Cellphone: Unseen Connections

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

What does your cellphone mean to you?

Our cellphones have had a dramatic influence on our lives since they exploded onto the stage over 30 years ago. In this exhibit, discover the many ways your cellphone connects you to the natural world and to an unseen global network of people, labor, and infrastructure. 

Get emoji-fied on giant, larger than life cellphones! Peek behind the scenes to see the brains behind the network that makes your cellphone work.

Play interactive games and find out what you can do with your old phone when you are done with them. Explore how today’s teens navigate social issues with their phone in a graphic novel-style mural brought to life by artist Khary Randolph and writer Joanne Starer.

Giant cellphones greet visitors to the exhibit

Explore the Virtual Tour

Walk through Cellphone: Unseen Connections at home and explore what is inside your phone.

Cellphone Virtual Tour

Exhibit Highlights

a hand holding cellphone infant of an array of minerals — How many elements are in your cellphone? Find out in our 3-D periodic table.

image of 3 portraits of change makers — Meet a diverse group of changemakers who are shaping the present and future of cellphones.

dynatac — See the first commercially available cellphone, introduced in 1983.

Online Resources:

Walk through Cellphone: Unseen Connections at home with our virtual tour.
Explore teacher and classroom resources about cellphone science and sustainability.
Discover visual resources and videos about cellphones in the Smithsonian Learning Lab.