Explore and learn about everything from the origins of man and the future of flight to the history of art across multiple continents with more than 150 million objects, works of art and specimens to discover. The Smithsonian’s collection of knowledge centers serve as a treasure chest for visitors and a guide to the most fascinating aspects of our world. And the best part? You won’t have to pay a penny to experience it as admission is free at every Smithsonian museum.
History
The Smithsonian museums are the most widely visible part of the United States' Smithsonian Institution and consist of 20 museums and galleries as well as the National Zoological Park. 17 of these collections are located in Washington D.C., with 11 of those located on the National Mall. The remaining ones are in New York City and Chantilly, Virginia. The Arts and Industries Building is only open for special events.
The birth of the Smithsonian Institution can be traced to the acceptance of James Smithson's legacy, willed to the United States in 1826. Smithson died in 1829, and in 1836, President Andrew Jackson informed Congress of the gift, which it accepted. In 1838, Smithson's legacy, which totaled more than $500,000, was delivered to the United States Mint and entered the Treasury. After eight years, in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution was established.
The Smithsonian Institution Building (also known as "The Castle") was completed in 1855 to house an art gallery, a library, a chemical laboratory, lecture halls, museum galleries, and offices. During this time the Smithsonian was a learning institution concerned mainly with enhancing science and less interested in being a museum. Under the second secretary, Spencer Fullerton Baird, the Smithsonian turned into a full-fledged museum, mostly through the acquisition of 60 boxcars worth of displays from the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The income from the exhibition of these artifacts allowed for the construction of the National Museum, which is now known as the Arts and Industries Building. This structure was opened in 1881 to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper facility for public display of the growing collections.
The Institution grew slowly until 1964 when Sidney Dillon Ripley became secretary. Ripley managed to expand the institution by eight museums and increased admission from 10.8 million to 30 million people a year. This period included the greatest and most rapid growth for the Smithsonian, and it continued until Ripley's resignation in 1984. Since the completion of the Arts and Industries Building, the Smithsonian has expanded to twenty separate museums with roughly 137 million objects in their collections, including works of art, natural specimens, and cultural artifacts. The Smithsonian museums are visited by over 25 million people every year.
Visit the Smithsonian Museums
National Museum of African American History and Culture National Museum of African Art
National Air and Space Museum National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvary-Hazy Center
Smithsonian American Art Museum National Museum of American History
National Museum of the American Indian National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center
Anacostia Community Museum Archives of American Art Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery
Arts and Industries Building Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
Freer Gallery of Art Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
National Museum of Natural History National Portrait Gallery
National Postal Museum Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)
