Museums

Great Ones!
And Their Educational Resources

​The United States is home to more than 35,000 museums that memorialize our nation’s culture, history and scientific advancements. 

List of Smithsonian Museums:

The Smithsonian Institution

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The Smithsonian offers eleven museums and galleries on the National Mall and six other museums and the National Zoo in the greater National Capital Area. In New York City, we invite you to tour two museums in historic settings.

19 world-class museums, galleries, gardens, and a zoo

  •  African American Museum
  •  African Art Museum
  •  Air and Space Museum
  •  Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center
  •  American Art Museum
  •  American History Museum
  •  American Indian Museum
  •  American Indian Museum Heye Center
  •  Anacostia Community Museum
  •  Archives of American Art
  •  Arts and Industries Building
  •  Cooper Hewitt
  •  Freer Gallery of Art
  •  Hirshhorn
  •  National Zoo
  •  Natural History Museum
  •  Portrait Gallery
  •  Postal Museum
  •  Renwick Gallery
  •  S. Dillon Ripley Center
  •  Sackler Gallery
  •  Smithsonian Castle
  •  Smithsonian Gardens 

​Current Exhibitions

 www.si.edu/exhibitions

​Smithsonian: 
​National Air and Space Museum​

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Launch into the history of flight by surrounding yourself with icons of air and space travel. The flagship building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C, contains twenty-three galleries exhibiting hundreds of aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets, and other flight-related artifacts. The museum has a planetarium and an IMAX theater for out-of-this-world escapes.
The museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia, houses many more artifacts in an open, hangar-like setting, including a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and space shuttle Discovery.
​airandspace.si.edu

​Welcome to the National Air and Space Museum

​Student orientation video for school groups planning a visit to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC. See http://www.nasm.si.edu/visit/ for more information.

Smithsonian: 
​Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center

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​The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport is the companion facility to the museum in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of historically significant air- and spacecraft, along with thousands of small artifacts, are on display in an open, hangar-like setting. Other features of the Center include the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower, the Airbus IMAX Theater and the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar, where visitors can watch museum specialists at work restoring artifacts.
​airandspace.si.edu

Smithsonian: 
National Museum of American History

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​Devoted to the scientific, cultural, social, technological, and political development of the United States, the museum traces the American experience from colonial times to the present. The American History Museum’s collection contains more than three million historical objects—including the famed Star-Spangled Banner—and documents that explore the evolution of the American identity.
​americanhistory.si.edu

​Welcome to the National Museum of American History

​This video provides an overview of the iconic artifacts, stimulating exhibitions, engaging programs, and other amenities visitors encounter on a visit to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. For more information please visit http://americanhistory.si.edu.

Smithsonian: ​
Anacostia Community Museum

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​Located in the Anacostia neighborhood, this museum examines, documents, and interprets the impact of historical and contemporary social issues on urban communities.
​anacostia.si.edu

​Anacostia Community Museum - Student Orientation Video

​Welcome to the Smithsonian. This orientation video outlines some of the most exciting exhibits in this Smithsonian museum. Created for students, the video also illustrates a few museum dos and don'ts.

​Smithsonian: 
Archives of American Art Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery

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​With over 16 million items in its continually growing collections, the Archives of American Art is the world’s largest and most widely used resource dedicated to collecting and preserving the papers and primary records of the visual arts in America. 
The Archives of American Art’s primary exhibition space, the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery, can be found on the first floor of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture in D.C.’s Penn Quarter neighborhood—also home to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.
​aaa.si.edu

​Smithsonian: 
Arts and Industries Building

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​The Arts and Industries Building has a special role among Smithsonian buildings as the first United States National Museum opened in 1881. After being closed for nearly 12 years, the Arts and Industries Building reopened for special events fall of 2015 and has hosted several activities, including the 2016 Folklife Festival Marketplace and the Asian Pacific American Center’s “Crosslines Culture Lab.” Plans are being developed for the next chapter of this amazing building.
​aib.si.edu

​Smithsonian: 
Freer Gallery of Art

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​The Smithsonian Institution has two museums of Asian art: the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The Freer Gallery houses one of the premier collections of Asian art, with objects dating from Neolithic times to the early 20th century, as well as the world's most important collection of works by James McNeill Whistler.
The Freer is currently closed for renovations and will reopen in October 2017. The Sackler will close on July 10th and will reopen with the Freer, with a grand public celebration, in October 2017.

