Smithsonian Events

IMAX Films at the Samuel C. Johnson IMAX Theater

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

For information on films, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters website.

Note:
- For after-hours shows, use the Constitution Ave. entrance.

More info: www.si.edu…

Natural History Museum Exhibition Interpreters/Navigators

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Museum volunteer interpreters welcome visitors, answer questions, and help visitors navigate exhibitions. Interpreters may be stationed in several of the following exhibitions at various times throughout the day, subject to interpreter availability:

Against All Odds: Rescue at the Chilean Mine (through May 2012)

Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake (through January 6, 2013)

The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins: What Does It Mean To Be Human?

The Sant Ocean Hall

Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals

Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life

Albert Einstein Planetarium

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Embark on an astronomical adventure at the Einstein Planetarium. For information on Planetarium shows, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters and Einstein Planetarium website.

More info: www.si.edu…

IMAX Films at the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Explore our fascination with flight through the air and in space. View Earth from the open cargo bay of the Space Shuttle. Journey to natural and man-made wonders of the world. These and other thrills await you in the National Air and Space Museum's Lockheed Martin Imax Theater. Films are projected on the five-story-high screen with six-channel digital surround sound. For information on films, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters website.

More info: www.si.edu…

IMAX Films at the Airbus IMAX Theater

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Explore our fascination with flight through the air and in space. View Earth from the open cargo bay of the Space Shuttle. Journey to natural and man-made wonders of the world. These and other thrills await you in the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center's Airbus IMAX Theater. Films are projected on the five-story-high screen with six-channel digital surround sound. For information on films, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters website.

More info: www.si.edu…

IMAX Films at the Samuel C. Johnson IMAX Theater

Thursday, February 9, 2012

For information on films, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters website.

Note:
- For after-hours shows, use the Constitution Ave. entrance.

More info: www.si.edu…

Natural History Museum Exhibition Interpreters/Navigators

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Museum volunteer interpreters welcome visitors, answer questions, and help visitors navigate exhibitions. Interpreters may be stationed in several of the following exhibitions at various times throughout the day, subject to interpreter availability:

Against All Odds: Rescue at the Chilean Mine (through May 2012)

Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake (through January 6, 2013)

The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins: What Does It Mean To Be Human?

The Sant Ocean Hall

Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals

Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life

Albert Einstein Planetarium

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Embark on an astronomical adventure at the Einstein Planetarium. For information on Planetarium shows, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters and Einstein Planetarium website.

More info: www.si.edu…

IMAX Films at the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Explore our fascination with flight through the air and in space. View Earth from the open cargo bay of the Space Shuttle. Journey to natural and man-made wonders of the world. These and other thrills await you in the National Air and Space Museum's Lockheed Martin Imax Theater. Films are projected on the five-story-high screen with six-channel digital surround sound. For information on films, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters website.

More info: www.si.edu…

IMAX Films at the Airbus IMAX Theater

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Explore our fascination with flight through the air and in space. View Earth from the open cargo bay of the Space Shuttle. Journey to natural and man-made wonders of the world. These and other thrills await you in the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center's Airbus IMAX Theater. Films are projected on the five-story-high screen with six-channel digital surround sound. For information on films, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters website.

More info: www.si.edu…

Elephant Viewing

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10 am – 2 pm

The Elephant House will be closed while we build the elephants a new home. However, they will be on view in their outdoor habitats from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm daily, however frequently they may be found out in their yard after that time (weather dependent).

Encounter Invertebrates

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10 am – 3 pm

Explore the complex and fascinating world of invertebrates: corals and crabs, ants and anemones, snails and spiders. Staff will be feeding the animals and answering questions every 1/2 hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Great Cats Viewing

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10 am – 4 pm

The lions and tigers are on exhibit from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.

Ride Simulators

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10 am

Ride Simulators: (ride approximately 5 min.)
Take an exciting virtual trip on board one of four simulators. Experience the thrill of careening through an action-packed roller-coaster course or racing in futuristic high-speed hovercars. Choose your adventure: Cosmic Race, Bermuda Triangle, Solar Coaster, Grand Prix Raceway, Astro Canyon, or Glacier Run.

Note: Simulator accommodates up to 8 people per ride. Children must be 42 inches tall unless riding with an adult.

