Smithsonian Channel Screenings
Showing a Smithsonian Channel program is an easy way to bring the Smithsonian to your neighborhood. As part of a Smithsonian Affiliation, Affiliate organizations have access to the Channel’s award-winning programming on popular topics such as air and space, history, science, nature and pop culture.
Affiliates can request a program to complement an exhibition, to be a stand-alone event, or to celebrate a heritage month. Screenings may be in-person, purely digital, or a hybrid event. It’s a great way to highlight the Affiliate partnership with the Smithsonian.
Screening rules and restrictions apply. This benefit is for current Smithsonian Affiliates only. If you are interested in becoming an Affiliate, please visit our Applying for Affiliation pages.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR REQUESTING A SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL PROGRAM:
- Browse the list of licensed, available programs in the sections below to make your selection.
- Plan in advance. Please allow a minimum of 4-6 weeks advance notice for approval. Please note- programs are currently only available in MP4 format. DVDs and BluRay are not available until further notice.
- Fill out the Smithsonian Channel Screening Request. Please note- Smithsonian Channel screening requests are currently not being accepted.
- Publicize the screening and program only after receiving written approval and a license from the Smithsonian Channel.
List of Available Programs
Download a printable list of all available programs or use the sections below to browse by topic, holiday, or general interest.
All Available Titles
New programs in 2023:
- Master of Glass: The Art of Dale Chihuly
- Picturing the Obamas: Portraits of Hope
- Picturing the Obamas: Portraits of Change
- Afrofuturism: The Origin Story
- Project Artemis: Back to the Moon
- America’s Hidden Stories: CIA Museum Declassified
- Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong’o
- Miami Wild
- The Miracle Panda
- America’s Hidden Stories: Black Wild West
- Hockney: Seeing Beauty
Aviation
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Project Artemis: Back to the Moon
Ariel America Compilations: Dazzling Destinations
Ariel America Compilations: Outdoor Adventures
Ariel America Compilations: Coasts
Aerial America
Aerial Cities
Aerial Africa
Air Warriors: Top Ten Cold War (Season 9)
Air Warriors: Top Ten 21st Century (Season 9)
Air Warriors: Top Ten WWII (Season 9)
Breaking the Sound Barrier
The Day We Walked on the Moon
Black Hole Hunters
Apollo’s Moon Shot
Earth From Outer Space
Finding Life in Outer Space
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Saturn V
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Lunar Module
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Space Shuttle
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Space Station
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Hubble Telescope
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Viking Mars Mission
Close Details
Arts & Culture
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Hockney: Seeing Beauty
Master of Glass: The Art of Dale Chihuly
Picturing the Obamas: Portraits of Hope
Picturing the Obamas: Portraits of Changes
Afrofuturism: The Origin Story
Boiling Point: L.A. Riots (Episode 1)
Boiling Point: Attica (Episode 2)
Boiling Point: Bloody Sunday (Episode 3)
Boiling Point: Schoolhouse Door (Episode 4)
Boiling Point: Hurricane Katrina (Episode 5)
Boiling Point: George Floyd (Episode 6)
The Obama Years: The Power of Words
The Lost Tapes: LA Riots
The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X
Black Wings
Legend of Lead Belly
Escape To the Great Dismal Swamp
MLK: The Assassination Tapes
Civil War 360: Fight for Freedom
Seizing Justice: The Greensboro 4
Smithsonian Time Capsule: 1968
The Green Book: Guide to Freedom
Searching for Secrets: San Francisco
Reclaiming History: Our Native Daughters
Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth
Blondie’s New York
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: This Damn Music
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: Going Electric
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: Sultans of Sound
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: Rise of Keyboards
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: Special EFX
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: Stage to Spectacle
Smithsonian Time Capsule: Beyond Stonewall
First Ladies Revealed: The Power of Style
First Ladies Revealed: Twists of Fate
First Ladies Revealed: In Times of War
First Ladies Revealed: Trailblazers
Close Details
History
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
America’s Hidden Stories: CIA Museum Declassified
America’s Hidden Stories: Black Wild West
WWII Battles in Color: Blitzkrieg
WWII Battles in Color: The Bulge
WWII Battles in Color: El Alamein
WWII Battles in Color: Kursk
WWII Battles in Color: Berlin
WWII Battles in Color: Barbarossa
Behind the Holiday: Thanksgiving
Ten Steps to Disaster: JFK Assassination
Ten Steps to Disaster: Twin Towers
With One Voice: Fighting Hatred Together
WWII By Drone: The Siege of Malta
WWII By Drone: Battle of the Bulge
WWII By Drone: D-Day
WWII By Drone: Nazi War Machine
WWII By Drone: Battle for the Skies
WWII By Drone: The Fight for Italy
9/11: The Heartland Tapes
9/11: Stories in Fragments
Crowning New York
America’s Hidden Stories: Salem’s Secrets
America’s Hidden Stories: Targeting Jefferson Davis
America’s Hidden Stories: Pandemic 1918
America’s Hidden Stories: Pearl Harbor Spies
America’s Hidden Stories: CIA Cyber Attack
America’s Hidden Stories: The General Was Female?
