February 27, 2026 – January 31, 2027

Carlotta Corpron: Light Is a Plastic Medium surveys work by the American abstract photographer and educator Carlotta Corpron whose investigations into the poetics of light and form and innovative use of technology supported the establishment of photography as fine art. Highlighting her biography and artistic achievements, the exhibition positions Corpron (1901–1988) in the artistic vanguard through six bodies of photography that she made in Texas from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. The exhibition showcases 48 recent gifts by Herbert Lust to the Hirshhorn, as well as additional loans from his collection.

Carlotta Corpron: Light Is a Plastic Medium

visit the whimsical world of Mo Willems and his cast of lovable characters

From January 17 through May 10, The Pigeon Comes to Washington, DC! A Mo Willems Exhibit transforms our Visiting Exhibit Hall into an an exhibit full of laughs. With a phone booth that makes you sound like Piggie, to a catapult that launches hot dogs at The Pigeon, to a fashion runway for the Naked Mole Rat. Activities in the exhibit will give visitors the opportunity to make art that is inspired by Mo Willems and to learn about the social and emotional lives of the author’s popular characters, discovering what it means to be a good friend, express yourself, and navigate the hilarious challenges of growing up.



the pigeon comes to washington, dc!

January 16, 2026 – July 19, 2026

At the Vanguard weaves together stories of ingenuity, artistry and resistance—through collections from Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M University, Jackson State University, Texas Southern University, and Tuskegee University.

Explore stories of creativity, resilience, and legacy through rare collections of our five Historically Black Colleges and Universities partners. This exhibition celebrates how HBCUs preserve history—and shape the future. Be where history lives. Join us at the vanguard.

At the Vanguard

Opening March 1
The International Spy Museum invites you to explore the world of camouflage and deception in a new immersive exhibition where all is not what it seems.

Camouflage: Designed to Deceive is a self-guided experience through the fascinating history of camouflage and its many secret connections to espionage. From its origins in the natural world to its contemporary applications on the battlefield and beyond, this immersive exhibition explores the impact of camouflage from covert operations to popular culture throughout history. Whether you are an animal, soldier, or spy — hiding in plain sight can be a matter of life or death. Utilizing real stories, artifacts, and immersive media, this exhibition is a unique experience that explores the evolution and legacy of camouflage.

Camouflage: Designed to Deceive

March 13, 2026 — May 16, 2026

This popular American musical is an insightful, vibrant and humorous take on our founding fathers’ determination to do the right thing for their fledgling nation. As members of the Second Continental Congress struggle to reach consensus, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson argue for independence from the British monarchy. The ensuing debates defined our country. 

1776 

The Tuskegee Chapel: Paul Rudolph x Fry & Welch examines the design, construction, and cultural significance of a landmark building at the heart of Tuskegee University. Designed by Paul Rudolph in 1960, revised by Fry & Welch in 1965, and built between 1967 and 1969, the chapel has served as a spiritual, educational, and social center for the campus community, reflecting Tuskegee’s longstanding commitment to craftsmanship, dignity, and collective purpose. 

The Tuskegee Chapel: Paul Rudolph X Fry & Welch

March 27 – May 3, 2026

Drama Desk Award-winning actor Lameece Issaq teams up with two-time Obie-winning director Lee Sunday Evans on her wildly candid new play, which centers on the chaotic life of a 40-something dental lab tech who gets fired and moves into a woman's rooming house run by nuns. While there, she must come to terms with her unfulfilled path to motherhood and the untimely death of her younger sister, all while fending off her unpredictable and sometimes deranged cohabitants.

 The Waterwell Production of A Good Day to Me Not to You

Mar 31 – Apr 19, 2026

Felicia Curry honors jazz icon Nina Simone in a cabaret that will motivate you to rise up. From Nina's original songs such as "Mississippi Goddam" and "Sinnerman" to her glorious reinterpretations of "Here Comes the Sun," "Feeling Good," "I Put a Spell on You" and more, Curry puts her own dynamic spin on the singular singer and her work.



I Put a Spell on You: Nina Simone

Friday April 17
San Francisco Giants 6:45 PM ET

Saturday April 18
San Francisco Giants 4:05 PM ET

Sunday April 19
San Francisco Giants 1:35 PM ET

Monday April 20
Atlanta Braves 6:45 PM ET

Tuesday April 21
Atlanta Braves 6:45 PM ET

Wednesday April 22
Atlanta Braves 6:45 PM ET

Thursday April 23
Atlanta Braves 1:05 PM ET

Friday May 1
Milwaukee Brewers 6:45 PM ET

Washington Nationals

April 10, 2026 – October 12, 2026

In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the U.S. Botanic Garden will bloom with the flowers each U.S. state and territory has chosen as their official flower. 

Explore the display throughout the Garden that will showcase the state and territory flowers with living plants, artistic displays, botanical illustrations, and herbarium specimens. 

From fragrant magnolia flowers and roses to native orchids, bluebonnets, and saguaro cactus flowers, enjoy the variety of floral beauty that symbolizes America.  

America’s State Flowers: An America250 Celebration

April 11 - September 20, 2026
What does it mean to be American? How have artists examined this question?

More than 100 works on paper show how artists have explored the American experience over the last 250 years through depictions of the country’s landscape, people, and concepts of freedom.

Dear America

April 16-26
40 Years ∙ 3,620 Films ∙ 144 Countries ∙ One Amazing Festival

Washington, DC's largest and longest-running international film festival celebrates four decades of global cinema.

Filmfest 

Prepare for an unforgettable night as Florence + The Machine bring their enchanting sound to Capital One Arena on April 18, 2026. With swirling melodies, powerful vocals, and stagecraft that blends the ethereal with the raw, this is more than a concert—it’s a full sensory journey.

Florance and the Machine

March 11 - April 19, 2026
Ana is on her own, a scholarship student at a boarding school, until she meets day-student Jonah. But what begins as an exploration of new and joyful desire shifts into more complex negotiations of intimacy and survival, covering decades in one woman’s life. Critically lauded in New York, Jonah is a story of rage, resilience, and the radical possibilities of trust by Studio favorite Rachel Bonds. 

Jonah

May 6 - June 14, 2026
Purlie is home on a mission—to buy back his father’s church and liberate the sharecroppers he grew up with from the brutal segregationist who still runs their plantation. Purlie Victorious features a madcap plot, survival techniques forged in the Jim Crow South, and satiric targets that feel as urgent as they did when the play premiered in 1961—its 2023 Broadway revival was nominated for six Tony awards. Psalmayene 24 (The Colored Museum) will direct this timely and lacerating comedy. 



Spring Things To Do