youth looking through virtual reality goggles

Is the Smithsonian in your community?

Affiliate Directory

Affiliate Benefits

Photo courtesy of Greensboro History Museum
/ Lynn Donovan Photography

Find an Affiliate near you, browse distance learning resources, or learn how to become a Smithsonian Affiliate.

Student enjoying immersive technology demonstration

Is the Smithsonian in your neighborhood?

Find an Affiliate near you!

Affiliate Directory

Distance Learning

Photo courtesy of
Greensboro History Museum
/ Lynn Donovan Photography

Impacting the Affiliate Community

See the impact of a Smithsonian exhibition in an Affiliate community as staff from the Burke Museum of Natural History in Seattle, Washington, describe the exhibition Life in Once Cubic Foot.

2022 Affiliations Virtual Conference

This year our conference focuses on thinking beyond pandemic pivoting, to having conversations about how we are not only being responsive to the moment we are in, but how we are continuing to innovate and continuing to develop and sustain new ways of working. Join us for Disruption and Transformation, our theme of the 2022 Virtual Conference, October 25-27.

Join us online October 25-27!

Learn How to Become a Smithsonian Affiliate

Considering an affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution? Core to our work is catalyzing public engagement, sparking curiosity and learning, and ultimately inspiring a deeper understanding of our world. Get to know Smithsonian Affiliations, what it means to be an engaged Affiliate, and the process for applying on our Learning Excursion pages.

Applying for Affiliation

Fostering Essential Community Conversations

At this watershed moment in American history, museums are finding a wide spectrum of ways to address injustice with their communities, and facilitate the difficult but essential dialogue that is necessary. Find resources from the Smithsonian and our Affiliates to help catalyze these conversations in your community.

Community Dialogue Resources

Smithsonian Voices Blog

Featured Affiliate stories on the Smithsonian Voices blog. Learn more about submitting story ideas here.

A group of young people stand in the middle of the street on a bridge while holding protest posters

In Oklahoma, History Hiding in Plain Sight

Two Native American adults hold hands in front of a child

Beyond Stereotypes: Portraits and Stories of Native American Women

A group of young people stand behind a pollinator garden

Young People are Stepping Up in Climate Conversations

A group of people sit at the Heinz History Center great hall for a citizenship ceremony.

The Time is Now for Tackling Historical Illiteracy and Creating a New Type of Civic Participation

“Our Smithsonian Affiliation has enriched our entire community in wonderful, varied, and surprising ways. Smithsonian treasures, the expertise of noted Smithsonian scholars, and partnerships that have engaged a cross-section of our county have provided profoundly memorable experiences for those we serve. This important relationship is a point of pride for all of us.”

“It’s simply awesome to be an Affiliate and bring Smithsonian innovation to the nation’s heartland. Our recently opened Cherish Nebraska renovation was directly inspired by the National Museum of Natural History galleries, especially its Q?rius learning space. Next for us—high-impact Smithsonian education programs through the Lineage partnership, a cross-platform learning experience exploring the history of life on Earth.”

“Thanks to Smithsonian Affiliations we are able to bring special experiences to our community, like screenings of The Day We Walked on the Moon, a Smithsonian Channel film, and programs like Let’s Do History for area teachers. We are especially thankful for the role Smithsonian Affiliations has taken in the support of our current SITES exhibition American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. The exhibition has inspired us so much we created a virtual reality game and reinterpreted the whole museum as part of our own Project Democracy 20/20.”