goSmithsonian Events Calendar

IMAX Films at the Samuel C. Johnson IMAX Theater

Ongoing Tours & Activities For information on films, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters website. Note: - For after-hours shows, use the Constitution Ave. entrance. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Johnson IMAX Theater, 1st Floor. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/samuel-c-johnson-imax-theater. Thursday, February 9, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

Natural History Museum Exhibition Interpreters/Navigators

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Various exhibitions; ask at the museum's info desks for today's locations and schedules. Continues: Repeats most days. Thursday, February 9, 2012.

Albert Einstein Planetarium

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Albert Einstein Planetarium. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/einstein-planetarium. Thursday, February 9, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

IMAX Films at the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/lockheed-martin-imax-theater. Thursday, February 9, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

IMAX Films at the Airbus IMAX Theater

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Airbus IMAX Theater. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/airbus-imax-theater. Thursday, February 9, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

Ride Simulators

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Lower Level, across from the Stars and Stripes Cafe. Cost: Tickets always available for purchase at the entrance to the simulator gallery and may also be available at either Welcome desk. Admission Per Ride - $7.00 per person Payment Options: - Cash, VISA, and MasterCard. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:00 AM.

Flight Simulators: Fly or Ride!

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: West Wing, Gallery 103, Simulator Gallery. Cost: Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office or at the Simulator Gallery. Admission Per Ride: - Ride Simulator: $7.00 per person - Interactive Flight Simulator: $8.00 per person - Add a Simulator: $1.00 off with the purchase of an IMAX Theater or Planetarium ticket - Groups: Discounts available; ask at the Box Office or at the Flight Simulators - For reservations, call 202-633-4629 or 1-866-868-7774 (toll-free) Payment Options - At Simulators: Cash, VISA, or MasterCard - At IMAX and Planetarium… Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:00 AM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Flight Simulators: SpaceWalk or Wings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Main Level, near the simulators. Cost: Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office or at the Simulator Gallery. Admission Per Ride: - Ride Simulator: $7.00 per person - Interactive Flight Simulator: $8.00 per person - Add a Simulator: $1.00 off with the purchase of an IMAX Theater ticket - Groups: Discounts available; ask at the Box Office or at the Flight Simulators - For reservations, call 202-633-4629 or 1-866-868-7774 (toll-free) Payment Options: - At Simulator: Cash, VISA, or MasterCard - At Box Office: Cash or major credit… Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:00 AM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Butterfly Pavilion

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution Exhibit, 2nd Floor, West. Cost: Tickets can be purchased in advance (see Purchase Tickets Web link below), or by phone at 202-633-4629 (IMAX) or 1-877-932-4629 (IMAX) (toll-free) (10 AM-5 PM), or in person on the day of your visit at the Butterfly Pavilion Box Office or at any Smithsonian IMAX Box Office. For more information about the hours of operation, timed entry policy, ticket prices, group rates, etc. visit the Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution Web site. Prices per ticket: Adults $6 Seniors $5.50 (60+) Children $5… Purchase Tickets: http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?organ_val=21156&venue_val=215878. Related Exhibition: Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:15 AM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit www.butterflies.si.edu.

Highlights Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Meet at either Welcome desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:15 AM.

Highlights Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Meet in Rotunda, 1st floor, near information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 AM.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: O. Orkin Insect Zoo, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: O. Orkin Insect Zoo. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 AM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

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

Ongoing Tours & Activities (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. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Location of carts vary; for location and schedule, check at either Welcome desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM.

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

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Locations vary; for location and schedule, check at the Welcome Center. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 AM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:30 AM.

Flights of Fancy -- Stories for Children

Ongoing Activities 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 http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/storytimes/. Year-Round: Most Thurs. & Fri.: 11 AM , Most Sat.: 11 AM & 1:30 PM. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: For location, ask at the museum's Welcome Center. Cost: Free. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:00 AM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Postal Museum. Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Meet at the information desk, street level, near top of escalators to museum. Cost: Free. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:00 AM.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: O. Orkin Insect Zoo, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: O. Orkin Insect Zoo. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:30 AM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

Highlights of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:45 AM.

Discovery Room

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st floor, East Wing, near African Voices. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM.

Hirshhorn Museum Spotlight Tours (12 Noon-4 PM)

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: At the information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Renwick Gallery. Venue: Renwick Gallery. Event Location: Meet in Renwick Gallery Lobby. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

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

Resident Associate Program 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. Sponsor: Resident Associate Program. Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW, Metro: Smithsonian Mall Exit (Blue/Orange). Cost: Click here to view prices. Purchase Tickets: http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2012FY-Trumba-calend&tmssource=185606&performanceNumber=223659. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.

Book Signings: Col. Wolfgang Samuel

Smithsonian Sponsored Events 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. Categories: Shopping/Book Signing. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Outside Museum Store. Cost: Books available for sale in Museum Store. Continues: Repeats most Thursdays. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Highlights of the American Art Museum

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:30 PM.

Hirshhorn Museum Highlights Tours

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet at the information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:30 PM.

Ask an Expert Lecture Series

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Meet at the SR-71 Blackbird. Cost: Free, but $15 parking fee per vehicle. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:30 PM – 12:45 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

February Daily Films: Wapawekka and Nikamowin/Song

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, 1st Level. Cost: Free. Continues: Repeats daily, except Wednesdays, through February. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM.

Forensic Anthropology Lab

Ongoing Tours & Activities (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). Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Written in Bone, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

Highlights Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Meet at either information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Public Observatory Project (1-3 PM)

Ongoing Activities (for all ages) Look through the 16-inch telescope to discover craters on the moon, spots on the sun (using safe solar filters), and other wonders of the universe. Participate in hands-on activities related to astronomy. Through February 2012: • Most Wed. through Sat.: 1 PM-3 PM (weather permitting) Notes - Observatory programs may not be offered during cloudy or rainy weather; confirm at the museum's Welcome Center. - Hours may change monthly. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Observatory located outside on SE terrace near Independence Ave. & 4th St.; entrance only available from outside. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1:00 PM.

Docent's Choice Tour of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1:00 PM.

