Museums

Maryland Science Center

Light Street and Key Highway at the Inner Harbor, Baltimore. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed holidays. Imax theater and exhibits, $9.50-$19.50. 410/685-5225.

• Imax: “Bugs in 3-D,” “Titanica & Hubble,” “Antarctica.” Call for times.

• Planetarium shows: “The Sky Live!” “Live From the Sun,” “Entertaining Einstein” and “The Sky Above Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Call for times.

• “Body Link.” Permanent exhibit.

• “Follow the Blue Crab.” Permanent exhibit.

• “Dinosaur Mysteries.” Permanent exhibit.

• “Terralink.” Permanent exhibit.

• “Newton’s Alley.” Permanent exhibit.

• “Your Body: The Inside Story.” Permanent exhibit.

Montpelier

11407 Constitution Highway, Montpelier Station, Va. 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily except holidays. 540/672-2728.

• “Discovering Madison.” Video, audio tour, photographs and more about James Madison’s life. Continues indefinitely.

National Air and Space Museum

Independence Avenue and Sixth Street SW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Closed Dec. 25. Metro: L’Enfant Plaza. 202/357-2700. Imax theater schedule: 202/357-1686.

• Lockheed Martin Imax shows: “Space Station 3-D,” 11:10 a.m., 12:15, 1:55, 3 and 5 p.m. daily; “To Fly,” 2 p.m. daily; “Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag,” 10:15 a.m., 2, 4 and 6 p.m. daily. $5.50-$8.

• Einstein Planetarium shows: “Infinity Express,” 10:30, 11 and 11:30 a.m.; 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4, 4:30 and 5 p.m. daily. “The Stars Tonight — Open Your Eyes to the Skies,” noon daily. $5.50-$8.

• “Voyage: A Journey Through Our Solar System.” Outdoor exhibition model. Running indefinitely.

• “The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age.” Continues indefinitely.

National Archives

Pennsylvania Avenue between Seventh and Ninth streets NW. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily except holidays. Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial. 202/501-5000.

• “Americans in Paris.” Through Oct. 10.

• “Public Vaults.” Ongoing exhibit.

National Building Museum

401 F St. NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day. Metro: Judiciary Square. 202/272-2448.

• “Tools of the Imagination.” Through Oct. 10.

• “Jewish Washington: Scrapbook of an American Community.” Through Jan. 8.

• “Washington: Symbol and City.” Ongoing.

• “Tools as Art: The Hechinger Collection — Instruments of Change.” Ongoing.

National Firearms Museum

11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax. 703/267-1600. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily; closed holidays.

• The largest firearms collection in the country includes rare weapons and firearms of famous people.

National Gallery of Art

Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Closed Christmas and New Year’s Day. Metro: Judiciary Square or Archives-Navy Memorial. 202/737-4215.

• “Jan de Bray and the Classical Tradition.” Through Aug. 14.

• “Irving Penn: Platinum Prints.” Through Oct. 2.

• “Winslow Homer in the National Gallery of Art.” Through Feb. 20.

• “13 Drawings by Roy Lichtenstein.” Permanent display.

• National Gallery Sculpture Garden. Garden of canopy trees, flowering trees, shrubs, ground cover and perennials contains the works of Alexander Archipenko, Joan Miro, Isamu Noguchi and more. Open all year.

National Geographic Society

17th and M streets NW. Metro: Farragut North. Explorers Hall open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. 202/857-7588.

National Guard Memorial Museum

1 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free. 202/789-0031.

• The nation’s only museum devoted to the National Guard.

National Museum of American History

14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. 202/357-2700.

• “Azucar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz.” Through May 2006.

• “Whatever Happened to Polio?” Through April 2006.

• “Vote: The Machinery of Democracy.” Runs indefinitely.

• “Taking America to Lunch.” Runs indefinitely.

• “America on the Move.” Runs indefinitely.

• “Bon Appetit! Julia Child’s Kitchen at the Smithsonian.” Runs indefinitely.

• “History in the News: Ensuring the Safety of Millions.” Runs indefinitely.

• “Disability Rights Movement.” The pen President George H.W. Bush used to sign the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990; one of the first ultralight wheelchairs and other objects examining the history of the movement in America. Runs indefinitely.

