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Smithsonian Virtual Visitor Center

Mar 29, 2022

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:

si.edu

Plan your visit to the world’s largest museum complex with 21 museums and a zoo.

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Mar 17

If you hear "Danny Boy" this #StPatricksDay, you're listening to the lyrics of Frederic Weatherly. He also wrote "The Book of Gnomes," now in our

@silibraries

' rare book collection. This page features “A Council of Gnomes,” presumably arguing about what to get for dinner.☘️

Illustration of a group of gnomes, fairies, mice, rabbits and a frog in a woodland scene

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How Artist Lois Curtis Won Disability Rights | Smithsonian American Women's History

Mar 16

Video description: Animated video showing how Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, who had been confined to state institutions, sued to choose their own homes. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in their favor and Curtis and Wilson moved into group homes.

womenshistory.si.edu

Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, two women with disabilities, won a case against the state of Georgia for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. #SmithsonianWHM

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Sidedoor Podcast

@SidedoorPod

Mar 15

Most people in North America can't see the Milky Way. The reason? We're ensconced in a luminous fog of artificial lighting 24/7. Learn all about light pollution and its effects with

@NMNH

in our latest episode. 🎧: si.edu/sidedoor/light

Illustration of a globe inside of a lightbulb. The globe is dotted with lights across the continents. The background is full of stars but less are visible near the lightbulb globe. The lightbulb is attached to a cord that is plugged into the wall. There is a hand attempting to yank the cord out of the socket.

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Mar 14

Hungry for #PiDay?🥧 Stephen Frykholm designed this 1975 poster to promote the Herman Miller Furniture Company’s summer picnics. It's one of many picnic posters of his now in our

@cooperhewitt

's collection. s.si.edu/3YMvZFl

Poster with a close-up illustration of a cherry pie. The crust in tan and the cherries dark red. Text above, in tan: Herman Miller summer picnic, August 8, 1975.

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How the Daughters of Bilitis Organized for Lesbian Rights | Smithsonian American Women's History

Mar 9

Video description: Animated video showing how the Daughters of Bilitis evolved to educate and combat prejudice. They surveyed mental health professionals in order to remove "homosexuality" as an illness from a psychiatric manual.

womenshistory.si.edu

In 1955 the Daughters of Bilitis became the first major organization for lesbians in the U.S.

The Daughters of Bilitis was a lesbian social club that transformed into a rights organization. They produced the first national lesbian publication, participated in public protests, and challenged the field of psychology’s misconceptions of homosexuality. #SmithsonianWHM

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Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

@SIAmericanWomen

Mar 8

From Big Mama Thorton’s recording of “Hound Dog” to speeches by Angela Davis, recordings of women capture a wide range of expression. For #InternationalWomensDay, we’ve worked with @SmithsonianFolkways to bring you this playlist of must-hear recordings. folkways.si.edu/playlist/side-

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Sitting-in for disability rights: The Section 504 protests of the

Mar 6

An activist wore this button created by the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (ACCD) at the protests, and it's now in our

@amhistorymuseum

americanhistory.si.edu

For 25 days in April 1977, a group of roughly 150 disability rights activists took over the fourth floor of a federal building in San Francisco.

We remember disability rights activist Judy Heumann. She helped lead protesters in a 1977 sit-in at a federal building in San Francisco. Their demand: that the government implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, protecting the rights of people with disabilities.

Yellow button with text: Handicapped human rights, sign 504, ACCD.

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Smithsonian Gardens

@SIGardens

Mar 4

The #SaucerMagnolias in the Enid A. Haupt Garden are still at mid-peak. This garden is a 4-acre greenroof over the

@NatAsianArt

and

@si_africanart

Museums. Many blossoms are fully open from heat pockets but the consistently cool temperatures have kept other buds closed.

Close up a tulip shaped pink blossoms on a tree with a few water droplets on the petals.

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Close up of semi closed tulip shaped pink flowers on a tree with a ornate brick building in the background

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Close up of pink tulip shaped flowers on a tree branch with a lamppost in the background.

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Mar 3

Tune in tonight to see some of the world’s most talented artists compete at our

@hirshhorn

, in the premiere of #TheExhibit from

and

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Watch with us: “The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist” premieres Friday, March 3 at 9PM ET/PT on @MTV; and 10PM ET/PT every week after. Episodes re-air on @SmithsonianChan, starting Tuesday, March 7 at 9PM ET/PT. Learn more: hirshhorn.si.edu/explore/the-ex

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National Museum of the American Indian

@SmithsonianNMAI

Mar 2

Before becoming an environmental activist, Grace Thorpe (Sac and Fox, 1921–2008) served in the Women's Army Corps in WWII. Upon her return to Oklahoma she also served as a tribal district court judge & health commissioner. More: s.si.edu/3y6nVEv #IndigenousWomensHistory

