Explore the many ways that we study the universe and the incredible things we are learning about it. All around the National Mall you'll find hands-on activities and telescopes that reveal surprising details about our Sun, black holes, exoplanets, and more.

Visit all eight stations presented by various Smithsonian museums around the the National Mall. Each station includes a filtered telescope or other tool for safely viewing the Sun:

  • Moon Station: On the anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, get to know Earth’s neighbor in space and learn about the “Moon trees” with Smithsonian Gardens.
  • Infrared Station: “See” yourself in an invisible type of light called infrared and learn about how NASA’s new space telescope uses infrared light to look back in time.
  • Exoplanets Station: Learn how astronomers search for planets orbiting other stars and explore how other worlds have been envisioned with the National Gallery of Art.
  • Sun Station: Observe the Sun with a satellite’s ultraviolet vision and investigate color and sunlight with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
  • Spectrum Station: Become a light detective and find hidden patterns in starlight. Experience the colorful glass sculpture from FUTURES at the Arts + Industries Building.
  • Meteorites Station: Hold rocks from space that contain clues about our solar system and explore light pollution and how it impacts your sky with the National Museum of Natural History.
  • Exploration Station: Take a journey through the incredible distances and sizes of things in space and build a laser maze to get past obstacles with the National Museum of American History.
  • Gravity Station: Explore how black holes bend light with their super-strong gravity and take a selfie as an astronaut with the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“Tour of the Universe” is the first program to be planned by the museum’s new Bezos Learning Center.