• “Communities in a Changing Nation: The Promise of 19th Century America.” Objects and photographs depicting 19th-century factory workers in Bridgeport, Conn., Jewish immigrants in Cincinnati and blacks in the South Carolina Low Country region around Charleston. On permanent display.

• “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.” Nearly 1,000 objects related to the presidents. Runs indefinitely.

National Museum of African Art

950 Independence Ave. SW. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. 202/633-4600

• “Treasures.” Through Aug. 15.

• “Textures: Word and Symbol in Contemporary African Art.” Through Sept. 4.

National Museum of the American Indian

Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Open daily 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 202/633-1000.

• Museum dedicated to American Indians.

National Museum of Civil War Medicine

48 E. Patrick St., Frederick. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. $4.50-$6.50. 301/695-1864.

• Exhibits focusing on all aspects of Civil War medicine: the story of care, healing and devotion during the conflict.

• “The Art of Embalming the Dead During the American Civil War.” New permanent exhibit.

National Museum of Health and Medicine

Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Ave. NW. 202/782-2200. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily.

• “Human Body, Human Being.” Medical artifacts and anatomy displays on the body and illness. Runs indefinitely.

• “To Bind Up the Nation’s Wounds.” Civil War medicine as told through artifacts, photographs, illustrations, tools, specimens and first-person accounts. On permanent display.

National Museum of Natural History

10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Metro: Federal Triangle. 202/357-2700.

• The Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals. Permanent display. “Dolphins,” 10:20 a.m., 12:10, 2, 4 p.m. daily; “T-rex (3-D): Back to the Cretaceous,” 11:15 a.m., 1:05, 3 and 5 p.m. daily; “Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man (3-D),” 6 and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $6.50-$8.

• Imax Jazz Cafe. 5:30-10 p.m. Friday.

• “El Nino’s Powerful Reach.” Running indefinitely.

National Portrait Gallery

Eighth and F streets NW. 202/357-2700.

• Closed for renovations.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

1250 New York Ave. NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. $3-$5. 202/783-5000.

• “Amalia Amaki: Boxes, Buttons and the Blues.” Through Sept. 25.

• “Women in Blues and Jazz.” Through Sept. 25.

• “M.L. Van Nice: The Library at Wadi Ben Dagh.” Through Nov. 6.

Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center

Pennsylvania Avenue NW between Seventh and Ninth streets. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed holidays. Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial. 202/737-2300.

• Free screenings of the film “At Sea” at various times during the week.

Navy Museum

Building 76, Washington Navy Yard, Ninth and M streets SE. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Metro: Navy Yard. 202/433-4882.

• “In Harm’s Way: The U.S. Navy in World War II.” Runs indefinitely.

• “Korea 1950-1953: The Navy in the Forgotten War.” Runs indefinitely.

National Postal Museum

2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily except Christmas. Metro: Union Station. 202/357-2700.

• “What’s in the Mail for You.” On permanent display.

• “Moving the Mail.” On permanent display.

• “Stamps and Stories.” On permanent display.

The Octagon

The museum of the American Architectural Foundation. 1799 New York Ave. NW. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday except holidays. $5, $3 seniors and students. 202/638-3221.

• “The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Free Masonry and the Architecture of Washington, D.C.” Through Dec. 31.

William Paca House and Garden

186 Prince George St., Annapolis. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Closed holidays. $5 house, $2 garden. 410/263-5553.

Phillips Collection

1600 21st St. NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday and holidays. Admission for permanent collection is by fee. Exhibits are $12-$14, free for visitors 62 and older, Phillips Collection members and visitors under 18. 202/387-2151.

• “East Meets West: Hiroshige at the Phillips Collection.” Through Sept. 4.

• Permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century European and American paintings.

Pope John Paul II Cultural Center

3900 Harewood Road NE. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission free. Donation requested. 202/635-5400.

Sewall-Belmont House

144 Constitution Ave. NE. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday. Closed holidays. 202/546-3989.

• A collection of women’s suffrage memorabilia in an Early American home.

Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum

701 Third St. NW. Metro: Judiciary Square. By appointment only. $3 suggested donation. 202/789-0900.

• Tours of the first Adas Israel Synagogue.

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Renwick Gallery, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. 202/357-2700.

• Permanent collection of American crafts.

Smithsonian Institution

The Castle, Constitution Avenue and 10th Street NW. 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 202/357-2700.