Highlights Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Meet in Rotunda, 1st floor, near information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1:30 PM.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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: Sat. and Sun.: 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM , Tues.- Fri.: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 1:30 PM Note - Demonstrations offered unless otherwise posted. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: O. Orkin Insect Zoo, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: O. Orkin Insect Zoo. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1:30 PM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

Art + Coffee: Luce Foundation Center for American Art

Ongoing Tours & Activities Learn about the more than 3,300 treasures of the Luce Foundation Center for American Art during this tour or talk. Afterwards, enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee or tea. Year-Round: Wed. through Sun.: 1:30 PM. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities Cultural interpreters provide a 1-hour overview of the museum's history, landscape, building, exhibitions, and other points of interest. Through February 2012: • Most Mon.-Fri.: 1:30 PM • Most Sat. and Sun.: 11 AM and 1:30 PM Note - Subject to Cultural Interpreter availability. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Potomac Atrium, 1st Level. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM.

Highlights of the American Art Museum

Ongoing Tours & Activities This highlights tour of the collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum 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. Year-Round: • Most days: 12:30 PM and 2 PM Notes - No tours on 2nd Tuesday of each month. - Tours subject to docent availability. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 2:00 PM.

Interpretive Programs

Ongoing Tours & Activities Cultural interpreters offer kids and families a hands-on learning cart, a hands-on activity, a storytelling program, or a tour in the galleries. Through February 2012: • Most Tues. Thurs. Sat. and Sun.: 2-4 PM Note - Subject to Cultural Interpreter availability. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Check at the Welcome Desk for location. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Highlights of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 2:15 PM.

February Daily Films: Wapawekka and Nikamowin/Song

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, 1st Level. Cost: Free. Continues: Repeats daily, except Wednesdays, through February. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM.

Docent's Choice Tour of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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 - Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. - On the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, the 1:30 PM tour may be offered in Spanish (depending upon demand). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 3:30 PM.

ArtLab+ Gamers Circle Club

One-Time Events ArtLab+ is a digital media studio that gives local teens the opportunity to become integral members of a design team. (ages 13-19) What makes some games more fun than others? What are up-and-coming trends in the industry? Join the Gamers Circle to discuss these topics and more, and air your views on our broadcast station. You can also write and publish reviews for games, create video segments out of your critiques, and even play games live online to show the world what you’re up to and challenge viewers watching from home. Gaming tournament afterwards, 6-7 PM. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: ArtLab (in the Sunken Sculpture Garden on the Mall). Cost: Free, but space is limited. Registration is required. See Web link for application. For more information, call 202-633-3382 or e-mail hmsgeducation@si.edu. Continues: Most Thursdays through May. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM. For more info visit artlabplus.si.edu.

Art Signs: Gallery Talks in American Sign Language (ASL)

Ongoing Tours & Activities Join us for conversations about artworks presented by a volunteer ASL gallery guide. For more information, go to AmericanArt.si.edu or email wilsoncl@si.edu. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM.

2012 African Art House Film Festival: Touki Bouki

One-Time Events Touki Bouki (1973; 85 min; Senegal; in Wolof, Arabic, and French with English subtitles; directed by Djibril Diop Mambety) This classic road movie from Senegal follows two young lovers living in Dakar who long for Paris and concoct schemes to pay their way. Post-screening discussion follows with Françoise Pfaff (Howard University). Categories: After Five. Films. Sponsor: African Art Museum. Event Location: Landmark E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Cost: Free; obtain tickets on a first-come, first-served basis from theater box office on the day of screening. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 6:30 PM.

Treason and Sedition in American History, 2-Session Evening Course

Resident Associate Program In U.S. history, there have been very few treason convictions. Not surprisingly they all remain controversial. Would you agree with the outcomes of the trials? In this course, join the experts who highlight fascinating glimpses into these crimes against the country. View more details. Categories: After Five. Sponsor: Resident Associate Program. Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW, Metro: Smithsonian Mall Exit (Blue/Orange). Cost: Click here to view prices. Purchase Tickets: http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2012FY-Trumba-calend&tmssource=185606&performanceNumber=223693. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 6:45 PM – 8:45 PM.

Courtyard Cinema Classics: Modern Times

One-Time Events (1936, 87 min) Charlie Chaplin is a bumbling factory worker who falls in love with an orphan girl. The film’s unforgettable slapstick routines double as satiric commentary on class struggle during the Great Depression. The film will be screened in the beautiful glass covered Kogod Courtyard, with food and beverages available for purchase in the Courtyard Café. Categories: After Five. Films. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Portrait Gallery. Venue: American Art Museum. Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Kogod Courtyard. Cost: Free. Thursday, February 9, 2012, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.

IMAX Films at the Samuel C. Johnson IMAX Theater

Ongoing Tours & Activities For information on films, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters website. Note: - For after-hours shows, use the Constitution Ave. entrance. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Johnson IMAX Theater, 1st Floor. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/samuel-c-johnson-imax-theater. Friday, February 10, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

Natural History Museum Exhibition Interpreters/Navigators

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Various exhibitions; ask at the museum's info desks for today's locations and schedules. Continues: Repeats most days. Friday, February 10, 2012.

Albert Einstein Planetarium

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Albert Einstein Planetarium. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/einstein-planetarium. Friday, February 10, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

IMAX Films at the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/lockheed-martin-imax-theater. Friday, February 10, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

IMAX Films at the Airbus IMAX Theater

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Airbus IMAX Theater. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/airbus-imax-theater. Friday, February 10, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

Castle Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours Look for our friendly docent who will give a tour of the highlights of the Smithsonian Castle. Visitors learn about the Institution's benefactor, James Smithson, and the architecture of the building while on a tour of the public areas of the Castle, which include James Smithson's crypt, the Great Hall, and the West Wing. Year-Round: Mon. and Fri.: 9:30 AM , Sat.: 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM , Sun.: 10:30 AM Note - Tour subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Smithsonian Information Center. Venue: Smithsonian Castle. Event Location: Meet at information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 9:30 AM.