Peacock Room REMIX: Darren Waterston’s Filthy Lucre

​asia.si.edu

Smithsonian: 
National Zoo

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​Always free of charge and open 364 days a year, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo sits on 163 acres in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park. Founded in 1889, the Zoo is currently home to more than 1,500 animals across 300 different species.
​NationalZoo.si.edu

​40 Years of Saving Species at the Smithsonian Conservation & Biology Institute

Smithsonian: 
National Portrait Gallery

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​With the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery introduces you to the people who have shaped the country—poets, presidents, actors, activists, visionaries, villains...and everyone in between. Its collection weaves together story and biography from precolonial times to the present to tell the American story.
​npg.si.edu

​National Portrait Gallery - Student Orientation Video

​Welcome to the Smithsonian. This orientation video outlines some of the most exciting exhibits in this Smithsonian museum. Created for students, the video also illustrates a few museum dos and don'ts.
Learn More: http://www.npg.si.edu/

Smithsonian: 
S. Dillon Ripley Center

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​Entered from a copper domed kiosk on Jefferson Drive between the "Castle" and the Freer Gallery of Art, the S. Dillon Ripley Center houses the Smithsonian Associates, the Discovery Theater, and the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service.

Smithsonian: 
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

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​One of the Smithsonian's two museums of Asian art, the Sackler Gallery features both permanent and temporary exhibitions from ancient times to the present. The museum is home to an incomparable collection of art, including some of the most important ancient Chinese jades and bronzes in the world.  In addition to the exhibitions on display, the galleries feature innovative programming for visitors of all ages, such as lectures, concerts, films, and podcasts that enhance and extend the visit.
​asia.si.edu

Smithsonian Institution Building
​(The Castle)

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​Completed in 1855, the Castle is our signature building and home to the Smithsonian Visitor Center. As such, it makes a great starting point for your journey—here you can get a grasp of the scope and scale of the Smithsonian, see collections highlights from each of our museums, tour the Castle’s 19th-century architecture, see what’s going on today at all the museums, and consult with our in-house experts about what to see and do.
​www.si.edu

Smithsonian Institution Castle: Renwick Model

​This original model of the Castle was found here in an upstairs attic sometime in the late 1960s or early 70s. The medieval revival building style was chosen for the building because it was associated with the architecture of English colleges, and education was - and remains - at the heart of the Smithsonian mission. The style was also thought to express the practical, flexible, independent American character. Medieval forms and details from different periods, such as double pointed-arch windows within a single rounded-headed arch, were combined for the picturesque effect popular at the time. Adding to the picturesque or visually pleasing quality are the building's asymmetry, underscored by the nine towers - all different - and the red sandstone facade. To cut costs, the main part of the building was reduced from three to two stories and one 12-story front tower out of the two originally proposed was eliminated between the creation of the model and the building's construction.

Smithsonian: 
National Gallery of Art

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​The National Gallery of Art was conceived and given to the people of the United States by Andrew W. Mellon (1855–1937). Mellon was a financier and art collector from Pittsburgh who came to Washington in 1921 to serve as secretary of the treasury. During his years of public service he came to believe that the United States should have a national art museum equal to those of other great nations.
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​The mission of the National Gallery of Art is to serve the United States of America in a national role by preserving, collecting, exhibiting, and fostering the understanding of works of art at the highest possible museum and scholarly standards.
www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb.html

​High School Seminar at the National Gallery of Art

​High School Seminar at the National Gallery of Art

Smithsonian: 
The National Civil War Museum

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The National Civil War Museum incorporates collections of artifacts, manuscripts, documents, photographs, and other printed matter that exceed 24,000 items.  Although many items have been donated to The National Civil War Museum since its opening in 2001, the vast majority of its collections were acquired by the City of Harrisburg between 1994 and 1999 under the auspices of Mayor Stephen R. Reed.  Three-dimensional objects (artifacts) comprise about 3,500 items, of which one-fourth (850 items) are on display in the permanent galleries of the building.  The balance is held in secure storage for future exhibits and for scholarly research, the latter reserved for Museum members and by appointment only. Because The National Civil War Museum's mission encompasses the period from 1850 through 1876, its' collections vary widely in scope and years of manufacture. ​
​http://www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org/

​The African American Oral History Project: Part One

​The National Civil War Museum is pleased to present, “The African American Oral History Project: Part One.” This one hour and eight minute presentation features the voices of African Americans from the American Civil War through Reconstruction, to modern times. The video presentation highlights the fascinating story of former slave and later United States Congressman Robert Smalls of South Carolina. In addition to the national story of Robert Smalls, the film also brings to light the personal struggles and triumphs of many others in the African American community located in south central Pennsylvania.

The museum wishes to thank all of the sponsors listed at the end of the film for their support of this important project.

Smithsonian: 
National Railroad Museum

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​The origin of the National Railroad Museum dates to 1956, when local individuals advanced the concept of a national museum dedicated to American railroad history. Two years later, a joint resolution of Congress recognized the Museum as the National Railroad Museum.
http://nationalrrmuseum.org/

​Education at the National Railroad Museum

​Brief description of educational programming at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI.

