As of Monday morning, Nov. 23, the National Museum of American History will be closed to the public. We are taking this step as a public health precaution for the safety of our visitors and staff, due to regional and national trends related to COVID-19.
This closing impacts the eight Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo in the Washington, D.C. region that had reopened to the public.
Please continue to check our website for updated information. The museum continues to offer its exhibitions, learning resources and public programming virtually.
STORIES OF 2020
Stories of 2020: Digital Storytelling Platform to Launch
Dec. 4
Access at https://americanhistory.si.edu/stories-2020-preview
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is launching a digital storytelling initiative, Stories of 2020, on Dec. 4 inviting the public to contribute their own tales to this national collecting project of navigating life at a time when multiple crises have unfolded. The interactive platform can be accessed at https://americanhistory.si.edu/stories-2020-preview.
The National Museum of American History will also be participating in a one-day pan-institutional project “24 Hours in a Time of Change” on Dec. 11 beginning at 8 a.m.
VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
Colloquium Series
How Are Museums and Governments Collecting Around COVID-19?
Dec. 1; 4 p.m.
Free registration: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JzktCpt8ROqiFWsGrmI83Q
Join curators and historians for a series of panels offering perspectives on the current pandemic. Panelists will virtually share objects from the past using them as a springboard to a discussion of how to better understand the present. Audience questions are encouraged.
24 Hours: “Curating Crises”
Dec. 11; 4-5 p.m.
Free
A live Zoom program will explore how the National Museum of American History is collecting and remembering 2020. How can the museum effectively, responsibly, and ethically document this year of pandemic, social justice movements, and economic and political upheaval? Through a series of three “spotlight sessions” across the hour, NMAH curators will reflect on the choices they face and why they matter; audiences will be invited to share their own perspectives. Check americanhistory.si.edu for program registration information.
Colloquium Series
Looking Good on that Zoom Call: Cosmetics, Personal Care, Clothing, and Decoration of Space
Dec. 15; 4 p.m.
Free registration: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JzktCpt8ROqiFWsGrmI83Q
Join curators and historians for a series of panels offering perspectives on the current pandemic. Panelists will virtually share objects from the past using them as a springboard to a lively discussion of how to better understand the present. Audience questions are encouraged.
PERFORMANCES
"Jazz and Spirituality: From Ellington, to John Coltrane and Beyond"
Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra
Dec. 21
Free to Smithsonian Associates members. For membership information, go to https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/support-us/levels
Throughout its existence, jazz has been closely entwined with spirituality, divinity, and religion. The roots of the music itself are planted firmly in the religions of its creators. In 2016, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, through a partnership with the National Museum of America's Religion Initiative, delved into the intersection between jazz and spirituality. This concert featured music from Duke Ellington's Third Sacred Concert "My Love," Mary Lou Williams' "Black Crist of Andes," John Coltrane's "Resolution" and more. This program utilizes a pre-recorded concert from December 9, 2016 recorded at the museum.
For more information on Smithsonian Jazz, visit: https://americanhistory.si.edu/smithsonian-jazz
ABOUT THE MUSEUM
Through incomparable collections, rigorous research, and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum, located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th Streets, is closed as of Nov. 23.