Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Color in a New Light

Journeying through the collections of the Smithsonian Libraries—from chemistry to catalogs, from colorblind tests to couture—we might see color in a new light.

January 23, 2016 – May 15, 2017

Natural History Museum

Primordial Landscapes: Iceland Revealed

Photographer Feodor Pitcairn and poet Ari Trausti Guðmundsson reveal a land of fire, ice, hardy life, and natural beauty. Experience the remote beauty of Iceland, a land sculpted by the elements and forged by active geologic activity.

July 2, 2015 – April 3, 2017

Natural History Museum

Nature's Best Photography: Windland Smith Rice International Awards Presents: The Best of the Best

Enjoy 20 years of nature's finest moments in the "Best of the Best" photo exhibition. This collection brings dramatic landscapes, exciting wildlife behavior, and surprising glimpses of Earth's icy peaks to mysterious ocean depths.

October 24, 2015 – August 14, 2016

Natural History Museum

National Geographic Into Africa: The Photography of Frans Lanting

Take a personal journey into the wonders of wild Africa as seen through the lens of National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting.

June 4, 2015 – July 31, 2016

Natural History Museum

Wilderness Forever: 50 Years of Protecting America's Wild Places

See America as you've never seen it—wild, untouched, and free.

September 3, 2014 – June 13, 2016

Natural History Museum

Fragile Beauty: The Art & Science of Sea Butterflies

Through larger-than-life sculptures, learn how some of the smallest creatures in the ocean—ocean pteropods (“sea butterflies”)—are faring in the face of increasing ocean acidification.

September 17, 2013 – May 31, 2016

Natural History Museum

Once There Were Billions: Vanished Birds of North America

The story of the last passenger pigeon and the disappearance of the great auk, Carolina parakeet, and heath hen and reveal the fragile connections between species and their environment.

June 24, 2014 – January 3, 2016

Natural History Museum

Portraits of Planet Ocean: The Photography of Brian Skerry

Captivating images by photojournalist Brian Skerry reveal the mystery and beauty of the undersea world.

September 17, 2013 – October 4, 2015

Natural History Museum

Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation

Learn about the Indian American experience and their dynamic role in shaping American society.

February 27, 2014 – August 16, 2015

Natural History Museum

Orchids: Interlocking Science and Beauty

Thousands of live orchids and the opportunity to explore how new ideas, technologies, and inventions change the way we study, protect, and enjoy these beautiful plants.

January 24, 2015 – April 26, 2015

Natural History Museum

2013 Nature's Best Photography: Windland Smith Rice International Awards

Witness nature and wildlife through the eyes of some of the most talented amateur and professional photographers in the world.

October 24, 2014 – April 20, 2015

Natural History Museum

The Rex Room

See what it takes to put a T. rex on view while the museum processes and scans this huge skeleton, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

April 15, 2014 – October 20, 2014

Natural History Museum

Walk Among Dinosaurs! Augmented Reality Experience

Walk with Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and Troodon of the Late Cretaceous, through the use of augmented reality and motion tracking.

May 21, 2014 – September 2, 2014

Natural History Museum

Genome: Unlocking Life's Code

Explore the future of genomics and learn what makes you ... you: DNA.

June 14, 2013 – September 1, 2014

Natural History Museum

Unintended Journeys

Photographs and video reveal the effects of climate change and natural disasters on refugees from Bangladesh; East Africa; Haiti; Japan; and Louisiana, USA.

February 7, 2014 – August 13, 2014

Natural History Museum

Whales: From Bone to Book

Trace the process of Natural History from the discovery of a whale fossil on a beach to museum drawer to scientific illustration.

May 25, 2013 – June 8, 2014

Natural History Museum

Dinosaurs: Reptiles, Masters of Land

All of the old favorites are on view in the exhibition hall—Diplodocus, T. rex, and Triceratops—and more.

December 4, 1981 – April 27, 2014

Natural History Museum

Fossil Plants and Animals: The Conquest of Land

Focus on the earliest plants and animals that evolved the complex adaptations needed to live on land through this exhibition.

April 17, 1980 – April 27, 2014

Natural History Museum

Fossil Mammals: Mammals in the Limelight

This exhibition focuses on the spectacular evolution of mammals as the dominant class of vertebrates following the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago.

May 30, 1985 – April 27, 2014

Natural History Museum

Early Life: Earliest Traces of Life

An overview of the origin and early evolution of life is presented.

June 27, 1986 – April 27, 2014

Natural History Museum

2012 Nature's Best Photography: Windland Smith Rice International Awards

On view are winners in various categories from the 2012 Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards.

June 7, 2013 – March 3, 2014

Natural History Museum

Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake

This exhibition features archaeological discoveries that reveal the historic importance of Jamestown and its contribution to the American way of life.

February 7, 2009 – January 5, 2014

Natural History Museum

Life in the Ancient Seas

Fantastic marine fossils tell the story of evolution and extinction in the seas in three acts: the Paleozoic Era (540 to 250 million years ago), the Mesozoic Era (250 to 65 million years ago), and the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to today).

May 18, 1990 – October 21, 2013

Natural History Museum

The Evolving Universe

Full-color photographs capture the awe-inspiring beauty of the cosmos as seen through high-powered terrestrial and orbiting telescopes.

October 21, 2011 – July 9, 2013

Natural History Museum

When Time and Duty Permit: Collecting During World War II

Learn about the Smithsonian's contribution to the war effort in the Pacific during World War II and the contributions of American soldiers to the collections of the National Museum of Natural History.

July 14, 2012 – April 28, 2013

Natural History Museum