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Mar 2

Grace Thorpe organized her community when she learned that several Native American tribes, including her Sac and Fox Nation, were considering allowing the government to store toxic nuclear waste materials on their lands. #SmithsonianWHM #WomensHistoryMonth

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Grace Thorpe Protected Native Lands | Smithsonian American Women's History

Mar 2

Video description: Animated video showing Grace Thorpe working to protect Native American land from nuclear waste.

womenshistory.si.edu

National Museum of the American Indian

@SmithsonianNMAI

"Winyan Wánakikśin" (Women Defenders of Others), an award-winning belt created by Kevin & Valerie Pourier (both Oglala Lakota) depicts 8 Indigenous women defending and preserving Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and cultures through arts, education & advocacy. /1 #SmithsonianWHM

A stacked collage combining horizontal photos of four segments of a buffalo horn belt depicting the likenesses of eight Indigenous women with a tipi frame design between each likeness.

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Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

@SIAmericanWomen

Patsy Mink was the first woman of color elected to Congress. Originally elected in 1965, Mink went on to serve 13 terms during which she championed women’s equality, for instance as a coauthor of Title IX. #SmithsonianWomensHistory #SmithsonianWHM #WHM

A brochure with a photograph of Patsy Mink, an Asian American woman, standing in front of the Capital dome. The text reads “Re-Elect Patsy Mink. United States Congress. Democract.”

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National Museum of the American Latino

@USLatinoMuseum

In 1921 Pura Belpré became the first Puerto Rican librarian in the

@nypl

. Through initiatives like instituting bilingual story hours and implementing Spanish-language books, Belpré pioneered the library's work with the Spanish-speaking communities. #SmithsonianWHM

Librarian Pura Belpré surrounded by a group of young children during story time.

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Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

And follow our Smithsonian American Women's History Museum for #WomensHistory stories all year.

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@SIAmericanWomen

Feb 23

Hello, Twitter. We're the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum. We believe women's history is American history. Follow along to explore stories that matter and share your own. #SmithsonianWomensHistory

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Learn more about why their book program was so powerful. #WomensHistoryMonth

The women of Delta Sigma Theta, an African American sorority, brought books to students in the segregated South in the 1930s. Their bookmobile reached schools with few teachers and resources. This photo is from our

@amhistorymuseum

's Scurlock collection. #SmithsonianWHM

Black and white photo of a group of women posing for a group photo on steps of a building. There are about 20. Some wear fur coats. All have on about knee-length dresses. Many have short hair.

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ArchivesAmericanArt

@ArchivesAmerArt

Celebrating Women's History Month with highlights from our collection all month, starting with Violet Oakley (1874-1961). A painter, muralist, and stained glass designer. View her papers at: s.si.edu/violetoakley #SmithsonianWHM #ArchivesofAmericanArt #WomenArtists

Black and white photograph of four women sitting around a table. Each woman is raising her right hand with a glass. Various bottles and pitchers sit on the table in front of them.

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The Bird House exhibit invites Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute visitors to flock this way and soar into the fascinating world of North American shorebirds, waterfowl and

Feb 24

Explore the ecosystems of migratory songbirds, waterfowl and shorebirds, and learn how to protect native species in your own backyard. Free timed-entry passes (available at the Zoo) will be required for the first several months: s.si.edu/41lXBn0 #LiveBirdFriendly

nationalzoo.si.edu

Bird House

Tweet tweet! Our

's renovated Bird House opens March 13. These are a few of the birds you can see in immersive aviaries and the surrounding outdoor exhibits. 1️⃣Black-and-white warbler 2️⃣Barred owls 3️⃣Shorebirds, including sanderling and dunlin 4️⃣A male bufflehead

A black-and-white warbler, a round bird, sits on a branch among tall trees

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Two barred owls stand on branches in an outdoor enclosures

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Small white shorebirds walk on a sandy beach

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A male bufflehead duck with white and dark purple feathers paddles in a body of water

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Live now! Join us to hear about the power of the Black Press. #BHM

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nprextra

@NPRextra

Feb 23

twitter.com/i/spaces/1MnGn

Feb 22

Join us Thursday for a Twitter Spaces conversation with

@NPRMichel

and

@Smithsonian

@NMAAHC

Curator, Aaron Bryant, as they talk about The Power of the Black Press. 2pm ET

@NPRextra

. Bring your questions!

A promotional graphic featuring two headshots. The photos depict a figure with short hair and a second figure with a shaved head. Main text reads, “The Power of the Black Press.” The graphic includes the logos for NPR, the Smithsonian, and Twitter.

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nprextra

@NPRextra

Feb 21

Set your reminders for Thursday at 2pm ET for a Twitter Spaces conversation with

@NPRMichel

and

@Smithsonian

@NMAAHC

Curator, Aaron Bryant as they talk about The Power of the Black Press. Have your questions prepared for an open dialogue.

