Exhibitions

Marine transportation and waterborne commerce underlie American history like a strong and steady ocean current. Maritime trade established major cities, created connections between people and places, and opened the continent. This exhibition .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room includes more than two hundred bronzes, paintings, silk hangings, and carpets that were created in Tibet, China, and Mongolia between the thirteenth and early twentieth centuries. Arranged to reflect Tibetan .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

This exhibition of some 700 works of Native art from throughout North, Central, and South America demonstrates the breadth of the museum's renowned collection and highlight the historic importance of many of these iconic objects. Chosen to .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

In 1878, Thomas Alva Edison set out to develop a practical electric light. For over a year, Edison and the staff at his Menlo Park Laboratory experimented with countless materials in the search for a practical filament. They also developed all .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

At seven feet tall and more than 8,000 pounds in weight, the gigantic cluster of thousands of sparkling crystals stands in the front gallery, adjacent to the museum’s historic north entrance. The quartz was discovered at the Coleman Mine in .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

In this interactive area, learn how stamp content, design, and production have changed over time and how modern U.S. stamps reflect the nation’s identity. Explore your own connections with stamps. At three touchscreen tables, sort through the .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.