On June 18, 2026, New Smithsonian Exhibition Opens Featuring Petoskey Stone Fossil from Michigan

Petoskey Stone

Michigan History Takes Center Stage in New Exhibition at Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Remarkable exhibition celebrating America’s 250th anniversary features more than 600 never-before-seen historic and cultural treasures.

Opening tomorrow, June 18th,

at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, “From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage” is a groundbreaking new exhibition commemorating America’s 250th anniversary through more than 600 rare objects and specimens representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the 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 defining moments that have shaped the United States across millions of years of natural and cultural history. Many of the objects on display have rarely or never before been exhibited publicly.

Representing Michigan in the exhibition is a Petoskey stone fossil, one of 10 objects from the state featured in the From These Lands exhibition. Many states have an official rock, gem or mineral, though the distinctions between them can be subtle. Ancient plant and animal remains can lithify, or turn to stone, when minerals fill in spaces and replace original tissue.

Petoskey stones (Hexagonaria sp.), Michigan’s state fossil,

were formed when ancient glaciers pulled fossilized rugose corals from the bedrock, grinding their surfaces smooth and depositing them along the shores of Lake Michigan. The fossils offer a glimpse into life 388–383 million years ago, reflecting a time when ancient seas covered the region, preserving marine life that is now found far from the ocean.

The exhibition highlights the unique natural, cultural, scientific, and historical contributions connected to Michigan and is expected to be viewed by millions of visitors from around the world during its multi-year engagement in Washington, D.C.

“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.”

EXHIBITION DETAILS:

“From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage”
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Opening: Thursday, June 18, 2026
Washington, D.C.
Free Admission