Catch up with the latest programs and happenings at the Interior Museum.

What's New

DOI Pop! On Air, On Screen & In Print has had a great run at the Interior Museum.  The exhibit explored the intersection of DOI with pop culture dating back to the early 1900s.  Today is its final day on view. 

Our staff is currently preparing to open Naturally Connected: Charley Harper and the Department of the Interior. This exhibit highlights the interconnectivity between the work of the Department of the Interior's bureaus as reflected by the bold, highly-stylized designs of Charley Harper. Opening February 13, 2017.

Museum will be closed January 14, 2017 to February 12, 2017

Upcoming Events


P.O. Box 1142: The Hidden History of Fort Hunt Park 
Special Delivery by Mark Churms depicts crew members of a German U-boat arriving as "guests" at P.O. Box 1142.

Wednesday, February 1
1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. 
Rachel Carson Room

Known only by its code name, P.O. Box 1142, Fort Hunt housed several secret intelligence programs during WWII and was the scene of interrogations of the highest ranking and important Axis military personnel and scientists. Join National Park Service George Washington Memorial Parkway Cultural Resources Program Manager Matthew Virta to learn about the archaeological investigations at the site, de-classified documents and oral history interviews illuminating the Park's hidden history.


Monarch Butterflies and You
Wednesday, March 1 
Courtesy of USFWS
1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Rachel Carson Room
 
Every fall North America's eastern population of monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles south to overwinter in the same volcanic mountain range in the states of Mexico and Michoacan, Mexico. Learn the basic biology of monarch butterflies and their magnificent migration story. Join Tracy McCleaf, US Fish and Wildlife Service Biologist at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) to learn the threats monarchs are facing and what you can do to help this iconic insect.


Special Assistance -  For those in need of special assistance (such as an interpreter for the hearing impaired) or inquiries regarding the accessible entrance, please notify museum staff at (202) 208-4743 in advance of the program. Special needs will be accommodated whenever possible.

Building Access - All adults must present a valid photo ID to enter the building. All visitors will be subject to security screenings, including bag and parcel checks.

Location - The Rachel Carson Room is located next to the basement cafeteria of the Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC, 20240.

  Check out the Events Calendar
"Themes of the Bureau of Indian Affairs: Indian and Soldier," Maynard Dixon, 1939. Fine Arts Program U.S. General Services Administration
Murals Tours

Discover the art and architecture that made the Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building a "symbol of a new day" during the Great Depression.  Tours are offered at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please call the Museum in advance of your visit at 202.208.4743 to make a reservation.

More information on the Murals Tour
Collections Spotlight

Tlingit copper mask, circa 1905
U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, INTR 01339

Resembling a human face, this mask was likely constructed by hammering sheet copper over a mold. The iridescent inlays on the eyes, nostrils and teeth are from abalone shells which have been affixed to metal backings and then riveted into place on the reverse side of the mask. This piece came to the Interior Museum via a California-based collector in the 1930s. 

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