Tickets

The Smithsonian Institution reserves the right to cancel, substitute individual speakers and/or session topics within a course, reschedule or relocate any course or event because of insufficient enrollments, unanticipated scheduling conflicts or emergency situations.

The Smithsonian Institution also reserves the right to refuse to register any individual or to require any participant to withdraw from an activity at any time when such action is determined by the Smithsonian staff to be in the best interests of the health, safety, or general welfare of the entire group or the participant.

1. How to purchase tickets
   Online

   Tickets may be ordered online after logging in. Your membership level will determine how many member rate tickets you can order. If you are not a member or have not registered on our website, you will need to do so to submit an order. As you place tickets in the shopping cart, your tickets will be locked/reserved for you up to approximately 20 minutes. If you do not complete your order by then, the tickets will be released and you will have to add them again in order to complete a purchase. An online receipt page will be displayed upon completion. You will also be sent a confirming email.

   By Phone

   Call 202-633-3030 (voice), Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET, to register with your Discover Card, VISA, American Express, or MasterCard.

   At the Door

   Tickets are available (on a first-come, first-served basis) at the door of some in-person programs. Call 202-633-3030 for availability.
2. Ticketing fees
   • All program registrations are subject to a 10% processing fee to defray administrative costs. Registrants will see this fee applied during the checkout process. Registrations for Discovery Theater, Smithsonian Summer Camp, Studio Arts, and Study Tours are excluded from this fee.
   • There is an additional $3.00 nonrefundable handling fee per order for orders placed over the phone.
3. How do I use a promotion discount code?
   To receive a promotion code discount for an event, enter the promotion code when you log in. If the promotion code is still valid, it will display a promotion price on the event description page.
4. What happens if an event is sold out?
   A sold-out message will display on the event page on our website. Simply indicate your waitlist interest online or call our customer service department to be added. If additional seats or further date options become available, people on this wait list are notified typically by phone (sometimes email) to register for the program. If a filled event is later rescheduled, waitlisted patrons may be notified if further seats become available.
5. How are event changes in published schedules handled?
   Occasionally we must change the time, date, or location of a program. We notify participants by phone and email. Call 202-633-3030 during business hours for information.
6. What is the photography/filming policy?
   View our photo & recording policies