Smithsonian:
​American Art Museum

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​The nation’s first collection of American art offers an unparalleled record of the American experience, capturing the aspirations, character and imagination of the American people throughout three centuries. The museum is home to one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world, including works by such stylistically diverse luminaries as John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer, and Georgia O’Keeffe, housed in one of the oldest public buildings constructed in early Washington.
​americanart.si.edu

SAAM

​Explore a "day in the life" of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the nation's first collection of American art and home to one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world. Located in the heart of the Washington DC, the museum offers an array of programs, tours, concerts, and special exhibitions inspired by the dynamic character and imagination of America's people and artists.

Smithsonian: 
​African American Museum

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​The newest Smithsonian museum opened September 24, 2016, near the Washington Monument, and has welcomed more than 1 million visitors to date.  It is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, art, history, and culture.
​nmaahc.si.edu

​National Museum of African American History and Culture Grand Opening Ceremony

​On Saturday, September 24, 2016, the public witnessed the outdoor dedication ceremony of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Smithsonian: 
African ​Art Museum

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​The National Museum of African Art is the only national museum in the United States dedicated to the collection, exhibition, conservation, and study of the arts of Africa. On exhibit are the finest examples of traditional and contemporary art from the entire continent of Africa.
​africa.si.edu

National Museum of African Art, 30 years as a Smithsonian museum

​Enjoy this overview as we grow from a small, local museum to a Smithsonian museum.

Smithsonian: 
National Museum of the American Indian

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​The National Museum of the American Indian cares for one of the world’s most expansive collections of Native objects, photographs, and media, covering the entire Western Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego. The museum’s sweeping curvilinear architecture, its indigenous landscaping, and its exhibitions, all designed in collaboration with tribes and communities, combine to give visitors from around the world the sense and spirit of Native America.
​americanindian.si.edu

​NMAI - 5 years in 4 minutes

​The National Museum of the American Indian opened on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on September 21, 2004. This video was produced to celebrate our five year anniversary. The music is Dance With Wood by the Global Drum Project.

Smithsonian: 
National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center

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​Sitting at the foot of the Wiechquaekeck Trail, an old Algonquin trade route (aka Broadway), the American Indian Museum’s New York location shares the Washington, D.C. location’s incredible collection and its commitment to celebrating the diverse history and contemporary voices of Native peoples throughout the western hemisphere,
​americanindian.si.edu

​National Museum of the American Indian in a New York Minute

Video directed by Sally Kewayosh (Ojibwe/Cree). Music track "Look At This" courtesy of A Tribe Called Red. http://atribecalledred.blogspot.com/​

​Smithsonian: 
​Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum​

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​Cooper Hewitt is the nation’s only museum dedicated to historic and contemporary design, with a collection of over 210,000 design objects spanning thirty centuries. Located in the landmark Andrew Carnegie mansion and boasting a beautiful public garden, Cooper Hewitt makes design come alive with unique temporary exhibitions and installations of the permanent collection.
​www.cooperhewitt.org

What is Cooper Hewitt?

This video explains who we are and what we do here at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

Smithsonian: 
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

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​The Hirshhorn features international modern and contemporary art in the celebrated Gordon Bunshaft designed cylindrical building, adjoining plaza, and sunken sculpture garden. The museum is a leading voice for contemporary art and culture and provides a national platform for the art and artists of our time.
​hirshhorn.si.edu

​​Smithsonian: 
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Smithsonian: 
National Museum of Natural History

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​The world's most popular natural history museum is dedicated to understanding the natural world and our place in it. Delve into the fascinating story of our planet, from its fiery beginnings through billions of years of transformation, and explore life on Earth through exhibitions and activities, collection objects and research that happens in the lab and in the field. The museum is larger than 18 football fields and is home to the largest natural history collection in the world.
​naturalhistory.si.edu

​National Museum of Natural History - Student Orientation Video

Welcome to the Smithsonian. This orientation video outlines some of the most exciting exhibits in this Smithsonian museum. Created for students, the video also illustrates a few museum dos and don'ts.
Learn more: http://www.mnh.si.edu/

Smithsonian: 
National Postal Museum

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Located in the historic D.C. City Post Office next to the restored Union Station, the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum showcases the largest and most comprehensive collection of stamps and philatelic material in the world—including postal stationery, vehicles used to transport the mail, mailboxes, meters, cards and letters, and postal materials that predate the use of stamps. Visitors can walk along a Colonial post road, ride with the mail in a stagecoach, browse through a small town post office from the 1920s, receive free stamps to start a collection and more. ​
​postalmuseum.si.edu

Smithsonian: 
Renwick Gallery

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​Branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum dedicated to exhibiting American contemporary craft, celebrating makers taking both innovative and time-honored approaches to their work.  The Renwick Gallery is located steps from the White House in the heart of historic federal Washington. This National Historic Landmark was designed by architect James Renwick Jr. in 1858 and was the first building in the United States built specifically to be an art museum.
​renwick.americanart.si.edu

Renwick Opening: Explore ‘WONDER’

​‘WONDER’ is the Renwick Gallery’s inaugural exhibition following a major renovation. Nine contemporary artists created site-specific installations, each taking over a different gallery and turning the building into a larger-than-life work of art.