America’s Hidden Stories: Mystery at Jamestown
America in Color: The 1920s
America in Color: The 1930s
America in Color: The 1940s
America in Color: The 1950s
America in Color: The 1960s
America in Color: The Wild West
America in Color: Titans of Industry
America in Color: Organized Crime
America in Color: Playtime
America in Color: American Royalty
America in Color: Hollywood’s Golden Age
America in Color: Coming to America
America in Color: Disasters
America in Color: Alaska
America in Color: Made in the USA
America in Color: Crimes of the Century
America in Color: Small Town Life
The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X
The Lost Tapes: Clinton Impeachment
The Lost Tapes: Tornado Super Outbreak
The Lost Tapes: Pearl Harbor
The Lost Tapes: Son of Sam
The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst
Smithsonian Time Capsule: 1968
A Star-Spangled Story: Battle for America
Memphis Belle in Color
Drinks Crime & Prohibition: Flappers and Bootleggers
Drinks Crime & Prohibition: Gangsters and G-Men
Battle of Midway
Titanic’s Fatal Fire
America’s Hidden Stories: Hitler’s US Election Plot
America’s Hidden Stories: Klan Makes a Movie
America’s Hidden Stories: Madam President
America’s Hidden Stories: Vampires in America
America’s Hidden Stories: Southern Union Women Spies
America’s Hidden Stories: George Washington’s Secret Love
The Curious Life and Death of…Harry Houdini
Battle of Little Bighorn
Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier
Epic Warrior Women: Vikings
Epic Warrior Women: Africa’s Amazons
Epic Warrior Women: Amazons
Epic Warrior Women: Gladiatrix
D-Day and the Dambusters
Humboldt: Epic Explorer
Race to Victory: WWII Europe
Race to Victory: WWII Pacific
She The People: Votes for Women
The Blitz: Days that Changed WWII
Walk Against Fear: James Meredith
When Tariq Ali Met Malcolm X
100 Missions: Surviving Vietnam
Close Details
Nature & Environment
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Miami Wild
The Miracle Panda
Age of Humans: Air
Age of Humans: Water
Age of Humans: Earth
America’s Heartland: Wild Prairie Reborn
America’s Wild Border*
Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs: The Scent Detectives*
Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs: The Lifesavers*
Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs: The Rescuers*
Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs: The Protectors*
Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs: The Partners*
Ocean Super Predators
Wildest California
Epic Yellowstone: Fire and Ice
Epic Yellowstone: Return of the Predators
Epic Yellowstone: Life on the Wing
Epic Yellowstone: Down the River Wild
America’s National Parks at 100
Volcanoes: Dual Destruction
Life of Earth: From Space
Life of Earth: Age of Humans
When Whales Walked….