Year-Round:

Daily: Open same hours as museum

Flight Simulators: Fly or Ride!

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10 am

Ride Simulators: (approximately 5 min.)
Take an exciting virtual trip on board one of two simulators. Choose your adventure: Ride aboard the Space Shuttle to the International Space Station or experience the thrill of a flight in both vintage and jet-age aircraft. Note: Ride Simulators accommodate up to 8 people per ride. For safety reasons, children must be 42 inches tall unless accompanied by an adult.

Interactive Flight Simulators: (approximately 6 min.)
Try to become a jet combat "ace" -- in an F-4 Phantom II -- as you pilot the simulator into 360-degree barrel rolls. Choose either pilot or gunner responsibilities. Note: Interactive Flight Simulators accommodates 1 to 2 people per ride. For safety reasons, children must be 48 inches tall.

Year-Round

Daily: Open same hours as museum

More info: www.nasm.si.edu…

Flight Simulators: SpaceWalk or Wings

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10 am

Ride Simulators: (approximately 5 min.)
Take an exciting virtual trip on board one of three ride simulators. Choose your adventure: Take a 3-D journey aboard the Space Shuttle to the International Space Station or experience the thrill of a flight in both vintage and jet-age aircraft. Note: Ride Simulators accommodate up to 8 people per ride. For safety reasons, children must be 42 inches tall unless accompanied by an adult.

Interactive Flight Simulators: (approximately 6 min.)
Try to become a jet combat "ace" -- in one of two F-4 Phantom II interactive flight simulators -- as you pilot your aircraft into 360-degree barrel rolls. Choose either pilot or gunner responsibilities. Note: Interactive Flight Simulators accommodates 1 to 2 people per ride. For safety reasons, children must be 48 inches tall.

Year-Round:

Daily: Open same hours as museum

More info: www.nasm.si.edu…

Art of the Great Plains: Ledger Art and Activity

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10 am – 5 pm

A brief overview of Plains Indian ledger art. Create your own drawing on ledger paper using crayons, colored pencils, and stencils.

View ledger book from 1800s in our exhibition "Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian"

Monday - Saturday only.
10 AM – 5 PM

Haudenosaunee Room w/ Jennifer Williams

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10 am – 1 pm

Meet with Jennifer Williams and learn about the Haudenosaunee.
Tuesdays–Fridays, 10am–1pm, Haudenosaunee Room

Butterfly Pavilion

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:15 am – 5 pm

Take a stroll among live butterflies and exotic plants! Located adjacent to Partners in Evolution, this tropical oasis offers visitors a rare opportunity to get close to a variety of living butterflies from all over the world.

Regular Hours:

Daily: 10:15 AM-5:30 PM; last timed ticket at 5 PM.

More info: www.butterflies.si.edu

Highlights Tours

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:15 am

Look for our friendly docent who will give a tour of the highlights of the museum.

Year-Round:
• Daily: 10:15 AM and 1 PM

Notes
- Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
- Additional tours may be offered as announced; check at the Welcome Center.

Highlights Tours

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 am

Look for our friendly docent who will give a tour of the highlights of the museum.

Through May 2012:
• Most Tues.-Fri.: 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM

Notes
- Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.
- No tours on most federal holidays.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 am

Volunteers conduct tarantula feeding demonstrations, work with live insects that visitors may touch and hold, and answer questions about the many-legged creatures that live in the Insect Zoo.

Year-Round:

Tues.- Fri.: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 1:30 PM

Sat. and Sun.: 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM

Note
- Demonstrations offered unless otherwise posted.

More info: www.mnh.si.edu…

Interactive Carts (10:30 am - 3:00 pm)

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 am – 3 pm

(for all ages) Docents stationed at carts help visitors get their hands on history and learn about the museum's collections. Activities include operating a cotton gin, peeking through a stereoscope, experiencing what it felt like to wear a corset, using a press to print a card, and copying a letter the way Jefferson did.

Year-Round:
• Available most days between 10:30 AM and 3 PM

Note
- Activity subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.

Spotlight Tours (10:30 am - 3:00 pm)

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 am – 3 pm

Docents offer a 15-minute overview of an exhibition or briefly discuss a favorite museum object.

Year-Round:
• Most days: Available between 10:30 AM and 3 PM

Notes
- Look for the "Docent on Duty" signs posted outside the exhibition entrances.
- Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.

