Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is the world’s most popular natural history museum. The museum, which is larger than 18 football fields, is located in the heart of the National Mall and is definitely worth a visit. The museum follows the journey of the Earth and the life that inhabits it over the course of billions of years. The museum is home to the largest natural history collection in the world.
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History of the National Museum of Natural History
The United States National Museum was founded in 1846 and was initial housed in what is today known as the Smithsonian Castle. The museum’s collection quickly outgrew it’s space and a new museum, now the Arts and Industries Building, was constructed to house the specimens.
Congress authorized the construction of the current building in 1902. When the current museum opened in 1910 it was one of the first Smithsonian buildings built to both hold collections and serve as a research facility.
Today, the museum holds over 145 million specimens of fossils, rocks, minerals, meteorites, human remains, cultural artifacts, plants, and animals. It is the largest natural history collection in the world.
Highlights of the National Museum of Natural History
Hall of Human Origins
This 15,000-square-foot gallery offers scientific evidence of human origins and evolution over the past 6 million years. It explores how we have evolved the unique traits that distinguish humans from other species. These include: the ability to walk upright, using tools, our large brains, and our use of symbols and language.
Things to Do:
- Compare five touchable early human skulls to discover how the size and shape of our brain, skulls, and faces have evolved over millions of years.
- Visit a “morphing station” to find out what you’d look like as an early human.
- Explore Stone Age art, music, and jewelry from around the globe.
National Fossil Hall: Deep Time
The fossil hall invites you to explore how Earth’s past is connected to the present and helps forecast the future. Get up close and personal with 700 fossils and discover how human actions have changed climate. It makes think about the impact that YOU have on the planet.
Deep Time’s journey starts 4.6-billion years ago and ends in the future. This exhibit is perfect for dinosaur lovers and aspiring scientists alike!
Be sure to allot plenty of time to explore this impressive collection of complete fossils. Including T-Rex, Triceratops, and a Wooly Mammoth.
Sant Ocean Hall
Explore the ocean from the shore, to the shallows, all the way down to the deepest depths of the ocean. This fascinating exhibit also takes you back in time to 3.8 billion years ago when the oceans were formed.
The Sant Ocean Hall contains life-sized models like Phoenix, a North Atlantic Right Whale that scientists have been tracking since her birth in 1987.
Things to Do:
- Snap a selfie with the gigantic fossilized jaws of a megalodon that lived between 2.6 and 23 million years ago.
- Watch an impressive video presentation of global ocean data projected on a massive sphere.
- Search for 20+ different species living in the Indo-Pacific coral reef.
Gem Collection
This is one of our favorite exhibits in the museum! Explore gem and minerals of every shape, size, and color of the rainbow! You can even touch a real meteorite and learn about how they bring minerals to Earth.
Don’t miss the Harry Winston Gallery where you can see how some of these impressive gems are cut and set to form some of the most impressive jewelry you’ll ever set your eyes upon- including The Hope Diamond.
Things to Do:
- Touch a real meteorite!
- See lava and ash samples from three famous volcanoes.
- View the 168-carat Mackay emerald and diamond necklace.
- Gaze at the massive Carmen Lucia ruby, one of the largest rubies ever found.
- Explore the Harry Winston Gallery and see the world-famous 45.5-carat blue diamond known as The Hope Diamond.
- Step into the Mine Gallery and walk through a reproduction of four real American mines.
- Try the “Make an Impact” interactive meteorite display. Choose your meteorite size, speed, and other characteristics to see how big of an impression your meteorite can make!
Egyptian Mummies
Enter a Mummy’s tomb and learn how for 3,000 years ancient Egyptians embalmed, preserved, and entombed the dead with materials they would need in the afterlife.
This impressive exhibit includes 3 human and 16 animal mummies, as well as pottery vessels, jewelry, tools, and other offerings excavated from Egyptian tombs.
Things to Do:
- Egyptians believed death marked the journey to eternal life. Follow the journey of a young woman named Tentkhonsu through the intricate paintings covering her 3,o00-year-old coffin.
- Explore the touchscreen interactive exhibit called “Mummies Unwrapped” to learn all about the steps of mummifications.
Visiting the National Museum of Natural History
The museum is located on the National Mall between 10th St. and Constitution Ave.
The nearest metro stops are Smithsonian or Federal Triangle
The museum is open from 10 am until 5:30 daily, except for Christmas Day.
Admission to the museum is free.
FAQ About the National Museum of Natural History
Is the National Museum of Natural History free?
Yes, entrance to the museum is completely free.
What can you see in the National Museum of Natural History?
- Egyptian mummies
- A massive collection of gems and minerals including The Hope Diamond
- Fossils including T-Rex, Triceratops, and Megalodon
- A model of a North Atlantic right whale that scientists have been tracking since her birth
- Meteorites from space
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If you’re planning a trip to Washington, DC, be sure to check out our 4 day itinerary and our list of 15 Must See Places in Washington, DC. You can also learn how to visit the White House.