Smithsonian Gardens

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​The many gardens that surround the Smithsonian museums are a “museum without walls.” All have been designed to complement the museums they border and to enhance the overall museum experience of learning, appreciation, and enjoyment.
​gardens.si.edu

Smithsonian: 
National Atomic Testing Museum

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​The National Atomic Testing Museum (NATM) is a national science, history and educational institution that tells the story of America’s nuclear weapons testing program at the Nevada Test Site. The Museum uses lessons of the past and present to better understand the extent and effect of nuclear testing on worldwide nuclear deterrence and geo-political history. It provides collection-based exhibits and learning activities for greater public understanding and appreciation of the world in which we live. Its collections and activities are inseparably linked to serve a diverse public of varied ages, backgrounds and knowledge.
nationalatomictestingmuseum.org/

​Pop Culture Display Case

Smithsonian: 
National Civil Rights Museum

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​Noted as one of the nation's premier heritage and cultural museums, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, is steadfast in its mission to share the culture and lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement and explore how this significant era continues to shape equality and freedom globally.

National Civil Rights Museum Grand Reopening Video

National Civil Rights Museum plans reopening of renovated Lorraine Motel exhibits for April 4-5, 2014. Since its beginning over two decades ago, the museum has become world renown as an educational and cultural institution, celebrating the triumph of the human spirit in civil and human rights. Millions have experienced the transformative power of this special place. In 2014, the museum will unveil an even more profound experience. One that updates history, integrates automation and interactivity, and engages visitors in a journey of discovery.

Smithsonian: ​
National Electronics Museum

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​The National Electronics Museum grew out of a Westinghouse Family Day in 1973. Robert Dwight, an employee of the Westinghouse Defense and Electronics Systems Center in Baltimore, Maryland and a key planner of Family Day, saw the event as an opportunity to display employee products that their families had previously not had the opportunity to see. Titled "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow", three airborne radars, the AERO-13/AN/APQ-50, the AN/APQ-120 and the WX-200 respectively, were set out as examples of each era. Throughout the day, Mr. Dwight made the same observation: employees and their families were excited and proud to see the finished products of their work.
http://www.nationalelectronicsmuseum.org/index.shtml

Smithsonian: 
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

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​The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History was established in 1969 as an intriguing place to learn the story of the Atomic Age, from early research of nuclear development through today’s peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Visitors can explore how nuclear science continues to influence our world. The museum strives to present, through permanent and changing exhibits and displays, the diverse applications of nuclear science in the past, present and future along with the stories of the field’s pioneers.
http://www.nuclearmuseum.org/

​Selfie Science Red Cabbage Juice & pH

​Emily Ganley's entry into the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History's Selfie Science project. The project was sponsored by Sandia National Labs with the goal of inspiring Albuquerque-area high school students to tackle and share science topics through social media.

List of Science & Technology Museums:

The Tech Museum of Innovation
​(San Jose)

​The Tech Museum of Innovation is a family-friendly interactive science and technology center located in the heart of downtown San Jose, California. It has become a landmark for visitors seeking a glimpse of the most inventive place on Earth — Silicon Valley.
www.thetech.org

How to inspire girls to pursue STEM

Field trips to The Tech in downtown San Jose guarantee students a day of imaginative, immersive, hands-on learning in our galleries and science labs. The field trip program is an integral part of our Generation Tech campaign, which is committed to helping educators inspire and equip the underserved — particularly girls — to succeed in a technology-driven world. 
To learn more about Generation Tech: http://www.thetech.org/generationtech

Educator Resources: 

​Twitter: @TheTechEdu
Facebook: TheTechEdu
The Bowers Institute at The Tech offers online resources, workshops and a multi-year intensive program, the Tech Academies of Innovation, designed for educators to build their skills in all aspects of Design Challenge Learning (DCL) and gain confidence with cutting-edge tools for STEM teaching. Through tested and engaging professional learning experiences combining project-based learning, design thinking and the engineering design process, educators are inspired and guided to implement DCL, connect to Next Generation Science Standards and prepare their students to solve real-world problems.
Presented by experienced education leaders from The Tech and partner organizations, our workshops cover a variety of topics and tools that meaningfully connect with your curriculum and learning goals and support you in creating opportunities for innovative and relevant learning experiences.
These resources will help you bring engineering design challenges into your classroom.
Explore Design Challenge Learning lesson plans you can use in your classroom today.
Extend your learning with our library of articles, videos and podcasts about women and STEM; teaching with equity and empathy in mind; successful pedagogical approaches; computer science education and more.

