Past Exhibitions
Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People
In 1999, the National Museum of Natural History opened a major exhibition to explore the ancient origin of the Ainu, their evolving relations with the Japanese, and the 20th century Ainu cultural rebirth.
The Allure of Pearls
Among the first gems known to early humans, our attraction to pearls is timeless. Twelve of the rarest pearls in the world were on public display together for the first time in The Allure of Pearls exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History, from March 18 through Sept. 5, 2005.
The Art of African Exploration
Two new exhibit cases offer a unique glimpse into African exploration as seen through the eyes of Westerners, and told through the experiences of artists, travelers and scientists who explored the continent in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Highlighting the imagery that emerged during that time, the display paints a spirited picture of African exploration. The public was enthralled by exciting adventure stories, unfamiliar landscapes, and the stark challenges of travel in unknown lands, while scientists discovered, observed and described a wealth of previously unknown species.
Atmosphere: Change is in the Air
An exciting exhibition that explored Earth's atmosphere - an invisible skin that surrounds Earth and makes it habitable. From Earth's early evolution to the planet's modern climate, Earth's atmosphere affects This web exhibit is based on the compelling temporary exhibit, Change is in the Air, produced by the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum and on display until November 2006. Includes flash interactives, videos, and educational materials.
Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely
This web site incorporates images and information from the Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely exhibition developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, which was on display at the Museum through November 2006.
Botanica Magnifica
Exhibit Case
Photographer Jonathan Singer captures the essence of plant form, color, and texture in his large-format images, enhancing the viewer’s appreciation of the complexity of the botanical world. Focusing on images from the Smithsonian’s living plant collections, the photographer donated the first set of this monumental work to the Smithsonian’s Department of Botany and the Smithsonian Libraries. Ground floor lobby (a single image in the SI Libraries exhibition case). The complete five-volume work is held in a research library behind the scenes. For further information and appointments to see the book, please call in advance: (202) 633-1184. Singer photograph of Wild ginger (Hedychium longicornutum)
Celebrating 100 Years at the National Museum of Natural History
Location: Second Floor
Exhibit: May 29, 2010 – March 20, 2011
The Natural History Building first opened its doors to the public on March 17, 1910. The Museum celebrates its 100th birthday with a special exhibition featuring archival and modern photographs highlighting many facets of this building-its people, collections, exhibitions, and outreach throughout the years. Photographs both old and new give snapshots of life and work at the Museum over the past 100 years.
Coastal America Ocean Art Contest
Location: Ground Floor
Exhibit: December 8, 2008 - March 29, 2009
To celebrate the opening of the Sant Ocean Hall, the Museum will be displaying the winners of the “Ocean Art Contest,” sponsored by Coastal America. The contest, conducted by Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers throughout the United States and in Mexico, drew hundreds of entries—paintings, drawings, photographs and collages—from kindergarteners through college students. Each original work of art was accompanied by an essay on one of seven essential principles of ocean literacy. Winners were selected based on the visual impact, communication of the principle, and artistic merit of their work.
Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilizations
Location: Second Floor, Hall 23
Exhibit: September 29, 2010 – May 1, 2011
Located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the island of Cyprus has been a crossroads of civilizations for over 11,000 years. Explore the history of Cyprus—a story of East meeting West, of discovery, struggle, loss, and achievement—through a rich collection of antiquities, most of which are traveling outside the country for the first time. Discover the ways in which the human endeavor has shaped and is shaped by the natural environment of this Mediterranean jewel.Limestone statuette of a male figure, 600–550 BC
Darwin's Legacy
Location: Ground Floor, Constitution Avenue Lobby Cases
Exhibit: September 10, 2009 – October 17, 2010
November 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the 1859 publication of Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking On the Origin of Species. His theory of evolution by natural selection grew out of his work as a naturalist aboard the H.M.S. Beagle on a five year journey around South America and the Galápagos Islands. Darwin’s theory soon found supporters at the Smithsonian, including Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and it continues to guide research at the National Museum of Natural History.
