Exhibitions

For nearly 250 years, Americans have been inspired by the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence. American Aspirations brings together for the first time more than 30 of Smithsonian’s most treasured objects to commemorate this .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

State Fairs: Growing American Craft is the first exhibition dedicated to artists’ contributions to the great U.S. tradition of state fairs with more than 240 artworks on view, dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Each gallery .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

Made in America brings together more than 70 large-format photographs captured by Christopher Payne over a decade-long photographic journey to learn more about the craft of both industrial and artisanal making in the United States. His images .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

Timed with the U.S. semiquincentennial, the National Portrait Gallery commemorates the founding of its historic home with The Spirit of Invention: Patent Office and Patentees. This exhibition sketches the early history of the Patent Office—the .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

Presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, How Can You Forget Me explores the overlooked history of a trailblazing Filipino community in California from the 1910s to the 1970s through twenty-six steamer trunks found in 2005, .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

Follow the multiyear project to preserve the gunboat USS Philadelphia, an iconic reminder of the spirit of the American Revolution. The Philadelphia was part of a small American fleet, hastily built in the summer of 1776, that stalled invading .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

Design has long shaped America’s identity—enhancing daily life, driving innovation, and reflecting shared values. Cooper Hewitt marks the nation’s 250th anniversary with a major, multi-year installation of the museum’s permanent collection—.... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

More than 100 years ago, real bison grazed outside the Smithsonian Castle building. Bison are returning in a bold new way! Three larger-than-life bronze bison, created by sculptor Gary Staab, find a permanent home outside the Smithsonian .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.