Great Lakes
​Science Center
​(Cleveland)

​Our mission is simple: to make science, technology, engineering and math come alive.
greatscience.com

​Science Curriculum for Early Childhood Education

​Learn about an exciting curriculum for Early Childhood classrooms, ECHOS (Early Childhood Hands-On Science).

Educator Resources: ​

Special Exhibition Activity Guides
A perfect resource for your classroom! In addition to bringing your students to Great Lakes Science Center to tour special exhibitions, we welcome you to use these activity guides when you return to your classroom. 
  • Darwin
  • Design Zone
  • Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear
  • Great Lakes Story
  • Lost Egypt
  • Robots + Us
  • Strange Matter
  • Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
  • Water Equals Life

Discovery Place
(Charlotte)

Through a network of four hands-on museums in three different cities, educational outreach programs and professional development for pre K - 12 teachers throughout the region, Discovery Place is a leader in STEM education in the Carolinas.
We aspire to be at the forefront of transforming the way science, technology and nature are explored and learned to inspire dreams, raise aspirations and motivate people of all ages to develop a lifelong love of learning
www.discoveryplace.org

​Discovery Place Education Studio

Educator Resources: ​​

California Academy of Sciences
​(San Francisco)

The California Academy of Sciences is a renowned scientific and educational institution dedicated to exploring, explaining, and sustaining life on Earth. Based in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, it's the only place in the world to house an aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum, as well as innovative programs in scientific research and education—all under one living roof.
www.calacademy.org

(NGSS) Introduction to the Next Generation Science Standards | California Academy of Sciences

When educators step into a training about the NGSS, they often arrive with a number of burning questions they hope to have addressed. To put their minds at ease, start your very first training by addressing some of the more straightforward questions about the NGSS. Once this basic introduction is out of the way, your participants will be able to focus on diving more deeply into exploring the three dimensions.

For more details, visit www.calacademy.org/NGSS-demystified

Educator Resources: ​​

Bradbury Science Museum
​(Los Alamos)

​Approximately 60 interactive exhibits trace the history of the WWII Manhattan Project, highlight the Laboratory's current and historic research projects related to defense and technology, and focus on Laboratory research related to national and international economic, environmental, political, and social concerns. These exhibits together with extensive educational and community programs draw nearly 80,000 visitors a year.
www.lanl.gov

​Educator Resources: ​​

Museum of Science
​(Boston)

The Museum of Science believes that everyone has a role to play in the world of science and technology – as learners, as future scientists or engineers, as citizens of our nation, as community leaders and members of the workforce, as consumers, and as stewards of our planet.
The Museum of Science is committed to deepening the public’s relationship with science and technology by leading efforts throughout the United States and abroad, in both formal and informal educational arenas, to redefine the roles that science centers can play.
www.mos.org

Heart of the Museum

Educator Resources: ​​

Carnegie Science Center
(Pittsburgh)

​Recipient of the 2003 National Award for Museum Service, Carnegie Science Center inspires and entertains by connecting science and technology with everyday life. In addition to providing valuable scientific experiences, Carnegie Science Center engages in outreach programs that serve Pittsburgh's diverse community. The Science Center is located on Pittsburgh's North Shore along the banks of the Ohio River and is accessible to persons with disabilities.
www.carnegiesciencecenter.org

​Space, Earth, Life - Carnegie Institution for Science

​Andrew Carnegie understood that science is unpredictable. He created the institution to support individuals of exceptional ability and passion and gave them the independence to pursue high-risk, high-reward science.

Educator Resources: ​​

STEM Education Central
The Science Center is an essential part of the STEM education ecosystem, supporting classroom learning with hands-on, inquiry-based exploration. Learning outside the classroom helps students relate in-school studies to potential careers in STEM – science, technology, engineering, and math. That's why we established the Chevron Center for STEM Education and Career Development.
Students have a chance to show off their science skills and compete for cool prizes at our STEM competitions.
Lifelong Learning and Professional Development
​We offer educator resources to help you connect your experience with our programs to what you do in the classroom.
Sharpen your STEM pedagogy skills with our Teaching Excellence Academy.

