Last Chance To See Some Pop Culture Favorites including Kermit the Frog

Museum Jan. 20 Closure:
NOTE:
The National Museum of American History will be closed on Monday, Jan. 20 as will other Smithsonian museum locations. Operating status for Smithsonian museums may be found at www.si.edu

EXHIBITION UPDATES
 

“The First Ladies”
Third Floor Center
NOTE:
This exhibition will be temporarily closed Jan. 13 - 17 to accommodate updates to the gallery

“The First Ladies” explores the unofficial but important position of first lady and the ways that different women have shaped the role to make their own contributions to the presidential administrations and the nation. The exhibition features more than two dozen gowns from the Smithsonian’s almost century old First Ladies Collection, including those worn by Frances Cleveland, Jacqueline Kennedy, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump.

“Entertainment Nation”/Nación del espectáculo”
Last Chance to see some pop culture favorites including “Kermit” and “Miss Piggy”
Third Floor West
NOTE:
This exhibition will be temporarily closed Jan. 27 – 31 for exhibition updates.

January offers visitors a last chance to see some of the museum’s iconic popular culture objects, including the “Miss Piggy,” “Kermit” and “Cookie Monster” Muppets, as well as Elizabeth Moss’s costume from “The Handmaid’s Tale” and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls Jersey. In order to rotate in an exciting new round of artifacts, these objects and others will go off view in the “Entertainment Nation”/“Nación del espectáculo” exhibition after Jan. 26. Through the display of iconic objects from the museum’s renowned collection and compelling multimedia experiences, the exhibition showcases how Americans have long used entertainment to participate in important national conversations about who we are and want to be. Visitors are immersed in the dramatic arc of the nation’s story as told through the power and influence of theater, television, film, music and sports through approximately 200 objects in the 7,200-square-foot Dagmar Dolby Hall of American Culture.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Smithsonian Chamber Music Society Presents:
The Axelrod String Quartet – Stradivarius and Amati Series
Nicholas F. and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music
Sat. Jan. 25, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Sun. Jan. 26, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Third Floor, West

The 47th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society presents musical masterpieces from the late 16th century to the cusp of the 21st, played on some of the world’s most highly prized instruments. This concert features Franz Schubert’s Quartettsatz in C Minor, D703; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Quintet in D Major, K593; and Anton Bruckner’s Quintet in F Major, WAB 112. 

To purchase tickets: 
Sat. Jan. 25: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/axelrod-string-quartet-1P0849 
Sun. Jan. 26: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/axelrod-string-quartet-1P0853 
Members $32; Non-members $36

VISITING

What to know:
The museum is open seven days a week, except Dec. 25, and in 2025, Jan. 20, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, and passes are not required. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu/visit

Food:

 

The Eat at America’s Table Cafe is open for complete food and beverage service. To kick off the new year, Chef Kyre and his team will present a January menu of warming comfort food and delectable winter vegetables, including rainbow trout, chicken pot pie, purple cauliflower, and braised collard greens with black-eyed peas. The Jazz Cafe serves light lunch and delicious pastry along with cold and hot beverages including Starbucks coffee. For more information, visit the website.

Bottled water is allowed in the museum. We recommend bringing a refillable water bottle for use at fountains.

Stores: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum, located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, is open daily except Dec. 25 and in 2025, Jan. 20, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. The doors of the museum are always open online and the virtual museum continues to expand its offerings, including online exhibitions, K–12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media via Instagram and Facebook. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.

Amy Kehs | READ MORE

Amy Kehs is a brand strategist and communications expert for museums.