Exhibits | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/exhibits/RSS feed for ExhibitsenFri, 17 Jul 2026 18:30:12 +0000This 19th-Century Diary Written by an Enslaved Maryland Man Is a Crucial Record of His Life and Family History—and the Only One of Its Kind Found in the United Stateshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-19th-century-diary-written-by-an-enslaved-maryland-man-is-a-crucial-record-of-his-life-and-family-historyand-the-only-one-of-its-kind-found-in-the-united-states-180989146/Adam Francis Plummer’s chronicle is believed to be the country’s sole known example of a multigenerational journal begun by an enslaved person. It’s now on view at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community MuseumFri, 17 Jul 2026 18:30:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-19th-century-diary-written-by-an-enslaved-maryland-man-is-a-crucial-record-of-his-life-and-family-historyand-the-only-one-of-its-kind-found-in-the-united-states-180989146/Puzzled by Mark Rothko's Captivating Color Field Paintings? Look to the Renaissance Masters Who Inspired Himhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/puzzled-by-mark-rothkos-captivating-color-field-paintings-look-to-the-renaissance-masters-who-inspired-him-180989068/During trips to Europe, the American painter developed a fascination with how 15th- and 16th-century artists and architects had designed their work to evoke specific feelingsThu, 02 Jul 2026 19:01:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/puzzled-by-mark-rothkos-captivating-color-field-paintings-look-to-the-renaissance-masters-who-inspired-him-180989068/America's First Space Station Proved Humans Could Live and Work in Orbit for Months. Now, the Public Can See What It Looked Like in Person for the First Time in Eight Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/americas-first-space-station-proved-humans-could-live-and-work-in-orbit-for-months-now-the-public-can-see-what-it-looked-like-in-person-for-the-first-time-in-eight-years-180989055/A backup version of Skylab was displayed when the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum opened 50 years ago. After renovation of the building, the artifact is once more on view in a new galleryWed, 01 Jul 2026 21:30:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/americas-first-space-station-proved-humans-could-live-and-work-in-orbit-for-months-now-the-public-can-see-what-it-looked-like-in-person-for-the-first-time-in-eight-years-180989055/This Building Hosted Lincoln's Inaugural Ball and Displayed the Declaration of Independence. Today, It's Home to Two World-Class Art Museumshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-building-hosted-lincolns-inaugural-ball-and-displayed-the-declaration-of-independence-today-its-home-to-two-world-class-art-museums-180988990/The Old Patent Office Building now houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. A new exhibition spotlights the structure's rich history of encouraging innovationThu, 25 Jun 2026 14:00:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-building-hosted-lincolns-inaugural-ball-and-displayed-the-declaration-of-independence-today-its-home-to-two-world-class-art-museums-180988990/How One German Button Maker Searched the Rivers of the American Midwest for the Shells That Could Make Him a Fortunehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-one-german-button-maker-searched-the-rivers-of-the-american-midwest-for-the-shells-that-could-make-him-a-fortune-180989012/John Boepple settled in Muscatine, Iowa, where he produced pearl buttons made from freshwater mussel shells. His innovations brought economic prosperity to the town—and disaster to the local mussel populationsThu, 25 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-one-german-button-maker-searched-the-rivers-of-the-american-midwest-for-the-shells-that-could-make-him-a-fortune-180989012/A Letter Signed by George Washington That Helped Pave the Way for American Independence Goes on Display in Londonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-letter-signed-by-george-washington-that-helped-pave-the-way-for-american-independence-is-going-on-display-in-london-180989004/Washington dictated and signed the letter in October 1781 to formally accept the British surrender at Yorktown, writing of his “ardent desire to spare the further effusion of blood”Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:27:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-letter-signed-by-george-washington-that-helped-pave-the-way-for-american-independence-is-going-on-display-in-london-180989004/See the Human Body Morph Into Musical Instruments From Around the World at a New Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Arthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-human-body-morph-into-musical-instruments-from-around-the-world-at-a-new-exhibition-at-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-180988931/A