The weather is not so nice this weekend, but there are plenty of cool happenings indoors, from a comprehensive photo exhibit at the Phillips Collection, to a chance to visit the Dupont Circle and Kalorama private museums free of charge. I’ve got the scoop in my Washington Times column, available in the print edition, in PDF format, and below.

Washington Times Get Out: The Week’s Pocket Picks for June 5, 2015

By Samantha Sault

Pick of the Pack: American Moments

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the Phillips Collection’s newest exhibit will offer an encyclopedia of modern American history. Opening Saturday, “American Moments: Photographs From the Phillips Collection” will showcase more than 140 photographs spanning 1917 to 1980 from the museum’s permanent collection. These photos were chosen for how they capture the American experience in the 20th century, particularly post-World War II urbanization, the Great Depression and the rise of photojournalism. On Thursday, you can meet one of the 30 featured photographers, Bruce Davidson, known for his stirring images of New York from the 1950s to today, including Brooklyn’s gangs and scenes from the subway. On July 2, the Phillips After 5 happy hour event will feature gallery talks, discussions of different lenses and printing processes, live music, and themed cocktails and bites. Through Sept. 13 at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. 202/387-2151. Web: PhillipsCollection.org.

Bruce Davidson, Girl Waving with Sign on Road (Los Angeles series), 1964. (Courtesy: The Phillips Collection)

Film: Union Market Drive-In

The drive-in cinema was a summer hot spot starting in the early 20th century, but such venues were out of reach for many city dwellers. Every Friday in June, however, Northeast’s Union Market will turn back time to host a drive-in theater showing favorite ’80s and ’90s flicks, including “Jurassic Park,” “Pretty Woman,” “Space Jam” and “Beverly Hills Cop.” The $10 parking fee includes free popcorn and soda, but admission is free if you bike or walk. The gates open at 6 p.m. and close at 7:45 p.m. before the 8 p.m. film. All 40 Union Market vendors will be open. Fridays through June 26 at Union Market, Florida Avenue and Sixth Street NE. Web: UnionMarketDC.com.

Museums: Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk

It’s time to welcome thousands of tourists to our museums and landmarks — and an opportunity for locals to skip the crowds on the National Mall and explore seven off-the-beaten-path museums in Dupont Circle and Kalorama, which will open their doors free of charge this weekend. We recommend the Woodrow Wilson House, where you can celebrate the 100th anniversary of Flag Day with crafts and croquet and learn about the work to protect Italian art and culture during World War I. Revolutionary War buffs will want to see “Lafayette & L’Hermione: Symbols of the French-American Friendship” at Anderson House, while Jane Austen fans should drop by Dumbarton House for English country dance lessons. Other highlights include classic garden games and a botanical drawing workshop at the Heurich House Museum, jazz at the Phillips Collection and Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, and the chance to learn about the Jewish American soldier who liberated Dachau at the National Museum of American Jewish Military History. Saturday and Sunday in the Dupont Circle and Kalorama neighborhoods. Web: DupontKaloramaMC.com.

Theater: Newsies: The Musical

When Disney’s “Newsies,” starring a young Christian Bale as a homeless newsboy in New York, debuted n 1992, it became an instant cult favorite. Based on the Newsboys Strike of 1899, it tells the story of a group of young orphans who rise up against Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst and ultimately receive better pay for their work hawking the newspapers on the city streets. With music by Alan Menken (Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin”) and lyrics by Jack Feldman (Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana”), the musical premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey in 2011 before moving to Broadway the following year and winning the Tony Award for Best Score and Best Choreography. The show is now touring North America, with a stop at the National Theatre this week that will have you dancing in the aisles and “seizing the day,” as the newsboys say. Through June 21 at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202/628-6161. Web: TheNationalDC.org.

© Copyright 2015 The Washington Times, LLC and Samantha Sault