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Membership Policy FAQ
1. Is membership tax-deductible?
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All or a portion of The Smithsonian Associates membership payment is taxdeductible as a charitable contribution to the Smithsonian Institution. If you have a membership that does not include Smithsonian magazine, your entire membership payment is deductible. If you have a membership that includes Smithsonian magazine, subtracting $32 from the total membership payment will reflect the tax-deductible amount. For more information, please call our Membership Specialists at 202-633-3030 or send an e-mail to CustomerService@ResidentAssociates.org.
2. I am a National Associate Member and just moved to the D.C. area. How do I become a member of The Smithsonian Associates?
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When you join The Smithsonian Associates, you pay the full year's membership amount. Your remaining National Membership fees are used to extend The Smithsonian Associates Membership on a pro-rated basis.
Please contact customer service at 202-633-3030 (voice) or send an e-mail to CustomerService@ResidentAssociates.org for more information.
3. When can I expect to receive my first Smithsonian magazine and the Associate after signing up for membership? (show/hide answer)
It takes six to eight weeks for you to receive your first Smithsonian magazine and four to six weeks for the Associate.
4. How long does it take to get my membership card after purchasing a membership?
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You will receive your membership package which includes your membership card and other pertinent information in ten working days.
5. How do I change my address?
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You can change your address online by visiting the My Account section. You may also write us with your new address (please allow 6 weeks for the change to take effect).
6. How do I give a gift membership?
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At this time, we are not selling gift memberships through our website. The easiest way to purchase a gift membership is to call 202-633-3030 and speak to a customer service representative. Your gift recipient will receive notification of your generosity in approximately two weeks from the time we receive your order.
Registration Tips & Policy FAQ
The Smithsonian Institution reserves the right to cancel, substitute individual
speakers and/or session topics within a course, reschedule or relocate any
course or event because of insufficient enrollments, unanticipated scheduling
conflicts or emergency situations. The Smithsonian Institution also reserves the right
to refuse to register any individual or to require any participant to withdraw
from an activity at any time when such action is determined by the Smithsonian
staff to be in the best interests of the health,
safety, or general welfare of the entire group or the participant.
1. How to Register for an Activity: (show/hide information)
Online: Tickets may be ordered online after logging in. Your membership level will determine how many member
rate tickets you can order. If you are not a member or have not registered on our website, you will need to do so to
submit an order. As you place tickets in the shopping cart, your tickets will be locked/reserved for you
up to approximately 20 minutes. If you do not complete your order by then, the tickets will be released
and you will have to add them again in order to complete a purchase. An online receipt page will be
displayed upon completion. You will also be sent a confirming email.
By Phone: Please call 202-633-3030 (voice), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time, to register with your Discover Card, VISA, American Express or MasterCard. Please have the activity code numbers or activity dates and times available.
By Fax: Please fax your order to 202-786-2034 to register with your Discover Card, VISA,
American Express or MasterCard. Please include activity code numbers, dates,
times, and the number of each type of ticket you desire.
By Mail: The Smithsonian Associates
P.O. Box 23293
Washington, D.C. 20026-3293
Include activity code numbers, dates, times, and the number of each type of ticket
you desire. Payment may be submitted by Discover Card, VISA, American Express,
MasterCard, or personal check.
At the Door: Tickets are available (on a first-come, first-served basis) at the door of some programs. Call 202-633-3030 for availability.
2. How do Discounts work? (show/hide answer)
In many cases members age 60 and over receive a deeper discount on programs (excludes Study Tours). Group discounts (for
10 or more) are available.
3. What happens if an Activity is Sold Out? (show/hide answer)
If an activity is sold out before we receive your mailed-in reservation, (a) you will not be charged if you paid by credit card. However, if you
sent a check, Smithsonian accounting procedures require that it be cashed.
A full refund by Smithsonian check is automatically processed. (b) your
name is placed on a notification list for the filled event. If a vacancy
occurs, people on this list are notified in order of receipt of their application.
If a filled event is later rescheduled, applicants on the notification list
receive a mailing prior to any announcement in the Associate.