• “West Wing: A Chronology.” New permanent exhibit.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 202/633-1000.

• “James S. McDonnell Space Hangar.” Dedicated display of space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Enterprise. Permanent exhibition.

• “Balloonmania.” Permanent exhibition.

• Imax Theater: “Adrenaline Rush,” Noon and 4 p.m. daily; “To Fly,” 2 p.m. daily; “Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag,” 11 a.m., 1, 3 and 5 p.m. daily. $5.50-$8.

The Textile Museum

2320 S St. NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed holidays. Request $5 donation. 202/667-0441.

• “Textiles for This World and Beyond: Treasures From Insular Southeast Asia.” Through Sept. 18.

• “Gods and Empires: Huari Cremonial Textiles.” Through Jan. 15.

Tudor Place

1644 31st St. NW. 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, noon-3 p.m. Sunday, except holidays. 202/965-0400.

• Tours of this historic house, which belonged to Martha Washington’s granddaughter, at 10 and 11:30 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and on the hour 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Reservations suggested for individuals, required for groups. $6 for docent-led tours.

USDA Forest Service Information Center

14th Street and Independence Avenue NW. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. 703/205-1680.

• Rustic lodge hosts videos and hands-on displays. On permanent display.

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW (near 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW). 202/488-0400. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily except Yom Kippur and Dec. 25. Metro: Smithsonian. Certain attractions, such as “Daniel’s Story: Remember the Children,” do not require special passes. Entrance to the museum’s permanent exhibition is by timed entry passes, available at the museum (free) or through ProTix ($4.50 service charge), 800/400-9373.

Walters Art Museum

600 N. Charles St., Baltimore. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; 5:30-10 p.m. Second Friday of each month. $5-$8. 410/547-9000.

• “Pearls of the Parrot of India.” Through Sept. 11.

• “The Essence of Line: French Drawings From Ingres to Degas.” Through Sept. 11.

• “Byzantine Art From the Dumbarton Oaks Collection.” Through April 30, 2007.

• “19th Century Collection.” Ongoing.

Woman’s National Democratic Club

At the Historic Whittemore House. 1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 2-5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday. 202/232-7363.

• Antique furnishings and presidential memorabilia, including rotating art exhibits. Call for tours.

Women in Military Service for America Memorial

Memorial Drive, Arlington. 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Metro: Arlington Cemetery. 703/892-2606.

• “In Defense of a Nation” film runs every 10 minutes.

• “Faces of the Fallen: America’s Artists Honor America’s Heroes.” Exhibit of more than 1,300 portraits honoring American servicemen and women who died in Afghanistan and Iraq from Oct. 10, 2001, to Nov. 11, 2004. Through Nov. 11.

• Permanent exhibits featuring artifacts and memorabilia of women’s military service from the American Revolution to the present. Runs indefinitely.

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

1050 Independence Ave. SW. Open daily 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 202/357-2700.

• “Iraq and China: Ceramics, Trade and Innovation.” Through July 17.

• “Caravan Kingdoms: Yemen and the Ancient Incense Trade.” Through Sept. 18.

Baltimore Museum of Art

Art Museum Drive off the 3100 block of North Charles Street, Baltimore. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday, major holidays. $6-$12. Free on the first Thursday (open until 8 p.m.) of every month. 410/396-7100.

• “The Essence of Line: French Drawings From Ingres to Degas.” Through Sept. 11.

• “A Legacy of Lace: Selections From the Cone Collection.” Through Sept. 18.

• “Filigree Spaces: Textile Installations by Piper Shepard.” Through Sept. 18.

• “A Grand Legacy: Five Centuries of European Art.” Continues indefinitely.

The Bead Museum

400 Seventh St. NW. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday. 202/624-4500.

• “Bead Timeline of History.” Permanent exhibition.

Corcoran Gallery of Art

17th Street and New York Avenue NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, until 9 p.m. Thursday. Closed Tuesday. $3-$6.75, $12 family; pay what you can all day Monday, after 5 p.m. Thursday. Metro: Farragut West. 202/639-1700.

• “The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards of 2005 National Exhibition.” Through Aug. 8.

• “Current Evince: Selected Prints by William T. Wiley From the Smithsonian American Art Museum.” Through Sept. 12.

Cultural Institute of Mexico

2829 16th St. NW. 202/728-1628.