Deeper Than Light
Location: First Floor, Sant Ocean Hall, Ocean Focus Gallery
Exhibit: February 20 - May 23, 2010
Dive in and experience the world of the deep sea in this international traveling exhibition from the Bergen Museum, University of Bergen, Norway. In 2004, curiosity drove a team of scientists on the Norwegian research vessel G.O. Sars to study the vast, unexplored depths of the north Atlantic Ocean. What lives there? How do they survive? How do they interact? How can we protect them? This exhibition follows the scientists' journey into this relatively undiscovered world through art, images, models and multimedia.
Dig It! The Secrets of Soil
Location: Second Floor
Exhibit: Closing January 10, 2010
Visitors to the Museum will journey into the skin of the earth and explore the amazing world of soils in Dig It! The Secrets of Soil. Completely familiar yet largely unknown, soils help sustain virtually every form of life on Earth. Dig It! will transport visitors to the world of fungi, bacteria, worms, and countless other organisms. Visitors will discover the amazing connections between soils and everyday life and think about this hidden world in a whole new way.
Discovering Rastafari!
Exhibit: November 2, 2007 - November 16, 2011
Using artifacts, rare photographs, and ephemera to explore the origins and religious practices of the movement in Jamaica, this exhibition takes viewers beyond the popular Jamaican music known as reggae to the deeper roots of the Rastafari culture. Video footage featuring first-person testimony from male and female Rastafari of different ages, nationalities, and racial and class backgrounds speak to Rastafari of unity and to the spread of the movement across the Caribbean and beyond over the past three decades.
Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee & British Delegations
Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations presents vivid images of Cherokee and British society in the eighteenth century, as seen through the eyes of the British lieutenant and diarist Henry Timberlake and of three Cherokee leaders who accompanied Timberlake to England to meet King George III.
Ethnobotany in the American Southwest and Mexico
This exhibit illustrated the historical and cultural importance of plants to residents of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico over the past 100 years and the critical value of historic museum collections in preserving the ethnobotanical heritage of the local communities of these regions. Bilingual (Spanish/English).
Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants
Did you know that some ants grow their own food, just like farmers? Or that other ants build highways that can be seen from the air? Or that large ant colonies go to war with each other? Get a look at life from an ant’s point of view with large-format photographs of ants going about their daily business, a cast of an underground ant city, and a live ant colony.
Going to Sea
What compels us to go to sea? Some would say adventure, recreation, or even inspiration. But for many cultures, the ocean is a necessity—an essential resource that provides both jobs and food. Going to Sea, the debut exhibit in the Sant Ocean Hall's changing exhibit gallery, explores how and why people venture into the sea. The exhibit contrasts early ocean exploration and navigation techniques with the cutting edge modern science, and examines the connections between human culture and the sea including literature, art, and mythology.
Looking Both Ways: Heritage and Identity of the Alutiiq People
This traveling exhibition was produced by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository in Kodiak, Alaska. The participation of Alutiiq Elders, advisors, and communities was essential to its creation. Quyanásinaq to all who gave so generously of their time and knowledge.
Losing Paradise: Endangered Plants Here and Around the World
Explore the beauty and diversity of the world’s endangered plants through forty-five works of art by member artists of the American Society of Botanical Artists. Learn about the Museum’s efforts to help plant conservationists determine which plant species are threatened. Find out how botanical illustration supports the scientific work of the Museum’s Botany Department.
The Lost Amazon
Journey into the Colombian Amazon through the photographs and quotations of naturalist, Richard Evans Schultes. Schultes explored lands where no naturalists had ever been before. His photographs evoke an era when the tropical rainforests stood immense, and the peoples of the forest relied on plants for sustenance as well as medicinal and religious purposes.
Mexican Cycles: Festival Images by George O. Jackson de Llano.
Featuring 150 color photographs of the religious festivals of Indigenous communities from across Mexico, taken between 1990 and 2001 by the Texas-based photographer George O. Jackson de Llano. The exhibition provides an unparalleled view of the diversity of Indigenous Mexican festivals at the turn of the 21st century and of the complex interaction of Indigenous and European religious traditions out of which these festivals emerged.© George O. Jackson de Llano
Natures Best Photography Awards 2010
Location: Second Floor
Exhibit: April 16 – September 25, 2011
On view are winners from the 2010 Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards, including the Grand Prize, Conservation Photographer of the Year, Youth Photographer of the Year, and selected Highly Honored images. The annual awards honor the best amateur and professional nature photographers from around the world. These stunning portraits of plants, animals, and people celebrate the beauty of nature, while recognizing the importance of environmental stewardship.
