The Learning Lab is a dynamic way to access the Smithsonian’s vast collections. It also includes pre-packaged collections that include lessons, activities, and recommended resources made by Smithsonian museum educators as well as thousands of classroom teachers across the country.
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Follow That Bird! is a science and technology unit on tracking birds from the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. The unit includes lesson plans for teachers, as well as bird profiles, tracking device readings, live bird-tracking data, and bird-tracking maps for students.
Look! Up in the sky! »
Family and community members are key sources of history, culture, and tradition. This booklet presents some guidelines Smithsonian folklorists have developed over the years for collecting folklife and oral history. It features a general guide to conducting an interview, as well as a sample list of questions that may be adapted to your own needs and circumstances.
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Smithsonian's History Explorer offers hundreds of free, innovative online resources for teaching and learning American history. The site is designed for use by K-12 teachers and students, afterschool program providers, families, and individuals interested in lifelong learning.
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Free online courses from the Smithsonian through edX, an online learning destination.
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The Smithsonian Libraries has been scanning books and making them available online since 1997 but it wasn't until 2007, when we began digitizing for the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), that we transitioned to "mass" scanning. Since then, we have digitized over 25,000 items containing nearly 10 million pages for the BHL from our collections in zoology, botany, agriculture, paleozoology and paleobotany, along with some history, anthropology, horticulture and geology titles.
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Education is at the core of our mission – the increase and diffusion of knowledge – from informal education for students to lesson plans and professional development for teachers. A wealth of resources and digital tools support inquiry-based learning and active engagement to spark creativity and curiosity.
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Open Access truly makes the Smithsonian your Smithsonian. The initiative releases Smithsonian images, sound recordings, 3D models and more to the public by giving items a CC0 designation – meaning they are in the public domain and free of copyright restrictions. Download, share, and reuse Open Access assets from every Smithsonian museum, research center, library and the National Zoo, from portraits of historic Americans to 3D scans of dinosaur skeletons.
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Did you know you can explore the entire National Museum of Natural History from the comfort of home? Explore entire exhibitions like the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils – Deep Time, the Ocean Hall and even the Butterfly Pavilion in incredible detail, down to reading every sign!
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How to use this tour »
In its 39 Earth-orbital missions, Space Shuttle Discovery carried 184 men and women, traveled almost 150 million miles and spent a total of 365 days in space. Take an immersive tour of the shuttle, including narration from the Smithsonian podcast AirSpace!
Lift off! »
The Peacock Room has captivated visitors at the Freer Gallery of Art since its opening in 1923. Originally designed by artist James McNeill Whistler to showcase a Chinese blue-and-white porcelain collection, the room marries its avian motif with a striking use of color inspired by the arts of East Asia. Take a virtual step inside and experience this immersive work of art, explore the controversy around its creation, and trace the room’s travels from London to Detroit to Washington, DC.
Step inside »
The Smithsonian Castle, the institution's oldest building, first opened to the public in 1849! While the Castle is currently closed for renovations, you can still explore this iconic building with a virtual tour that includes spaces like the Castle Commons, which features objects from every Smithsonian museum, the crypt of founder James Smithson, and the Castle Library.
Enter the Castle »
How to use this tour »
The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute cares for thousands of animals every day as part of our mission to save species. And thanks to webcams streaming live 24/7, you can check in on our adorable residents whenever you'd like! From furry to scaly, discover fascinating species and get your daily cuteness fix by watching the latest baby animal additions grow and play.
Tune in »
Smithsonian Gardens
You don’t need to travel anywhere to see the famous cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. See photos of the trees in full bloom around the National Mall including close-ups of the flowers and learn about the 6 different species of cherry blossoms in the Smithsonian Gardens.
Stop and smell the cherries »
National Portrait Gallery
Did you know the National Portrait Gallery has the nation’s only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House — and that you can see them all from home? Learn the story behind every portrait, including how the artist was selected, along with references, themes and stories within every painting.
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National Museum of the American Indian
Americans highlights the ways in which American Indians have been part of the nation’s identity since before the country began. Pervasive, powerful, at times demeaning, the images, names, and stories reveal the deep connection between Americans and American Indians as well as how Indians have been embedded in unexpected ways in the history, pop culture, and identity of the United States.
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National Museum of African Art
Nearly fifty years after the release of the feminist anthem “I Am Woman,” women still find their numbers underrepresented in politics, business, and museum collections. While this exhibition draws its name from the 1970s song, it highlights a more contemporary feminism that is not based on any single narrative of womanhood, but explores the vital contributions of women to numerous issues including the environment, identity, politics, race, sexuality, social activism, faith, and more.
See I am . . . »
National Museum of African American History and Culture
This Google Cultural Institute (GCI) and NMAAHC online exhibition honors Lois K. Alexander-Lane and designer, Peter Davy. Lane's life-long efforts to document and preserve the contributions of black people to the world of fashion were and continue to be a monumental achievement. Founded by Lane in 1979, the Black Fashion Museum collected and exhibited the creations of numerous designers of color, including Caribbean designer Peter Davy.
Take a look »
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
During his twenty-year career Willi Smith (1948–1987) united fashion and American culture, marrying affordable, adaptable basics with avant-garde performance, film, art, and design. At the time of his sudden death from AIDS-related illness, Smith was considered to be the most commercially successful Black American designer of the 20th century and a pioneer of “street couture” — fashion inspired by the creativity of people from the cities to the suburbs that captured the egalitarian spirit of the age.
View the archive »
National Postal Museum
A dedicated public servant, Lincoln’s first civil service position began at the age of twenty-four as the postmaster of the New Salem, Illinois post office. With his inauguration on March 4, 1861, as the 16th president of the United States, Lincoln became the only president to have previously served as a town postmaster.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture
Since the opening of the museum, the number one question people ask us is how to talk about race. Every year we've refined our signature program, "Let's Talk! Teaching Race in the Classroom,"" and now we want to share what we've learned. Talking about race, although hard, is necessary. We are here to provide tools and guidance to empower your journey and inspire conversation.
Learn more »
National Museum of American History
What happens when a people decide to govern themselves? America’s national treasures come to life in this compelling exhibition that examines the bold experiment to create a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” This exhibit explores the history of citizen participation, debate, and compromise from the nation’s formation to today.
Take the leap »
Asian Pacific American Center
Poems, meditations, films, and other cultural nutrients for times like this. Curated with love by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.
Open your package »
More than 154 million treasures fill the Smithsonian’s vaults, but where public view ends, Sidedoor begins. With the help of biologists, artists, historians, archaeologists, zookeepers, and astrophysicists, host Lizzie Peabody sneaks listeners through Smithsonian’s side door to search for stories that can’t be found anywhere else.
Listen now »
The National Air and Space Museum contains the largest and most significant collection of air- and spacecraft in the world. Join Emily, Matt, and Nick as they demystify one of the world’s most visited museums and explore why people are so fascinated with stories of exploration, innovation, and discovery.
Grab your earbuds »
Art, biography, history and identity collide in this podcast from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Join Director Kim Sajet as she chats with artists, historians, and thought leaders about the big and small ways that portraits shape our world.
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Head over to our Virtual Visitor Center to find everything you need to make the most of your time with us including hours and locations, visitor guidelines, timed passes and tickets, current exhibitions, dining and shopping destinations, accessibility information, and much more!
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