Smithsonian museums are ushering in the start of summer with a real-life “Night at the Museum” event, and here’s everything we know about this year’s event so far!
For years now, Smithsonian museums have been marking the start of summer with extended hours that mirror the extended sun of the solstice. They haven’t officially announced the date yet, but near the end of June, participating Smithsonian museums will be open later in the evening from 9pm to midnight for Smithsonian Solstice Saturday. The event, in the past, has been in partnership with Hofstra University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
This year will mark the seventh annual Smithsonian Solstice Saturday and though the press release hasn’t been revealed yet, there were a ton of participating museums from last year that we hope to see again. In 2024, museums like the National Museum of American History and National Museum of African American History and Culture were open until 10pm. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the National Air and Space Museum were open until 11pm. The National Museums of Asian Art and African Art will be open until midnight.
Each museum that participates will be hosting exhibits that evening that celebrates the solstice, the evening hours, and the museum’s topic itself.
For more information on Smithsonian Solstice Saturday, please visit the Smithsonian website. We’ll be updating this as we get more information.