Smithsonian Associates

09/04/2026

What can Shakespeare’s sonnets tell us about love, heartbreak, ambition, desire, aging—and the complicated business of being human?

Join on Sept. 10 for a program with Shakespeare scholar Robert N. Watson, featuring close readings of a dozen poems that reveal just how timeless—and surprising—Shakespeare can be.

Shakespeare’s sonnets go deeply—with wisdom, sympathy, rage, and sly humor—into the heart of countless human struggles and joys, as readers have kept discovering for more than 400 years. Through close readings of a dozen poems, Robert N. Watson, a noted Shakespearian scholar, autho...

09/03/2026

Just a few weeks until we’re off to St. Louis!

Step into the heart of America on this immersive 4-day tour, where history, culture, and innovation come together along the Mississippi River. Guided by Tami Goldman of the The State Historical Society of Missouri, you'll explore notable sites and local stories to discover how St. Louis became both gateway to the West and mirror of the American experience.

Along the way, enjoy exclusive behind-the-scenes access, private guided tours, distinctive local cuisine, and fascinating insights into one of the nation's most historically significant cities. View the itinerary: s.si.edu/StLouis

📸: Daniel Schwen / CC BY-SA 2.5

09/02/2026

🐨 Come for the koalas. Stay for the science. Join us next week for an online lecture with wildlife conservation biologist Fred Bercovitch. He'll explore the challenges facing koalas and how this iconic marsupial offers a compelling window into the evolutionary forces that shape animal behavior.

Few animals are as instantly recognizable as the koala, an enduring symbol of Australia’s unique wildlife. Yet behind this familiar image lies a species in decline, with populations now only a fraction of what they were before European colonization. Wildlife conservation biologist Fred Bercovi...

09/01/2026

Our September Program Guide is here!

Register now for inspiring lectures, seminars, performances, studio arts classes, and study tours: https://s.si.edu/September2026

The elegant silver teapot on the cover captures the aesthetics, traditions, and craftsmanship of a particular moment in 19th century American history. Learn more in “250 Years of American Silversmithing” on page 45.

Explore all Our Shared Future 250th programs here: smithsonianassociates.org/250

08/28/2026

🎤 Calling all singers! If you love memorable music from the stage and screen, now's the perfect time to join the Smithsonian Chorus. 🎶

This fall, sing beloved hits by Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more.

View the full song selection and register: https://s.si.edu/LegendsofSong

08/27/2026

What causes these colorful curtains of light and where can you see them? Join us on Monday, Aug. 31 for a journey into the science behind nature’s most spectacular light show. Discover the magic of auroras. ✨

Humans have watched displays of the Northern Lights in awe for centuries. Some cultures thought these colorful curtains of light arose as sparks created by the tail of an Arctic fox or from epic battles in the night sky. Sky & Telescope senior editor J. Kelly Beatty explores the fanciful explana...

08/25/2026

Discover the fascinating history of how we learned to fly! ✈Curators and historians from the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution will trace the history of flight from humanity’s earliest aspirations for aerial transit, to 12 breathtaking seconds at Kitty Hawk, to the advances that came with global combat, to how jet engines and digital technology are opening a new future for aviation.

📅 Thursdays, September 3–24

�Explore the full series in our August program guide:

Smithsonian Associates monthly program guide. Smithsonian Associates is the largest museum-based education program in the world, offering more than 1,000 individual programs each year to excite the le

08/24/2026

Journey to the edge of the Sahara without leaving your desk during our lunchtime lecture this week exploring the fascinating world of Roman North Africa! 🌍

Archaeologist and historian Darius Arya will explore how the region fed Rome, connected continents, and fused African, Punic, Greek, and Roman worlds into one of the empire’s most successful provinces.

Roman North Africa was a central force in the empire. From Morocco to Libya, Rome built on Phoenician, Punic, Numidian, and Libyan foundations. In Algeria, Timgad shows Rome’s strict military planning along the desert frontier. Tunisia’s Carthage became a major Roman capital and agricult...

08/21/2026

🎶 50 Seasons. 400+ Years of Music. One extraordinary series. Celebrate 50 seasons of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society! ✨

From the music of the early 1600s to the sounds of the 21st century, the 2026–2027 season brings acclaimed masterpieces and undeservedly obscure gems by frequently overlooked composers—all performed on some of the world’s most treasured instruments.

The series begins mid-September in the intimate Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music at the National Museum of American History.

Smithsonian Associates has been educating and entertaining audiences for more than 60 Years.

08/20/2026

Join us at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian for a free performance and conversation exploring the spiritual power of ringing. 🔔

As the third program in a dynamic 5-part series on sound and music in American religious traditions, this event explores how bells, chimes, and jingles can connect us to the divine—and even to heal—as we celebrate faith in harmony.

Register: s.si.edu/Ringing