Ride Simulators

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Lower Level, across from the Stars and Stripes Cafe. Cost: Tickets always available for purchase at the entrance to the simulator gallery and may also be available at either Welcome desk. Admission Per Ride - $7.00 per person Payment Options: - Cash, VISA, and MasterCard. Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:00 AM.

Flight Simulators: Fly or Ride!

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: West Wing, Gallery 103, Simulator Gallery. Cost: Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office or at the Simulator Gallery. Admission Per Ride: - Ride Simulator: $7.00 per person - Interactive Flight Simulator: $8.00 per person - Add a Simulator: $1.00 off with the purchase of an IMAX Theater or Planetarium ticket - Groups: Discounts available; ask at the Box Office or at the Flight Simulators - For reservations, call 202-633-4629 or 1-866-868-7774 (toll-free) Payment Options - At Simulators: Cash, VISA, or MasterCard - At IMAX and Planetarium… Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:00 AM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Flight Simulators: SpaceWalk or Wings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Main Level, near the simulators. Cost: Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office or at the Simulator Gallery. Admission Per Ride: - Ride Simulator: $7.00 per person - Interactive Flight Simulator: $8.00 per person - Add a Simulator: $1.00 off with the purchase of an IMAX Theater ticket - Groups: Discounts available; ask at the Box Office or at the Flight Simulators - For reservations, call 202-633-4629 or 1-866-868-7774 (toll-free) Payment Options: - At Simulator: Cash, VISA, or MasterCard - At Box Office: Cash or major credit… Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:00 AM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Butterfly Pavilion

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution Exhibit, 2nd Floor, West. Cost: Tickets can be purchased in advance (see Purchase Tickets Web link below), or by phone at 202-633-4629 (IMAX) or 1-877-932-4629 (IMAX) (toll-free) (10 AM-5 PM), or in person on the day of your visit at the Butterfly Pavilion Box Office or at any Smithsonian IMAX Box Office. For more information about the hours of operation, timed entry policy, ticket prices, group rates, etc. visit the Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution Web site. Prices per ticket: Adults $6 Seniors $5.50 (60+) Children $5… Purchase Tickets: http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?organ_val=21156&venue_val=215878. Related Exhibition: Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution. Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:15 AM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit www.butterflies.si.edu.

Highlights Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Meet at either Welcome desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:15 AM.

Discovery Room

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st floor, East Wing, near African Voices. Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM.

Highlights Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Meet in Rotunda, 1st floor, near information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:30 AM.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: O. Orkin Insect Zoo, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: O. Orkin Insect Zoo. Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:30 AM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

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

Ongoing Tours & Activities (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. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Location of carts vary; for location and schedule, check at either Welcome desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM.

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

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Locations vary; for location and schedule, check at the Welcome Center. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:30 AM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 10:30 AM.

Flights of Fancy -- Stories for Children

Ongoing Activities 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 http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/storytimes/. Year-Round: Most Thurs. & Fri.: 11 AM , Most Sat.: 11 AM & 1:30 PM. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: For location, ask at the museum's Welcome Center. Cost: Free. Friday, February 10, 2012, 11:00 AM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Postal Museum. Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Meet at the information desk, street level, near top of escalators to museum. Cost: Free. Friday, February 10, 2012, 11:00 AM.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: O. Orkin Insect Zoo, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: O. Orkin Insect Zoo. Friday, February 10, 2012, 11:30 AM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

Highlights of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 11:45 AM.

Book Signing: George Norfleet

Smithsonian Sponsored Events George Norfleet signs copies of his book A Pilot's Journey: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman, Curtis Christopher Robinson. Categories: Shopping/Book Signing. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Outside Museum Store. Cost: Books available for sale in Museum Store. Continues: Repeats most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Friday, February 10, 2012, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Hirshhorn Museum Spotlight Tours (12 Noon-4 PM)

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: At the information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Renwick Gallery. Venue: Renwick Gallery. Event Location: Meet in Renwick Gallery Lobby. Friday, February 10, 2012, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Friday Gallery Talk: Directions: Empire³

One-Time Events D.C.-based artist Randall Packer discusses Directions: Empire³. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Sponsor: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet at information desk. Cost: Free. Continues: Continues most Fridays. Friday, February 10, 2012, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM. For more info visit hirshhorn.si.edu.

Highlights of the American Art Museum

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 12:30 PM.

February Daily Films: Wapawekka and Nikamowin/Song

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, 1st Level. Cost: Free. Continues: Repeats daily, except Wednesdays, through February. Friday, February 10, 2012, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM.

Forensic Anthropology Lab

Ongoing Tours & Activities (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). Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Written in Bone, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

Highlights Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Meet at either information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Public Observatory Project (1-3 PM)

Ongoing Activities (for all ages) Look through the 16-inch telescope to discover craters on the moon, spots on the sun (using safe solar filters), and other wonders of the universe. Participate in hands-on activities related to astronomy. Through February 2012: • Most Wed. through Sat.: 1 PM-3 PM (weather permitting) Notes - Observatory programs may not be offered during cloudy or rainy weather; confirm at the museum's Welcome Center. - Hours may change monthly. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Observatory located outside on SE terrace near Independence Ave. & 4th St.; entrance only available from outside. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:00 PM.

Docent's Choice Tour of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:00 PM.

Open Studio Fridays

Ongoing Activities Join us on Friday afternoons for some creative fun! Check out a Portrait Discovery Kit to explore the museum and try a different art material each week. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Education Center, Room E151. Continues: Repeats most Fridays through February. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Highlights Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Meet in Rotunda, 1st floor, near information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:30 PM.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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: Sat. and Sun.: 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM , Tues.- Fri.: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 1:30 PM Note - Demonstrations offered unless otherwise posted. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: O. Orkin Insect Zoo, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: O. Orkin Insect Zoo. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:30 PM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

Art + Coffee: Luce Foundation Center for American Art

Ongoing Tours & Activities Learn about the more than 3,300 treasures of the Luce Foundation Center for American Art during this tour or talk. Afterwards, enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee or tea. Year-Round: Wed. through Sun.: 1:30 PM. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities Cultural interpreters provide a 1-hour overview of the museum's history, landscape, building, exhibitions, and other points of interest. Through February 2012: • Most Mon.-Fri.: 1:30 PM • Most Sat. and Sun.: 11 AM and 1:30 PM Note - Subject to Cultural Interpreter availability. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Potomac Atrium, 1st Level. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM.

