• Main menu
Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation
  • Home
Magnavox Odyssey table tennis game screen
Exploring invention and innovation through stories, activities, and research.
Learn more!

Explore

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

 

Richmond attorney Giles B. Jackson (1853-1924), director-general of the Negro Development and Exposition Company (NDEC) and the visionary behind the Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition’s Negro Building.
Blog

An Early Attempt to Build a “National Museum for Colored People”

Illustration of a family playing Magnavox Odyssey games
Blog

50 Years at 16,000 Percent Annual Growth

Ralph Baer transformed interactive entertainment and gave rise to an industry that earned nearly $102 billion in revenue worldwide in 2015.

Innoskate logo
Invention Stories

Innoskate

Innoskate explores skate culture’s creative spirit and history of innovation.

Study

Scholars and students, join us in studying our passion: invention! Apply for a fellowship, travel, 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 book series.

Images of a letter from the archives center.
Research Opportunities

Lemelson Center Travel to Collections Awards

The Lemelson Center offers support in the form of short-term travel awards for researchers to come to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and use the Archives Center's 20,000 feet of archival materials.

The Early American Daguerreotype Book Cover
Lemelson Center Books

The Early American Daguerreotype

The Early American Daguerreotype: Cross-Currents in Art and Technology by Sarah Kate Gillespie is the newest book in the Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and Innovation series with MIT Press.

Lemelson Center lightbulb graphic identity
Lemelson Center Research

Lemelson Center Research and Program Focus, 2016-2020

In coming years, we will continue research on the role of place in innovation and drivers for people to become inventors and innovators. We also will initiate research, exhibitions, educational activities, and public engagement work in the new areas of innovation in sports and the role of risk and failure in invention and innovation.

Try

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

A facilitator works with a young girl on a Spark!Lab invention activity (Michigan Science Center)
Spark!Lab

The Spark!Lab National Network

The Spark!Lab National Network brings hands-on invention learning to the nation

Children test out new ideas in Spark Lab
Spark!Lab

About Spark!Lab

Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors.

Lemelson Center lightbulb graphic identity
Encouraging Innovative Thinking

Books to Encourage Inventive Thinking

These books available in the Draper Spark!Lab help our visitors find inspiration and information about invention, innovation, and creativity.

Surprise me!

Events

  • Sep 24, 2016

    CANCELED - Spark!Lab

  • Nov 16, 2016

    Innovative Lives: Bob Pittman

In the news

  • Aug 24, 2016

    Creativity for Kids® Partners with Spark!Lab™ Smithsonian, Launches New Category of Products

  • Jun 12, 2016

    Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center Announces Video Game Pioneers Archive Initiative

  • May 12, 2016

    Rayvon Fouché Named Inaugural Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellow

  • Apr 15, 2016

    2016-2017 Lemelson Fellowship Class Announced

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

  • Spark!Lab is open daily (except Tuesdays and Dec. 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

Learn more about our exhibitions

Instagram

Twitter

Tweets by @SI_Invention

VIEW 2475 Matching Results

Found 2475 Stories

  • Agriculture and horticulture (Relevance: 5.3333333333333%)
  • Air and space (Relevance: 6.9494949494949%)
  • Food and drink (Relevance: 2.9090909090909%)
  • Industry and manufacturing (Relevance: 7.1515151515152%)
  • Maritime (Relevance: 3.030303030303%)
  • Medicine, health, and life sciences (Relevance: 4.2828282828283%)
  • Military technology (Relevance: 3.1515151515152%)
  • Mining and drilling (Relevance: 3.5959595959596%)
  • Patents and trademarks (Relevance: 11.272727272727%)
  • Photography, film, television, and video (Relevance: 3.5151515151515%)
  • Places of Invention (Relevance: 2.9494949494949%)
  • Power generation, motors, and engines (Relevance: 3.6363636363636%)
  • Research and development (Relevance: 2.989898989899%)
  • Telegraph, telephone, and telecommunications (Relevance: 3.3535353535354%)
  • Textiles and clothing (Relevance: 3.1515151515152%)
  • Transportation (Relevance: 5.8181818181818%)
❯

About Menu

▼
Open menu
▲
Close menu
  • Explore
    +− Submenu
    • Invention Stories
    • Places of Invention
    • Blog
    • Beyond Words
  • Study
    +− Submenu
    • Research Opportunities
    • Archives
    • Lemelson Center Books
    • Symposia & Conferences
    • Lemelson Center Research
  • Try
    +− Submenu
    • Spark!Lab
    • DO Try This at Home!
    • Encouraging Innovative Thinking
  • About
    +− Submenu
    • Using This Site
    • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • News
    • The Team
    • Talk to Us
    • FAQ
    • Who Was Jerome Lemelson?
    • Who Is Dorothy Lemelson?
    • Lemelson's Patents
  • Multimedia
  • Tags
  • Surprise Me
  • Search
  • Open Drawer
Copyright 2016, Smithsonian Institution, All Rights Reserved
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Print