May

Local Residents Ride Free

Let us take you and your loved ones around to see all of Washington DC’s monuments and memorials. District of Columbia residents, as well as residents within a 50 mile radius can take advantage of some of our tours and attractions for FREE when accompanied by a full fare adult paid guest with Hometown Pass!

Go to Hometown Pass for more information.

2021 Events Coming Soon

Explorer Trivia Night

We’re partnering with District Trivia for a mind-bending night of Nat Geo–inspired questions on geography, exploration, and more. Test your world knowledge, hear from National Geographic explorers, and play for prizes. Prove your geo-smarts by competing against other teams and our explorers in five rounds of play. Want to be on a team with your friends? Groups of eight may reserve a table, and groups smaller than eight may sit and play together. National Geographic staff will create teams of solo and partial team ticket buyers at the event.

Chamber Music at the Barns: Arnuad Sussman, Paul Neubauer, David Finckel and Wu Han

While Josef Suk may not be well-known to modern audiences, he was directly responsible for our knowledge (and, dare we posit, love) of both Brahms and Dvořák. This performance explores the deep connections and mutual admiration between musicians.

NSO POPS: Disney Pixar’s UP in Concert

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2019, this animated classic comes back to the big screen with the NSO playing Michael Giacchino’s Oscar® and Grammy®-winning score live to the film. 2 pm and 8 pm.

Awesome Con

Awesome Con is Washington DC’s Comic Con! Awesome Con is a celebration of geek culture, bringing over 70,000 fans together with their favorite stars from across comics, movies, television, toys, games, and more! Geek out with your friends, wear a cosplay of your favorite character, and walk down Artist Alley during the best weekend in DC! Celebs from Back to the Future, Doctor Who, Saved by the Bell, The Office, and more. Plus don’t miss Future Con, Awesome Con Jr. for families, and Pride Alley for LGBT+ creators.

Discover the World of Orchids

Come explore the fabulous world of orchids! In celebration of the U.S. Botanic Garden’s bicentennial year, our orchid show celebrates plant exploration and the diversity of orchids found throughout the world. A natural Manila hemp rope sculpture installation by artist Susan Beallor-Snyder will be featured amidst the tropical plants of the Garden Court. Thousands of orchid blooms throughout the Conservatory will showcase the USBG and Smithsonian Gardens’ extensive plant collection. Join us to celebrate a sea of fantastic flowers!

City Nature Challenge ID Party

City Nature Challenge is a friendly, global competition to see which city can identify the most species of plants, animals, insects and fungi. Tudor Place is hosting an official City Nature Challenge ID party and all are welcome. Drop by to learn how naturalists identify plants and wildlife. Use these skills to label your own nature photos and those collected by people all over the world on the iNaturalist app. Come any time during the program to talk with professionals and hobbyists in the field. The work produced will be added to a wildlife catalog used by people worldwide!

Fierce Women 2.0 Tour

Step up your knowledge about women artists! Discover a diverse cast of fierce women artists who refused to let men define their place, pushed back on the limited roles society accorded them, and blazed trails as artists, activists, and innovators. If you’ve participated in our “Fierce Women” tour and want more, this is your chance to meet a new squad of pioneering artists. If you are new to the “Fierce Women” family, welcome! Inspired by Museum Hack, this unconventional, fast-paced tour is fun, fearless, and free.

Through the Lens with Robert Clark: The Last Veterans of WWII

On the eve of the 75th anniversary of VE Day, signifying the end of World War II, join National Geographic photographer Robert Clark and hear about his recent project capturing the images and voices of the last veterans of the war that changed everything in Europe. Robert, inspired by his own father’s service in WWII, will share this highly personal and powerful story.

Jane Goodall Film Festival

Enjoy six films from the 1960s to the present day that encompass Jane Goodall’s journey and adventures in Gombe National Park and beyond. The films will play from 11:00am – 8:30pm in chronological order. This event is free with museum admission.

11am – Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees, 1965
12:30pm – Among the Wild Chimpanzees, 1984
2pm – My Life With the Chimpanzees, 1995
3:30pm – Brother VS. Brother: Kingdom of the Apes, 2014
4:30pm – Jane, 2017
7pm – Jane: The Hope, Spring 2020

Lessons Learned from a Civil War Medicinal Herb Garden

During the American Civil War, access to drugs and medicines became a serious issue for communities on both sides of the conflict. Instead of relying on official sources, civilians often relied on what they could scrounge or grow themselves. On May 14 at the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office, Greg Susla of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine will discuss his five years of work on the re-established medicinal herb garden at the Pry House at Antietam National Battlefield. He will note the medicinal applications of the various plants grown in the garden and their uses during the 19th century.

Rossini Messe Solennelle

Best-known as a brilliant opera composer, Rossini writes a mass which retains the composer’s flair for high drama. Written in Paris at the end of his life, his Petite Messe Solennelle offers moments of energetic spirit and profound, melodic beauty.

Bite Nite: ZooFari

Best known as a brilliant opera composer, Rossini writes a mass which retains the composer’s flair for high drama. Written in Paris at the end of his life, his Petite Messe Solennelle offers moments of energetic spirit and profound, melodic beauty.