The Franklin Institute Science Museum
​(Philadelphia)

​Founded in honor of America’s first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and premier centers of science education and development in the country.  Today, the Institute continues its dedication to public education and creating a passion for science by offering new and exciting access to science and technology in ways that would dazzle and delight its namesake.
www.fi.edu

​​Science Museum of Minnesota
​(St. Paul)

The Science Museum was founded in 1907. The museum’s current location on the banks of the Mississippi River in Saint Paul offers 370,000 square feet of space. It includes a 10,000-square-foot temporary exhibit gallery, five permanent galleries, 10 acres of outdoor exhibits, and an Imax Convertible Dome Omnitheater.
www.smm.org

​Sportsology

​What does it take to be a great athlete? Check out the science behind your sport in our interactive Sportsology exhibit. https://www.smm.org/y/sportsology

Educator Resources: ​

SCIENCE HOUSE
​“It’s like a toy store for teachers!” This full service circulating library and professional development center has over 2,000 of the coolest hands-on items you can borrow for use with your students.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS
Our workshops and institutes for teachers translate key research findings and theories into effective classroom practice, all with the goal of increasing STEM literacy and eliminating achievement disparities.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR LEADERS
Designed for people with leadership responsibilities for STEM education and/or diversity and inclusion, these programs are designed to prepare leaders to promote transformational change in their settings

COSI
​Center of Science and Industry
(Columbus)

COSI provides an exciting and informative atmosphere for those of all ages to discover more about our environment, our accomplishments, our heritage, and ourselves. We motivate a desire toward a better understanding of science, industry, health, and history through involvement in exhibits, demonstrations, and a variety of educational activities and experiences. COSI is for the enrichment of the individual and for a more rewarding life on our planet, Earth.
cosi.org

Educator Resources: ​​

​The Experience at COSI
21ST CENTURY LEARNING LABSThese structured field trips nurture scientific inquiry through connection to COSI exhibits and a combination of COSI experiences for in-depth exploration of compelling STEM topics. Learn more.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTThe Center offers continuing education workshops led by expert informal STEM educators on topics ranging from the new Ohio science content standards to incorporating project and design-based learning into your curriculum. Learn more.
HOMESCHOOL WORKSHOPSHomeschool Workshops offer a new depth of hands-on science experiences for educators and learners to better understand real and relevant science concepts. Learn more.
TECH STUDIOOur state-of-the-art digital learning lab gives students the chance to explore technology through mentor-guided multimedia activities, including 3D modeling/printing, video production, audio recording, digital art, coding, and animation. Learn more.

Museum of Science
​and Industry
​(Chicago)

The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago—one of the largest science museums in the world—is home to more than 400,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits designed to spark scientific inquiry and creativity.
www.msichicago.org

​MSI in a Minute: Museum Trailer

​Never been to the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago? Or has it been a while since your last visit? With nearly 14 acres of hands-on exhibits and live science experiences, there's a lot to do and a lot that's new. Here's just a preview of what's in store when you visit MSI.

Educator Resources: ​​

California Science Center
​(Los Angeles)

The California Science Center provides an innovative model for science learning by combining exhibits with an on-site Science Center School and Amgen Center for Science Learning as well as a teacher professional development program.
californiasciencecenter.org

Discover the California Science Center

Educator Resources: ​​

Big Lab Programs - Enhance classroom science with activities focused on physics, biology, chemistry, earth science, and more! All programs support Next Generation Science Standards.
​Ecosystems Field Trip Lessons - Focus your trip with chaperone-facilitated, K-5 grade-level specific activities for small groups.

​​Exploratorium
​(San Francisco)

​The Exploratorium isn't just a museum; it's an ongoing exploration of science, art and human perception—a vast collection of online experiences that feed your curiosity.
www.exploratorium.edu

Exploratorium Floor Walk

Educator Resources: ​​

The Saint Louis
​Science Center
(Saint Louis)

When you build, the most common reaction is “fun.” Enjoy a film at our OMNIMAX® Theater, gaze under the stars at the James S. McDonnell Planetarium and dig deeper with over 700 interactive exhibits. General Admission is always free.
People of all ages investigate, explore and engage with science through fun and interactive learning experiences. As many as 1,000,000 visitors each year enjoy the Science Center’s permanent galleries, live science demonstrations, OMNIMAX  Theater, Planetarium shows and special exhibitions.
www.slsc.org

​Microsoft DigiGirlz Camp 2013 at the Saint Louis Science Center

​http://www.slsc.org St. Louis area high school girls learned about what it takes to develop cutting-edge technology at Microsoft DigiGirlz Camp!

