Smithsonian Institution
Information
Location:
Washington, DC, 20560
Phone:
202.633.1000 (voice/tape) 202.633.5285 (TTY)
Mon - Sun:
08:30 - 17:30
 
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Cosmic Art: More than 1000, years ago, a star in the constellation Taurus exploded in a spectacular death, producing the Crab Nebula. The aftermath of the star's death has produced a spectacular structure that scientists are trying to understand. This image of the Crab Nebula was taken with X-rays from NASA's Chandra O...bservatory (operated for NASA by the Smithsonian Astrophysics Observatory). You can see more photos and learn about the Crab Nebula on Chandra's blog

chandra.harvard.edu
X-ray Astronomy Field GuideSupernovas & Supernova RemnantsQuestions and AnswersSupernovas & Supernova RemnantsChandra ImagesSupernovas & Supernova Remnants
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Smithsonian Institution Today is Native American Heritage Day and, in celebration, the Museum of the American Indian is hosting "Maize in the Americas." The 3-day event that celebrates the role of corn in Native culture starts today and runs through Sunday. If you can't be there in person to see the food demonstrations, artisans and other act...ivities, you can watch online through a live Webcast

www.americanindian.si.edu
Presented in honor of Native American Heritage Day, November 27, this celebration of corn and Native culture features maize, or corn (Zea mays), the lifeblood of many indigenous peoples across the hemisphere. ...
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Smithsonian Institution Wishing all of you a very happy Thanksgiving. Here's a history of the holiday from our Encyclopedia Smithsonian

www.si.edu
Most Americans are familiar with the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving Feast of 1621, but few realize that it was not the first festival of its kind in North America. Long before Europeans set foot in the Americas, ...
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Think you've got it tough preparing a huge Thanksgiving meal for a ravenous crowd of humans? The Smithsonian's National Zoo commissary staff has to feed more than 2000 animals representing 400 species every day, 365 days a year. What's on the menu tomorrow? The Zoo's head nutritionist, Mike Maslanka, gave us the inside... scoop: Some of the animals will receive Thanksgiving treats like sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Check out this video to see what it takes to feed the Zoo's hungry collection. Be sure to eat your leafy greens!

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Mike Maslanka, head nutritionist at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, talks about what it takes to feed 2000 animals from 400 different species 365 days a year. Each one receives a diet specially designed ...
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Smithsonian Institution In town this weekend for Thanksgiving? All Smithsonian museums are open every day this week if you're looking for a fun family activity (or need a break from one). Any recent visitors care to share their favorite exhibits?

www.smithsonian.org
A visit to the Smithsonian Institution can forge memories to last a lifetime
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Are you ready for the holidays? Check out the National Museum of American History's "Holidays on Display" exhibit to get you in the mood! Focusing on parading culture and department store retail display, primarily between the 1920s and 1960s, this exhibit highlights photographs, postcards and illustrations of parade fl...oats and window displays—including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and Marshall Field & Company Christmas windows! Can't make it to the Museum - check out the exhibit online. Don't forget, the Smithsonian is open every day except Christmas day. What's your favorite holiday?

americanhistory.si.edu
The National Museum of American History is one of the Smithsonian Institution museums located on The Mall in Washington DC.
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Smithsonian Institution Filmmaker John Ford shaped America’s memory and imagination of the West and created an indelible portrait of the American cowboy in the form of John Wayne. See the West—and westerns—anew, as the National Portrait Gallery presents “Reel Portraits: John Ford’s Frontier.” This FREE 2-day film series starts tonight at 7 p....m. Check the link below for tomorrow's show times. Do you love western movies - what's your favorite?

npg.si.edu
The National Portrait Gallery is dedicated tothe exhibition and study of portraits of people who have made significant contribution to American history and culture and to the study of the artists who created such portraiture.
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Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution This weekend, we'll be doing maintenance on our server which will shut down our Web sites for a period of time. However, you will still be able to access visitor information at the GoSmithsonian Web site

www.gosmithsonian.com
goSmithsonian is the official visitor’s guide to the Smithsonian featuring exhibit listings, maps, restaurants, shops, lodging, dining and a blog.
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Live Q&A: For those of us still using our library cards, we all can relate to that smell of old books - that delightful, musty aroma that carries so many memories. Scientists have now discovered that smell tells it's own story! It now may be possible to understand both the composition and condition of old paper by anal...yzing that old-book smell! Would you like some tips on how to conserve your old books? Do you have any questions about book conservation? Leave them in the comments. The Smithsonian Libraries’ book conservator, Vanessa Haight Smith, is on hand to answer any of your book questions!

www.nytimes.com
Is the smell of old books musty, slightly acidic, even grassy quantifiable or useful?
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Smithsonian Institution Take a spin around the Smithsonian National Postal Museum - without leaving your desk! Roam in and out of the galleries with the museum's recently launched virtual tour! Hint: click the blue arrows on the ground to walk forward (much like Google Maps). Let us know what you think!

www.postalmuseum.si.edu
To view virtual tour properly, Flash Player 9.0.28 or later version is needed. Please download the latest version of Flash Player and install it on your computer.
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Good news for historic preservation fans! Rennovation has begun on the Smithsonian's incredible 19th C. exhibition palace, the Arts & Inductries building (which has been closed to the public for a number of years). Check out this post from the Around the Mall blog to get more detail of the plans and the building's hist...ory: http://ow.ly/DpfJ after clicking through the slide show

www.smithsonianmag.com
The building was constructed to receive exhibits and preserve the collections of the Natural Resources, Arts and Industries, belong to the federal government.
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Smithsonian Institution Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a museum curator? When you visit an exhibit do you think, “I'd like to do that"? If so, National Museum of the American Indian would like to give you an opportunity to weigh in on the content of a whole group of new exhibitions, the Window on Collections, the hallway d...isplays on the third and fourth floors at the Mall museum. Put on your curator hat—what do you want to see on display in the exhibit cases? Be sure to let us know online!

go.si.edu
Window on CollectionsSurveyNational Museum of the American Indian__________________________________________________________________
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Smithsonian Institution Trivia: Why do clouded leopards routinely hang upside down by their hind legs? (In keeping with today's cute exotic cat theme). While you speculate on the answer, check out the Smithsonian's National Zoo clouded leopard cub web cam: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AsiaTrail/CloudedLeopard/cam.cfm or, in case they ar...en't visible, browse their photos: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AsiaTrail/CloudedLeopard/photos.cfm

nationalzoo.si.edu
Brought to you by the National Zoo| FONZ.
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Patti
Patti
Thank you! This is the first time on web cam I have seen an animal!! I've checked on about 5 of these cams and everytime they were outside.
17 November at 12:23
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution How about a little dose of "awww" for your Monday morning? This photo is a winner in this year's Nature's Best Photography competition. The photos in the slide show below are on exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History until May 2. Have any other examples of incredible nature photography? Post a ...link to them in the comments so we all have an excuse to procrastinate this morning!

Patti
Patti
The cheetah photo got a chuckle out of me. Incredible photos! I love the dragonfly one. Is that a courtship dance? Are these photos available for purchase? I can already visualize how to design interiors with these photos.
18 November at 12:36
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Check out the New York Times art review of "A Song for the Horse Nation", an exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York presenting the epic story of the horse's influence on American Indian tribes from the 1600s to the present.

www.nytimes.com
The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian brings to light a fascinating chapter in American history: the rise and fall of American Indian horse culture.