Planning a visit to the Smithsonian, the world's largest museum complex? We look forward to welcoming you. Plan your trip, check our schedule, and explore all we have to offer at our many museums and National Zoo:
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We're not a museum. We're 21 of them! (Plus a zoo & 9 research centers.) Find visiting info at si.edu/visit | Legal: s.si.edu/legal
Smithsonian’s Tweets
🍫 ❤️ How tweet it is. Chocolate has joined the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® flock. , and are crafting the first Bird Friendly® chocolate made from 100% certified cocoa from Zorzal Cacao. nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-bird 🌎💚
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Today in 1960, four African American students sat at a Woolworth lunch counter, asked for service and started a movement.
A section of the counter from the Greensboro, North Carolina sit-ins is in , with stools in . s.si.edu/2GsUrVb #SmithsonianBHM
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What's in the air we breathe? Led by scientists at the , the will be the first space-based instrument to monitor major air pollutants hourly at high spatial resolution across greater North America.
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What are you looking forward to this new year?
We're looking forward to the launch of our TEMPO instrument! 
After more than a decade of work, TEMPO will finally orbit the Earth and return valuable information about what's in the air we breathe. 
After more than a decade of work, TEMPO will finally orbit the Earth and return valuable information about what's in the air we breathe. 
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Meet the neighbor galaxy. The Tarantula Nebula (officially known as 30 Doradus) is a region of active star formation in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy to the Milky Way.
This new image combines data from and : s.si.edu/3HMb7sI
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Elie Wiesel devoted his life to ensuring the Holocaust and its victims are never forgotten. A survivor of the concentration camps where his family was murdered, he wrote the memoir "Night." 's Miriam Baker sculpture: s.si.edu/2Ykg7gp #HolocaustRemembranceDay
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Bessie Coleman was born on #TDIH in 1892. She became the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license in 1921 and remains an inspiration to generations of pilots. Explore how Coleman broke down barriers to achieve her dream of flight: s.si.edu/3XHk1Ny
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In 1912, Helen Taft donated her inauguration dress to the museum's exhibition, and her choice set a precedent for future first ladies.
Learn more about Dr. Biden’s inaugural attire and the tradition of collecting and displaying inaugural gowns:
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Today, First Lady Jill Biden visited our to present the dress and coat ensembles she wore to both the 2021 presidential inauguration day and evening celebrations to the collection. You can see them both now in the "First Ladies" exhibition.
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Can't get enough museum library love? Join us on Instagram where we're celebrating #MuseumLibraryWeek this week with the Thomas J. Watson Library! Pop over and make sure you're following & @metlibrary!
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Happy #YearOfTheRabbit! This porcelain box from our dates back to the late 16th or early 17th century in China, when Zhangzhou potters were quick (like a rabbit!) to produce lots of ceramics to supply the huge export market. #SILunarNewYear
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Today we remember David Crosby. This photograph of the singer-songwriter was made by bandmate Graham Nash in 1968, who later donated it to our museum. The quiet portrait of Crosby deep in thought is titled "The Man Jan Sees," likely in reference to Crosby's wife, Jan Dance.
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Take a deep breath and enjoy this track from “Bravespace,” ’s new compilation of original songs, sounds and meditations by Asian American women and non-binary artists and musicians. This is "Slow" by . #SILunarNewYear smithsonianapa.org/bravespace
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The North Star, one of the most influential antislavery newspapers in the pre-Civil War U.S, was published by Frederick Douglass between 1847 and 1851.
A newly digitized issue from 1848, held , is now available to transcribe: transcription.si.edu/project/48606.
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Robert Adelman took this photo of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It's now in : s.si.edu/2TuBqdT
Little-known facts about King from our : s.si.edu/3vZZg3c #MLKDay
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Hope you're having a brew-tiful #NationalHotTeaDay. We're opting for a cuppa soothing camomile.
This floral illustration of the chamomile plant is from "Prof. dr. Thomé's Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz" (1889), in : s.si.edu/3XrmICh
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Nap time? This is Mary Jane the baby sloth, who was born at our in 1964, photographed at 9 months old in this image. s.si.edu/3GwqCmt
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¡Feliz día de los Reyes Magos! Happy #ThreeKingsDay! Also known as the Feast of the Epiphany, the holiday commemorates the arrival of the three kings to Bethlehem.
This artwork, attributed to Hipolito Marte Martinez, is in our : s.si.edu/3CtPHgS
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More information about the renovation:
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The Smithsonian Institution Building—known as the Castle—will close Feb. 1 for its first major renovation in more than 50 years.
