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A young boy at left, a young girl in the center, and two pre-teen girls working together at right are at a table covered with craft materials. Each child is focused on his or her creative work.
Exploring invention and innovation through stories, activities, and research.
Learn more!

Kids taking part in the Spark!Lab Dr. InBae Yoon Invent It Challenge learn the invention process and leverage their STEM skills. Photo courtesy Cricket Media ePals

Explore

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

 

A yellow comment card completed by an eight year old Spark Lab visitor. The card prompts the visitor to fill out responses to what they invented, what they learned, what they loved, and what they didn't like. This visitor invented a new kind of top, learned that when they spin something it stays up straight, they loved inventing it, and they didn't like all the work.
Blog

Evaluation in Spark!Lab

We iterate our process not just by doing the job, but also by improving how we do it each time.

Screenshot of Douglas Engelbart presenting the mother of all demos on 9 December 1968. Engelbart wears a headset and his head and shoulders appear on the right side of the screen. Part of a shopping list, including grocery items bananas, carrots, lettuce, beans, and more, is on the left side.
Blog

The Mother of All Demos

In December 1968, Douglas Engelbart debuted many of the concepts of modern, interactive computing.

A projection of 3 views of a male customer’s reflection in mirrors, from the side, front, and back. He is wearing a tape measure harness that goes around his neck, arm (at the shoulder), chest, waist, and hips.
Blog

A Photo-Fitted Suit

A camera, some mirrors, a projector, a screen, and a calculator combined for made-to-measure clothing tailored “PhotoMetriCally.”

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.

Screenshot of Spacewar! video game
Lemelson Center Research

Videogame Pioneers Initiative

A project to document and preserve the legacy of video game pioneers

Archival intern Elizabeth Garber
Research Opportunities

Lemelson Center Archival Internships

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!

An adult man is working with a young girl on an activity in SparkLab
Spark!Lab

About Spark!Lab

Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors.

An outline of a gear, pictured in solid orange, with the words (in white lettering): Think about a new invention that enhances the daily lives of older adults.
DO Try This at Home!

The 2019 Spark!Lab Dr. InBae Yoon Invent It Challenge

It's time for the annual Invent It Challenge!

A young girl works on the Invent a Skate Park activity
Spark!Lab

Current Spark!Lab Activities

Spark!Lab visitors can enjoy inventing ways to ADAPT people, places, and things while exploring the history and process of invention.

Surprise me!

Events

  • Apr 12, 2019

    Religion and Innovation

  • May 01, 2019

    Innovative Lives: Merry Lynn Morris

  • Jun 05, 2019

    Innovative Lives

In the news

  • Nov 08, 2018

    Spacewar! Creators Honored at Smithsonian “Innovative Lives” Event

  • Nov 08, 2018

    Spacewar! Creators Honored at Smithsonian “Innovative Lives” Event

  • Sep 14, 2018

    Lemelson Center Moves Women Inventors to the Front in New Display

  • Jul 26, 2018

    2018 National Trademark Exposition Highlights the Important Role Trademarks Play

On view

Visit the Lemelson Hall of Invention and Innovation

The Lemelson Hall of Invention and Innovation features:

  • Places of Invention, an exhibition that explores what can happen when the right mix of inventive people, untapped resources, and inspiring surroundings come together.
  • Draper Spark!Lab, our hands-on invention workshop for children and families.
  • Inventive Minds, a changing gallery that highlights the Lemelson Center’s work on documenting inventors.

Location and Hours:

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

  • Draper Spark!Lab is open daily (except Tuesdays and Dec. 24 and 25) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Places of Invention and Inventive Minds are open daily (except Dec. 25) from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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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