Highlights of the American Art Museum

Ongoing Tours & Activities This highlights tour of the collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum 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. Year-Round: • Most days: 12:30 PM and 2 PM Notes - No tours on 2nd Tuesday of each month. - Tours subject to docent availability. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 2:00 PM.

Highlights of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 2:15 PM.

Historic Theater: Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter

Ongoing Tours & Activities (for all ages) Meet a Civil Rights activist in 1960, just after the Greensboro student sit-in began. Take part in a training session based on an actual 1960s manual and prepare for your first sit-in. Would you have the courage to fight for justice during the Civil Rights movement? These 15- to 20-minute performances reveal the people behind the objects on view and the emotion in their stories. February 2012: Most Sundays at 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM, and 4:30 PM , Most Fridays at 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM , Please check listings for the day of your visit. Categories: Performances. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Meet at Greensboro Lunch Counter, 2nd Floor, East Wing. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: Landmark Object: Greensboro Lunch Counter and Race: Are We So Different? (on view at the Natural History Museum). Friday, February 10, 2012, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM. For more info visit www.youtube.com.

Hirshhorn Museum Highlights Tours

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: Meet at the information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 3:00 PM.

Interpreter's Choice Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities Cultural interpreters provide a 1-hour tour of their favorite highlights of the museum. Through February 2012: • Most Fridays: 3 PM Note - Subject to Cultural Interpreter availability. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Potomac Atrium, 1st Level. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Book Signing: Deborra Richardson

Smithsonian Sponsored Events Deborra Richardson signs copies of her children's book Treasures at the Museum. Learn more about the book. Categories: Kids & Families. Shopping/Book Signing. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Outside Mall Museum Store, 2nd Floor. Cost: Books available for sale in Museum Store. Continues: Repeats February 17. Friday, February 10, 2012, 3:15 PM – 5:15 PM.

February Daily Films: Wapawekka and Nikamowin/Song

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, 1st Level. Cost: Free. Continues: Repeats daily, except Wednesdays, through February. Friday, February 10, 2012, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM.

Docent's Choice Tour of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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 - Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. - On the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, the 1:30 PM tour may be offered in Spanish (depending upon demand). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 3:30 PM.

Historic Theater: Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter

Ongoing Tours & Activities (for all ages) Meet a Civil Rights activist in 1960, just after the Greensboro student sit-in began. Take part in a training session based on an actual 1960s manual and prepare for your first sit-in. Would you have the courage to fight for justice during the Civil Rights movement? These 15- to 20-minute performances reveal the people behind the objects on view and the emotion in their stories. February 2012: Most Sundays at 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM, and 4:30 PM , Most Fridays at 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM , Please check listings for the day of your visit. Categories: Performances. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Meet at Greensboro Lunch Counter, 2nd Floor, East Wing. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: Landmark Object: Greensboro Lunch Counter and Race: Are We So Different? (on view at the Natural History Museum). Friday, February 10, 2012, 4:30 PM – 4:50 PM. For more info visit www.youtube.com.

Mourning

Films Winner of the top prize at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival, Morteza Farshbaf’s debut feature is unique in a number of ways—not the least of which is that the two main characters are deaf and communicate almost entirely in sign language. As the characters bicker during a road trip, the audience learns tantalizing pieces of information about their passenger, a young relative whose parents disappeared in the middle of the night. A protégé of Abbas Kiarostami, Farshbaf “fashions a consistently surprising and blackly comic road trip that may herald the arrival of a major new Iranian talent” (Institute of Contemporary Art, London). (Dir.: Morteza Farshbaf, Iran, 2011, 84 min. Persian and sign language with English subtitles). Categories: Films. Sponsor: Freer and Sackler Galleries. Co-sponsor: This screening is copresented by the Global Film Initiative and is part of the Global Lens 2012 film series. For more information, visit www.globalfilm.org. Venue: Freer Gallery. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free; walk-in. Friday, February 10, 2012, 7:00 PM.

IMAX Films at the Samuel C. Johnson IMAX Theater

Ongoing Tours & Activities For information on films, show times, and prices, visit the IMAX Theaters website. Note: - For after-hours shows, use the Constitution Ave. entrance. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Johnson IMAX Theater, 1st Floor. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/samuel-c-johnson-imax-theater. Saturday, February 11, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

Natural History Museum Exhibition Interpreters/Navigators

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Various exhibitions; ask at the museum's info desks for today's locations and schedules. Continues: Repeats most days. Saturday, February 11, 2012.

Albert Einstein Planetarium

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Albert Einstein Planetarium. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/einstein-planetarium. Saturday, February 11, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

IMAX Films at the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/lockheed-martin-imax-theater. Saturday, February 11, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

IMAX Films at the Airbus IMAX Theater

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Airbus IMAX Theater. Purchase Tickets: http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/airbus-imax-theater. Saturday, February 11, 2012. For more info visit www.si.edu.

Civil War at Kelly's Ford and Bristoe Station, All-Day Tour

Resident Associate Program Visit the site of the Civil War’s Battle of Bristoe Station, a pivotal fight in central Virginia, followed by such notable sites in Civil War history as Kelly’s Ford, Pelham Monument, Graffiti House, and Carter Run. Trace the steps of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, and George Meade’s Army of the Potomac to get a first hand view of where it all happened. View more details. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Resident Associate Program. Event Location: Departs from the Holiday Inn Capitol at, 550 C Street, S.W. (corner of 6th & C Sts.), Fringe: Vienna Metro, south side Kiss & Ride. Cost: Click here to view prices. Purchase Tickets: http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2012FY-Trumba-calend&tmssource=185606&performanceNumber=223867. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 8:00 AM.