Survival of the Snow Leopard
World’s Most Dangerous Shark
Close Details
Science & Technology
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Covid: Our Lockdown in Shanghai
COVID: Race Against the Virus
Vaxxed Nation
Seriously Amazing Objects (Season 2): Supersize
Seriously Amazing Objects (Season 2): Risk Takers
Seriously Amazing Objects (Season 2): Survivors
How Did They Build That: Cantilevers & Lifts
How Did They Build That: Towers & Roofs
How Did They Build That: Biomes & Rebuilds
How Did They Build That: Viaducts & Hotels
How Did They Build That: Supertalls & Firehouses
How Did They Build That: Arches & Opera Houses
How Did They Build That: Sky Gardens & Seismic Stations
How Did They Build That: Arctic Modules & Auditoria
Ice Airport Alaska: Into the Storm (Season 2)
Ice Airport Alaska: Whiskey and Water (Season 2)
Ice Airport Alaska: Heavy Lifting (Season 2)
Ice Airport Alaska: Emergency Landing (Season 2)
Impossible Repairs: Panama Canal Railway
V-Day: Volcanic Planet
Making Tracks on Mars
Rise of the Supercarrier (Season 2): Heading for America
Rise of the Supercarrier (Season 2): Hurricane Alert
Rise of the Supercarrier (Season 2): Pushing the Limits
Combat Ships (Season 2): Galleons and Privateers
Combat Ships (Season 2): Secrets of the Sea
Combat Ships (Season 2): Stealth
Combat Ships (Season 2): Amphibious Assaults
Dinosaur Cold Case
Disasters at Sea (Season 2): Arctic Rose Mystery, The
Disasters at Sea (Season 2): Storm Watch
Disasters at Sea (Season 2): Sinking of the Lady Mary, The
Disasters at Sea (Season 2): Death on the Staten Island Ferry
Disasters at Sea (Season 2): Firefight
Disasters at Sea (Season 2): Queen of the North
Iceland’s Fire & Ice
Mighty Trains (Season 3): Bergen Railway & Nordland Line
Mighty Trains (Season 3): Bernina Express
Mighty Trains (Season 3): Thai Rail & Death Railway
Mighty Trains (Season 3): Frecciarossa 1000 & Italo Evo
Mighty Trains (Season 3): Indian Pacific
Mighty Trains (Season 3): Rovos Rail
Mighty Trains (Season 4): Tren Turistico
Mighty Trains (Season 4): Reunification Express
Mighty Trains (Season 4): Coastal Pacific
Mighty Trains (Season 4): Transcantabrico Classico
Mighty Trains (Season 4): Seven Stars
Mighty Trains (Season 4): Belgrade to Bar Train
Space Disasters: When Weather Strikes
Space Disasters: Fixing on The Fly
Space Disasters: First Generation
Space Disasters: Failure at Re-Entry
Space Disasters: Failure to Launch
Space Disasters: Human Factor
Close Details
Programs with asterisks* may be shown in English and within the US only
Available Titles by Topic or Heritage Month
Trailers are available for any titles labeled *NEW*. Please contact the Affiliations team to request trailers- affiliates@si.edu
NOTE: this is a selection of titles meant to be suggestions for screenings. Please see the full list for all available programs.
Aviation
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Ariel America Compilations: Dazzling Destinations
Ariel America Compilations: Outdoor Adventures
Ariel America Compilations: Coasts
Aerial America
Aerial Cities
Aerial Africa
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Black Wings
Space History
*NEW* Project Artemis: Back to the Moon
The Day We Walked on the Moon
Black Hole Hunters
Apollo’s Moon Shot
Earth From Outer Space
Finding Life in Outer Space
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Saturn V
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Lunar Module
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Space Shuttle
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Space Station
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Hubble Telescope
America’s Secret Space Heroes: Viking Mars Mission
Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier
Making Tracks on Mars
Space Disasters (full season)
Close Details
Arts & Culture
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
*NEW*Hockney: Seeing Beauty
*NEW* Master of Glass: The Art of Dale Chihuly
*NEW* Picturing the Obamas: Portraits of Hope
*NEW* Picturing the Obamas: Portraits of Changes
*NEW* Afrofuturism: The Origin Story
The Lost Tapes: Son of Sam
The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst
Drinks Crime & Prohibition: Flappers and Bootleggers
Drinks Crime & Prohibition: Gangsters and G-Men
Titanic’s Fatal Fire
America’s Hidden Stories: Vampires in America
America’s Hidden Stories: George Washington’s Secret Love
Blondie’s New York
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: This Damn Music
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: Going Electric
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: Sultans of Sound
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: Rise of Keyboards
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: Special EFX
Rock ‘N’ Roll Inventions: Stage to Spectacle
Close Details
Science & Technology
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
The Lost Tapes: Tornado Super Outbreak
Volcanoes: Dual Destruction
Covid: Our Lockdown in Shanghai
Vaxxed Nation
COVID: Race Against the Virus
Seriously Amazing Objects (Season 2): Supersize
Seriously Amazing Objects (Season 2): Risk Takers
Seriously Amazing Objects (Season 2): Survivors
How Did They Build That: Cantilevers & Lifts
How Did They Build That: Towers & Roofs
How Did They Build That: Biomes & Rebuilds
How Did They Build That: Viaducts & Hotels
How Did They Build That: Supertalls & Firehouses
How Did They Build That: Arches & Opera Houses
How Did They Build That: Sky Gardens & Seismic Stations
How Did They Build That: Arctic Modules & Auditoria
Ice Airport Alaska: Into the Storm (Season 2)
Ice Airport Alaska: Whiskey and Water (Season 2)
Ice Airport Alaska: Heavy Lifting (Season 2)
Ice Airport Alaska: Emergency Landing (Season 2)
Impossible Repairs: Panama Canal Railway
Making Tracks on Mars
Combat Ships (Full season 2)
Dinosaur Cold Case
Disasters at Sea (Full Season 2)
Mighty Trains (Full Seasons 3 and 4)
Rise of the Supercarrier (Season 2 episodes: Heading for America, Huricane Alert, Pushing the Limits)
Close Details
Environment
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Earth From Outer Space
Aerial America
The Lost Tapes: Tornado Super Outbreak
Humboldt: Epic Explorer
Age of Humans: Air
Age of Humans: Water
Age of Humans: Earth
America’s Heartland: Wild Prairie Reborn
America’s Wild Border*
Ocean Super Predators
Wildest California
Epic Yellowstone: Fire and Ice
Epic Yellowstone: Return of the Predators
Epic Yellowstone: Life on the Wing
Epic Yellowstone: Down the River Wild
America’s National Parks at 100
Volcanoes: Dual Destruction
Life of Earth: From Space
Life of Earth: Age of Humans
When Whales Walked….
