Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Electric Fishes Demonstration Lab

This multisensory lab is home to a 5-foot-long electric eel, capable of generating up to 800 volts of electricity.

October 6, 2017 – Moved to part of Amazonia

Powers of Ten Theater

Be amazed by the Charles Eames film Powers of Ten presenting a mythical journey into space increasing one's distance from Earth 10 times every 10 seconds, and a similar journey returning into the human body at the same rate of speed.

October 15, 1981 – Closed

Air and Space Museum

The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection Highlights

On view are objects from this comprehensive 525-piece collection of African art representing 20 African countries and 75 peoples and covers 5 centuries of African art.

May 18, 2009 – Closed

African Art Museum

Lunar Exploration Vehicles

This exhibition gallery highlights NASA lunar surface exploration.

July 1, 1976 – 2016

Air and Space Museum

Satellites (and Sounding Rockets)

Explore satellites and sounding rockets used for research, exploration, and service to society in this exhibit.

July 1, 1976 – 1985

Air and Space Museum

Balloons and Airships

Follow the history of lighter-than-air flight.

July 1, 1976 – 1990

Air and Space Museum

GPS: A New Constellation

View an exhibition that examines the history, development, and current applications of the Global Positioning System (GPS).

October 17, 1998 – Closed

Air and Space Museum

Modern Carrier Aviation: Seapower in a Changing World

Examine text, charts, photographs, artifacts and learn about the technological changes affecting the way navies operate, both from a historical standpoint and by how they have influenced war at sea.

April 27, 1990 – Closed

Air and Space Museum

Before Nollywood...The Ideal Photo Studio

This exhibition celebrates the photography of Solomon Osagie Alonge and honors the work of African studio photographers.

September 27, 2022 – TBA

African Art Museum

Benefits from Flight

Explore the many roles that air and space flight have played in the 7 decades since Kitty Hawk and the social consequences of air and space technology.

July 1, 1976 – 1982

Air and Space Museum

Calling All Stars

View 7 aluminum paintings by contemporary artist Andreas Nottebahm exhibited in conjunction with the Albert Einstein Planetarium show Calling All Stars.

March 10, 1989 – Closed

Air and Space Museum

African Mosaic: 50th Anniversary Room

Originally housed in a Capitol Hill town house once owned by Frederick Douglass, the museum became part of the Smithsonian Institution in 1979 by an act of Congress and was renamed the National Museum of African Art.

July 16, 2014 – Indefinitely

African Art Museum

Bradley and Hubbard: Masters of Metal Work

View selected decorative metal objects from the Smithsonian Institution Castle Collection that trace the history of the Bradley and Hubbard Manufacturing Company from its start in 1852 to 1940.

November 5, 2010 – mid-May 2012

Smithsonian Castle

Everyday Life in the American Past

Several re-created interior settings, arranged chronologically, document the daily life of Americans and various home-building methods from the late 1600s to approximately 1915.

January 23, 1964 – Closed

American History Museum

Flying for Fun

Enjoyment of flight can come in many forms, even without a pilot's license, as the objects in this exhibition illustrate.

June 30, 1978 – Closed

Air and Space Museum

Former First Lady, Michelle Obama by Artist Amy Sherald

View the commissioned portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama.

February 13, 2018 – Closed

Portrait Gallery

Flight Technology

Learn how and why airplanes fly in this gallery designed for children.

July 1, 1976 – 1988

Air and Space Museum

Modern Turbine Engines

Investigate the CFM International CFM56-2 turbofan and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW 123 turboprop engines, representative of engines developed in the 1970s and 1980s and used today to power many medium- and short-range transport aircraft.

September 24, 1990 – Closed

Air and Space Museum

Werner von Braun

View photographs, models, and awards received by von Braun, a replica of the tape recorder that returned to earth from Explorer III, and animation art from a 1950 Disney film in an exhibit marking the 20th anniversary of the launch of Explorer I.

January 1978 – Closed

Air and Space Museum

Critical Distance

Critical Distance is a free, augmented-reality experience emphasizing the intrinsic connection between people, orcas, and the ocean. The experience immerses visitors in a holographic orca pod and allows them to witness this endangered species’ daily obstacles.

September 29, 2021 – Summer 2022

Natural History Museum

Aircraft Models

Visit a selection of some 50 finely crafted military and civilian aircraft models of different scale, representing aircraft technology since the early 20th century.

July 29, 1982 – Late 1998

Air and Space Museum

Paintings by Rowland Emett

See two paintings by Rowland Emett that depict two of his whimsical sculptures: Pussiewillow II and MAUD.

November 1, 1980 – 1981

Air and Space Museum

The S.S. (Space Ship) Pussiewillow II

Enjoy a whimsical machine by inventor-sculptor Rowland Emett, who is known worldwide for his intricate machines that whirr, spin, flash, sway, and quiver, going nowhere, doing nothing, poking fun at technology.

March 1, 1980 – 1990

Air and Space Museum

General Aviation

Examine private, non-commercial airline and non-military flight used to transport people, products, and services in the United States.

July 1, 1976 – 1983

Air and Space Museum

Grover Loening

See photographs, trophies, medals, and plane models that tell the story of aircraft designer Grover Loening, the first person in the U.S. to receive a degree in aeronautical engineering.

April 30, 1978 – Closed

Air and Space Museum