Castle Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours Look for our friendly docent who will give a tour of the highlights of the Smithsonian Castle. Visitors learn about the Institution's benefactor, James Smithson, and the architecture of the building while on a tour of the public areas of the Castle, which include James Smithson's crypt, the Great Hall, and the West Wing. Year-Round: Mon. and Fri.: 9:30 AM , Sat.: 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM , Sun.: 10:30 AM Note - Tour subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Smithsonian Information Center. Venue: Smithsonian Castle. Event Location: Meet at information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 9:30 AM.

Super Science Saturday: Scientists and Inventors

One-Time Events Immerse yourself in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics topics related to aviation and space exploration through demonstrations and hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Throughout the museum. Cost: Free, but $15 parking fee per vehicle. Continues: Second Saturday of every month through May. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

Chocolate Festival: Cultural Uses of Chocolate in Mexico

One-Time Events Natividad Estrada (Mazatec) explains the cultural and spiritual significance of cacao to her indigenous community in Oaxaca, Mexico. Categories: Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Potomac Atrium, 1st level. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.

Chocolate Festival: From Bean to Beverage: Hands-On Activities

One-Time Events Grind your own cacao seeds, froth the cacao, and explore the spices used to create traditional drinking chocolate. Categories: Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Co-sponsor: The Historic Division of Mars Chocolate. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Potomac Atrium, 1st level. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM.

Family Day: African American Pioneers in Aviation

One-Time Events Learn about the accomplishments of African American aviation pioneers of the past and present. Meet a distinguished panel of local Tuskegee Airmen, who will discuss their struggles and the history of the African American World War II fighter group. Enjoy hands-on activities, book signings, and appearances by current scientists, pilots, and engineers in aerospace. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Throughout the museum. Cost: Free. Continues: Repeats February 25 at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Ride Simulators

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Lower Level, across from the Stars and Stripes Cafe. Cost: Tickets always available for purchase at the entrance to the simulator gallery and may also be available at either Welcome desk. Admission Per Ride - $7.00 per person Payment Options: - Cash, VISA, and MasterCard. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:00 AM.

Flight Simulators: Fly or Ride!

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: West Wing, Gallery 103, Simulator Gallery. Cost: Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office or at the Simulator Gallery. Admission Per Ride: - Ride Simulator: $7.00 per person - Interactive Flight Simulator: $8.00 per person - Add a Simulator: $1.00 off with the purchase of an IMAX Theater or Planetarium ticket - Groups: Discounts available; ask at the Box Office or at the Flight Simulators - For reservations, call 202-633-4629 or 1-866-868-7774 (toll-free) Payment Options - At Simulators: Cash, VISA, or MasterCard - At IMAX and Planetarium… Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:00 AM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Flight Simulators: SpaceWalk or Wings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Main Level, near the simulators. Cost: Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office or at the Simulator Gallery. Admission Per Ride: - Ride Simulator: $7.00 per person - Interactive Flight Simulator: $8.00 per person - Add a Simulator: $1.00 off with the purchase of an IMAX Theater ticket - Groups: Discounts available; ask at the Box Office or at the Flight Simulators - For reservations, call 202-633-4629 or 1-866-868-7774 (toll-free) Payment Options: - At Simulator: Cash, VISA, or MasterCard - At Box Office: Cash or major credit… Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:00 AM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Regency England's Pleasures and Paradoxes

Resident Associate Program Explore the era that brought us Jane Austen, and other fascinating Brits. Regency England was an era for lavish palaces and country homes, obeying the intricate etiquette of the upper class, scandals, and more. View more details. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Sponsor: Resident Associate Program. Venue: S. Dillon Ripley Center. Event Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW, Metro: Smithsonian Mall Exit (Blue/Orange). Cost: Click here to view prices. Purchase Tickets: http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=SI-Trumba-Calendar&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=2012FY-Trumba-calend&tmssource=185606&performanceNumber=223699. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:00 AM.

Butterfly Pavilion

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution Exhibit, 2nd Floor, West. Cost: Tickets can be purchased in advance (see Purchase Tickets Web link below), or by phone at 202-633-4629 (IMAX) or 1-877-932-4629 (IMAX) (toll-free) (10 AM-5 PM), or in person on the day of your visit at the Butterfly Pavilion Box Office or at any Smithsonian IMAX Box Office. For more information about the hours of operation, timed entry policy, ticket prices, group rates, etc. visit the Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution Web site. Prices per ticket: Adults $6 Seniors $5.50 (60+) Children $5… Purchase Tickets: http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?organ_val=21156&venue_val=215878. Related Exhibition: Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:15 AM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit www.butterflies.si.edu.

Highlights Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Meet at either Welcome desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:15 AM.

Discovery Room

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st floor, East Wing, near African Voices. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM.

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

Ongoing Tours & Activities (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. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Location of carts vary; for location and schedule, check at either Welcome desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM.

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

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Locations vary; for location and schedule, check at the Welcome Center. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:30 AM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:30 AM.

Castle Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours Look for our friendly docent who will give a tour of the highlights of the Smithsonian Castle. Visitors learn about the Institution's benefactor, James Smithson, and the architecture of the building while on a tour of the public areas of the Castle, which include James Smithson's crypt, the Great Hall, and the West Wing. Year-Round: Sat.: 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM , Sun.: 10:30 AM , Mon. and Fri.: 9:30 AM Note - Tour subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Smithsonian Information Center. Venue: Smithsonian Castle. Event Location: Meet at information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:30 AM.

Chocolate Festival: Food Demonstration and Discussion

One-Time Events Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe Chef Richard Hetzler discusses the wonders of chocolate and features Mitsitam’s famous Mexican hot chocolate as well as many other dishes both savory and sweet using chocolate. Categories: Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Webinars. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, 1st level. Webcast: http://www.AmericanIndian.si.edu/webcasts. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Forensic Anthropology Lab

Ongoing Tours & Activities (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). Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Written in Bone, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

The Sant Ocean Hall Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities Look for our friendly docents who will give a tour of the related exhibition. Year-Round: Most Sat. and Sun.: 11 AM and 2 PM, Note - Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Meet at entrance to the Sant Ocean Hall, 1st Floor, just off the Rotunda. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 11:00 AM.

