This Earth Day, celebrate Mother Earth with Niraj Ray, founder of Cultivate the City, a D.C. organization of urban farmers dedicated to locally grown food. Take a tour of one of Cultivate the City’s community gardens as you gather tips on how to garden and leave the planet a better place.

Sunday, April 22, 2018 - 2:00 p.m.

Enjoy a spring day at the Arboretum, during what is usually the peak blooming time for azaleas, dogwoods, and seasonal wildflowers. The day includes a combination walking and bus tour to visit popular collections on the Arboretum grounds, a picnic box lunch on site, and special guided tours of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum and the National Herb Garden.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018 - 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Massive technological innovations now allow scientists to extract and analyze ancient DNA as never before. Geneticist David Reich examines how these developments have transformed our understanding of our lineage as modern humans.

Thursday, April 26, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Mallows Bay on the lower Potomac is the site of a “ghost fleet” of nearly 200 wrecked vessels dating from the Revolutionary War through World War I. There’s no better vantage point than a two-person kayak from which to experience this dramatic collection, as well as to explore the bay’s marshy tributaries filled with abundant wildlife.

Sunday, April 29, 2018 - 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Mallows Bay on the lower Potomac is the site of a “ghost fleet” of nearly 200 wrecked vessels dating from the Revolutionary War through World War I. There’s no better vantage point than a two-person kayak from which to experience this dramatic collection, as well as to explore the bay’s marshy tributaries filled with abundant wildlife.

Sunday, April 29, 2018 - 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Jim Zimbelman, a planetary geologist at the Air and Space Museum, examines how a new explosion of insights expanded and deepened our earlier knowledge of comets, now seen as frozen remnants from the formation of the solar system.

Monday, April 30, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Mallows Bay on the lower Potomac is the site of a “ghost fleet” of nearly 200 wrecked vessels dating from the Revolutionary War through World War I. There’s no better vantage point than a two-person kayak from which to experience this dramatic collection, as well as to explore the bay’s marshy tributaries filled with abundant wildlife.

Sunday, May 6, 2018 - 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Mallows Bay on the lower Potomac is the site of a “ghost fleet” of nearly 200 wrecked vessels dating from the Revolutionary War through World War I. There’s no better vantage point than a two-person kayak from which to experience this dramatic collection, as well as to explore the bay’s marshy tributaries filled with abundant wildlife.

Sunday, May 6, 2018 - 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

How many push-ups should you be doing a day?  Does swimming or weight-lifting help reduce your risk of heart disease? Internist and author John Whyte offers the latest information and recommendations you need to know about what exercises you should—and should not—be doing.

Thursday, May 10, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Mallows Bay on the lower Potomac is the site of a “ghost fleet” of nearly 200 wrecked vessels dating from the Revolutionary War through World War I. There’s no better vantage point than a two-person kayak from which to experience this dramatic collection, as well as to explore the bay’s marshy tributaries filled with abundant wildlife.

Friday, May 11, 2018 - 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Mallows Bay on the lower Potomac is the site of a “ghost fleet” of nearly 200 wrecked vessels dating from the Revolutionary War through World War I. There’s no better vantage point than a two-person kayak from which to experience this dramatic collection, as well as to explore the bay’s marshy tributaries filled with abundant wildlife.

Friday, May 11, 2018 - 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The story of the American Plains bison looms large in our country’s history—and has a link to the Smithsonian’s past and present. Staff members of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the American Indian Museum provide insights into the scientific and cultural significance of the bison, and conservation efforts developed for this endangered species.

Thursday, May 17, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Family Program: (Ages 8 to 12) Go on an interactive exploration of the Natural History Museum and participate in hands-on crafts projects and games. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the darkened halls of one of the world’s most famous museums!

May 18 - 19, 2018, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Explore the man-made wonders of the C&O Canal, as well as natural beauty of spring along the Potomac River, guided by writer and local historian Garrett Peck. Highlights include the Monocacy Aqueduct, the canal town of Williamsport, the Paw Paw Tunnel, and an overnight stay in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, site of America’s first spa.

Depart: Saturday, May 19, 2018 - 8:30 a.m.
Return: Saunday, May 20, 2018 - 6:00 p.m.

The Edgewater, Maryland, headquarters of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is the site of some of the longest-running environmental projects in the world. Get the most out of the facility’s once-a-year open house by becoming part of a tour that includes special opportunities not available to the public during the event.

Saturday, May 19, 2018 - 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Environmental historian Hayden Mathews leads a tour that examines how Virginia’s once-declining oyster harvest was revived through innovative developments in commercial farming and aquaculture in Chesapeake Bay. A visit to a 119-year-old family business that was among the pioneers in that resurgence offers a chance to see—and taste—the robust oyster industry of today.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan produced some remarkable new treatments and technologies in combat-casualty care, many of which are finding their way into civilian healthcare. Military doctors who served during the wars discuss the genesis of these advances and their potential applications beyond military medicine.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Why do our bodies and minds react the way they do when we’re in danger? Joseph LeDoux, a professor of science at New York University, discusses the impact of recent research into the neurological and emotional roots of fear, and why it might change our pharmacological and behavioral approaches to helping people reframe this emotion.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Mallows Bay on the lower Potomac is the site of a “ghost fleet” of nearly 200 wrecked vessels dating from the Revolutionary War through World War I. There’s no better vantage point than a two-person kayak from which to experience this dramatic collection, as well as to explore the bay’s marshy tributaries filled with abundant wildlife.

