Past Exhibitions

The Birds of America: from Original Drawings

The museum displays volume four in the Duke of Portland set of John James Audubon’s The Birds of America: from Original Drawings.

March 21, 2019 – March 13, 2020

Natural History Museum

How Things Fly

This interactive gallery explains the basic principles of air and space flight through hands-on activities.

September 20, 1996 – March 13, 2020

In Memoriam: Freeman Dyson

Mathematician and physicist Freeman Dyson contributed impressive theories to the scientific world.

March 3, 2020 – March 13, 2020

American Indian Museum New York

Patriot Nations: Native Americans in Our Nation's Armed Forces

Patriot Nations tells the remarkable history of the brave American Indian and Alaska Native men and women who have served in the United States military.

May 25, 2018 – March 13, 2020

Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 Spacesuit

Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit from the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing is on display for the first time in 13 years in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.

July 16, 2019 – March 13, 2020

Game Change: Elephants Prey to Preservation

Traces the shift in public attitudes about elephants from the late 19th century, an era when big game hunting was prevalent, to the critical conservation concerns of today.

October 4, 2018 – March 5, 2020

Natural History Museum

In Memoriam: Kobe Bryant

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery presents a portrait of the late Kobe Bryant (1978 – 2020), marking the death of the famed American athlete.

January 27, 2020 – March 1, 2020

American Indian Museum DC

Section 14: The Other Palm Springs, California

This exhibition chronicles the story of Section 14, a square-mile section of land in downtown Palm Springs that forms the heart of the Agua Caliente Reservation.

March 1, 2019 – February 17, 2020

Ella's Books: Volumes from the Library of Ella Fitzgerald

Books that were once part of Ella Fitzgerald’s personal library are on display in the museum library’s exhibit case.

January 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020

African American History and Culture Museum

In Memoriam: Don Larsen, 1929–2020

In the 1956 championship series pitting the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Yankee hurler Don Larsen entered the record books by pitching the first and only perfect game in World Series history.

January 6, 2020 – January 27, 2020

Pony Express: Romance vs. Reality

This exhibition examines fictional and actual stories from the history of the world's best known mail carriers.

April 3, 2010 – January 26, 2020

None Swifter Than These: 100 Years of Diplomatic Couriers

The U.S. Department of State's 100 badged diplomatic couriers travel the globe safeguarding our nation's most sensitive information and materials.

September 14, 2019 – January 26, 2020

Superheroes

This rotating showcase display presents artifacts from the museum’s collections that relate to superheroes, including comic books, original comic art, movie and television costumes and props, and memorabilia.

November 20, 2018 – January 12, 2020

American History Museum

American Stories

See more than 100 historic and cultural touchstones of American history from the museum’s vast holdings.

April 12, 2012 – January 5, 2020

American History Museum

Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence

To commemorate the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, NPG presents the story of the historic crusade for American women’s rights.

March 29, 2019 – January 5, 2020

In Memoriam: Walter Mercado, 1932-2019

Known for his glimmering beaded-capes, Walter Mercado is a Puerto Rican television personality whose programs have been widely popular in both Latin America and the United States since the 1970s.

November 7, 2019 – January 2, 2020

1856 British Guiana One-Cent Magenta

The world's rarest postage stamp, the 1856 British Guiana One-Cent Magenta, is prominently displayed in the museum’s William H. Gross Stamp Gallery.

June 4, 2015 – December 22, 2019

American Indian Museum New York

Taino: Native Heritage and Identity in the Caribbean

Explore the rural roots of the Taíno movement and find information about the legacy of Native peoples throughout the Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands and their U.S. diasporas.

July 28, 2018 – November 12, 2019

In Memoriam: Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison, the first black woman to become a Nobel laureate, wrote about the experiences of African Americans.

August 6, 2019 – November 7, 2019

In Memoriam: Jessye Norman, 1945-2019

The National Portrait Gallery commemorates the life of Jessye Norman, one of the twentieth century's greatest sopranos.

October 3, 2019 – November 3, 2019

Royal Philatelic Society London's 150th Anniversary

The exhibition includes displays of Empire and Commonwealth treasures and royal autographs from the National Postal Museum’s collection, as well as a non-competitive exhibition of single-frame exhibits by RPSL’s North American members.

October 18, 2019 – October 19, 2019

Voyager: Around the World without a Pit Stop

On December 23, 1986, Voyager completed the first nonstop, non-refueled flight around the world.

November 1, 1987 – October 15, 2019