4. How are Changes in Published Schedules handled? (show/hide answer)
Occasionally we must change the time, date, or location of a program after an announcement has been published or tickets have been mailed. We notify participants by phone or mail. Call 202-633-3030 during business hours for information.
5. What is your Photography/Filming Policy? (show/hide answer)
Participants at The Smithsonian Associates programs may be photographed or filmed for the educational and promotional purposes of the Smithsonian Institution and The Smithsonian Associates. Filming and/or photographing by participants at TSA programs is not permitted.
Refund Policy FAQ
THE SMITHSONIAN ASSOCIATES NO LONGER ISSUES
CASH, CHECK, OR CREDIT CARD REFUNDS. ALL REFUNDS WILL NOW BE CREDITED TO
THE PURCHASER’S ACCOUNT.
Lectures, Seminars, Performances, Films, Studio Arts, One-day Study Tours Refund Policy:
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Credits will not be issued for tickets to programs that have
a TSA price of less than $40. To receive credit for tickets with
a TSA price of $40 or more, please call 202-633-3030 and speak
with Customer Service at least 10 working days prior to the program date. Please
note that there is a $10 processing fee.
For a refund, tickets must be received in our office by the appropriate deadlines. Options for ticket returns are as follows:
By Fax: Please cut the tickets into pieces, photocopy
them, then fax them to 202-786-2034 with your name and phone number.
At our Box Office: S. Dillon Ripley Center (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
1100 Jefferson Drive, SW
Enter the small, round, dome-topped building just West of the Smithsonian Castle. The office is on the 3rd floor down; to the right, just beyond the bottom of the escalator.
Metro stop: Smithsonian, Mall exit
By Mail: Mail tickets to The Smithsonian Associates Refund Dept., P.O. Box 23293, Washington, D.C. 20026-3293.
If a program is filled before we receive your order, or if it is cancelled
at any time, you will receive a full refund.
The Smithsonian Associates office is closed weekends and federal
holidays.
The cost of some components of tickets—such as entrance fees, theater
tickets, various food programs and meals, and airline and other transportation—may
not be able to be credited.
Credits are non-transferable.
Courses Refund Policy:
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To receive credit for a course, please call 202-633-3030
and speak with Customer Service at least 10 working days prior to the start
of the course. Credit will also be issued within two working days after the
first session, provided that Customer Service is contacted within that period.
All credits will be prorated to reflect the cost of the first session. No credit
will be given after the start of the second session. Please note that there
is a $10 processing fee. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO STUDIO ART CLASSES.
For a refund, tickets must be received in our office by the appropriate deadlines. Options for ticket returns are as follows:
By Fax: Please cut the tickets into pieces, photocopy
them, then fax them to 202-786-2034 with your name and phone number.
At our Box Office: S. Dillon Ripley Center (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
1100 Jefferson Drive, SW
Enter the small, round, dome-topped building just West of the Smithsonian Castle. The office is on the 3rd floor down; to the right, just beyond the bottom of the escalator.
Metro stop: Smithsonian, Mall exit
By Mail: Mail tickets to The Smithsonian Associates Refund Dept., P.O. Box 23293, Washington, D.C. 20026-3293.
If a program is filled before we receive your order, or if it is cancelled
at any time, you will receive a full refund.
The Smithsonian Associates office is closed weekends and federal
holidays.
The cost of some components of tickets—such as entrance fees, theater
tickets, various food programs and meals, and airline and other transportation—may
not be able to be credited.
Credits are non-transferable.
Overnight Study Tours Refund Policy:
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To receive credit, please call 202-633-3030 and speak with Customer Service.
Credit will be issued, provided cancellation
is requested at least 45 days prior to the tour date. Cancellations received
between 15 and 45 days before the tour are subject to a $100 cancellation fee.
No credit will be issued for cancellations received fewer than 15 days before
the tour date.
For a refund, tickets must be received in our office by the appropriate deadlines. Options for ticket returns are as follows:
By Fax: Please cut the tickets into pieces, photocopy
them, then fax them to 202-786-2034 with your name and phone number.
