Museum Happenings This September: Hispanic Heritage Month, New Exhibits and More | Smithsonian Voices

Here’s what’s happening this month at the National Museum of American History

OPENING SOON
“The Gunboat Philadelphia Preservation Project”
Third Floor East
Opens August 22 – ongoing

Visitors will be able to follow the museum’s multiyear project to preserve the gunboat USS Philadelphia, an iconic reminder of the spirit of the American Revolution, through two special viewing windows. 

The Philadelphia was part of a small American fleet, hastily built in the summer of 1776, that stalled invading British forces. During the battle, the gunboat was hit by a 24-pound cannon ball near its bow and sank to the bottom of Lake Champlain. A salvage team found and raised the boat in 1935, and it was eventually moved to the National Museum of History and Technology (the museum’s original name) in time for its opening in 1964. After 160 years underwater and decades on display, the Philadelphia’s timbers were found to be shrinking and the iron fittings disintegrating. Conservators are assessing the gunboat’s condition and monitoring the impact of factors such as temperature, humidity, and vibrations. The findings will inform a treatment plan that will help the museum ensure the survival of the Philadelphia for generations to come.

OPENING EXHIBITION

“Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture”
Marcia and Frank Carlucci Hall of Culture and the Arts
Third Floor West, North Gallery
Opens Sept. 26, 2025 through Oct. 3, 2027

Lowriding culture combines artistic expression, technological innovations and storytelling that reflects Mexican American and Chicano culture and identity. This vibrant, bilingual exhibition showcases this unique car-making tradition with photos, graphics and two classic cars. Following WWII, the U.S. embraced car culture as a symbol of the American dream. In Mexican American communities, lowrider cars became a source of pride and a way of creating community through creativity, family and tradition. “Corazón y vida” tells the 80-year history of lowriding and community building through photographs, posters, objects such as a pinstripe tool kit, car club clothing, trophies and other materials. The exhibition draws from the Smithsonian’s collection of newly acquired photos and posters from Latina/o photographers. Along with objects that tell the history of lowriding, two classic Chevy Impalas will be on loan and featured at the heart of the exhibition: “El Rey” and “Gypsy Rose.” Featuring murals and candy red paint, the 1963 vehicle “El Rey” was built by three generations of the same family. With its hand-painted roses, the 1964 “Gypsy Rose,” is recognized as one of the most iconic lowriders and credited with putting the car culture into the public imagination. Today, lowrider culture has extended across the U.S. and beyond, to influence popular culture worldwide.
NOTE: In a collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Museum of the American Latino, a traveling version with digital prints, “Lowrider Culture in the United States”/“Cultura Lowrider en los Estados Unidos” will launch in Sep. 13 at the Muzeo Museum and Culture Center in Anaheim, Calif. The national tour is set to run through 2029.

PROGRAMS

The Corazón y vida: Lowriding Family Festival
Saturday, September 27 
(Rain Date: Sunday, September 28)
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
History Film Forum: film screenings begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Warner Bros. Theater

The Corazón y vida Lowriding Family Festival celebrates the opening of the new exhibition Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture, a showcase of the artistic expression, technological innovations, and storytelling of lowriders. Featuring activities for all ages, the festival includes local clubs with lowrider cars and bikes, live music performances and DJs of different genres, and an expert panel offering insight into the intersection of lowrider culture and music. Throughout the day, visitors may enjoy hands-on activities and demonstrations, including on pinstriping, hydraulics, art, engineering and tinkering, associated with the car culture. There will also be a screening of related documentaries. The family festival is held in partnership with the National Museum of the American Latino. For a full schedule of specific activities, please visit the event website.

VISITING

What to know:
The museum is open seven days a week, except Dec. 25, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, and passes are not required. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu/visit.

Food:
The Eat at America’s Table Cafe is open for complete food and beverage service. 

The Cafe will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a special Taqueria menu featuring flavorful Chipotle Beef, rich Chicken Mole Negro, and Smoked Crispy Tofu, served with warm corn and flour tortillas. 

Guests can enjoy fresh toppings like pico de gallo, queso fresco, and lime crema, along with classic sides of black beans and rice. The Leroy Neiman Jazz Cafe will continue to offer its seasonal favorites, plus a selection of desserts and hot and cold beverages, including Starbucks coffee. For more information, visit the website.

Bottled water is allowed in the museum. Refillable water bottles for fountains are recommended.

Stores: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum, located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, is open daily except Dec. 25 and in 2025, Jan. 20, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. The doors of the museum are always open online and the virtual museum continues to expand its offerings, including online exhibitions, K–12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media via Instagram and Facebook. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.

Categories

Archive