Highlights Tour

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 am

Look for our friendly docent who will give a tour of the highlights of the museum.

Year-Round:

Daily: 10:30 AM and 1 PM

Note
- Additional tours may be offered as posted at the Welcome Center.

More info: www.nasm.si.edu…

Highlights Tour

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 am

Look for our friendly docent who will give a tour of the highlights of the museum.

Year-Round:

Daily: 10:30 AM and 1 PM

Note
- Additional tours may be offered as posted at the tour desk.

Animation Celebration!, Part I

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 – 11:30 am

Amaqqut Nunaat/The Country of Wolves
Agua en Nuestras Colonias/Water in Our Neighborhoods
How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes
Neil Discovers the Moon
Elal y los Animales/Elal and the Animals
Raven Tales: Raven and the First People

Amazon Fish Feeding

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11 – 11:15 am

Thousands of fish species live in the Amazon River Basin. Meet some of them during this feeding in Amazonia.

Bird Enrichment Demonstration

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11 – 11:15 am

Watch birds forage and catch their food mid-flight, as a keeper or volunteer narrates in the Indoor Flight Room.

Octopus Feeding

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11 – 11:15 am

The giant Pacific octopus is a predator that demonstrates dynamic hunting behaviors.

Orangutan Crossing

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11 – 11:30 am

It's a thrilling sight to see the orangutans traveling on the Zoo's Orangutan Transport System, or O Line. The best time to see them is between 11 and 11:30 am (weather dependent).

Flights of Fancy -- Stories for Children

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11 am

Hear museum staff read children's stories about aviation or space exploration; then try your hand at an art activity. For today's title, visit the museum's website at www.nasm.si.edu….

Year-Round:

Most Thurs. & Fri.: 11 AM

Most Sat.: 11 AM & 1:30 PM

Highlights Tour

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11 am

Highlights Tours
Look for our friendly docent who will give a 30-minute tour of the highlights of the museum. To confirm dates and times, call 202-633-5534 (voice) or 202-633-9849 (TTY).

Year-Round:

Most days: 11 AM and 1 PM

Note
- Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.

Self-Guided Highlights Tours
- Brochures, which include a floor plan and information about the museum's exhibitions, are available in a kiosk at the bottom of the escalators at the entrance to the museum.
- A copy of the self-guided tour brochure can also be downloaded here: Download Self-guided Tour Brochure (PDF)

Tour: Freer Highlights

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11 am

Learn about the history of the Freer Gallery, the first Smithsonian museum devoted to the fine arts. Discover how museum founder Charles Lang Freer shaped the collection in the late nineteenth century and how he developed his vision for the museum. Explore its outstanding holdings of Asian and American works of art.

Meet a Great Ape Keeper

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:30 – 11:45 am

Learn about the fascinating world of apes. A keeper will speak about gorillas or orangutans.

Sloth Bear Talk

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:30 – 11:45 am

Find out what and how these Asian bears eat. This demo is weather dependent.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:30 am

Volunteers conduct tarantula feeding demonstrations, work with live insects that visitors may touch and hold, and answer questions about the many-legged creatures that live in the Insect Zoo.

Year-Round:

Tues.- Fri.: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 1:30 PM

Sat. and Sun.: 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM

Note
- Demonstrations offered unless otherwise posted.

More info: www.mnh.si.edu…

Highlights of the Portrait Gallery

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:45 am

Look for our friendly docent who will give a tour of the highlights of the gallery.

Year-Round:

Most Mon.-Fri.: 11:45 AM and 2:15 PM

Most Sat. and Sun.: 11:45 AM and 3:15 PM

Note
- Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.

Discovery Room

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12 – 2:30 pm

The Discovery Room is a hands-on room for families with children and students. The room features activities using real museum objects and artifacts that allow visitors to explore the natural world at their own pace, guided by their own interests and sense of wonder. Visitors can look at fossils, skulls, shells, and minerals; use a microscope; try on costumes from around the world; and much more. Docents are available to assist and answer questions.

