Events June 25-27: Electrical Inventions, Revolutionary Knowledge and Butterfly Gardens
This weekend, take a glimpse into Nikola Tesla’s life, sharpen your knowledge on revolutionary figures and tour the Butterfly Garden
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Tuesday, June 25: W. Bernard Carlson Book Signing
Take a peek into the mind of one of 20th century’s greatest inventors, Nikola Tesla with Author W. Bernard Carlson, author of Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age. The inventor is best known for his design of the modern AC electricity, but his resume doesn’t end there. He also contributed to the development of television and radio. Carlson’s biography explores Tesla’s inventions, but also delves into the inventor’s public image, which Tesla carefully cultivated and maintained during his lifetime. The discussion will be followed by a book signing. Free. 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. American History Museum.
Wednesday, June 26: Pop Quiz: Shake It Up —History Makers and Convention Breakers
Get out your thinking cap and find your inner rebel. The National Portrait Gallery is hosting a pop quiz night about revolutionaries throughout American history, from the Founding Fathers to the beatniks. The trivia questions will draw their inspiration from the portraits in the museum, so enjoy a simultaneous tour and quiz bowl. The team with the most revolutionary knowledge will take home a prize. Free. 6:30 p.m. National Portrait Gallery.
Thursday, June 27: Butterfly Habitat Garden Tour
Wash off that green thumb and learn about an element of your garden that doesn’t require digging and planting. A horticulturist at the Natural History Museums hosts tours of the Butterfly Garden every Thursday and discusses the various habitats of the fluttering emblems of summer. You may not venture out to the wetlands, meadow or wood’s edge to catch butterflies, but the horticulturist will tell you how to attract them to your own backyard gardens. Free. 2 p.m. Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Gardens.
Also, check out our Visitors Guide App. Get the most out of your trip to Washington, D.C. and the National Mall with this selection of custom-built tours, based on your available time and passions. From the editors of Smithsonian magazine, the app is packed with handy navigational tools, maps, museum floor plans and museum information including ‘Greatest Hits’ for each Smithsonian museum.
For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.