Flights of Fancy -- Stories for Children

Ongoing Activities 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 http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/storytimes/. Year-Round: Most Thurs. & Fri.: 11 AM , Most Sat.: 11 AM & 1:30 PM. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: For location, ask at the museum's Welcome Center. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 11:00 AM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Postal Museum. Venue: Postal Museum. Event Location: Meet at the information desk, street level, near top of escalators to museum. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 11:00 AM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities Cultural interpreters provide a 1-hour overview of the museum's history, landscape, building, exhibitions, and other points of interest. Through February 2012: • Most Mon.-Fri.: 1:30 PM • Most Sat. and Sun.: 11 AM and 1:30 PM Note - Subject to Cultural Interpreter availability. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Potomac Atrium, 1st Level. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: O. Orkin Insect Zoo, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: O. Orkin Insect Zoo. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 11:30 AM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

Highlights of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 11:45 AM.

ArtLab+ Visual Storytelling

One-Time Events ArtLab+ is a digital media studio that gives local teens the opportunity to become integral members of a design team. (ages 13-19) Are you a storyteller? Are you a visual thinker? Tell your own story! Use words and images to bring artworks from the Hirshhorn’s collection to life. With a different theme each week, teens learn new techniques and technologies to create a story based on that theme. Possible outcomes include video, animation, comics, photography, or even podcasts. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: ArtLab (in the Sunken Sculpture Garden on the Mall). Cost: Free, but space is limited. Registration is required. See Web link for application. For more information, call 202-633-3382 or e-mail hmsgeducation@si.edu. Continues: Most Saturdays through May with different weekly themes. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM. For more info visit artlabplus.si.edu.

Book Signing: Dave "Bio" Baranek

Smithsonian Sponsored Events Dave "Bio" Baranek signs copies of his book TOPGUN Days: Dogfighting, Cheating Death, and Hollywood Glory as One of America's Best Fighter Jocks. Categories: Shopping/Book Signing. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Outside Museum Store. Cost: Books available for sale in Museum Store. Continues: Repeats February 25. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Book Signing: George Norfleet

Smithsonian Sponsored Events George Norfleet signs copies of his book A Pilot's Journey: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman, Curtis Christopher Robinson. Categories: Shopping/Book Signing. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Outside Museum Store. Cost: Books available for sale in Museum Store. Continues: Repeats most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Book Signings: Col. Charles E. McGee

Smithsonian Sponsored Events Col. Charles E. McGee signs copies of his book Tuskegee Airman: The Biography of Charles E. McGee, Air Force Fighter, Combat Record Holder. Categories: Shopping/Book Signing. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Outside Museum Store. Cost: Books available for sale in Museum Store. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Chocolate Festival:Tradiciones Bolivianas and Sangre Boliviana Dance Performances

One-Time Events Tradiciones Bolivianas was founded in 1997 by mothers and young people of different regions of Bolivia in order to preserve and demonstrate the culture, music, customs, and traditions of their country as a tribute of love and respect to their ancestral home. It is currently directed by founder Julia Garcia and William Tono Vargas. For 25 years, Sangre Boliviana has been the home of hundreds of dancers and young people who have since gone on to be leaders in the community; it is because of this legacy that they have earned the name "Academy of Folklore." Their goal is to share and preserve the rich cultures, traditions and customs of Bolivia. Categories: Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, 1st level. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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: Sat. and Sun.: 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM , Tues.- Fri.: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 1:30 PM Note - Demonstrations offered unless otherwise posted. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: O. Orkin Insect Zoo, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: O. Orkin Insect Zoo. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 12:30 PM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

Highlights of the American Art Museum

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 12:30 PM.

February Daily Films: Wapawekka and Nikamowin/Song

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, 1st Level. Cost: Free. Continues: Repeats daily, except Wednesdays, through February. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM.

Art a la Cart: Family Program

One-Time Events (for ages 7-12) Travel through the galleries and handle brushes, palettes, bison hide, and bottle caps at interactive carts. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Throughout the museum; handouts available at both info desks. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM. For more info visit www.americanart.si.edu.

ArtLab+ Noise Factory Club

One-Time Events ArtLab+ is a digital media studio that gives local teens the opportunity to become integral members of a design team. (ages 13-19) Inspired by the new wave of indie artists? Want to be a cutting-edge producer? What about recording vocals in a real sound booth? Join us in the ArtLab and learn to produce your own music. Under the guidance of artist and educator Dan Solberg and music producer Jon Williams, teens explore free software like Audacity, and over time, work up to advanced professional software, including ProTools and Logic. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: ArtLab (in the Sunken Sculpture Garden on the Mall). Cost: Free, but space is limited. Registration is required. See Web link for application. For more information, call 202-633-3382 or e-mail hmsgeducation@si.edu. Continues: Most Tuesdays (4-6 PM) and Saturdays (1-3 PM) through May. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM. For more info visit artlabplus.si.edu.

Highlights Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American History Museum. Venue: American History Museum. Event Location: Meet at either information desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Public Observatory Project (1-3 PM)

Ongoing Activities (for all ages) Look through the 16-inch telescope to discover craters on the moon, spots on the sun (using safe solar filters), and other wonders of the universe. Participate in hands-on activities related to astronomy. Through February 2012: • Most Wed. through Sat.: 1 PM-3 PM (weather permitting) Notes - Observatory programs may not be offered during cloudy or rainy weather; confirm at the museum's Welcome Center. - Hours may change monthly. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Observatory located outside on SE terrace near Independence Ave. & 4th St.; entrance only available from outside. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM. For more info visit www.nasm.si.edu.

Second Saturday Arts & Science: Butterfly Birthday Celebration

One-Time Events Feel the flutter! Celebrate the fourth anniversary of the exhibit Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution with special arts and crafts activities for children of all ages. Meet museum educators and learn about metamorphosis and native butterfly species of our region. Time Detail: 1-3 PM. Categories: Celebrations. Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution exhibition and Live Butterfly Pavilion, 2nd Floor. Cost: Partners in Evolution—a free-admission exploration into how insects and other animals have co-evolved with plants. The Butterfly Pavilion—a fee-based, live butterfly experience. Purchase Tickets: http://www.butterflies.si.edu/tickets/index.htm. Related Exhibition: Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM. For more info visit www.butterflies.si.edu.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours 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 tour on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. - No tours on federal holidays. - Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Renwick Gallery. Venue: Renwick Gallery. Event Location: Meet in lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:00 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Venue: Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Event Location: Meet at tour desk. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:00 PM.

