All upcoming programs

The rolling hills east of the Anacostia River, with a commanding view of Washington D.C., have been settled for centuries. From the trading grounds of the Indigenous Nacotchtank to a whites-only suburb known as Uniontown to a predominantly Black community, Anacostia has seen dramatic change. Join Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, for a look at the area’s architecture, which encapsulates its many identities.

Parents must bring campers to the assigned Before-Camp room in the Ripley Center to sign in daily. At 9 a.m., campers will be brought up to Drop-off and then to their camps.

The week of the Fourth of July is the perfect time for campers to explore the history of our nation’s beginning. They view the original Star-Spangled Banner and visit exhibits in the American History Museum, as well as some the Mall’s famous monuments. They sing the National Anthem and other traditional patriotic songs, and make their own flags, noisemakers, pinwheels, and fireworks-inspired art for an all-American show-and-share at the end of the week. 

Campers discover folktales from different world cultures each day as they read stories depicted, reflected, or told through Smithsonian collections. They examine art, cultural artifacts, landscapes, and wildlife during daily field trips that connect to those stories, which inspire crafts including puppets and pop-up books. Throughout the week, songs and games tie together themes that are shared across cultures.

Outrageous Orange? Purple Pizazz? Spend the week creating with more colors than your crayon box. Art comes to life as campers learn the basics of visual art. Campers investigate color and relationships with watercolor, tempera, printmaking, and camper-made clay. Each day is full of vibrant color as campers visit the museums, explore artists, work with new materials, and design projects that scream colors.

Campers dive in and discover the wonders of the watery world as they visit Sant Ocean Hall at the Natural History Museum, the American History Museum, and the National Zoo. Along the way, they learn about the life and cycles of the creatures that live there including sea mammals such as otters, whales, and dolphins. They discover the lore of famous ships and sea captains who explored the world’s great oceans. Campers build ocean dioramas, coral-reef exhibits, and underwater volcanoes for their Watery World exhibit at the end of the week.

Pack up the station wagon, pop in a mix tape, and take to the road to discover Smithsonian marvels from across the USA! Campers design and construct their own modes of transportation and map their journeys as they “travel” the Electronic Superhighway at the American Art Museum. At the Natural History Museum they explore amazing natural formations and animals native to diverse biomes across the American landscape. They celebrate the inventions and outstanding figures from many states highlighted at the American History Museum. Criss-cross the country, sample the states, and reinvent roadside attractions as this week-long journey unfolds.

From scrambled dinosaur bones to tangled mysteries, there are plenty of puzzles waiting to be solved around the National Mall. Campers explore the history of puzzles, tackling everything from labyrinths to the Gordian knot to brainteasers. They also create their own puzzles inspired by games and objects in the American History Museum and International Spy Museum. Are you up to the challenge?

Many civilizations have left us plenty to remember them by. Each day our Junior Anthropologists hop into a time machine and travel around the world to explore a fascinating variety of past and present cultures. They go on a treasure hunt and play games as they discover the histories of ancient civilizations around the world. Campers also explore the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival's Indigenous Voices of the Americas: Celebrating the National Museum of the American Indian and join a circle of celebration with stories, songs, and dance. Campers learn stories that underlie Indigenous sports and games. Throughout the week, visits to the exhibits at the African Art, Asian Art, Natural History, and American Indian museums offer insights into many civilizations’ innovations and daily life. Where—and when—will the intrepid campers find themselves next?

Campers explore the science, art, history, and diversity of all colors on the visible—and invisible—spectrum across the Smithsonian. Inspired by camouflage and color-changing creatures of the animal world at the Natural History Museum and artworks featured at the Hirshhorn and Cooper Hewitt, campers conduct color and dye experiments, bend the wavelengths of light itself, and create optical masterpieces.