The renovation is expected to last about five years. The Enid A. Haupt Garden will remain open, and we will have expanded online visitor services.
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Need an afternoon pick-me-up? Explore the many coffee-related collections across the Smithsonian, like this set designed by Jutta Sika from our . s.si.edu/2NHKlHr
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Sending you some radiant vibes to start the new year! ✨¡Les enviamos vibras radiantes para empezar este 2023!
🎨 Olga Albizú, “Radiante,” 1967. collections.
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Wishing you a happy and sparkly new year! Judy Petacque sent this card to Kathleen Blackshear and Ethel Spears in the 1970s. The animation was added by our , who have Blackshear and Spears' papers in their collection. s.si.edu/3qk6AUm
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We remember Barbara Walters. She redefined the role of women on TV news. She started at CBS as a producer and writer in the 1950s. She went on to tackle serious topics and interview world leaders.
📸: Lynn Gilbert, 1980. , Smithsonian Institution.© Lynn Gilbert
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Brazilian soccer icon Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento. He wore this jersey, now in , to play with the New York Cosmos in 1975, bringing attention to the sport in the US. He was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999.
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Habari Gani?
Umoja!
Today is the first day of #Kwanzaa, a 7-day African American and Pan-African holiday founded in 1966 that celebrates history, values, family, community, and culture. Join our museum's virtual Kwanzaa celebration: nmaahc.si.edu/kwanzaa
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Merry Christmas! This mid-20th-century Santa postcard is from the Archives Center of our .
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It's Smithsonian on Ice!
Back in the 1980s, we had several staff skate clubs that would meet at the rink of our friends . They're showing off in this photo from .
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"This is fine."
- Exoplanet Kepler-1658b, probably
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Scientists @CenterforAstro have discovered an exoplanet that is spiraling inwards toward its host star. The stricken world appears destined to spiral closer & closer to its maturing star until its collision and ultimate obliteration.
Learn more: s.si.edu/3Wv7Tyc
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The holidays are here again, and with them come songs, foods, and rituals so familiar we may not think to ask where they come from ... until now! In this holiday special, we track down the origins of some puzzling traditions. ❄️🎶
🎧 on : amzn.to/3hqZGvX
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Why would a bunch of ancient marine reptiles hang out in a part of the ocean without much food? To give birth in safer waters.
Research by a team that includes experts suggests this area, now in Nevada, was a nursery for the bus-sized creatures. 3d.si.edu/enter-sea-drag
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Happy first night of #Hanukkah! This card will stay lit for all eight nights. It was designed by Ted Naos, dated 1994, and is in our 's collection. More by Naos: bit.ly/3HM7ovE
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This is how much wildlife fits in a cubic foot off the coast of the Pacific island Mo’orea.
Using a framed cube that organisms can pass through, scientists explore the complex biodiversity of entire ecosystems. Read more from our and : s.si.edu/3Wja2gf
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Today, our and Smithsonian Castle will delay opening today until 10 a.m. and the is closed due to a utility failure. All other Smithsonian museums in the Washington, D.C., area will open as scheduled on December 15, 2022.
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Follow the yellow brick road to 's new exhibition "Entertainment Nation"/"Nación del espectáculo," open now. #EntertainmentNation
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Calling all pop culture fans! See your favorites from our 's theater, music, sports, TV and movie collections in a new wing full of entertainment history.
1️⃣Dorothy’s ruby slippers
2️⃣Muhammad Ali's robe
3️⃣Bill Nye’s lab coat
4️⃣Selena Quintanilla-Pérez's costume
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Live now: the annual public forum for our Smithsonian Board of Regents.
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This gingerbread replica of our Institution Building is pretty crumbelievable.
Patricia & David Mudrick created the 7-foot pastry model of "The Castle" in 1980. This photo is from our (80-19953-28): s.si.edu/3YhRONV
#GingerbreadHouseDay
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The wait is finally over! We’re so thrilled to welcome you to our newest exhibition, “Entertainment Nation”/“Nación del espectáculo,” opening today.
Through our collection, the exhibition will feature a powerful, ever-changing selection of objects and interactive experiences.
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This pigeon is wearing a sweater.
Laurel Roth Hope crochets suits that mimic the plumage of extinct or endangered bird species—in this case, the extinct Carolina parakeet. "Biodiversity Reclamation Suit: Carolina Parakeet" (2009) is in our : s.si.edu/3VTUQGo
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