Chocolate Festival: From Bean to Beverage - Hands-On Activities

One-Time Events Grind your own cacao seeds, froth the cacao, and explore the spices used to create traditional drinking chocolate. Categories: Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Co-sponsor: The Historic Division of Mars Chocolate. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Potomac Atrium, 1st level. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM.

Facing History: Be the Artist Youth and Family Program

One-Time Events (ages 10 and up with adult) This class is designed for children with their families to explore portraiture in depth. Participants take a brief guided tour of the exhibition, focusing on the portrait of artist Kara Walker; listen to a short gallery talk; and create a piece of art using some of the materials or concepts that Walker uses. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Location will be provided upon registration. Cost: Free, but registration required; follow the Purchase Tickets link below closer to the time of the event. Class size limited to 34 participants. Parents and guardians must remain with their children. Purchase Tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/directory?q=national+Portrait+gallery&loc=Washington&page=1. Related Exhibition: The Black List: Photographs by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM.

Live Tarantula Feedings

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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: Sat. and Sun.: 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM , Tues.- Fri.: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 1:30 PM Note - Demonstrations offered unless otherwise posted. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: O. Orkin Insect Zoo, 2nd floor, West. Cost: Free; walk-in. Related Exhibition: O. Orkin Insect Zoo. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:30 PM. For more info visit www.mnh.si.edu.

Art + Coffee: Luce Foundation Center for American Art

Ongoing Tours & Activities Learn about the more than 3,300 treasures of the Luce Foundation Center for American Art during this tour or talk. Afterwards, enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee or tea. Year-Round: Wed. through Sun.: 1:30 PM. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM.

Flights of Fancy -- Stories for Children

Ongoing Activities 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 http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/storytimes/. Year-Round: Most Thurs. & Fri.: 11 AM , Most Sat.: 11 AM & 1:30 PM. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: For location, ask at the museum's Welcome Center. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:30 PM.

Highlights Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities Cultural interpreters provide a 1-hour overview of the museum's history, landscape, building, exhibitions, and other points of interest. Through February 2012: • Most Mon.-Fri.: 1:30 PM • Most Sat. and Sun.: 11 AM and 1:30 PM Note - Subject to Cultural Interpreter availability. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Potomac Atrium, 1st Level. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM.

Docent's Choice Tour of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:30 PM.

Chocolate Festival: Cultural Uses of Chocolate in Mexico

One-Time Events Natividad Estrada (Mazatec) explains the cultural and spiritual significance of cacao to her indigenous community in Oaxaca, Mexico. Categories: Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Potomac Atrium, 1st level. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.

Chocolate Festival: Family Activity - Make Your Own Paper Mola

One-Time Events Find out how the Kuna people of Panama and Colombia create artistic textiles called molas. Then, make your own paper mola celebrating cacao! Recommended for Ages 6+ Up FREE timed entry tickets required, available outside Activity Center. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, 3rd Floor. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Chocolate Festival: The Health Benefits of Chocolate

One-Time Events This special presentation by Dr. Catherine Kwik-Uribe of Mars Botanical provides a fascinating illustrated overview of some of the historical uses of cacao, as well as the latest scientific research on chocolate and cocoa. Dr. Kwik-uribe is the Director of Research and Development for Mars Botanical, a scientific division of Mars Incorporated. Since joining Mars Inc. in 2002, Dr. Kwik-Uribe has managed a research program within Mars Inc. that examines the potential role of specific cocoa-derived compounds—the cocoa flavanols—to support human health. Categories: Demonstrations. Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Webinars. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Co-sponsor: The Historic Division of Mars Chocolate. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, 1st level. Webcast: http://www.AmericanIndian.si.edu/webcasts. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

A Young Artist’s Vision

One-Time Events Gabriella J. Williams, a child entrepreneur, discusses the motivation and process of becoming a jewelry designer. Join Gabriella and a representative from Beadazzled in this lively discussion about the jewelry business. Book signing follows. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Shopping/Book Signing. Sponsor: Anacostia Community Museum. Venue: Anacostia Community Museum. Event Location: Program Room. Cost: Free, but reservations required; call 202-633-4866. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

The Sant Ocean Hall Tour

Ongoing Tours & Activities Look for our friendly docents known as the Sant Ocean Hall Navigators who will give a tour of the the related exhibition. Year-Round: Most Sat. and Sun.: 11 AM and 2 PM, Note - Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Meet at entrance to The Sant Ocean Hall, 1st Floor, just off the Rotunda. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 2:00 PM.

Highlights of the American Art Museum

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 2:00 PM.

In Every Language Love

Kids and Family An Open House for All Ages In the classroom, enjoy a digital slideshow of images of love in Asian art. Use stamps that say “love” in more than a dozen Asian languages to print Valentines to take home. Categories: Kids & Families. Sponsor: Freer and Sackler Galleries. Venue: Sackler Gallery. Event Location: Sackler sublevel 2. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 2:00 PM.

Timely Images: Chinese Art Related to Seasonal Festivals

Talks and Lectures Seasonal festivals in China were important occasions for the creation, display, and presentation of gifts of art featuring specific, timely images. For example, paintings depicting a bouquet of pomegranate flowers, calamus leaves, and a branch of moxa were appropriate only for the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival. Representations of roosters, considered lucky, were associated with the Chinese New Year, while images of a peony and butterfly signaled the Birthday of the Flowers. This lecture by Jan Stuart, keeper of Asia at the British Museum, examines the close bond between a wide range of pictorial arts and their temporal conventions. She explores the role of art in marking the passage of the yearly cycle and how it was folded into China’s abiding rhythms of nature and human culture. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Sponsor: Freer and Sackler Galleries. Venue: Freer Gallery. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 2:00 PM.

