Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

"Do you hear that whistle...?" Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's film The Harvey Girls

Celebrates the 60th anniversary of the MGM classic movie musical The Harvey Girls.

December 21, 2006 – March 29, 2006

"Gold Rush" Bicycle

See the "Gold Rush," an aerodynamically designed bicycle made of light-weight, synthetic materials, including aramid, spandex fibers, and polyester film.

September 22, 1987 – April 15, 1988

American History Museum

"Make the Dirt Fly!": Building the Panama Canal

Explore the background, planning, and construction of the Panama Canal.

November 20, 1999 – January 22, 2001

American History Museum

"Pop" Hart Prints

Hart's prints portray the ordinary people he met in a live 'on the road' from his Illinois birthplace to Tahiti.

September 1, 1972 – February 28, 1973

American History Museum

"Star-Spangled Banner" Manuscript

See Francis Scott Key’s original manuscript of the "Star-Spangled Banner" to celebrate the song's 200th anniversary.

June 14, 2014 – July 6, 2014

American History Museum

"The Fabric of a Friendship" and "Delaware 350": Commemorating New Sweden, 1638-1988

Marking the 350th anniversary of the first Swedish settlement in the U.S., this exhibition looks at the contributions of Swedish and Finnish settlers in the Delaware River Valley and their relationship with the Algonquin Indians.

October 21, 1988 – January 31, 1989

American History Museum

"There's No Business Like Show Business": Irving Berlin's Centennial

The exhibition commemorates the 100th birthday of the American composer, who during his career has written some 800 songs.

July 23, 1988 – January 31, 1989

American History Museum

(re) Framing Conversations: Photographs by Richard Avedon, 1946-1965

Twenty Richard Avedon images spanning two decades, curated from the Smithsonian’s photo history collection, are on display.

December 9, 2022 – February 2, 2025

American History Museum

...and They Called Us 'colored'

See 30 photographs of early 20th-century Seward, Oklahoma, taken by African American photographers Opal Childs-Glover and Fred Younger.

January 24, 1995 – July 30, 1995

American History Museum

100 Years of American Mathematics

The exhibition commemorates the 100th anniversary of the American Society of Mathematics and explores the aspects of the practice of mathematics in the U.S. in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

May 1, 1988 – August 31, 1988

American History Museum

1848: New Border, New Nation

This showcase reviews the history surrounding the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Feb. 2, 1848), which ended the Mexican War of 1848.

May 16, 1998 – March 7, 1999

American History Museum

1876 Centennial

See mementos and souvenirs of the Philadelphia event.

December 1, 1974 – January 31, 1975

American History Museum

1939

This small exhibition reveals how Americans used entertainment to distract themselves during a turbulent year when the country was recovering from the Great Depression and World War II loomed -- 1939.

November 24, 2010 – October 21, 2012

American History Museum

1965 Ford Mustang

An silver-blue 1965 Ford Mustang evokes 1964, the year the museum opened to the public.

April 25, 2014 – January 4, 2015

American History Museum

1977 Trees of Christmas

See 12, 8-foot tall Christmas trees, decorated with ornaments made by Smithsonian and area volunteers.

December 16, 1977 – January 2, 1978

American History Museum

1978 Trees of Christmas

See 13 live trees, each decorated with hand-made ornaments of different American of foreign tradition.

December 15, 1978 – January 1, 1979

American History Museum

1979 Trees of Christmas

This holiday exhibition returns with 13 decorated trees.

December 14, 1979 – January 2, 1980

American History Museum

1980 Trees of Christmas

Twelve trees are on view in this year's holiday display. Two themes were selected this year: international cultures and crafts.

December 19, 1980 – January 4, 1981

American History Museum

1981 Trees of Christmas

Visit the 5th annual holiday exhibition and see 12 trees showing the diversity of the nation's past, its present, and its ethnic heritage.

December 19, 1981 – January 3, 1982

American History Museum

1982 Trees of Christmas

Mark the 6th anniversary of this popular holiday display with 12 trees decorated in various styles.

December 16, 1982 – January 2, 1983

American History Museum

1983 Trees of Christmas

Twelve trees decorated with handcrafted ornaments reflect our ethnic heritages, crafts of historic periods, and nature.

December 15, 1983 – January 2, 1984

American History Museum

1984 Discover Graphics

See selected etchings from the Resident Associate-sponsored Discover Graphics program.

May 12, 1984 – July 4, 1984

American History Museum

1984 Trees of Christmas

See 12 holiday trees decorated with various themes.

December 14, 1984 – January 6, 1985

American History Museum

1985 Discover Graphics

See some 45 etchings in a juried exhibition of works by promising young art students who have participated in the 1985 Discover Graphics training program.

June 1, 1985 – July 30, 1985

American History Museum

1985 Trees of Christmas

Enjoy 13 decorated trees with various themes.

December 20, 1985 – January 6, 1986

American History Museum