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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Elephant specimen in the rotunda of the museum.

NMNH After Hours

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.

View After Hours Calendar

NMNH After Hours programs include:

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.

 

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.

  • March 17, 2019 – Environmental Film Festival: "House in the Fields" and "Lobster War: The Fight Over the World's Richest Fishing Grounds"
  • March 16, 2019 – Environmental Film Festival: "The Ancient Woods" and "Epic Yellowstone: Return of the Predators"
  • Feb. 23, 2019 – Mother Tongue Film Festival: "The Next Guardian"
  • Dec. 12, 2018 – The Human Element 
  • Sept. 27, 2018 – Inventing Tomorrow, produced by Laura Nix, Diane Becker, and Melanie Miller
  • March 24, 2018 – Laws of the Lizard, by filmmakers Nate Dappen and Neil Losin 
  • March 18, 2018 – Mind of a Giant

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.

Beyond the Exhibition

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

  • December 6, 2018 – Innovations in Human Health
  • December 4, 2018 – Imagining an HIV-Free Future
  • September 26, 2018 – Outbreak: Fighting Diseases in a Changing World
  • August 20, 2018 – Stories from the Frontline: Fighting Zika
  • June 13, 2018 – Outbreak: Fighting Diseases in a Changing World

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.

Upcoming Programs

Saturday, June 22 - Solstice Saturday: Dinosaurs Imagined and Re-imagined: Walk through time with Matthew Carrano, Curator of Dinosauria, as he explores the history and special effects of dinosaurs in popular film. Whether campy or surreal, scary or comical, these specially-selected film clips reveal how movie dinosaurs have inspired audiences (including scientists) for the better part of a century.

April 25, 2019: The District of Nature