go to the Moon

How Neil, Buzz and Mike Got Their Workouts in on Their Way to the Moon and Back

To counter the effects of weightlessness, NASA equipped Apollo 11 with an Exer-Genie for isometric exercises

Smithsonian Podcast

Sidedoor: A Smithsonian Podcast

Stories from the Institution told in an innovative audio experience

The technology (above: c. 1947 advertisement for Carrier) that was initially envisioned as a tool to enhance industrial productivity is now a near necessity for American homes and transportation.

The Unexpected History of the Air Conditioner

The invention was once received with chilly skepticism but has become a fixture of American life

The By the People festival in Washington, D.C. brings artists and art lovers together in the spirit of shared community.

These Engaging, Immersive Works Erase the Line Between Art and Audience

The By the People art festival at the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building is a feast for the eyes and the soul

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Sunrise Hiking and 20 Other Things to Do at the Smithsonian in July

The slogan on this button from the 1960s is attributed to astronomer-turned-activist Frank Kameny. After being barred from federal employment because of his sexuality, Kameny organized gay rights groups and protests starting years before the Stonewall riots galvanized the movement more broadly.

LGBTQ+ Pride

A Look at the Struggles and Celebrations of LGBTQ Americans

Artifacts from the National Museum of American History highlight the broader story of gay history and activism

Chelsea Children by James McNeill Whistler, ca. 1997

After More Than Eight Decades, These Exquisite Whistler Watercolors Make Their Public Debut

Freer Gallery also revamps its popular Peacock Room, returning it to the way it looked a century ago

David Copperfield at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

David Copperfield Welcomes New Citizens With a Magic Show and a History Lesson

The master illusionist reunited the Star-Spangled Banner with its missing star in honor of a Flag Day ceremony at the American History Museum

A wooden canoe seat, carved with a spider's web, became noteworthy for being the very first of the 36,000 artifacts in NMAAHC’s collections.

Meet Juan García Salazar, the Man Who Championed Black Identity in Ecuador

Behind the very first artifact to enter the African American History Museum’s collections resides a story about recovering the Afro-Ecuadorian experience

Smithson and Hungerford family members scanned a geneology treee, searching for their place among the clan.

Mr. Smithson’s Family Goes to Washington

A contingent of descendants, related to the founder of the Smithsonian Institution, embarked on a tour of the museums

Artists Hank Willis Thomas, Jim Ricks and Ryan Alexiev pose in front of The Truth Booth at a stop in Ireland.

A Globe-Trotting, Truth-Seeking Art Project Looks for Answers in D.C.

The Hirshhorn Museum hosts the ‘Truth Booth,’ a pop-up confessional where participants record honest reflections

The colors of the curry refer to political groups at odds in contemporary Thailand—the red for the rural activists, the yellow for the royalists and the green for the ever-pervasive military.

This Performance Art Piece Is Being Served Up With Tasty, Warm Bowls of Curry

Amid evolving images of protest and strife, Rirkrit Tiravanija’s art at the Hirshhorn satisfies both visually and nutritionally

Using a geologist’s magnifying glass, Erin DiMaggio carefully scans a piece of volcanic ash in search of tiny minerals that hold the key to determining the age of nearby fossils.

Beyond Dinosaurs: The Secrets of Earth's Past

How Do Scientists Date Fossils?

Geologists Erin DiMaggio and Alka Tripathy-Lang explain techniques for targeting the age of a fossil find

The sequoia tree slab is an invitation to begin thinking about a vast timescale that includes everything from fossils of armored amoebas to the great Tyrannosaurus rex.

Beyond Dinosaurs: The Secrets of Earth's Past

A 16-Million-Year-Old Tree Tells a Deep Story of the Passage of Time

To explain the exceedingly long life of the planet, the Smithsonian’s new fossil hall designers began with this arboreal wonder

How do parts of ancient creatures, like this fossil skull of an extinct herbivore, Miniochoerus from 33 million years ago, manage to survive and end up in a museum exhibition?

Beyond Dinosaurs: The Secrets of Earth's Past

How Do Fossils Form?

Learn from the Smithsonian’s curator of vertebrate paleontology Anna K. Behrensmeyer, a pioneer in the study of how organic remains become fossils

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What Is the Smallest Known Dinosaur and Other Questions Answered by Dr. Hans Sues

Cat-loving paleontologist answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History’s YouTube series, “The Doctor Is In.”

The nuance of the new exhibition, "Fossil Hall—Deep Time," plays out in elaborate art, entertaining digital displays and magnificent fossil displays. But don't miss the small stuff.

Beyond Dinosaurs: The Secrets of Earth's Past

Here Are 12 Things You Might Miss in the Smithsonian’s New Fossil Hall

Hidden among the dinosaurs and megafauna, are these small details that make “Deep Time” all the more impressive

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On the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, Native Americans Remember Veterans’ Service and Sacrifices

This year, 80 Native delegates have been asked to take part in the official commemoration of D-Day

The almost 3-year-old female offspring (left) and her 12-year-old mother (right)

The National Zoo’s Female Asian Water Dragon Successfully Reproduced Without a Male

This is the first time facultative parthenogenesis has been recorded in both the species and the reptilian Agamidae family

“In order to interpret the past," says Matternes (above), "you have to have a pretty good working knowledge of conditions in the present.”

Beyond Dinosaurs: The Secrets of Earth's Past

Meet the Master Muralist Who Inspired Today’s Generation of Paleoartists

The treasured Jay Matternes murals of lost Mesozoic worlds are featured in a new Smithsonian book

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