Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Exhibits Wonders from America and Around the World - Washington, DC

What is It - The Smithsonian Museums have always been a source of wonder and inspiration for visitors to the nation’s capital. The National Museum of Natural History brings to life the many species that have inhabited our planet over millions of years including exciting displays about the origins of humanity and extinct creatures. However, the Natural History Museum is more than a dustbin of old bones. It is a modern facility that has used the funds donated by generous benefactors to display its collections creatively using interactive exhibits and learning tools. The museum provides information that the child and scientist in each of us will enjoy. It can be toured in 2 to 4 hours depending on your level of interest.

What You Will See There - This majestic old building built in 1910 has five stories of functional space and a four-story rotunda that soars 165 feet. The rotunda serves as the centerpiece for various halls and exhibits surrounding it during the day and at night it is a popular place for receptions and events held in the city. Large sections of the ground floor, third floor and fourth floor are devoted to the research activities of the museum staff and storage of items not currently on display.

Some of the exhibits that are worth browsing and studying are the following:

Giant Creatures of the Earth - When you ride the escalator to the second floor, you enter a hall which displays the giant creatures of the Earth. Most prominent is an eleven-ton, African bull elephant named Henry mounted on a pedestal in the rotunda. Henry’s raised trunk and ivory tusks point the way to the Mammal Hall where the other four African animals considered to be the Big Five by hunters are on display – the lion, leopard, Cape buffalo, and rhinoceros. Other mammals large and small from giraffe and zebra to wolf and bear can be seen as well.

Giant Creatures of the Ocean - The Sant Ocean Hall on the second floor shows the wonders of the world’s oceans as well as the challenges they are facing from environmental damage. Hanging from the ceiling is a model of a North Atlantic right whale model which gives a sense of their power and majesty. Two of the mysterious and feared denizens of the deep, a twenty-five foot long preserved giant squid and the jaws of an extinct Megalodon shark, lurk nearby along with varied fish that still swim the ocean.

Human Origins - The David Koch Hall of Human Origins contains a collection of hundreds of skulls and bones from humanity’s ancestors that have been gathered from digs around the world. Exhibits explain the differences in the evolution and practices of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, and the pre-human species that survived or became extinct before them.

Hall of Fossils and Deep Time - The theme of this second-floor area is to explore the long journey of the Earth from the beginning of life through the reign of the dinosaurs to the present, showing the many changes that our planet has experienced. A skeletal T-Rex is on display showing how it devoured other dinosaurs during its reign of terror.

Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology and Gems - The Museum’s third floor includes an exhibition of gems and minerals. You will find exhibits on everything from meteorites and geodes to precious gems such as the Hope Diamond along with rubies, emeralds, and aquamarines.

Bones, Insects and More - The third floor provides glimpses of the living and the dead. One section has exhibits showing the bones of a wide variety of species including a camel, sea turtle, monkey, giraffe, and snake. Nearby is a small display of Egyptian mummies and the burial practices of ancient Egypt. Finally, there is a live insect zoo and Butterfly Pavilion which show how those creatures live in abundance around us.

Other Facilities - The ground floor of the museum has extensive public facilities for the enjoyment and education of guests. The Bard Auditorium is a large hall for viewing movies presented or for holding lectures on natural history issues. The Whitney Science Education Center on the first floor allows visitors to use equipment like microscopes, solve puzzles, and view experiments. The Gallery Store has a wide selection of books and objects for purchase and the Atrium Cafe provides food and refreshments for weary travelers visiting the site.

When to Go - Washington DC has great weather in the spring and fall for touring museums, memorials, and government buildings. Winter is short, rainy, and generally unpleasant but by mid-March the cherry trees are in bloom and outdoor life is thriving. The middle of the summer can be hot and sticky, so locals desert the capital in August.

Where is It - The museum is located just off the National Mall between 9th Street and 12th Street on Constitution Avenue only a few blocks away from the Washington Monument. Other Smithsonian museums such as the American History Museum and the Air and Space Museum are close by, as are numerous galleries and cultural museums. Nearby Metro stops include Federal Triangle and Smithsonian.

Cost - Admission is free to the museum except for the Butterfly Pavilion which is free only on Tuesdays.