Rarely Seen Missouri Artifact Featured in Brand-New Smithson…

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Opening June 18 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, “From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage” is a major new exhibition commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The exhibition features more than 600 rare specimens and cultural objects representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.

Drawn from the museum’s collection of more than 148 million artifacts and specimens, the 5,000-square-foot exhibition explores the people, landscapes, discoveries, traditions and stories that have shaped the nation throughout millions of years of natural and cultural history. Many of the featured items have rarely, if ever, been displayed publicly.

Missouri is represented by an American paddlefish, one of seven objects from the state included in the exhibition. The American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) is the last surviving member of an ancient fish family and one of the largest fish species found in North America’s rivers. Scientists estimate paddlefish diverged from other fish lineages more than 310 million years ago and have changed little since.

Once found throughout the Great Lakes region, the species is now limited to the Mississippi River watershed. Its distinctive paddle-shaped snout contains sensors that detect electrical signals in the water, helping the fish locate food and navigate its environment. The paddlefish serves as a living link to the distant past, illustrating how some ancient species have survived through hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary change.

The exhibition highlights natural, cultural, scientific and historical connections from across the United States, including Missouri, and is expected to be viewed by millions of visitors during its run in Washington, D.C., through December 2029.

“This exhibition brings the entire country into one gallery,” said Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. “As the country marks its 250th anniversary, ‘From These Lands’ presents an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our landscapes, the depth of our history and the connections that link people and the natural world across borders.”

The exhibition includes fossils, minerals, scientific specimens, cultural artifacts and interactive displays designed to help visitors explore the connections between people, places and the natural world. Featured objects range from a rare blue gemstone from California and a Northern bobwhite collected by a young Theodore Roosevelt to Indigenous cultural objects and specimens tied to major scientific discoveries and conservation efforts.

Organized around themes such as biodiversity, geology, state symbols, Indigenous traditions, environmental change and ecosystem restoration, the exhibition also features animated maps and digital interactives that allow visitors to explore shared natural features and state symbols from across the nation.

“From These Lands” is part of the Smithsonian-wide initiative “Our Shared Future: 250,” which commemorates the nation’s semiquincentennial. Related programming will include lectures, family activities, hands-on events, a companion book and an online version of the exhibition.

Opened in 1910, the National Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s most visited natural history museums and offers free admission to the public.