Family Activities

What Family Activities Does SAAM Offer?

A group of small children look attentive at a family day event

The Temple of Invention AR Experience

A woman uses her cellphone with an AR App

Before it was an art museum, SAAM’s historical building housed the patent office, the heart of America’s early drive to inspire innovation. Through this new AR game designed for the whole family, meet some of the fascinating people—including presidents, inventors, soldiers, poets, artists, and architects—who walked the halls of this “temple of invention.” This free experience is available for a limited time only so act fast!

Art Detectives Family Tour

Illustration of a girl wearing a fedora and looking through a larger-than-life magnifying glass.

Follow the Trail to Uncover Hidden Stories

Take your family through the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery's shared building and become art detectives on this new audio tour designed to enhance your visit. Through the four different activities at each of the stops, discover the hidden stories and meanings behind featured artworks from both museums’ collections and figure out the clue to lead you to the next stop on the trail. Recommended for families with elementary school-age children.

To start your tour, pick up a map from the information desk in either the G or F Street lobbies and follow the trail.

Family Zone Activities

Enjoy all of your favorite SAAM family day activities, now online in our Family Zone, including step-by-step instructions for crafting at home, printable coloring pages based on artworks in SAAM’s collection, and videos from kid-friendly performers who partner with us during our family day events.