Washington DC is a dynamic place with new activities and adventures around every corner. Some mistake it as being boring and mundane, but you should know that it’s completely the opposite. There’s always something new if you know where to look.
When it comes to the museums, most collections are so large that it is impossible to ever have everything out on display. Instead, the museums regularly rotate objects within permanent exhibits and create short-term special exhibits that highlight objects from their vaults. With around 157 million items in its collection, the Smithsonian has a lot of decisions to make about what to display each year.
What new exhibits are opening at the Smithsonian museums
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
New Exhibits Coming Spring 2025
For the last few years the Air and Space Museum has been undergoing a series of renovations. The first group of new exhibits opened in 2022. This spring, they are excited to present three new ones to museum visitors.
Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight
This exhibit explores the breakthroughs made in aviation during the 1920's and 30's. While the Spirit of St Louis has been on display, hanging high over the museum for years, it will be moved into the new exhibit this spring. The famous plane which Charles Linbergh flew solo across the Atlantic in 1927 will be even closer to visitors in the new gallery. But it won’t be alone! The art deco themed space will feature fan favorites including Amelia Earhart’s bright red Vega.
Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall
Here you will see the Bell X-1, the first aircraft to break the sound barrier. You'll also find Friendship 7, the NASA astronaut John Glenn’s spacecraft in which he became the first American to orbit the Earth. You’ll even see the first private craft to succeed in human spaceflight, a precursor to our approach to space today.
Climate Change: Holt Innovations Gallery
In the new, Climate Change: Holt Innovations Gallery, a rotating group of engines, balloons and aircrafts will display the adaptations of aviation to the environment. Among the highlights of the collection are an Aeronca C-2 from 1929 which is a lightweight and small plane marketed to individuals to bring air travel to the common man.
Smithsonian American History Museum
Renovations Coming February 2025
Entertainment Nation
Entertainment Nation, though not a new exhibit, frequently rotates its collection. This section of The Smithsonian of American History Museum, focusing solely on popular culture throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, is an underrated spot within the museum. It traces the American experience through stage, film, television, radio, and sports. It remembers the names, faces, and things that generations of Americans can recognize with just one look - the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, everyone’s favorite Star Wars droids - R2-D2 and C-3PO - and even Archie Bunker’s chair from All in the Family.
In fact, there is so much good stuff in the Smithsonian’s American History museum entertainment collection that they periodically rotate exhibits, and an exciting new rotation is coming to the museum in February 2025 - here are some highlights of what is coming to the floor.
Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie - Though we are unfortunately losing Jim Henson’s famous Kermit and Miss Piggy, everyone’s favorite orange and yellow best friends are taking their place. They’ll also be joined by the famous Fozzy Bear, and a lesser known puppet called Wilkins, who at one point was used to advertise a local Washington D.C. coffee company (also called Wilkins).
Indiana Jones’ Leather Jacket and Whip - Indy fans rejoice! You'll see the brown leather jacket that was used by Harrison Ford for the last film in Steven Spielberg’s famous trilogy, 1988’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The whip, on the other hand, was used for the movie that made the fictional archeologist a household name, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Bob Ross’s easel - Whether you love watching Bob Ross teach art or you want to paint a bunch of happy trees, be sure to be on the lookout for the optimistic painter’s easel, which includes a painting he finished for an episode of his show, The Joy of Painting, in 1983.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA All-Stars Jersey - If none of the other items are grabbing your attention, maybe the jersey from 19-time All-Star and 6-time league MVP basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be what you’re looking for. The second-highest scorer in NBA history, Jabbar wore this jersey in the last year of his decades-long career.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum or SAAM, is known for its dynamic collection of exhibitions. They also love to rotate that collection so travelers and locals alike always have something fresh and new to explore. In their Penn Quarter galleries at the old Patent Office, they will be hosting two special exhibitions this year.
Grandma Moses: A Good Day’s Work, Opening October 24
Anna Mary Robertson was born in 1860 and lived a traditional life as a wife and mother to 10 children. She enjoyed needlework and quilting and shared her creations with friends and family. Later in her life when arthritis prevented her from sewing, she began to paint at the urging of her friends. This exhibit will explore her body of work and the world in which she created them.
Nick Cave: Mammoths, Opening November 21
Nick Cave, a contemporary artist, will be installing his newest work at the museum. In this work, he has explored his relationship to nature using crafted pieces, video projection and even a beaded curtain used as a modern tapestry. Guests will have an opportunity to experience this work and consider their own relationship with the world around them.
National Portrait Gallery
From Shadow to Substance: Grand-Scale Portraits During Photography’s Formative Years, Opening June 20
The development of photography brought new opportunities for art, but also memory to people all over the world. Studios marketed 8.5” x 6.5” photos for families to own a lasting image of their loved ones. Changing photographic techniques evolved over time making these images increasingly more affordable. The Portrait Gallery will display their varied collection of these early photos including those of unknown men and women and some well-known figures such as Senators Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun.
Amy Sherald: American Sublime, Opening September 19
The artist, who created the well known portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama for the Portrait Gallery collection, will bring a survey of her work to this special exhibition. This traveling exhibition is organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and will have made a stop in New York at the Whitney Museum of American Art on its way to the nation’s Capital. It will be wonderful to have Michelle's portrait back at home and a rare treat to experience in the context of Sherald’s larger body of work.
How to Visit the Smithsonian Museums
The Smithsonian museums highlighted above are centrally located in the Washington DC area and offer free admission. The most challenging thing about the Smithsonian is how to decide what to see in the time you have to spend. While these new exhibits are very special, you wouldn’t want to miss iconic items such as the ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz or the Hope Diamond.
The best way to see the Smithsonian is with a tour guide who can help you see the highlights of each museum and those objects that are the most interesting to you. You can check out our Smithsonian Highlights Tour which covers the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of American History and the Air & Space museum all in three hours.
To dig in deeper, you might want to consider a tour of a specific museum that peaks your interest. With our Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum Tour you can spend two hours in the Old Patent Office enjoying a sampling of the permanent highlights and the new exhibits that we’ve mentioned. We also offer tours of other individual museums with more in depth information about what’s on display right now!
Comentários