Survival of the Snow Leopard
World’s Most Dangerous Shark
V-Day: Volcanic Planet
Dinosaur Cold Case
Iceland’s Fire & Ice
Close Details
Race & Social Justice / Black History Month
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
*NEW* Afrofuturism: The Origin Story
*NEW* America’s Hidden Stories: Black Wild West
Boiling Point: L.A. Riots (Episode 1)
Boiling Point: Attica (Episode 2)
Boiling Point: Bloody Sunday (Episode 3)
Boiling Point: Schoolhouse Door (Episode 4)
Boiling Point: Hurricane Katrina (Episode 5)
Boiling Point: George Floyd (Episode 6)
The Lost Tapes: LA Riots
The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X
MLK: The Assassination Tapes
Civil War 360: Fight for Freedom
Seizing Justice: The Greensboro 4
Smithsonian Time Capsule: 1968
The Green Book: Guide to Freedom
Escape To the Great Dismal Swamp
Black Wings
Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier
Legend of Lead Belly
Reclaiming History: Our Native Daughters
The Obama Years: The Power of Words
Walk Against Fear: James Meredith
When Tariq Ali Met Malcolm X
With One Voice: Fighting Hatred Together
America’s Hidden Stories: Klan Makes a Movie
She The People: Votes For Women
Close Details
Women’s History
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
NEW! Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong’o
Epic Warrior Women: Vikings
Epic Warrior Women: Africa’s Amazons
Epic Warrior Women: Amazons
Epic Warrior Women: Gladiatrix
She the People: Votes for Women
Reclaiming History: Our Native Daughters
First Ladies Revealed (Episodes: Power of Style; Twists of Fate; In Times of War; Trailblazers)
America’s Hidden Stories: The General Was Female?
America’s Hidden Stories: Madam President
America’s Hidden Stories: Southern Union Women Spies
Blondie’s New York
Close Details
President’s Day
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
NEW! America’s Hidden Stories: CIA Museum Declassified
First Ladies Revealed
The Lost Tapes: Clinton Impeachment
America’s Hidden Stories: George Washington’s Secret Love
The Obama Years: The Power of Words
A Star-Spangled Story: Battle for America
Ten Steps to Disaster: JFK Assassination
Close Details
Asian Pacific American Month
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Epic Warrior Women: Amazons
Uncommon Courage: Breakout at Chosin
Conversations in Context, Season 2 (digital shorts. On this playlist)
Close Details
Latinx
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Aerial America: Puerto Rico & US Virgin Islands
Close Details
Native American and Alaska Native History
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Battle of Little Bighorn
Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth
Reclaiming History: Our Native Daughters
America in Color: Alaska
Ice Airport Alaska: Into the Storm (Season 2)
Ice Airport Alaska: Whiskey and Water (Season 2)
Ice Airport Alaska: Heavy Lifting (Season 2)
Ice Airport Alaska: Emergency Landing (Season 2)
Close Details
Military History
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Air Warriors: Top Ten WWII (Season 9)
Air Warriors: Top Ten Cold War (Season 9)
Air Warriors: Top Ten 21st Century (Season 9)
Combat Ships (Full season 2)
Battle of Midway
D-Day and the Dambusters
Memphis Belle in Color
Race to Victory
Race to Victory: WWII Europe
Race to Victory: WWII Pacific
The Blitz: Days That Changed WWII
The Lost Tapes: Pearl Harbor
WWII Battles in Color: Barbarossa
WWII Battles in Color: Berlin
WWII Battles in Color: Blitzkrieg
WWII Battles in Color: El Alamein
WWII Battles in Color: Kursk
WWII Battles in Color: The Bulge
WWII By Drone: Battle for the Skies
WWII By Drone: Battle of the Bulge
WWII By Drone: D-Day
WWII By Drone: Nazi War Machine
WWII By Drone: The Fight for Italy
WWII By Drone: The Siege of Malta
America’s Hidden Stories: Pearl Harbor Spies
America’s Hidden Stories: The General Was Female?