Interpretive Programs

Ongoing Tours & Activities Cultural interpreters offer kids and families a hands-on learning cart, a hands-on activity, a storytelling program, or a tour in the galleries. Through February 2012: • Most Tues. Thurs. Sat. and Sun.: 2-4 PM Note - Subject to Cultural Interpreter availability. Categories: Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Check at the Welcome Desk for location. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

ArtLab+ Photo Club

One-Time Events ArtLab+ is a digital media studio that gives local teens the opportunity to become integral members of a design team. (ages 13-19) Get experience with in-the-moment documentation to setting up photo shoots, complete with light boxes and reflectors. You'll start with pocket digital cameras and move up to professional digital SLRs. Along the way, you will have opportunities to show your work in the museum and to apply to be paid documentary photographers at ArtLab+, Hirshhorn, and Smithsonian-sponsored events. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Sponsor: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Venue: Hirshhorn Museum. Event Location: ArtLab (in the Sunken Sculpture Garden on the Mall). Cost: Free, but space is limited. Registration is required. See Web link for application. For more information, call 202-633-3382 or e-mail hmsgeducation@si.edu. Continues: Most Saturdays through May. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit artlabplus.si.edu.

Highlights of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 3:15 PM.

Chocolate Festival: Tradiciones Bolivianas and Sangre Boliviana Dance Performances

One-Time Events Tradiciones Bolivianas was founded in 1997 by mothers and young people of different regions of Bolivia in order to preserve and demonstrate the culture, music, customs, and traditions of their country as a tribute of love and respect to their ancestral home. It is currently directed by founder Julia Garcia and William Tono Vargas. For 25 years, Sangre Boliviana has been the home of hundreds of dancers and young people who have since gone on to be leaders in the community; it is because of this legacy that they have earned the name "Academy of Folklore." Their goal is to share and preserve the rich cultures, traditions and customs of Bolivia. Categories: Culinary Arts. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Lectures & Discussions. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, 1st level. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM.

February Daily Films: Wapawekka and Nikamowin/Song

Ongoing Tours & Activities 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. Sponsor: American Indian Museum. Venue: American Indian Museum. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, 1st Level. Cost: Free. Continues: Repeats daily, except Wednesdays, through February. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM.

Woo at the Zoo

Special Zoo Events Looking for the wildest way to celebrate Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank? Attend the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s fourth annual Woo at the Zoo on Saturday, Feb. 11 for an opportunity to learn about animal mating, dating and reproductive habits in an honest and humorous forum. Attendees and their “deer” ones will enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and the opportunity to decorate sweets for your Sweetheart. A cash bar will also be available featuring specialty drinks served in the exclusive Woo at the Zoo commemorative glass. All the fun takes place in the Zoo’s Visitor Center auditorium. You must be at least 21 years old to attend this event. A valid ID is required for admission. Please note that smoking is not permitted at the Zoo. All guests must purchase a ticket for one talk, at 4:30, 6:30, or 8:30, and are required to come at their registered time. However, guests are invited to come early before or stay late after their talk to enjoy our cash bar and Valentine treats! The visitor cent… Categories: After Five. Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Sponsor: National Zoo. Venue: National Zoo. Event Location: Zoo’s Visitor Center Auditorium. Cost: FONZ members: $11 Nonmembers: $22. Purchase Tickets: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ActivitiesAndEvents/Celebrations/woo/. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM. For more info visit nationalzoo.si.edu.

Smithsonian’s Stars Lecture Series: Highlights from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

One-Time Events 4:30 PM: Discovery Station (in front of Welcome Center) , 5:45 PM: Planetarium Presentation: Chandra Observatory has provided an unprecedented view of the universe at x-ray wavelengths since its launch in July 1999. Chandra's spectacular images and detailed spectra of astrophysical systems -- ranging from solar system objects to distant galaxies and clusters -- shed (x-ray) light on such diverse topics as stellar formation and demise, black hole-galaxy-cluster interactions, and properties of dark matter and dark energy. Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center director Harvey Tananbaum provides a brief overview and status report on Chandra and offers scientific highlights with emphasis on recent results. , 6:45 PM: Telescope Observing (Public Observatory, outside on south terrace, weather permitting). Categories: Demonstrations. Lectures & Discussions. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Albert Einstein Planetarium, 2nd Floor, West Wing. Cost: Free, but tickets required. Continues: Series continues every other Thursday through February 25. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 4:30 PM – 8:30 PM.

Docent's Choice Tour of the Portrait Gallery

Ongoing Activities 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 Note - On the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, the 1:30 PM tour may be offered in Spanish (depending upon demand). - Tours subject to docent availability; last-minute cancellations may occur. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sponsor: Portrait Gallery. Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Meet in the F Street Lobby. Cost: Free; walk-in. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 4:30 PM.

21st Century Consort presents Multiplicity

One-Time Events The acclaimed 21st Century Consort continues their 2011–12 season with performances that celebrate exhibitions on view in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The concept of repetition that is so integral to printmaking is also evident in contemporary classical music. In this concert, the music of Conlon Nancarrow, Robert Beaser, David Froom, Mark Kuss, and Dan Visconti is illustrated with images from the Multiplicity exhibition. Time Detail: Pre-concert discussion 4 p.m. concert 5 p.m. Categories: Performances. Sponsor: American Art Museum. Venue: American Art Museum. Event Location: McEvoy Auditorium, Lower Level. Cost: Tickets, which include admission to pre-concert discussions and post-concert receptions, are $20. Contact Smithsonian Associates at residentassociates.org or (202) 633-3030. Purchase Tickets: http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=223580. Related Exhibition: Multiplicity. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM.

Stargazing at the Public Observatory

One-Time Events (weather permitting) The museum’s Public Observatory is open for special nighttime stargazing. Don't miss this chance to see an array of celestial objects through a powerful professional telescope. Categories: After Five. Demonstrations. Kids & Families. Sponsor: Air and Space Museum. Venue: Air and Space Museum. Event Location: Public Observatory, Outside on the Southeast Terrace. Cost: Free. Continues: Repeats February 25. Saturday, February 11, 2012, 6:45 PM – 8:45 PM.