• “Sensacional! Mexican Street Graphics.” Through July 15.

Decatur House

748 Jackson Place NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Closed holidays. Admission is donation only. 202/842-0920.

• Tours of the 1819 house, which once belonged to naval war hero Commodore Stephen Decatur.

Department of the Interior Museum

1849 C St. NW. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday except holidays; 1-4 p.m. the third Saturday of each month. 202/208-4743.

• American Indian Sculpture Garden. On permanent display.

Drug Enforcement Administration Museum

700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. 202/307-3463.

• “Illegal Drugs in America: A Modern History.” On permanent display.

Dumbarton House

2715 Q St. NW. Headquarters of the Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Guided tours 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday except holidays. 202/337-2288.

• American furniture and decorative and fine arts of the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Fells Point Maritime Museum

1724 Thames St., Baltimore. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Monday. $4; $3 for students, children and seniors; free for children 12 and younger. 410/732-0278.

Fire Museum of Maryland

1301 York Road, Lutherville, Md. 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Weekday tours by appointment. Closed holidays. $3, with discounts for firefighters, seniors and children. 410/321-7500.

• Hand-drawn, horse-drawn and self-propelled firetrucks.

Folger Shakespeare Library

201 East Capitol St. SE. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 202/544-4600.

• “David Garrick (1717-1779): A Theatrical Life.” Through Aug. 28.

Frederick Douglass Historic Site

1411 W St. SE. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except holidays. 202/426-5961.

• Guided tours of the first and second floors. $3.

Freer Gallery of Art

Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Closed Dec. 25. Metro: Smithsonian. 202/357-2700.

• “Boating on a River.” Through Aug. 14.

• “Games, Contests and Artful Play in Japan.” Through Sept. 18.

• “Rusticity Refined: Kyoto Ceramics by Ninsei.” Through Sept. 18.

• “Vietnamese Ceramics.” Continues indefinitely.

• “Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas.” Continues indefinitely.

• “Small Masterpieces: Whistler Paintings From the 1800s.” Continues indefinitely.

Hillwood Museum and Gardens

4155 Linnean Ave. NW. By reservation 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Reservation fee of $5-$12. 202/686-5807.

• “Eva Ziesel: The Playful Search for Beauty.” Through Dec. 4.

• Revitalized estate of visionary collector, philanthropist and businesswoman Marjorie Merriweather Post, reopened after three-year renovation. Most comprehensive collections of 18th- and 19th-century Russian imperial art outside Russia and of 18th-century French decorative arts.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Metro: L’Enfant Plaza. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Closed holidays. Free walk-in tours noon Monday-Friday, noon-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 202/357-2700.

• “Visual Music: 1905-2005.” Through Sept. 11.

• First Friday Talks. 12:30 p.m. Meet at the information desk.

International Spy Museum

800 F St. NW. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. $10-$13. Tickets available through Ticketmaster. 202/393-7798.

• Museum dedicated to espionage.

Kreeger Museum

2401 Foxhall Road NW. Guided tours 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Open to public 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday except holidays. $5 suggested donation. Reservations required. 202/338-3552.

• “On Music: Tim Rollins + K.O.S. (Kids of Survival.)” Through July 31.

• Permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century paintings and sculptures.

Library of Congress

First Street and Independence Avenue SE. 202/707-4604. Madison Gallery, Madison Foyer and Current Events Corridor, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday. Thomas Jefferson Building exhibition area, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Other exhibition areas, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday and holidays. Metro: Capitol South.

• Public tours. 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Group tours available upon request.

• “The History and Cultures of the Americas: The Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress.” Through July 23.

• “Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the First Publication of Leaves of Grass.” Through Dec. 3.

Lyceum

201 S. Washington St., Alexandria. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed holidays. 703/838-4994.

• “Building a Community: Alexandria Past to Present.” On permanent display.

Marian Koshland Science Museum

Sixth and E streets NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Tuesdays. Closed Tuesday and holidays. Metro: Gallery Place-Chinatown or Judiciary Square. 202/334-1201. $3-$5.

• “Putting DNA to Work.” On permanent display.

• “Global Warming Facts & Our Future.” On permanent display.

• “Wonders of Science.” On permanent display.

Marine Corps Museum

Marine Corps Historical Center, Navy Yard, Ninth and M streets SE. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. Closed Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Metro: Navy Yard. 202/433-3267.