Smithsonian Kicks Off the Start of Summer With “Solstice Saturday”

The Smithsonian will celebrate the first Saturday of summer—“Solstice Saturday”—with free parties, programs and performances throughout the day and night June 24. Several museums on the National Mall will have extended hours, with three museums staying open until midnight. Visitors who stay late can explore exhibitions, join a garden dance party or enjoy activities on the Mall. First launched in 2018, this is the fifth annual Solstice Saturday.

Solstice Saturday is held in association with Hofstra University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Hofstra’s Astronomy Festival on the National Mall also takes place Saturday, June 24, 6–11 p.m., across from the National Air and Space Museum.

A full schedule is available. The Arts and Industries Building will be open until 10 p.m. and will serve as the information center for the day’s programs. The following museums and gardens will be open with extended hours:

Open until 8 p.m.
 

National Museum of the American Indian

Visitors can celebrate the summer solstice through song and dance with Joe Tohonnie Jr. and the Apache Crown Dancers (White Mountain Apache) from Whiteriver, Arizona. For the past two decades, the Apache Crown Dancers have shared their culture and traditions and the values of respect, humbleness and kindness through their performances. Through a traditional song and dance, they will tell a story that offers blessings, healing and protection.

Performances will take place at 1–2 p.m., 3–4 p.m. and 6–7:30 p.m., and curator-led gallery tours will take place at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. The ImagiNATIONS Activity Center, an interactive space where young visitors can explore the scientific principles behind Native ideas that remain part of modern life, will stay open until 7 p.m. Food and drink will be available for purchase for most of the evening. More details are available.

Open until 10 p.m.
 

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Visitors can explore several new exhibitions, including “Afrofuturism a History of Black Futures” and “Spirit in the Dark: Religion in Black Music, Activism and Popular Culture.” Also, they can grab a pop-up mint planter for their garden from the museum’s Welcome Desk while supplies last, and they can attend Black Folk: A History of the Black Working Class with Dr. Blair LM Kelley, a conversation between Kelley and Gene Demby, host of NPR’s award-winning podcast Code Switch. Attendees will learn how networks of resistance and joy sustained communities and laid the groundwork for activism. More details are available on the museum’s website.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Visitors can stay late and explore the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. All of the Hirshhorn’s exhibitions will be open late, and food and drinks will be available for purchase. Visitors over the age of 12 will need free timed passes to enter “One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection.” The Hirshhorn’s website has more information about what is on view and how to reserve passes.

National Museum of American History

Visitors can explore the full museum until 10 pm. Highlights include the museum’s first-ever popular culture exhibition, “Entertainment Nation,” hands-on demonstration cards and “American Experiments” activities focused on democracy in Unity Square. New Orleans favorites will be available in the Jazz Café in 1 Center until 7 p.m., and the museum store will be open until 8 p.m.

Open Until 11 p.m.
 

National Air and Space Museum

The National Air and Space Museum will offer activities inside and outside the museum. Inside, visitors can experience planetarium shows, trivia challenges, hands-on science activities and the Air and Space Adventures game. The Mars Café will stay open until 8 p.m., and the museum store will remain open until 10 p.m. Registration is required for all indoor activities. Outside the museum, visitors can enjoy the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall, hosted by Hofstra University, and activities with NASA and other science organizations. Visitors can meet an astronaut and use telescopes to observe the night sky. More details are available on the museum’s website.

Rain Location for Outdoor Activities: Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building

Open Until Midnight
 

National Museum of Asian Art and Enid A. Haupt Garden

In the Enid A. Haupt Garden, visitors can enjoy performances and programming between the National Museum of Asian Art and the National Museum of African Art. Join the museum for a DJ set by Les The DJ, performances and late-night access to the museum’s exhibitions. The museum galleries will be open late, and food and beverages will be available to purchase in the Haupt Garden. Free, advanced registration is recommended.

National Museum of Natural History

Visitors can experience the brand new, first-of-its-kind exhibition, “Cellphone: Unseen Connections.” They can explore the impact that mobile devices have had on technology, the environment and culture. If they arrive between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., there will be special programs that invite visitors to chat with the experts featured in the exhibition, hear from the lead curator Josh Bell as he interviews industry leaders from across the cellphone supply chain and enjoy activities, gallery tours and selfie-worthy moments. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

National Museum of African Art

Solstice Saturday kicks off the National Museum of African Art’s Sounds of Africa concert series celebrating 50 years of hip-hop. The concert and light show begin at 8 p.m. Additionally, visitors can enjoy an afternoon of music, tours and traditional African games. Exhibition tours will take place at 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. All galleries are open until midnight, and the museum store will be open until 10 p.m.

About Hofstra University’s Astronomy Festival on the National Mall

Solstice Saturday is held in association with Hofstra University’s Astronomy Festival on the National Mall. The festival features solar, optical and radio telescope observations; hands-on activities; speakers from scientific and educational organizations; and a chance to mingle with astronomers. The festival takes place Saturday, June 24, from 6 to 11 p.m. in front of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

###

SI-198-2023