Nature's Best Photography Show 2009
Location: Second Floor
Exhibit: November 12, 2009 - May 2, 2010
On view will be winners in 19 categories from the 2009 Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards, including the Grand Prize, Conservation Photographer of the Year, Youth Photographer of the Year, and selected Highly Honored images. The annual awards honor the best amateur and professional nature photographers from around the world
Nature's Best Photography 2008 Awards Exhibit
Location: Second Floor
Exhibit: November 8, 2008 – May 3, 2009
Wildlife, up close and personal! Meet rare endangered species, and see indigenous cultures living in some of the harshest climates on Earth. The Nature’s Best Photography 2008 Windland Smith Rice International Awards exhibit features 45 photographs that bring nature to life. These stunning portraits of plants, animals, and people celebrate the beauty of nature while recognizing the importance of environmental stewardship. (c) David Maitland
Nature's Best Photography: Windland Smith Rice International Awards
Sixty award-winning images from the annual Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards competition are displayed. Also featured are photos by the Conservation Photographer of the Year, Howard Ruby.
Nature’s Best: Experience Nature Through the Art of Photography
The images displayed in this exhibition represent selected winners from the 2006 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards and the National Wildlife Photography Awards competitions. Join us in celebrating this unique blend of artistic creativity, natural history, and leading photographic and print technology.
Ocean Views
The ocean is the very essence of life. All life depends on it, we enjoy it, yet we often understand little about this vast and important environment. Ocean Views is a dramatic photographic exhibit that will give visitors new insights into ocean life and motivate them to celebrate, embrace, and protect this fragile world.
Orchids - A View from the East
Location: First Floor, Special Exhibits Gallery
Exhibit: January 29 – April 24, 2011
For centuries, the people of China have revered, cultivated, and collected orchids for cultural and social uses—as décor for their homes, medicines, artistic subjects, and social status symbols. Cultural traditions and horticultural practices testify to the enduring power of orchids on the human imagination. Visitors will be surrounded by the sights and smells of live orchids as they explore Chinese love of this enchanting plant, both ancient and modern.
Location: First Floor
Exhibit: January 24, 2009 – April 26, 2009
Charles Darwin used orchids to help prove his theories of natural selection and evolution. Scientists today follow in Darwin’s footsteps and use orchids to learn more about how plants have evolved and adapted to live in almost every type of environment around the world. Come explore the alluring world of orchids through the eyes of Darwin. Discover new insights and curious surprises about these captivating plants, including the only orchid fossil ever discovered! This exhibit has been developed in partnership with the Smithsonian's Horticultural Services Division, Smithsonian's Office of Exhibits Central, and the US Botanic Gardens.
Race: Are We So Different?
Location: Second Floor
Exhibit: June 18, 2011 – January 8, 2012
Race is a short word with a long history in America. What is race and how are we affected by it every day? Race: Are We So Different? explores the concept of race from scientific, historical, and cultural perspectives. The exhibition offers a powerful look at race and racism, and challenges visitors to ask questions, think critically, and talk about the issue and their own experiences.
Developed by the American Anthropological Association in collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota
Reptiles and Amphibians
Preserved reptiles and amphibians await you around every corner in this hall. Learn about their eating habits, defenses, and locomotion. Reptiles on display include Galapagos marine iguanas, sea turtles, snakes, crocodiles, and lizards.
Since Darwin: The Evolution of Evolution
Location: First Floor
Exhibit: September 12, 2009 – July 18, 2010
Celebrate with us the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his groundbreaking On the Origin of Species. This exhibition focuses on the significant role that Darwin’s theories have played in explaining and unifying all the biological sciences. Specimens from the Museum’s diverse collections, along with documentation from our ongoing research, illustrate the importance of evolution as a scientific foundation, and how our knowledge of evolution has evolved over the last 150 years.