Feb 20

This life-size painting of President Abraham Lincoln towers at 9 feet tall in

@smithsoniannpg

’s “America’s Presidents” exhibition. Completed in 1865, it's by W.F.K. Travers and on long-term loan from the Hartley Dodge Foundation. s.si.edu/417KFRQ #PresidentsDay

A life-size painting of Abraham Lincoln with a thick gold frame. It is installed in a museum gallery. Lincoln is wearing a dark suit and standing in a room with a desk, chair, globe, and other artworks. His hand rests on a book.

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Feb 17

This is Dr. Patricia Cowings, whose research helps astronauts overcome space sickness. She was the first American woman to receive scientist astronaut training in 1978, and went on to study the psycho-physiological and biological problems astronauts experience in space. #BHM

Patricia Cowings sitting on a stool in a white lab coat and looking directly at the camera. She is surrounded by scientific equipment.

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Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

@SMBC

Feb 14

Celebrate #ValentinesDay and enjoy the sweet taste of conservation. Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification now includes cocoa! Treat yourself and the planet by choosing #BirdFriendly chocolate made with 100% Bird Friendly cocoa. Flock this way: nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-bird

An illustration of a Broad-billed Tody surrounded by chocolate products, cacao flowers and fruits, and leaves.

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: s.si.edu/2S81Nao #ValentinesDay

Feb 14

Artist Frida Kahlo signed this love letter with a kiss. 💋 She wrote it in 1939 to photographer Nickolas Muray, whose papers are in our

@ArchivesAmerArt

A handwritten letter in cursive writing. There is a red imprint of lips on the bottom right corner. The last line reads: "To you, my loveliest Nick, all my heart, blood and all my being. I adore you. Frida"

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Mother Tongue Is Coming Home: Highlights and Themes in This Year’s Film Festival

SmithsonianFolklife

@SmithsonianFolk

Feb 13

What does “home” mean to you? This year, the Mother Tongue Film Festival shows that home can be found in a place, a person, a song, a prayer, an emotion, a language. Read more and watch trailers of some highlights: s.si.edu/3IgpVyP #MotherTongue2023

@RecoverVoices

folklife.si.edu

After two years of online programming, the Mother Tongue Film Festival is Coming Home.

Feb 13

Shine bright like a diamond. 🎵 Fashioned from the largest uncut American diamond ever discovered, the flawless 12.4-carat Uncle Sam Diamond is now in our

@NMNH

. It was cut from a crystal weighing a massive 40.23 carats discovered at Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas in 1924. 💎

A rectangular shaped colorless gem against a black background

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. s.si.edu/2GsUrVb #SmithsonianBHM

National Zoo

@NationalZoo

Feb 6

🍫 ❤️ How tweet it is. Chocolate has joined the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® flock.

@DandelionChoco

@frenchbroadchoc

and

@RaakaChocolate

are crafting the first Bird Friendly® chocolate made from 100% certified cocoa from Zorzal Cacao. nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-bird 🌎💚

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

@amhistorymuseum

, with stools in

@NMAAHC

Museum display of a counter with four stools in front of it. Behind the counter is a black and white image of group of young men sitting at a lunch counter.

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Two stools with metal backs. One has a red set and one has a blue seat.

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Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

@CenterForAstro

Jan 25

What's in the air we breathe? Led by scientists at the

@CenterforAstro

, the

@TEMPO_Mission

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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TEMPO Mission

@TEMPO_Mission

Jan 25

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.

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Jan 31

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

@chandraxray

and

@NASAWebb

: s.si.edu/3HMb7sI

$A composite image of 30 Doradus, with royal blue and purple gas clouds interact with red and orange gas clouds against a dark background. Specks of light and large gleaming stars peek through the colorful clouds.The patches of royal blue and purple gas clouds represent X-ray data collected by the Chandra Observatory. The brightest and most prominent blue cloud appears at the center of the image, roughly shaped like an upward pointing triangle. Darker X-ray clouds can be found near the right and left edges of the image. The red and orange gas clouds represent infrared data from the James Webb Space Telescope. These patches resemble clouds of roiling fire. The brightest and most prominent infrared cloud appears at our upper left, roughly shaped like a downward pointing triangle.Wispy white clouds outline the upward pointing bright blue triangle in the center of the image. Inside this frame is a brilliant gleaming star with six long, thin, diffraction spikes. Beside it is a cluster of sma$

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Jan 27

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."

@smithsoniannpg

's Miriam Baker sculpture: s.si.edu/2Ykg7gp #HolocaustRemembranceDay

Bronze sculpture of Elie Wiesel. He is shown from the torso up with his arms crossed.

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