Educator Resources: ​​

New York Hall of Science
NYSCI
(New York)

​The New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) was founded at the 1964–65 World’s Fair and has evolved into New York’s center for interactive science, serving a half million students, teachers, and families each year.
NYSCI serves schools, families and underserved communities in the New York City area, offering informal, hands-on learning through various products and services that use the “design-make-play” method of bringing delight and play to educating Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The museum is situated in a highly diverse neighborhood and employs youth from the community as part of our science career ladder program—contributing to diversity in careers in science and technology on a national scale.
nysci.org

​NYSCI: Explore More

Educator Resources: ​​

A creative platform for irresistible STEM learning.
Noticing ToolsTM are a ground-breaking suite of iPad apps that make learning math and science irresistible through play, creative design projects, and collaboration. LEARN MORE​


​NYSCI’s offers educators access to our Teacher Resource collection, which includes lesson plans, activities and curriculum standards.

VIEW ALL RESOURCES

List of Art Museums:

The Cleveland
​Museum of Art
​(Cleveland)

The Cleveland Museum of Art was founded in 1913 “for the benefit of all the people forever.”1 We strive to help the broadest possible audience understand and engage with the world’s great art while honoring the highest aesthetic, intellectual, and professional standards.
www.clevelandart.org

​One Hundred Years of CMA: A Year of Celebration

​​Educator Resources: ​​

The Huntington 
(San Marino)

​A private, nonprofit institution, The Huntington was founded in 1919 by Henry E. Huntington, an exceptional businessman who built a financial empire that included railroad companies, utilities, and real estate holdings in Southern California.

Huntington was also a man of vision – with a special interest in books, art, and gardens. During his lifetime, he amassed the core of one of the finest research libraries in the world, established a splendid art collection, and created an array of botanical gardens with plants from a geographic range spanning the globe. These three distinct facets of The Huntington are linked by a devotion to research, education, and beauty.
www.huntington.org

A Day at The Huntington ​

​​​​Educator Resources: ​​

The Museum of Fine Arts
(Boston)

​The original MFA opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1876, the nation’s centennial. Built in Copley Square, the MFA was then home to 5,600 works of art. Over the next several years, the collection and number of visitors grew exponentially, and in 1909 the Museum moved to its current home on Huntington Avenue.
Today the MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world; the collection encompasses nearly 500,000 works of art. We welcome more than one million visitors each year to experience art from ancient Egyptian to contemporary, special exhibitions, and innovative educational programs.
www.mfa.org

​A Gallery Takes Shape: “Artists on the Move in 18th-Century Europe.”

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The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
(Kansas City)

​The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art arose from the instincts and ambitions of two private individuals who shared the dream of providing a public art museum for Kansas City and the surrounding region.

William Rockhill Nelson, founder of The Kansas City Star, was convinced that for a city to be truly civilized, art and culture were necessities.
nelson-atkins.org

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art
​(New York)

​The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.
Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.
www.metmuseum.org

The Met 360° Project: Great Hall

​Educator Resources: ​​

K–12 Educator Programs
The Museum offers a variety of programs designed for K–12 educators that explore objects in The Met collection, interdisciplinary curriculum integration, and methods for teaching with objects.

Lesson Plans
​Search for lesson plans that integrate learning about works of art in your classroom.

Curriculum Resources
Introduce your students to the richness and diversity of works of art in selected collections of the Museum.

Detroit Institute of Arts
​(Detroit)

Founded in 1885, the museum was originally located on Jefferson Avenue, but, due to its rapidly expanding collection, moved to the current site on Woodward Avenue in 1927. The Beaux-Arts building, designed by Paul Cret, was immediately referred to as the "temple of art." Two wings were added in the 1960s and 1970s, and a major renovation and expansion that began in 1999 was completed in 2007.

The museum covers 658,000 square feet that includes more than 100 galleries, a 1,150-seat auditorium, a 380-seat lecture/recital hall, an art reference library, and a state-of-the-art conservation services laboratory.
www.dia.org

​DIA Inside|Out Man on the Street

​​​Educator Resources: ​​

Art Institute
(Chicago)

The Art Institute of Chicago was founded as both a museum and school for the fine arts in 1879, a critical era in the history of Chicago as civic energies were devoted to rebuilding the metropolis that had been destroyed by the Great Fire of 1871. Its first collections consisting primarily of plaster casts, the Art Institute found its permanent home in 1893, when it moved into a building, constructed jointly with the city of Chicago for the World's Columbian Exposition, at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Adams Street. That building, its entry flanked by the two famous bronze lions, remains the "front door" of the museum even today. In keeping with the academic origins of the institution, a research library was constructed in 1901; eight major expansions for gallery and administrative space have followed, with the latest being the Modern Wing, which opened in 2009. The permanent collection has grown from plaster casts to nearly 300,000 works of art in fields ranging from Chinese bronzes to contemporary design and from textiles to installation art. Together, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the museum of the Art Institute of Chicago are now internationally recognized as two of the leading fine-arts institutions in the United States. ​
www.artic.edu

When You Arrive (Al Llegar)

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List of Natural Science & History Museums:

Henry Ford Museum
​of American Innovation
(Dearborn)

​The Henry Ford provides unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories, and lives from America’s traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness, and innovation. Our purpose is to inspire people to learn from these traditions to help shape a better future.

