Welcome to Smithsonian Associates In-Person Programs

Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.  

Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.  

Step back in time as Lynn O’Connell leads an exploration of how Christmases of yesteryear were celebrated in Alexandria, Virginia. As you walk through Old Town Alexandria, learn how John Carlyle, George Washington, and other city leaders of the 18th century marked the seasons and which new customs were brought to Alexandria in the 1880s and 1890s. Get the delicious details on the holiday feasts served at historic Gadsby’s Tavern in the 19th century, including George Washington’s favorite dish—and his rather boozy eggnog.

Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.  

Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.  

Smithsonian Chamber Music Society audiences are privy to the unparalleled experience of being able to hear two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati—in this popular four-concert series on Saturdays. This concert features music composed by J. S. Bach.

Led by regional historian Hayden Mathews, step into a world of elegance and holiday splendor in a journey through the historic Brandywine Valley, where the legacy of the du Pont family comes to life in grand estates filled with seasonal displays. Spanning Pennsylvania and Delaware, the region is home to some of the most opulent mansions and gardens in the country, each with a connection to the du Pont family, who shaped the cultural and economic landscape of the region and created a heritage of architecture, art, and horticulture.

First practiced in the Greco-Roman era, encaustic painting remains popular with artists today. Study fusing and carving in wax as well as capturing vibrant pigments using heated beeswax.

Just in time for the upcoming season, this workshop is an opportunity to create small hanging artworks that can be individualized in many ways to fit any gift-giving occasion.

Smithsonian Chamber Music Society audiences are privy to the unparalleled experience of being able to hear two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati—in this popular four-concert series on Sundays. This concert features music composed by J. S. Bach.