Skip to main content Skip to main navigation
heart-solid My Visit Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution IK development site for ODI
Press Enter to activate a submenu, down arrow to access the items and Escape to close the submenu.
    • Overview
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Museum Maps
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
    • Overview
    • Exhibitions
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
    • Overview
    • Topics
    • Collections
    • Research Resources
    • Stories
    • Podcasts
    • Overview
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
    • Overview
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
    • Overview
    • Our Organization
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
    • Newsdesk
heart-solid My Visit Donate

Explore America: California

Explore America and discover people, places, art, and history that connect to California in the Smithsonian’s collections, held in trust for the American people. The collections include items that reflect the state’s distant past (a hunk of algae older than the dinosaurs) and its vibrant present. California’s natural treasures are as expansive as the “Golden State” itself: It is home to mountains, deserts, redwood forests, and about a thousand miles of Pacific coastline. View images of the Golden Gate Bridge, deemed one of the modern wonders of the world, and a gold nugget and Torah mantle from the 1849 gold rush. Explore the stories of notable Californians—from Hollywood icons to influential changemakers such as activist Cesar Chavez, chef and food pioneer Alice Waters, and tech visionary Steve Jobs.


  • National Museum of American History 29 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • National Museum of African American History and Culture 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • National Portrait Gallery 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Photographs 20 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • real photo postcard 5 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • gelatin silver print 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Portraits 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • snapshot 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • digital media - born analog 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • stereograph 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • African Americans 3 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Mexicans 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Chinese Americans 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1900s 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1930s 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1940s 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1960s 9 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1970s 5 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1980s 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1990s 9 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 2010s 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • California 29 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • United States 29 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • San Francisco 8 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Los Angeles 6 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Hollywood 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Haight-Ashbury 3 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Golden Gate Park 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • North and Central America 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Castroville 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Compton 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Photography 29 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Work and Industry: Photographic History 27 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Lisa Law 8 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Music & Musical Instruments 3 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Popular Entertainment 3 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Agriculture 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Archives Center: Archives 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Government, Politics, and Reform 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Leonard Nadel 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Lisa Law 8 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Women 6 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Men 5 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Music 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Musical instruments 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Actors and actresses 3 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Amusements 3 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Politics 3 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Agriculture 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Not determined 29 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Usage conditions apply 3 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus

Filter Settings

Included:

  • Remove Topic: Photography close

Mt. Shasta, California

Serena and Venus

Black Flag, Los Angeles, CA, 1980

Braceros in Pepper Field

Allen Ginsberg dancing to the Grateful Dead at a gathering of the Tribes for a "Human Be-In," Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, January 14, 1967.

Gathering at the Golden Gate Park, Panhandle, Haight Ashbury, San Francisco, CA, 1967

Carrie Fisher

Haight Ashbury, Golden Gate Park Panhandle during a typical weekend musical gathering. San Francisco, CA, 1967

Rock Groups San Francisco, 1967

Yogi Bhajhan sashime-yoga practice. Hollywood, CA. 1970

Kathleen Cleaver addresses the congregation of the Unitarian Church, San Rafael, California, #120

Ellis Hardware, Oakland, CA

Anti-Vietnam March. San Francisco, CA. 1967

Hollywood Hardware, Sacramento, CA

Diane Keaton

Construction engineer Maurice J. Shannon looks for a job on Sunset Boulevard

Footprints and Autographs of the Stars, Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, Cal.

Hollywood Bowl Entrance, Hollywood, Cal.

Burl Growth of California Redwood

Jamie Lee Curtis

So. Calif. Edison Plant, Long Beach, Calif.

Entrance to Castroville, California

Haight Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, Panhandle, San Francisco, CA, 1967

Haight-Ashbury, life on the street. San Francisco, CA, 1967.

San Francisco trolley car

San Francisco Bay Bridge

Telegraph Hill, San Francisco

Cable Cars on Fillmore St. Hill, San Francisco

Anti-Vietnam March. San Francisco, CA. 1967

San Francisco China Town gate

San Francisco Peace March

Night View from Mt. Hollywood

arrow-up Back to top
Home
  • Facebook facebook
  • Instagram instagram
  • LinkedIn linkedin
  • YouTube youtube

  • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
  • Shop Online
  • Job Opportunities
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use