​Plan Your Visit to The Henry Ford

www.thehenryford.org

​Educator Resources: ​​

The Houston Museum of Natural Science 
(Houston)

The Houston Museum of Natural Science was founded in 1909 on the idea that science can enhance everyone’s lives. We continue to pursue our mission in every project, program and exhibition. In fact, over half a million school children visit on field trips every year, including every fourth and seventh grade class in Houston Independent School District. ​
www.hmns.org

Heritage at HMNS

​​Educator Resources: ​​

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
(Raleigh)

​The NC Museum of Natural Sciences is a high-performing nexus of research, collections, living collections, exhibitions and digital media, school and lifelong education, community engagement, and a regional network—each fueled by great expertise and a diversifying portfolio of public, earned and contributed funds. Progress is forged by maximizing the dividends on a remarkable history of public and private sector investments with a growing array of partnerships.
https://naturalsciences.org/

NC Museum of Natural Sciences' NC NatSci iOS App

​Educator Resources: ​​

 Museum of Natural History
​(Cleveland)

At the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, we believe that discovery starts with you. Explore our exhibits, meet our wild animals, take a hike, join a class—all while creating meaningful memories.

We make science relatable by cultivating your curiosity. When you visit the Museum, you’ll have the opportunity to delve deep into the past in our dinosaur hall, discover the outer reaches of the Universe in Shafran Planetarium and experience natural wonders in outdoor galleries. Children can experience hands-on learning in Smead Discovery Center, where the motto is "please touch!" Traveling exhibits bring the world to Cleveland with an ever-changing variety of new subjects to explore.

Beyond the Museum campus, we protect more than 6,400 acres through our Natural Areas program. Each preserve harbors at least one unique natural community, including hardwood forest, Lake Erie island, fossil dune ridge, marsh, swamp and glacial wetland. Together, these areas represent the remarkable biological diversity that was once widespread throughout the region, and now serve as educational and scientific resources. Our naturalist-led hikes and classes provide access to a wild Ohio you may never have imagined.

The Museum is also a leader in sustainability through our GreenCityBlueLake Institute.
www.cmnh.org

​Discovery Starts With You

​Educator Resources: ​​

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
(Philadelphia)

​Founded in 1812, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is a leading natural history museum dedicated to advancing research, education, and public engagement in biodiversity and environmental science. Visitors to the Academy have the opportunity to get face-to-face with towering dinosaurs, meet live animals, and explore a tropical garden filled with live butterflies. Philadelphia’s natural history museum offers surprises for all ages, from changing interactive science exhibits to a children’s discovery center, a fossil dig, and opportunities to interact with real science experts.
www.ansp.org

​A place of discovery: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Educator Resources: ​​

World-Class Research from the AcademyThe Center for Environmental PolicyEducators and ScoutsPrograms for FamiliesPrograms for Adults

Living History Museums

​Colonial Williamsburg 
(Virginia)

​Colonial Williamsburg is the largest outdoor living museum in the country, upholding our educational mission through immersive, authentic 18th-century experiences and programming for our guests.  In 1926, the Reverend Dr. William Archer Rutherfoord Goodwin, with the financial backing of John D. Rockefeller Jr., began to restore Williamsburg to its original colonial state, starting with the purchase of the historic Ludwell-Paradise House.  Today, Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area houses restored and historically preserved buildings, 88 of which are originals.
https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/

Colonial Williamsburg Orientation

​Let us help you prepare for your visit to Colonial Williamsburg. For more information and to plan your trip, visit https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/.

Genesee Country Village and Museum
(New York)

There's fun for every age at Genesee Country Village & Museum.
Founded in 1966 by John L. Wehle, Genesee Country Village & Museum was created to help preserve the vanishing rural architecture of the Genesee Valley, an area encompassing the Genesee River stretching from the Finger Lakes to the Niagara Frontier and Lake Erie. Today, this living history museum includes a 19th-century village, an art gallery, a nature center, and 600 acres of cultivated and wild land.
The Historic Village (which includes 68 structures originating from 11 counties in Western New York State) depicts how a small town in the region might have changed over time, providing insight into the origins of current customs, traditions, and social values. The John L. Wehle Gallery is home to one of the finest collections of sporting and wildlife art in America, and the Nature Center encompasses over five miles of themed trails, offering the chance to explore the natural world of the Genesee Valley. 
https://www.gcv.org/

Preserving Stories - Genesee Country Village and Museum

​If you would like to visit the Museum in advance, download an Educator's Pass, complete the information, and present it to Admissions staff.