Smithsonian Science in the News: Investigating the "Miracle on the Hudson"
Location: Exhibit Case, Ground Floor
Exhibit: February 23, 2009 - May 3, 2009
Less than a minute after taking off from La Guardia Airport on January 15, US Airways flight 1549 collided with a flock of birds. The engines went dead, and the pilot made an emergency landing in the Hudson River, saving everyone on board. The remains of the birds were sent to the CSI of the bird world—the National Museum of Natural History’s Feather Identification Lab. This exhibit case explains how Museum scientists worked with transportation safety experts in this modern aviation mystery.Learn more about the Feather Identification Lab
The Bright Beneath: The Luminous Art of Shih Chieh Huang
Location: First Floor, Sant Ocean Hall, Ocean Focus Gallery
September 3, 2011 – January 8, 2012
The artwork of Shih Chieh Huang, 2007 Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow, explores the unusual evolutionary adaptations of the mysterious, deep ocean creatures residing in conditions inhospitable for humans. During Huang’s time as a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow, he studied the bioluminescent marine organisms that inspire this art installation. His creations, with their lights, computer parts, and plastic-tube appendages, evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity as they "float" in the darkness of the Museum gallery.
The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef
Location: First Floor, Sant Ocean Hall, Ocean Focus Gallery
Exhibit: October 16, 2010 – April 24, 2011
Endless variations evolving over time—much like life itself. The hyperbolic crochet coral reef has grown from the discovery that cutting-edge hyperbolic geometry could be found in the intricate structures of coral reefs and represented though the traditional handicraft of crochet. Experience this homage to the disappearing wonder, beauty, and diversity of living reefs that are threatened by pollution and global warming.
The Splendor of Diamonds
In 2003, seven of the most rare and valuable diamonds in the world were displayed together for the first and only time through the collaborative efforts of the Smithsonian Institution, The Steinmetz Group, and the Gemological Institute of America.
Tiffany Diamond
The loan of the Tiffany Diamond in 2007 celebrated a newly established endowment from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation. Also on view for the first time were two rare gemstones purchased for the National Gem Collection through this new endowment created by The Tiffany & Co. Foundation gift. Detail of Tiffany Diamond
Transitions: Photographs by Robert Creamer
Surprise your eyes with the arresting detail of Robert Creamer’s high-resolution images, some of which highlight the Museum’s collections. All of the 39 photographs were taken using a flatbed scanner which creates an expanded depth of field. The result is stunning portraits of flowers and mesmerizing collages of flower parts.
A Tribute to Carl Linnaeus
For two days in November 2007, we celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of Carl Linnaeus with an exhibit and symposium.
The Truth about Crystal Skulls
Handmade by ancient Aztecs? The work of supernatural powers? Or carefully crafted fakes? After decades of mystery, the real nature of crystal skulls is finally clear, thanks to scientists using modern technology to determine how they were made. With the recent opening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, crystal skulls are in the news this year. Photo by James DiLoreto (c) Smithsonian Institution
Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga
A traveling exhibition produced by the National Museum of Natural History, is about an extraordinary people who set out from their European homelands for unknown places beyond the horizon, including North America, 1000 years ago.
A Rare Encounter: Hope Diamond and Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond
Location: Second Floor, Harry Winston Gallery
Exhibit: January 29 - September 1, 2010
Come and see the world's most extraordinary blue diamonds - the Hope and the Wittelsbach-Graff - displayed together for the first time. The Wittelsbach-Graff's deep blue color, flawless clarity, and royal history make it one of the most celebrated gemstones known. Its story goes back over 340 years, and the diamond has not appeared in public for more than 50 years. Both diamonds come from India and share their rare blue color. Could they have come from the same mine? Smithsonian scientists plan to compare the properties of both gems and explore this intriguing possibility.
Yuungnaqpiallerput (The Way We Genuinely Live)
Masterworks of Yup’ik Science and Survival
Location: Second Floor
Exhibit: April 17, 2010 – July 25, 2010
Yup'ik elders share their scientific and spiritual knowledge for living in the sub-arctic environment of western Alaska in this exhibition of more than 200 19th- and 20th-century tools, clothing, weapons, and watercraft. From harpoons to snow-goggles, and kayaks to dance masks, Yup'ik people devised solutions for living unsurpassed by Western science. Explore how the Yup'ik people discovered these scientific principles that have allowed them to live in intimate relationship with their environment.
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