Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

The Civilian Conservation Corps Experience, 1933-1942

The photographs and paper materials in these cases show what life was like for the young men who enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC), specifically the conservation work they engaged in and their daily life in camp.

November 21, 2008 – March 31, 2009

American History Museum

America's New Birth of Freedom: Documents from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

To celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, the museum hosts 10 rare and important documents from the Springfield library and museum.

January 16, 2009 – March 29, 2009

American History Museum

Gettysburg Address

To celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, the museum showcases the rarely exhibited White House's copy of the Gettysburg Address.

November 21, 2008 – January 11, 2009

American History Museum

Information Age: People, Information and Technology

Beginning with Samuel Morse's invention of the telegraph in the 1830s, this exhibition of more than 700 artifacts explores how information technology has changed our lives -- as individuals and as a society -- over the past 150 years.

May 9, 1990 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

American Quilt Legacy Case: Colonial Quilting Bee Quilt

The American Quilt Legacy case features pieces from the museum's collection on a rotating basis, starting with a cotton applique quilt made in the 1930s by a woman's historical Colonial quilting bee.

May 19, 2005 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Lance Armstrong's Tour de France Bicycle

On view are the Trek 5500 bicycle he rode in the 2000 Tour de France and a "LIVESTRONG" wristband worn to raise awareness of cancer.

December 14, 2005 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Honky-Tonk: Country Music Photographs by Henry Horenstein, 1972-1981

Some 80 photographs by Henry Horenstein depict country music fans and performers.

March 10, 2006 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Hip Hop Won't Stop: The Beat, the Rhymes, The Life

This case features objects by DJs Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa, rapper MC Lyte, graffiti artist and MTV-VJ Fab 5 Freddy, and break dancer Crazy Legs to explore the four main elements that make up hip-hop: DJing, MCing (later turned into rapping), graffiti art, and break dancing.

July 10, 2006 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Hall of American Maritime Enterprise

Survey 200 years of American History at sea and on inland waterways.

August 11, 1978 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Photographs by John Paul Caponigro and Kendall Messick

Capture the lives and traditions of the aging African American population of Corapeake, North Carolina through the images by 2 contemporary photographers.

July 28, 2005 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Miles and Monk: New Jazz Acquisitions

Trumpeter and composer Davis helped pioneer a variety of jazz styles, including cool jazz, hard bop, and jazz-rock fusion, through his distinctive lyrical style. Monk, known for his unorthodox chord voicings and unusual rhythms, helped pioneer bebop in the 1940s.

March 28, 2006 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Disneyland: The First 50 Years

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland with two rides -- a big teacup from Alice's Mad Tea Party and Dumbo the Flying Elephant -- from the original theme park in Los Angeles, California.

June 9, 2005 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Stanley: Robot Car

See an experimental robot named "Stanley," a modified Volkswagen Touareg that offers a glimpse into the future of "smart" cars.

July 1, 2006 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Agriculture Hall

Hand and horse-drawn tools to present-day mechanized equipment illustrate the changes in rural America since the 18th century.

January 23, 1964 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

The 1927 Mississippi River Flood

This case explores this natural disaster through objects and images, including a Red Cross pamphlet and a lantern used during the disaster.

December 14, 2005 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

History in the News: Collecting September 11

The History in the News case features objects from the museum's collection related to the September 11 tragedy. Objects will be rotated several times a year, starting with items from June 2005 through September 2006.

June 11, 2005 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Whatever Happened to Polio?

The story of the polio epidemic in the United States, from vaccine development to current world efforts to stop polio.

April 12, 2005 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Showcase: Ray Charles: "The Genius"

See selected objects related to musician Ray Charles.

October 28, 2005 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Geoffrey Beene Dress

See a sequined football jersey dress designed in 1967 by Geoffrey Beene.

November 22, 2004 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Preserving the Star-Spangled Banner

Visitors can view the Star-Spangled Banner through floor-to-ceiling windows of the specially designed, climate-controlled laboratory.

May 28, 1999 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Wall Panels: Who Made the Star-Spangled Banner? Hint: It Wasn't Betsy Ross!

Adjacent to the Star-Spangled Banner window wall, this small display explains that Mary Pickersgill (1776-1857), a professional flagmaker from Baltimore, was commissioned in 1813 to make two flags for Fort McHenry -- one of which became known as the Star-Spangled Banner.

May 26, 2006 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Muppets and Mechanisms: Jim Henson's Legacy

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the creation of Jim Henson's Muppets, on view are several cases featuring his groundbreaking work in puppetry and animatronics.

May 19, 2006 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Your Smithsonian Libraries

On view are 20 panels depicting items in the collections of each of the 20 Smithsonian Libraries and some 12 books that reveal the breadth and variety of the Libraries' holdings.

May 26, 2006 – September 4, 2006

American History Museum

Duke Ellington: American Musician

Trace the "Duke's" career and musical legacy through original compositions, awards, a bandstand and posters.

April 4, 1989 – August 7, 2006

American History Museum

Country Store Post Office

This country store was located in Headsville, West Virginia, from the 1860s to 1971, serving as a post office about half those years.

January 1, 1980 – July 21, 2006

American History Museum