Entry Procedures:
• Individuals:
- For families with children and students. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

September 6 through early June:
• Tues.-Thurs.: 12 Noon-2:30 PM
• Fri.: 10:30 AM-2:30 PM
• Sat. & Sun.: 10:30 AM-3:30 PM

• School Groups:
October-May: by reservation only; 3-week notice required; call 202-633-1079 or 202-633-9287 (TTY); for information, visit the Web at www.mnh.si.edu/education/discoveryroom.htm

Hirshhorn Museum Spotlight Tours (12 Noon-4 PM)

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12 – 4 pm

Our friendly docents are stationed at the information desk for a casual conversation or an impromptu 30-minute tour of the highlights of the museum.

Year-Round:

Mon.-Fri.: Available between 12 Noon and 4 PM

Note
- No tours on federal holidays.

Highlights Tour

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12 – 1 pm

This highlights tour of the collection at the Renwick Gallery may include highlights of the temporary exhibitions.

Throughout the month of February, walk-in tours at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery will highlight a work by African American artists.

Notes
- No tours on federal holidays.
- Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.

Picture This: Exploring Art at the Smithsonian 4-Session Daytime Course

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12 – 1:30 pm

This class looks at the works of masters such as Rodin, Sargent, Whistler, Homer, Picasso and other artists, using an array of works in Smithsonian collections as focal points. Cultural, artistic, and comparative influences are emphasized.

View more details

Book Signings: Col. Wolfgang Samuel

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:30 – 5 pm

Col. Wolfgang Samuel signs copies of his books Glory Days, Watson's Whizzers, American Raiders, The War of Our Childhood, German Boy, I Always Wanted to Fly, and Coming to Colorado.

More info: www.nasm.si.edu…

Highlights of the American Art Museum

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:30 pm

This highlights tour of the collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum may include highlights of the temporary exhibitions.

Year-Round:
• Most days: 12:30 PM and 2 PM

Notes
- No tours on 2nd Tuesday of each month.
- Tours subject to docent availability.

Hirshhorn Museum Highlights Tours

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:30 pm

Look for our friendly docent who gives a tour of the highlights of the museum.

Year-Round:
• Most Mon.-Thurs.: 12:30 PM
• Most Fri.: 3 PM

Note
- No tours on federal holidays.

Ask an Expert Lecture Series

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:30 – 12:45 pm

In this lecture series, a museum staff member talks about the history, collection, or personalities related to a specific artifact or exhibition in the museum. For today's topic and speaker, visit the museum's Web site.

Year-Round:

Most 2nd & 4th Thursdays: 12:30-12:45 PM

More info: www.nasm.si.edu…

February Daily Films: Wapawekka and Nikamowin/Song

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:30 – 1 pm

In honor of Black History Month, the museum presents two films that explore identity, community, and tradition:

Wapawekka (2010, 16 min, Canada, directed by Danis Goulet (Métis), in English and Cree with English subtitles) The quiet spaces of an isolated family camp begin to erode the cultural distance between a traditional Cree man and his son.

Nikamowin/Song (2007, 11 min, Canada, directed by Kevin Lee Burton (Swampy Cree), in English and Cree with English subtitles and voice-over) This experimental film ponders the indelible human connection to language and the alarming demise of Native languages, transforming the sounds of a Cree narrative into parallel landscapes and soundscapes.

Forensic Anthropology Lab

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1 – 5 pm

(for all ages) The Forensic Anthropology Lab is a hands-on room where families with children learn that forensic science is far more mysterious and engaging than forensic fiction. Visitors use real human bones to solve cases, identify people from the past, and
draw conclusions about their lives.

Entry Procedures:
• Individuals:
- Walk-in. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

September 5 through mid-June:
- Mon., Tues., Thurs., and Fri.: 1-5 PM
- Sat. & Sun.: 11 AM-4 PM

• School Groups:
October-May: by reservation only; 3-week notice required; for information and reservations, visit the Web at Forensic Lab or call 202-633-1085 or 202-633-9287 (TTY).

More info: www.mnh.si.edu…

Docent's Choice Tour of the Portrait Gallery

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1 pm

Look for our friendly docent who will give a tour of one of the following: highlights of the museum, the America's Presidents exhibition, or one of the special exhibitions currently on view.

Year-Round:

Most Mon.-Fri.: 1 PM and 3:30 PM

Most Sat. and Sun.: 1:30 PM and 4:30 PM

Notes
- On the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, the tour may be offered in Spanish (depending upon demand).
- Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur.

Animation Celebration!, Part I

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1 – 2 pm