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Plan Your Visit
View guides for the Smithsonian's 17 free Washington, D.C.–area museums and zoo—plus two museums in NYC. Admission is free at all locations except Cooper Hewitt in NYC. Find out what's on!
Featured
Explore collections, stories, and research from across the Smithsonian.
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Smithsonian Collection Spotlight
Happy New Year!
How do you like to bring in the New Year? Looking back at New Years past. -
Smithsonian Story
The Top Smithsonian Science Stories of 2025
The Smithsonian advanced our knowledge of the universe on scales big and small in 2025.
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Smithsonian Commemoration
Our Shared Future: 250
Explore events and exhibitions honoring America’s 250th that will take place in 2025 and 2026 across the Smithsonian. -
National Museum of American History
Y2K Countdown
How would computer programs interpret “00” when the date changed to the year 2000? -
National Museum of American History
Edison's New Year's Eve Lamp
Thomas Edison opened a new era when he lit up his Menlo Park laboratory for New Year’s Eve in 1879. -
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Happy Kwanzaa
Created in 1966, Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community, and culture. -
Smithsonian Story
How Do You Photograph a Single Snowflake?
More than 100 years ago, Wilson A. Bentley was the first person to capture an individual snowflake.
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Smithsonian Story
Is Your Dog a Little Wolfy?
Dogs and wolves living today derive from a shared ancient wolf population that lived alongside woolly mammoths.
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Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Foodways of Holidays
Folklife Magazine shares winter holiday recipes that are dear to their families and communities. -
Smithsonian Open Access
Digital Backgrounds
Put yourself in the scene! Download high-res images to use as your video meeting or desktop background. -
Around the Smithsonian
Mysteries of the Universe
Starting with solar studies in 1890, the Smithsonian has been exploring questions spanning from our atmosphere to deep space. -
Smithsonian Collection Spotlight
Holiday Cards
Open up these seasonal greetings that span more than a century.
Sidedoor Podcast
The Smithsonian's flagship podcast sneaks you through the side door to learn the stories you won't find anywhere else.
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Sidedoor Podcast
A Very Merry Sidedoor
Sidedoor tracks down the origins of some puzzling Christmastime traditions.
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Sidedoor Podcast
Auld Lang What?
Learn what "auld lang syne” really means and how it's connected to Charlie Chaplin.
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Sidedoor Podcast
The Curse of the Hope Diamond
We track the lore of this notorious gem through the centuries.
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Sidedoor Podcast
The 'Gentle Anarchy' of the Muppets
Conserving the history of Jim Henson's Muppets.
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