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NEWS |
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Happy Holidays: Decorated
Trees
Enjoy the Museum’s annual display of holiday
décor. The Museum presents its year-end tradition of live and
artificial holiday trees, poinsettias, Della Robbia fruit
plaques, and large fresh wreaths decorated with ornaments,
lights, and crafts. On display Saturday, December 3–Monday,
January 2, 2006 on the first and second floors. Note: The
Museum is closed on December 25. The Museum is open 10 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. daily all other days of the year.
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Legendary
Coins & Currency
Spectacular examples from the
Museum's National Numismatic Collection are exhibited, with
the stories that made them famous, in this new exhibition
opening Dec. 8 in the Smithsonian Castle Building. Highlights
include the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, the 1877 U.S. $50 "Half
Union" patterns, and the 1849 Double Eagle.
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Customize
Your Newsletter
Did you know? The newsletter can be
customized so that you receive only the information that
interests you most--whether it's news of upcoming or closing
exhibitions, announcements about public events, resources for
educators, or activities for kids and families. Click
here to customize your monthly newsletter.
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EVENTS |
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1905:
Einstein's Miraculous Year
Dr. John Stachel will
speak on Albert Einstein and his 1905 publication of five
seminal papers that forever altered the study of physics. His
talk will recount the events in Einstein’s personal life that
led to a miraculous moment in scientific history. This lecture
is the 15th in the annual series presented by the Dibner
Library of the History of Science and Technology at the
Museum. The lecture will be followed by a public
reception.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005, 5:00 p.m.-7:00
p.m.
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Concerts
by Smithsonian Chamber Music Society
Enjoy the
magnificent sounds of period music played on original
instruments! This month’s concerts by the Axelrod String
Quartet (December 3 and 4, in the Grand Salon, Renwick
Gallery) and the Chamber Music members (December 11, Hall of
Musical Instruments) feature music by Haydn, Bartók, Dvorák,
Johannes Brahms, and Robert Schumann. Visit the Resident
Associates Web site or call 202-357-3030 for
tickets.
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Author
Appearance by Peter Barnes
Peter Barnes signs four
of his most popular books for children that focus on political
figures in Washington, D.C.: Woodrow, the White House
Mouse; Marshall the Courthouse Mouse; Woodrow
for President; and Washington, DC, ABCs. Woodrow
the White House Mouse makes a special guest
appearance!
Sunday, December 11 and Saturday, December 17,
2005, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
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 See all events and programs
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EXHIBITIONS |
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The
1927 Mississippi River Flood
In the spring of 1927,
heavy rains swelled an already abnormally high Mississippi
River, resulting in 42 major breaks in levees in seven states
and the flooding of 16.5 million acres. In a new display, the
Museum looks at this natural disaster through objects and
images, including a 78-rpm recording of a song about the flood
and a lantern used by workers filling sandbags at night. Opens
Friday, Dec. 18.
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Bon
Appetit! Julia Child’s Kitchen at the
Smithsonian
During holiday seasons throughout the
world, the kitchen is the center of food and memories shared
between friends and family. This exhibition gives visitors a
peek into the working kitchen of one of America's best-known
cooks and explores how her influence as an author and host of
many television cooking series changed the way America cooks
and eats. Visit her kitchen online or come to the Museum and
see Child's actual kitchen, including the cabinets,
appliances, gadgets, cookbooks, kitchen table, and hundreds of
utensils.
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See all exhibitions
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ON THE WEB |
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New
Web site: Historical Navigation Instruments
This
new Web tool illustrates the various ways that people have
determined the location, direction, and speed of their ships
at sea and in the air. The Web site allows researchers and
transportation enthusiasts to discover individual navigational
instruments through browsing the collection by maker or by
instrument type, or by viewing a complete index.
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Featured
Object: The Laser-Capture Microscope
The
laser-capture microscope is a diagnostic tool that represents
a major breakthrough for identifying cancer in its early
stages. Curator Terry Sharrer, who collected the object for
the Museum, writes, “Because of the inability of pathologists
to diagnose ovarian cancer in its early stages, thousands of
women have died, including my mother in 1989.” In this
discussion of the microscope, Sharrer’s personal memoir
reveals the technical object through the eyes of a curator,
historian, and loved one of a cancer victim.
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FOR
EDUCATORS |
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Last
Chance to Participate in the "On the Water" Educator
Survey
The Museum is developing a new exhibition to
replace the existing Hall of American Maritime Enterprise. As
part of the development process, we are conducting a Web-based
survey of elementary, middle, and high school social studies
educators across the country. Its purpose is to ensure that
the exhibition’s associated education resources meet the needs
of classroom teachers. Complete
the survey.
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Louis
Armstrong Education Kit
Explore the life of Louis
Armstrong and his contribution to the development of jazz with
this kit for grades 5-11. It includes time lines of Louis
Armstrong's life, lesson plans, an accompanying compact disc
for guided listening exercises, and a discography,
filmography, and selected bibliography. The lesson plans
incorporate the National Standards in Arts Education and U.S.
History. Download
the guide in PDF format or request a copy. You can also
check out cool jazz tunes and stories about jazz musicians in
"Smithsonian
Jazz Class."
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Educators page
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FOR KIDS & FAMILIES |
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Hands-on
Activity: Lift Every Voice
Explore the history of
slavery in the Carolina Low Country in a distinctive way.
Experts in "Communities in a Changing Nation" answer your
questions and invite you to examine a sweetgrass basket, learn
how to harvest rice, or speak a phrase in the Gullah language.
Thursday–Saturday, Dec. 1-3, 1-3 p.m. and 3:30-5
p.m.
Wednesday-Saturday, Dec. 7-10, 1-3 p.m. and 3:30-5
p.m.
Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 14-16, 1-3 p.m. and 3:30-5
p.m.
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America
on the Move
Are you traveling somewhere for the
holidays? How will you get there? In the exhibition "America
on the Move" you can learn how transportation shaped our
lives, landscapes, culture, and communities. See the 1903
Winton that was the first car to be driven all the way across
the country. Now that's a road trip! Check out the exhibition
at
the Museum or on
the Web.
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Hands
On Science Center
The Hands On Science Center
offers visitors a deep and practical understanding of the role
science plays in American history and daily life. The Center
is open to visitors from ages 5 to adult (children 5 through
12 must be accompanied by an adult).
Open Monday, Dec. 26
through Saturday, Dec. 31, noon-3 p.m. Other days in December:
Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 10
a.m.-5 p.m. Closed: Saturday, Dec. 24; Sunday, Dec. 25;
Sunday, Jan. 1, and Monday, Jan. 2.
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Kids page
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HOLIDAY SHOPPING |
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Shop online for holiday greeting
cards, toys, jewelry, and more at SmithsonianStore.com.
Members always save 10% at the Smithsonian store. Become
a member now.
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Copyright ©
National Museum of American History. All Rights
Reserved.
14th Street and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington
DC 20560
Brent D. Glass, director
Map
& Directions
Admission to the National Museum of
American History is FREE.
CONTACT US
General
Smithsonian Visitor Information: 202-633-1000
or see our Contact
List
Frequently
Asked Questions
Media inquiries: 202-633-3129 or
visit our Press
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