belly turns into a drum, hands mold into percussion tools and a face adorns a brass bell in this anatomical art history showWed, 10 Jun 2026 19:41:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-human-body-morph-into-musical-instruments-from-around-the-world-at-a-new-exhibition-at-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-180988931/Workers Dredging the Savannah River Stumbled Upon 19 Cannons That Had Been Underwater Since the Revolutionary Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/workers-dredging-the-savannah-river-stumbled-upon-19-cannons-that-had-been-underwater-since-the-revolutionary-war-180988928/The centuries-old artifacts emerged from the riverbed between 2021 and 2022. Experts spent several years carefully restoring 17 of them, which will make their public debut in a new exhibitionWed, 10 Jun 2026 18:13:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/workers-dredging-the-savannah-river-stumbled-upon-19-cannons-that-had-been-underwater-since-the-revolutionary-war-180988928/During the Revolution, American Women Fought for Freedom, Spied on the British, Cared for the Sick and Fell in Love. A New Exhibition Reveals Their Rich Wartime Storieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/during-the-revolution-american-women-fought-for-freedom-spied-on-the-british-cared-for-the-sick-and-fell-in-love-a-new-exhibition-reveals-their-rich-wartime-stories-180988887/Now on view at the New York Historical, "Revolutionary Women" spotlights figures with connections to the state, including a Jewish chocolatier, a Mohawk leader and a woman who disguised herself as a man to enlist in the Continental ArmyThu, 04 Jun 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/during-the-revolution-american-women-fought-for-freedom-spied-on-the-british-cared-for-the-sick-and-fell-in-love-a-new-exhibition-reveals-their-rich-wartime-stories-180988887/Meet Hilma af Klint, the Occultist Who Believed Otherworldly Spirits Told Her What to Paint. Now, She's Considered One of History's First Abstract Artistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-hilma-af-klint-the-occultist-who-believed-otherworldly-spirits-told-her-what-to-paint-now-shes-considered-one-of-historys-first-abstract-artists-180988859/The Swedish painter created bold, vibrant works as early as 1906—several years before contemporaries like Wassily Kandinsky. A new exhibition in France celebrates her sweeping "Paintings for the Temple" seriesFri, 29 May 2026 16:08:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-hilma-af-klint-the-occultist-who-believed-otherworldly-spirits-told-her-what-to-paint-now-shes-considered-one-of-historys-first-abstract-artists-180988859/In 1776, Angry New Yorkers Tore Down a Statue of George III With a Revolutionary Fervor. A New Exhibition Lets You Do It, Toohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-1776-angry-new-yorkers-tore-down-a-statue-of-george-iii-with-a-revolutionary-fervor-a-new-exhibition-lets-you-do-it-too-180988830/New York City played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. This museum brings the city's 18th-century history to life through artifacts, immersive environments and interactive experiencesWed, 27 May 2026 19:00:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-1776-angry-new-yorkers-tore-down-a-statue-of-george-iii-with-a-revolutionary-fervor-a-new-exhibition-lets-you-do-it-too-180988830/A Shipwreck, but Make It Fashion: Researchers Transformed Wooden Fragments From a 17th-Century Shipwreck Into a Pair of Stylish Maxi Dresseshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-shipwreck-but-make-it-fashion-researchers-transformed-wooden-fragments-from-a-17th-century-shipwreck-into-a-pair-of-stylish-maxi-dresses-180988825/Scientists at Aalto University in Finland saved pieces of the Hahtiperä wreck and turned them into textile fibersTue, 26 May 2026 21:20:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-shipwreck-but-make-it-fashion-researchers-transformed-wooden-fragments-from-a-17th-century-shipwreck-into-a-pair-of-stylish-maxi-dresses-180988825/This Jewish Community in the Caribbean Smuggled Gunpowder to the Patriots During the Revolution. A British Admiral Condemned the Island as a 'Nest of Vipers'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-jewish-community-in-the-caribbean-smuggled-gunpowder-to-the-patriots-during-the-revolution-a-british-admiral-condemned-the-island-as-a-nest-of-vipers-180988740/A new exhibition at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, in Philadelphia, spotlights the little-known wartime contributions of the Jews of St. EustatiusFri, 22 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-jewish-community-in-the-caribbean-smuggled-gunpowder-to-the-patriots-during-the-revolution-a-british-admiral-condemned-the-island-as-a-nest-of-vipers-180988740/