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1 man and 1 woman turning the double Dutch ropes while another man jumps
Exploring invention and innovation through stories, activities, and research.
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The Rope Stylers demonstrating double-Dutch jump roping in France, 2016. Photo by Adrien Plaud, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Explore

Behind every invention, there is a story. Discover those stories here.

 

Informal pose of Tahira Reid Smith, arms folded
Blog

Game Changers Inventor Spotlight: Tahira Reid Smith

Engineering professor Dr. Tahira Reid Smith has been inventive since childhood and is best known for her automated double-Dutch jump rope machine.

Metal patent model for Verea calculating machine
Blog

Signposts to Diverse Stories of Invention

Museum objects reveal unexpected stories about diverse inventions—and inventors.

Composite image with skater Nikolai Panin tracing figures on the ice and diagrams of different ice figures
Blog

How Skating Acquired and Lost Its “Figure”

Thanks to invention and innovation, the history of figure skating is truly head-spinning.

Study

Scholars and students, join us in studying our passion: invention! Apply for a fellowship, travel grant, or internship. Explore our collections. Consult our research reports and best practices for documenting and collecting inventors’ materials. And check out our Lemelson Center/MIT Press book series.

Montage of book covers published in the Lemelson Center Studies series
Lemelson Center Books

Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and Innovation

Books in the interdisciplinary Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and Innovation series explore the history of invention and innovation and the work of inventors and the technologies they create.

Collage of images of Black inventors, including Madam CJ Walker
Symposia & Conferences

Black Inventors and Innovators: New Perspectives

Join the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation for a week-long webinar series drawing renewed attention to historic and contemporary inventors of color and Black technology consumers, while discussing strategies for building a more equitable innovation ecosystem.

Archival intern Elizabeth Garber
Research Opportunities

Lemelson Center Archival Internship

Lemelson Center Archival Interns work on invention-related collections at the National Museum of American History Archives Center.

Try

Get hands-on with the history and the process of invention! Try all sorts of ways to get creative!

Computer-generated drawing of solar panels in the shape of a houseplant charging a cell phone
DO Try This at Home!

Create a Solar-Powered Invention

Create a solar-powered invention with virtual materials—or design your own parts and pieces.

Rocket launcher made from wood and other materials
DO Try This at Home!

Design a Spacecraft

Design a spacecraft with virtual materials—or create your own parts and pieces.

An array of craft materials
DO Try This at Home!

At-Home Inventors

Lots of inventors worked from home – what will you invent?

Surprise me!

Events

In the news

  • Oct 14, 2020

    Lemelson Center Director Emeritus Awarded Leonardo Da Vinci Medal

  • Oct 01, 2020

    Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center Receives Grant from National Science Foundation: $1.8 Million to Fund “Game Changers” Exhibition Project

  • Apr 13, 2020

    Kara Swanson Named 2020 Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellow

  • Feb 05, 2020

    Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center Is Head Over Wheels

On view

Visit the Lemelson Hall of Invention and Innovation

As a public health precaution due to COVID-19, all Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are temporarily closed.

Draper Spark!Lab remains temporarily closed.

The Lemelson Hall of Invention and Innovation features:

Draper Spark!Lab, our hands-on invention workshop for children and families. Want to invent at home while Spark!Lab is closed? Check out the DO Try This at Home section of our website!

Places of Invention, an exhibition that explores what can happen when the right mix of inventive people, untapped resources, and inspiring surroundings come together.

Inventive Minds, a changing gallery that highlights the Lemelson Center’s work on documenting inventors.

Location and Hours:

The Lemelson Center, the Lemelson Hall of Invention and Innovation, and Spark!Lab are located at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Click for visiting information. Hours are subject to change for holidays, inclement weather, and urgent maintenance issues. Please check the museum calendar for updates.

Learn more about our exhibitions

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Tweets by @SI_Invention

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Found 2681 Stories

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