Sept 17 | Anacostia Community Museum Celebrates 59 Years With Free After-Hours Party

The Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum is celebrating 59 years of history, heritage and community with a special after-hours event — and it’s free!

A Night at the Museum: Celebrating 59 Years of ACM takes place Thursday, September 17, from 7–10 p.m. at the Anacostia Community Museum.

The evening will bring the community together for live music, food, drinks and interactive experiences celebrating the stories and people that have shaped the museum and the communities it serves.

Guests can enjoy live music from Marcus Mitchell and his band, along with light appetizers, beer, wine and spirit-free mocktails while supplies last.

The evening will also feature a Perfume Bar by Scentelier Lab, where visitors can explore the connections between fragrance, memory and community — and how the scents woven into everyday life can become part of the stories that shape us.

Visitors will also have an opportunity to explore the museum’s We Make History exhibition after hours and consider how history is made, told and preserved.

The celebration marks 59 years of the Anacostia Community Museum, which has long centered the experiences, histories and voices of communities in Washington, DC and beyond.

Organizers say the evening is about more than marking another anniversary. It is an opportunity for the community to come together, recognize the stories that shape us and create some new memories along the way.

Event Details

What: A Night at the Museum: Celebrating 59 Years of ACM
When: Thursday, September 17, 2026
Time: 7–10 p.m.
Where: Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum, Washington, DC
Cost: FREE
Age: Guests must be 21 or older to attend.

Advance registration is recommended for the free celebration.