From These Lands runs through 2029 in Washington
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History opened From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage on June 18 in Washington, DC. More than 600 specimens and cultural artefacts from all 50 states, Washington, DC, and five US territories appear in the show.
Visitors can see the exhibition through 2029 at the museum in Washington. Curators drew the display from the Smithsonian collection of more than 148 million objects.
Ancient fossils, geological formations, cultural artefacts, and scientific breakthroughs appear side by side. As a result, the exhibition traces stories that span millions of years.
Designed around connection, diversity, and discovery, From These Lands examines how landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural traditions shape one another across regions. Across the gallery, paired natural specimens and cultural objects show how people influence the natural world and are shaped by it.
Esri, based in Redlands, California, is the lead sponsor. The company also developed animated maps for the gallery and a digital companion built with ArcGIS StoryMaps.
Esri and ArcGIS StoryMaps
Inside the museum, visitors can explore topography, biomes, geology, migration patterns, and watersheds through animated maps. Those geographic views reveal relationships across landscapes and across the continent.
The Smithsonian and Esri also created an online story that extends the exhibition beyond the building. ArcGIS StoryMaps combines maps, multimedia, and narrative content for educators, students, and global audiences.
That companion resource connects objects and stories across locations instead of treating each item as a stand-alone display. Because it is digital, people can access the material from anywhere.
Jack Dangermond, Esri president, said: “We are honoured and thrilled to make this contribution to such an enriching exhibit at the Smithsonian showcasing the nation’s natural history.”
From These Lands highlights the places people call home across the United States, Washington, DC, and the territories. After its June 18 opening, the exhibition offers both an in-person museum experience and an online resource through 2029.
