This Week at Natural History: Summer Solstice!🌞

Image credit: Dinosaurs of DC

Meet the Lone Dinosaur That Put D.C. on the Prehistoric Map

Over 100 years ago, a mysterious fossil was unearthed beneath a D.C. street—and it’s still keeping scientists guessing. Dubbed “Capitalsaurus” and honored as the district’s official dinosaur, this enigmatic creature is known only from a single vertebra fossil. Click the link below to watch as NMNH paleobiologist Matt Carrano unpacks the peculiar prehistoric discovery.

Image credits: NMNH Rosenwald Collection (Left), James Di Loreto and Phillip R. Lee, Smithsonian Institution (Right)

Smithsonian Specimens Take a Field Trip to the National Gallery of Art

For a limited time, visitors can explore the dazzling intersection between art and science at the National Gallery of Art.  Click the link below to take a look inside the new “Little Beasts” exhibition, where life-sized paintings of buzzing insects and burrowing mammals are accompanied by real specimens from NMNH’s collection.

Image credits: Hercules Beetle (left circle), Smithsonian Institution; Jan van Kessel the Elder, Insects and a Sprig of Rosemary, 1653, oil on copper (center circle), The Richard C. Von Hess Foundation, Nell and Robert Weidenhammer Fund, Barry D. Friedman, and Friends of Dutch Art, 2018.41.1, National Gallery of Art; Woodchuck (right circle), James Di Loreto, Smithsonian Institution

Here is our latest programming guide. Click here for a full schedule of upcoming public programs and a link to previously scheduled video webinars.

For Families

Solstice Festival at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
We’re traveling outside to celebrate the summer solstice with art, nature, music, and hands-on activities at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden! Inspired by the exhibition, "Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World," educators from NMNH and NGA will encourage artful connections with the flora and fauna around you.
Saturday, June 21, 2025, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
Location: National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Constitution Ave NW and 7th St NW

This event is part of Smithsonian Solstice Saturday.

Play Date at NMNH
"Play Date at NMNH" is a drop-in offering for the early learning audience (0-5 years old) and their caregivers and family members. Upcoming Play Dates:

• Play Date at NMNH: Colorful Corals (June 24)
• Play Date at NMNH: At Home in a Habitat (August 5)

Locations: The Sant Ocean Hall, 1st Floor (June 24) and Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Center for Science Education, Ground Floor (Aug. 5)

For Everyone

Solstice Saturday
Join us on Saturday, June 21, 2025, as the Smithsonian marks the first Saturday of summer—Solstice Saturday—by staying open late and hosting programs and performances throughout the day and night. All Smithsonian museums on the National Mall will be open late. The National Museum of Natural History will be open until 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 21, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. ET
Location: Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall

World Ocean Month in the Sant Ocean Hall
Join us in June—and throughout the year—to marvel at the beauty and diversity of our natural world. Stop by and talk with staff and visiting experts:

• The Ocean Around Us Tour (June 23)
  
• Fishy Business in the Eye of the Hurricane (June 25)
  
• The Mantis Shrimp: Beautiful, Dangerous, and Powerful (June 25)
  
• Ocean Topics Cart Chat (June 26 and 27)
  

Location: The Sant Ocean Hall, 1st Floor

Connected Devices, 5G Networks, and the Future of Cellphones
Have you ever wondered how smart devices connect with each other through 5G networks, or what phones could do 10 or 20 years from now? Come meet an educator and an engineer from T-Mobile, to learn all about the smart devices we use every day, and the ones we may use in the future!
Tuesday, June 24, 2025, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Cellphone Exhibition Hall, 2nd Floor

Thank you for your interest in NMNH! Your generosity enables the museum to address the big questions that society faces and our fundamental understanding of how people and nature interact. Click the links below to help us spark curiosity, discovery, and learning about the natural world and our place in it.