Exhibitions

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.

The Luce Foundation Center for American Art is the first visible art storage and study center in Washington that showcases more than 3,000 artworks from the museum's permanent collection: paintings densely hung on screens; sculptures, .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

Learn about the contributions of athletes on and off the field. Because sports were among the first and most high-profile organizations to accept African Americans on terms of relative equality, sports have a unique role in American culture. .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

After World War II ended, the United States and the Soviet Union began competing in a global struggle pitting democracy against communism. Tensions between the two led to such "cold" confrontations as the Berlin blockade, the downing of an .... 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.

Entertainment has the power to captivate, inspire and transform us. It brings us together. We share it when we spontaneously recite lines from a favorite movie, dance to the same groove or recreate a national sports moment on a neighborhood .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

The airplane emerged from World War I recognized widely for its potential as a military weapon. After the war, United States military aviators advocated different roles for the the airplane in American defense. By World War II, innovations in .... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.

Discover our national story through the National Museum of Natural History's unparalleled collections. Explore more than 600 specimens and cultural items representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories people.... Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.