Saturday, May 26, 2018 - 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Mallows Bay on the lower Potomac is the site of a “ghost fleet” of nearly 200 wrecked vessels dating from the Revolutionary War through World War I. There’s no better vantage point than a two-person kayak from which to experience this dramatic collection, as well as to explore the bay’s marshy tributaries filled with abundant wildlife.

Saturday, May 26, 2018 - 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Family Program: (Ages 8 to 12) Go on an interactive exploration of the Natural History Museum and participate in hands-on crafts projects and games. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the darkened halls of one of the world’s most famous museums!

June 1 - 2, 2018, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Join Kelly Beatty, senior editor for Sky & Telescope magazine, for an examination of the Red Planet from afar and up close—including a 3D tour that puts you right on the dusty Martian surface.

Monday, June 4, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

There’s much new to learn about how we learn. Join author Ulrich Boser as he shares some highly effective—and surprising—practical strategies to freshen up our brains and make learning stick.

Thursday, June 7, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Did you know there is rural beauty nearby to Washington that rivals the English countryside or Provence? Spend a June day with author and naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley as she shares some of her favorite places in a slice of paradise bordering the Frederick County line.

Friday, June 8, 2018 - 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Katrina van Grouw, natural science illustrator and author, fuses science and art in her beautifully illustrated new book, Unnatural Selection, which illuminates evolutionary patterns in wild and domestic animals.

Tuesday, June 12, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Palimpsests—text and drawings on parchment that had been scraped off and overwritten—can hold secrets of the original writing beneath their surfaces for centuries. Michael B. Toth discusses how the international teams of researchers he leads use advanced imagining technologies to reclaim and share precious texts once thought lost forever.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Veteran safari guide Russell Gammon brings to life the story of the world’s most massive animal movement: the annual migration of 1.2 million wildebeest across the savanna between Kenya and Tanzania as they follow life-giving rains.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Environmental historian and storyteller Hayden Mathews interprets the many layers of the county’s natural history as he leads a tour to Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Calvert Marine Museum, and Flag Ponds Beach and Nature Center. 

Saturday, June 16, 2018 - 8:45 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.

What makes a pain de mie fluffy, a baguette crisp, or a loaf of sourdough chewy? Nora Velazco and Omar Quazi, head bread bakers at the Mount Vernon shop called a baked joint, offer the answers as they share their passion for bread making and its science, history, and rich cultural traditions.

Monday, June 18, 2018 - 6:30 p.m.

Meet two scientists whose research on ecosystems takes them from the tops of the forest canopy to the ocean floor: Chris Meyer, research zoologist and curator of marine invertebrates at the Natural History Museum, and Jess Parker, senior scientist in forest ecology at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. 

Thursday, June 21, 2018 - 6:45 p.m.

Family Program: (Ages 8 to 12) Go on an interactive exploration of the Natural History Museum and participate in hands-on crafts projects and games. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the darkened halls of one of the world’s most famous museums!

June 29 - 30, 2018, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Family Program: (Ages 8 to 12) Go on an interactive exploration of the Natural History Museum and participate in hands-on crafts projects and games. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the darkened halls of one of the world’s most famous museums!

July 6 - 7, 2018, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

One of North America’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders is the perfect destination for a visit that includes all the don’t-miss attractions of Niagara Falls—and a memorable dinner in one of Ontario’s most historic and charming towns.

Depart: Thursday, July 12, 2018 - 7:00 a.m.
Return: Saturday, July 14, 2018 - 8:30 p.m.

Family Program: (Ages 8 to 14) Go on an interactive exploration of the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the halls of one of the world’s most famous museums!

July 14 - 15, 2018, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Family Program: (Ages 8 to 14) Go on an interactive exploration of the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the halls of one of the world’s most famous museums!

July 28 - 29, 2018, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Family Program: (Ages 8 to 14) Go on an interactive exploration of the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the halls of one of the world’s most famous museums!

August 18 - 19, 2018, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Family Program: (Ages 8 to 12) Go on an interactive exploration of the Natural History Museum and participate in hands-on crafts projects and games. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the darkened halls of one of the world’s most famous museums!

August 24 - 25, 2018, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Family Program: (Ages 8 to 12) Go on an interactive exploration of the Natural History Museum and participate in hands-on crafts projects and games. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the darkened halls of one of the world’s most famous museums!

August 31 - September 1, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

The rugged landscape of western North Dakota was the setting against which Theodore Roosevelt transformed himself from an asthmatic 24-year-old into a robust outdoorsman—and a passionate lifelong conservationist. Experience that corner of the West—filled with dramatic vistas, vividly colored canyons, and wandering herds of wild bison—on an extraordinary 5-day tour that brings you into the heart of Roosevelt’s Badlands and the national park that bears his name.

Depart from Bismarck, ND: Saturday, September 15, 2018 - 7:00 p.m.
Return to Bismarck, ND: Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - 1:00 p.m.