Smithsonian Institution
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Smithsonian Institution was founded through an 1835 estate legacy from British scientist James Smithson, who stated "to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." It took Congress a while to figure out what type of "institution" Smithson wanted, but a consciences was reached and in 1846 a museum was established.
Now the museum is the world’s largest museum complex, composed of a group of national museums and research centers housing the national collections of the United States in natural history, American history, air and space, the fine arts, decorative arts and several other fields ranging from postal history to cultural history.
With affiliated museums and research centers across America and in Puerto Rico and Panama, as well as the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and the The George Gustav Heye Center in New York City, the museums in the Washington DC area include:
Anacostia Museum is dedicated to the preservation of records pertaining to migration and heritage of African-Americans throughout the upper south, including Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Washington, DC.
Arts and Industries Building was the original National Museum built in 1881, it was designed to house the exhibits from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, it now features exhibits from the Anacostia Museum and Center for American Culture. / The building is currently closed in preparation for renovation.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is a three-level complex that is mostly underground, the gallery displays a diverse permanent collection of Mediterranean to Japanese art. Present day art pieces to antiquities made from jade, ceramics and precious metals, including sculpture and paintings take center stage along with changing exhibits of Asian art.
Enid A. Haupt Garden is a most unusual rooftop garden that appears to be at ground level, there is a full three-story building under there! The garden contains Victorian motifs that are quite lovely and compliment the Smithsonian Castle facade.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is situated along side The Mall, the museum is filled with an American and European collection of modern sculpture and painting donated by financier Joseph H. Hirshhorn. The galleries include works by Jean Dubuffet, Willem de Kooning, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, François Rodin and Mark Rothko, among others.
Freer Gallery of Art houses the art collection of Charles Lang Freer, Detroit industrialist, which was donated to the Smithsonian and was the first art gallery opened by the Institution in 1923. Comprised of a vast Asian collection, there are also American paintings including works by Thomas Dewing, Abbot Thayer and James McNeill Whistler
National Air and Space Museum is the “Holy Grail” of flight, and houses some of the most famous milestone air and space craft in the world including the Wright brothers” 1903 flyer, Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, Chuck Yeager's Glamorous Glennis and John Glenn's Friendship 7. Add in the Apollo 11 Command Module and a Viking Mars lander, one can see that this place covers all the bases in the history of flight. Coming off a renovation program, the museum is even better than ever!
National Museum of African Art includes traditional African Arts in the galleries with permanent collection of ceramic, bronze, ivory, wood, and cast metal works. The museum also presents collections on loan of changing exhibits of African art and culture, while hosting related events and programs throughout the year. Entrance to the museum is located in the Enid Haupt Garden on Independence Avenue.
National Museum of American Art is the home of the oldest national art collection, the structure itself is one of the oldest buildings owned by the Smithsonian, once used as the Patent Office Building. The museum houses varied art pieces including paintings of American Indians, African American art, New Deal artworks, 19th century landscape painting and Post - World War II works.
National Museum of American History is one of the most amazing collections of artifacts from American history, including all aspects and eras. From gowns of the First Ladies to the Star Spangled Banner that inspired an anthem, George Washington’s battle tent to an Edison Light bulb, the Information Age to Native Americans, it’s truly encompassing and adjacent to The Mall.
National Museum of Natural History is the ultimate natural history center, this museum covers all the bases. From the amazing elephant that greets visitors to the one and only Hope Diamond, the exhibits range from prehistoric to present day. Ecosystems of all types are explored from the seas depths to the mountain tops. This is a favorite Mall stop for all ages.
National Portrait Gallery is also housed in the Old Patent Office Building, the collection includes official portraits of past presidents, (shown no sooner than ten years after term of office), Civil War era photographs by Mathew Brady, paintings and photo journalistic portraits of famous Americans. Prized in the collection is a portrait of Mary Cassatt by Edgar Degas.
National Postal Museum is housed in the lower level of the Old City Post Office, the museum is filled with hands-on exhibits relating to the history of the nations mail service. From stamps to mail moving equipment, the museum also covers types of mail sent and it also houses a Library Research Center for those who want to know more.
National Zoological Park (The National Zoo) located in the District on Connecticut Avenue, the Zoo is home to over 2,000 animals from 400 different species. Most famous of the zoo celebrities are probably the Giant Pandas on loan from China but the zoo also houses small mammals, elephants, large cats, great apes, birds, farm animals, amphibians, reptiles, insects and aquatic animals from every continent.
Renwick Gallery has a primary focus on contemporary American crafts, the gallery features a permanent collection of works made from glass, fiber, metal, ceramics and wood. Demonstrations, lectures and film are also offered as part of their educational programs. Located away from the Mall on 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Smithsonian Institution Building was the Smithsonian's first building, known as the Castle, it is information central for the museum. Video orientations are presented here as well as access to informational touch-screen stations and free WiFi. A scale model of the federal city, the crypt of James Smithson, benefactor of the Institution, museum offices and the Castle Café are also housed here. The building was designed by architect James Renwick Jr., whose other works include St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery.
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center located away from Washington, near Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, VA is the companion facility to the National Air and Space Museum on the Mall. And space is the keyword here, there is space to enough display the thousands of aviation and space artifacts that cannot be exhibited on the National Mall. Together, the two sites showcase the largest collection of aviation and space artifacts in the world. At Chantilly we are talking about the displays of the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, an Air France Concorde and a Redstone rocket. There are observation decks in the center to view the air traffic at Dulles, an Airbus IMAX Theater, Cafe, museum shop and more!
Smithsonian Institution
Free admission to museums / fees may be applied for special programs
phone: 202-633-1000
