Free Event at the Arts and Industries Building Features Hands-on Activities, Live Performances and Outdoor Family Fun
The Smithsonian will welcome families and kids of all ages to celebrate America’s 250th birthday year during Family Day, a free, daylong event at the Arts and Industries Building Saturday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
From hands-on activities and live performances to moments of discovery and fun, Smithsonian Family Day is an opportunity to explore, create and celebrate together. Free and open to the public, the event requires no tickets or advanced registration. Throughout the day, visitors will enjoy immersive activity zones with family-friendly programming, including:
- Theater performances by Smithsonian Associates’ Discovery Theater
- A performance and movement class with The Washington Ballet
- Live jazz performances by the Dylan Lizza Quartet
- A singalong performance with the Capital Accord Chorus
- Historical reenactors and surprise appearances by PBS KIDS’ characters and beloved historical figures
- Outdoor activities in the Haupt Garden (weather permitting)
- A chance to visit the Smithsonian Castle next door and see “American Aspirations” before the exhibition closes July 26
As part of Our Shared Future: 250, the Smithsonian’s commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, the event explores the people, ideas and stories that have shaped the nation while inspiring young people to imagine what comes next.
Event Information
Date: Saturday, July 25
Time: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Arrival: Visitors can enter through the North Doors on Jefferson Drive on the National Mall side of the building. This month, pedestrian and vehicle access along and across the National Mall may be limited, so visitors should allow extra time for travel.
Location: Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building, 900 Jefferson Dr. S.W.
Admission: Free, and no tickets or registration are required; however, there may be wait times for entry into the building.
Contact: For media inquiries, contact Paulina Segarra at segarrap@si.edu. For additional information, contact the Office of Visitor Services at info@si.edu or call the Smithsonian Call Center at 202-633-1000.
Full Program
Folklife Stage Schedule
- 10–10:45 a.m.: Performance by the Dylan Lizza Jazz Quartet
- 11–11:30 a.m.: Performance by Smithsonian Associates’ Discovery Theater of “Professor Wingnut Wants to Fly”
- 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Performance and movement class by The Washington Ballet
- 12:45–1:15 p.m.: Performance and singalong by Capital Accord Chorus, a barbershop quartet
- 1:30–2 p.m.: Performance by Smithsonian Associates’ Discovery Theater of “Professor Wingnut Wants to Fly”
- 2:15–3 p.m.: Amelia Earhart historical reenactment performance
Create & Explore Zone
- Dress for Success with the National Portrait Gallery
Ideal Age Range: 3+
Participants can dress like George Washington and design their own outfit inspired by works of art. - Brick by Brick with the Smithsonian Mason
Ideal Age Range: 5+
Guests can participate in a hands-on masonry demonstration and build their own foam block structure. - Nature Play with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
All Ages
Participants can explore animals and nature through creative sensory activities and art. - My Bright STEM Idea with the Smithsonian Science Education Center
Ideal Age Range: 5+
Guests can create a simple electrical circuit and light a bulb through this hands-on science activity. - The Washington Ballet
All Ages
Guests can learn about The Washington Ballet’s performances, youth programs and adult classes. - PBS KIDS Across America
All Ages
Hands-on activities and photo opportunities will be available with PBS characters.
Make Your Mark Zone
- Printing Identity: Tell Your Own Story! with the National Museum of the American Latino
Ideal Age Range: 5+
Guests can learn about printing presses and create their own newspaper. - Fin-tastic Sculptures with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
All Ages
Participants can take inspiration from Alexander Calder’s mobile “Fish” (1944) and create their own animal-like sculpture. - Mystery Model with the National Air and Space Museum
Ideal Age Range: 4+
Guests can solve a museum mystery by identifying a 3D airplane model. - Specimen-Inspired Prints with the National Museum of Natural History
Ideal Age Range: 3+
Participants can create their own print using specimens from the museum’s collection, including a T. rex tooth. - Stamp Design with the National Postal Museum
Ideal Age Range: 4+
Guests can design their own stamp that celebrates America’s birthday. - Railroad Cart with the National Museum of American History
All Ages
Guests can discover the story of the Transcontinental Railroad and the people who helped build it.
Your Voice Zone
- Family Calm Zone
All Ages
A quiet, sensory-friendly space for rest and relaxation. - Voices and Votes Exhibition
Ideal Age Range: 5+
Participants can explore the history and evolution of American democracy through an exhibition and a kid-friendly voting experience. - Story Time
All Ages
Visitors can join storytellers throughout the day for read-alouds celebrating American history, folklore and imagination.
Family Picnic Zone
- Family Dining Area
Guests can bring food from home and enjoy a space to rest and refuel. - Pop-Up Store
Commemorative Smithsonian 250th merchandise will be available for purchase; only card and mobile payments accepted. - Community Mural
All Ages
Guests can contribute a self-portrait to a collaborative community mural. All supplies are provided.
Enid A. Haupt Garden Activities
Outdoor activities weather-permitting.
- Plant a Seed with Smithsonian Gardens
All Ages
Visitors can discover how gardens bring people and plants together in the new “Growing Tomorrow” exhibition. - Performance by the Dylan Lizza Jazz Quartet
11–11:30 a.m.
Live jazz will be performed in the garden (weather permitting).
Special Appearances
Surprise visits throughout the day from:
- Smithsonian’s founder, Jimmy Smithson
- Xavier Riddle from PBS KIDS
- George Washington
- Amelia Earhart
Credit
Family Day received support from the Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250. Major support for Our Shared Future: 250 has been provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. Additional generous contributions have been made by Target, Caterpillar Foundation and the Gates Foundation.