America’s Hidden Stories: Hitler’s US Election Plot
Battle of Little Bighorn
100 Missions: Surviving Vietnam
Close Details
LGBTQ+
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
*NEW*Hockney: Seeing Beauty
Smithsonian Time Capsule: Beyond Stonewall
Close Details
9/11
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Ten Steps to Disaster: Twin Towers
9/11: The Heartland Tapes
9/11: Stories in Fragments
Crowning New York (After the attacks of 9/11, the entire world watched to see what could fill the void where the Twin Towers once stood. Now, witness the story of One World Trade Center, one of the most significant, and dangerous, construction jobs ever launched)
Close Details
Thanksgiving
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Behind the Holiday: Thanksgiving
Close Details
Other / General History
Click to open titles
Click to open titles
Searching for Secrets: San Francisco
America’s Hidden Stories: Salem’s Secrets
America’s Hidden Stories: Targeting Jefferson Davis
America’s Hidden Stories: Pandemic 1918
America’s Hidden Stories: Pearl Harbor Spies
America’s Hidden Stories: CIA Cyber Attack
America’s Hidden Stories: The General Was Female?
America’s Hidden Stories: Mystery at Jamestown
America in Color: The 1920s
America in Color: The 1930s
America in Color: The 1940s
America in Color: The 1950s
America in Color: The 1960s
America in Color: The Wild West
America in Color: Titans of Industry
America in Color: Organized Crime
America in Color: Playtime
America in Color: American Royalty
America in Color: Hollywood’s Golden Age
America in Color: Coming to America
America in Color: Disasters
America in Color: Alaska
America in Color: Made in the USA
America in Color: Crimes of the Century
America in Color: Small Town Life
Hannibal’s March On Rome
Hunt for the Lost Superfleet
Mystery of the Lost Pyramid
Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs: The Scent Detectives*
Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs: The Lifesavers*
Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs: The Rescuers*
Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs: The Protectors*
Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs: The Partners*
Close Details
Programs with asterisks* may be shown in English and within the US only
Smithsonian Channel Screening FAQs
How much does it cost to screen a Smithsonian Channel program?
There is no cost to a current Smithsonian Affiliate for screening a Smithsonian Channel program.
Can my organization charge a fee for visitors to see the Smithsonian Channel program?
No. The Affiliate organization may not charge an additional fee for screening Smithsonian Channel content. The screening may be included as part of regular admission, but it cannot be a separate charge.
How many times can we show the Smithsonian Channel program?
Smithsonian Affiliates can screen the program as many times as they’d like within the dates outlined in the approved license agreement. For dates outside of the original approved license, the Affiliate must submit a new request.
Smithsonian Channel programs must be screened in their entirety; they cannot be cut, edited, or looped in any way other than the intended feature length program.
What platform can I stream a Channel program on?
The preferred streaming platform for Smithsonian Channel programming is Zoom. If you cannot use zoom and need to stream on an alternate platform such as YouTube or Vimeo, please contact affiliates@si.edu. These platforms require whitelisting or may not be suitable for screening.
What format will the program video be in?
Smithsonian Channel programs are only available in MP4 file format. DVD and Bluray format are not available. Please contact us if you need to test an MP4 file before requesting a program.
Is the program closed captioned?
Closed captioning is automatically included in all Smithsonian Channel programming. Closed captioning is not able to be disabled.
Are there any promotional materials to help spread the word about the screening?
The Smithsonian Channel will provide marketing materials once the signed license agreements have been submitted. Any and all promotional material must be reviewed by the Channel before printing, publishing, posting, etc. Please allow 3 business days for materials to be approved. Affiliates should send drafts to their National Outreach Manager or Elizabeth Bugbee for approval.
Featured Program!
World-renowned artist Dale Chihuly has left an indelible mark on the world of glass. However, in his 80th year, his legacy extends far beyond his contributions to the art world as his collections of things, places, and lifelong friendships know no bounds.
Questions?
Contact Affiliates@si.edu or your National Outreach Manager.
