Exhibitions

From the beginning of the Space Age, people recognized that Earth-orbiting satellites—able to see and communicate across vast distances—promised unique benefits. In the tense years of the Cold War, such spacecraft (known as applications .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

Spirit in the Dark examines Black religious life through a selection of photographs from the Johnson Publishing Company, publisher of Ebony, Jet, and Negro Digest. The images in the exhibition spotlight noteworthy individuals—including .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

American Trail is the place where Zoo visitors can get their feet wet while learning about gray seals, bald eagles, red wolves, and beavers. The exhibit highlights animals native to the U.S. and Canada, many of which have come back from the .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting explores how Native artists challenged perceptions of what constituted art and what Native art could and should look like. Featuring more than 50 works by 46 artists, this exhibition tells .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

This exhibition explores the history of African Americans in theater, film, and television in order to celebrate their creative achievements, demonstrate their cultural impact and illuminate their struggles for equal representation on the stage.... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

In 1845, postal officials tried a new approach to expand the nation’s mail service—Star Routes.

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.

This display case celebrates the history and endurance of American lunch boxes. Reaching the height of their popularity at the dawn of the television era, lunch box sales became barometers for what was hip in popular culture at any point in .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.