At our Box Office: S. Dillon Ripley Center (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
1100 Jefferson Drive, SW
Enter the small, dome-topped building just west of the Smithsonian Castle. The office is on the 3rd floor down; to the right, just beyond the bottom of the escalator.
Metro stop: Smithsonian, Mall exit
By Mail: Mail tickets to The Smithsonian Associates Refund Dept., P.O. Box 23293, Washington, D.C. 20026-3293.
If a program is filled before we receive your order, or if it is cancelled
at any time, you will receive a full refund.
The Smithsonian Associates office is closed weekends and federal
holidays.
The cost of some components of tickets—such as entrance fees, theater
tickets, various food programs and meals, and airline and other transportation—may
not be able to be credited.
Credits are non-transferable.
Donating Tickets:
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If you are unable to use the ticket(s) you have purchased for a Smithsonian Associates (TSA) program or class, you may release them to The Smithsonian Associates Box Office and receive a letter of donation within three weeks. Ticketing and service fees paid may not be used as a donation. There is no service charge for returning unused tickets as a donation.
Ticket(s) must be received in our Customer Service Office no later than 10:00 a.m. on the day of the event. In the case of a weekend, holiday weekend, or Monday daytime programs, ticket(s) must be received no later than 10:00 a.m. on the preceding Thursday.
Requests and returned tickets may be faxed, e-mailed, mailed, or returned in person to our office:
Fax a copy of the voided and torn ticket(s), along with a note requesting a letter of donation to (202) 786 2034.
E-mail a copy of the torn void ticket(s) and a note requesting a letter of donation to RACustomerService@si.edu
Mail your request with the original ticket(s) to The Smithsonian Associates, c/o Customer Service, PO Box 23293, Washington, DC, 20026-3293. Please allow ample time for mailing; letters received after the deadlines above will not be counted as donations.
Return the ticket(s) in person at our Box Office, 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW, Suite, 3077, Washington, DC. 20026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Please note that tickets returned for an event that has already occurred will not be considered as a donation (no exceptions).
What are the TSA policies for sold-out activities?
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If an activity is sold out before we receive your mailed-in reservation, (a) you will not be charged if you paid by credit card. However, if you sent a check, Smithsonian accounting procedures require that it be cashed. A full refund by Smithsonian check is automatically processed. (b) your name is placed on a notification list for the filled event. If a vacancy occurs, people on this list are notified in order of receipt of their application. If a filled event is later rescheduled, applicants on the notification list receive a mailing prior to any announcement in the Associate.
What are the TSA policies for Summer Camp Refunds?
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A 75-percent refund will be issued if notification is received by The Smithsonian Associates registration office via phone, fax, or regular mail at least four weeks before the start of the camp you are registered for. No refunds or changes will be made thereafter.
What are the TSA policies for Art Collectors Refunds?
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If, for any reason, you are not pleased with your purchase you may return it, undamaged, within 15 days of receipt for a refund of the full purchase price. All Certificates of Authenticity must be returned along with the art.
In the unlikely event that an item is damaged due to shipping, contact us at 202-633-8680 or email Artcollectors@si.edu within 5 days of receipt to make arrangements for replacement.
Please inspect your purchase when you receive it. We suggest that you frame the print as soon as possible on acid free mounting and acid free mats to maintain the integrity of the print.
Visitors with Disabilities FAQ
1. What are the TSA capabilities for handicapped access?
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The Smithsonian Associates seeks to
make activities accessible to people with disabilities.
Patrons with disabilities are encouraged to call before
registering for programs to inquire about the
accessibility of the presentations and locations. For
information or to request accessibility assistance,
please call 202-633-3030 (voice) or send an e-mail to
CustomerService@ResidentAssociates.org
2. What are the TSA capabilities for interpreters?
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Interpreters for The Smithsonian Associates programs and
special events are provided free of charge. The
Smithsonian Associates will make the arrangements
through the Smithsonian Accessibility Program if
requests for interpreters are made at least two weeks
in advance of the program.