Evening and Weekend Programs

Have fun, meet others, and explore the issues of our time through our science and cultural programming offered on evenings and weekends. Our After Hours events give you access to scientists, filmmakers, authors, and innovators seeking to better understand the natural world and our place in it. After Hours events are designed for adults, but all are welcome.

View After Hours Calendar

NMNH After Hours programs include:

Natural History on the Big Screen

This film series presents a curated selection of natural history-related films, followed by discussions with filmmakers and related experts.

Upcoming Program

Wednesday, January 29, 2020 – Polar Extremes: Polar Extremes, an upcoming NOVA special hosted by paleontologist and Sant Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History Kirk Johnson, immerses viewers in a scientific quest to explore the unexpected secrets of our planet's polar past. Following a trail of strange fossils found in all the wrong places — beech trees in Antarctica, hippo-like mammals in the Arctic — the film uncovers the bizarre history of the poles, from miles-high ice sheets to warm polar forests teeming with life. What can Earth's dramatic climate history reveal about our future? Join us for an exclusive sneak peek of clips from the film before the full-length version premieres in February on PBS. After the screening Julia Cort, Co-Executive Producer of NOVA, will moderate a Q&A discussion with Johnson, the filmmakers, and scientists featured in the film.

This program is co-presented by The National Museum of Natural History and NOVA. NOVA is produced by PBS for WGBH Boston.

Featured Speakers:

• Richard Barclay, Paleobotanist at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History; featured in Polar Extremes
• Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History; host of Polar Extremes
• Maureen Raymo, Paleoclimatologist and Director of the Lamont-Doherty Core Repository at Columbia University; featured in Polar Extremes

The program is free, but reservations are requested. Reserve your seats.

Beyond the Exhibition

This series features the content, curators, and conversations inspiring new and developing exhibitions at the National Museum of Natural History.

Upcoming Program

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 – Disease Detectives in a Connected World: In our increasingly connected world, diseases can emerge in unexpected places. Whether they take the form of new pathogens found in known species or existing diseases spreading to new locations or new hosts, we have to stay vigilant to keep populations safe. Hear from scientists working on the frontlines to learn how they are shedding light on the complex interactions between pathogens and their human and animal hosts.

This program is offered in connection with the exhibition Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World on view at the National Museum of Natural History.

Reservation fee is $5. Get Tickets.

An Evening With

This signature series features cutting-edge thought leaders in conversation with paleontologist and Sant Director of the National Museum of Natural History, Kirk Johnson.

Anthropocene: Life in the Age of Humans

This discussion series explores human impact on the environment, featuring scholars, artists, and others in an intimate conversational setting.

Exploring the Arctic

These programs explore the cultures and natural history of the north.

Other Programs

Unique offerings that are not part of a series.