The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will open a new exhibition, “Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture,” on view from Sept. 26, 2026, through Oct. 2, 2027. A companion family festival is scheduled for Sept. 27, with a rain date of Sept. 28. Rooted in Mexican American and Chicano culture and identity, lowriders are customized cars that sit low to the ground and feature elaborate paint jobs with hydraulics for bouncing. The 5,000-square-foot exhibition will immerse visitors in the rich 80-year history of lowriding and community building through photographs, posters, objects such as a pinstripe tool kit, car club clothing, trophies and more.
At the heart of the show will be two classic Chevy Impalas: the 1963 El Rey, named for the song by Mexican singer Vicente Fernández and on loan from Albert De Alba, Sr., and the iconic 1964 Gypsy Rose, featured in the opening credits of the 1970s television show Chico and the Man, on loan from The Gypsy Rose Lowrider, LLC. The vibrancy of this bilingual exhibition reflects the Mexican American communities that have inspired it.
“Lowriding has developed over the past 80 years as an expression of intergenerational artistry and cultural affirmation across the nation and even the world with its focus on family, culture and community,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the National Museum of American History.
“Cars tell stories of individuals and communities, and car clubs are a reflection and extension of that community,” said Steve Velasquez, exhibition curator. “The growth of all-women car clubs is bringing together a new generation of builders.”
To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, the museum is hosting the “Corazón y vida Lowriding Family Festival” from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 27, in partnership with the National Museum of the American Latino. Activities include live performances, a panel discussion, an afternoon History Film Forum screening, exhibition tours and hands-on art and auto workshops. There will also be a showcase of lowrider cars and bikes with Washington-area car club, Just Klownin Car Club and objects out of storage around the museum. A complete schedule of activities is below:
Presented by the National Museum of American History
Outdoors, Madison Drive Terrace
All Day – Lowrider Cars and Bikes Show with Just Klownin Car Club
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Draw a Lowrider Activity (hourly)
11:00 a.m. – Music set by DJ Sonrisita
Noon – Conversation Panel, “Low, Loud and Sound: Cruisin’ through Lowrider Music”
1:30 p.m. – Music performance by Thee Heart Tones
3:00 p.m. – Mariachi performance by Mariachi Los Amigos
Outdoors, Constitution Avenue Circle
All Day – Learn how a lowrider hydraulic system works with Just Klownin Car Club
All Day – Lowrider Car and Bike Show with Just Klownin Car Club
Indoors, Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza | 1 West
10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. – Storytime with D.C. Public Libraries
Indoors, Spark! Lab | 1 West
All Day – Tweak a Lowrider
Indoors, Warner Bros. Theater | 1 Center
3:30 p.m. – Objects Out of Storage: Chicano and Lowrider Stories
4:30 p.m. – History Film Forum: Lowriding from the 80s to Today
Presented by the National Museum of the American Latino
Outdoors, Madison Drive Terrace
All Day – Body Shop: Hands-On Lowrider Experience
All Day – Live mural painting by artist Daniel Katz-Hernandez
Outdoors, Constitution Circle
Noon – 4:00 p.m. – Screen Print a Lowrider Bandana with Studio Two Three
Indoor, Molina Family Latino Gallery | 1 East
All Day – ¡Carritos! Learning Cart Program: activities with objects from NMAL’s collection
All Day – Story Booth: share what you would like to see in the National Museum of the American Latino
Street tacos, empanadas and beverages will be available for purchase outside the museum’s National Mall entrance on the Madison Drive terrace by Restaurant Associates.
“Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture” will be showcased in the Marcia and Frank Carlucci Hall of Culture and the Arts. The exhibition was made possible by Marcia and Frank Carlucci, Pendleton Woolen Mills and Lowrider Magazine Events and through the support of the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool by the National Museum of the American Latino.
The traveling exhibition organized by SITES | Affiliations in collaboration with the National Museum of American History, “Lowrider Culture in the United States / Cultura Lowrider en los Estados Unidos,” began its tour Sept. 13 at the Muzeo Museum and Culture Center in Anaheim, California. The exhibition will tour through summer 2029. The current tour schedule includes seven museums and cultural centers.
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, 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 offers always expanding access to online exhibitions, PK–12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. For more information, visit the museum’s website. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.