Smithsonian Homepage
Plan Your Visit
View guides for the Smithsonian's 17 free Washington, D.C.–area museums and zoo—plus two museums in NYC. Admission is free at all locations except Cooper Hewitt in NYC. Find out what's on!
Explore
The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. Engage with digitized collections, educational resources, and research resources from wherever you are!
Featured
Explore collections, stories, and research from across the Smithsonian.
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Smithsonian Commemoration
Our Shared Future: 250
Explore events and exhibitions honoring America’s 250th that will take place in 2026 across the Smithsonian. -
Smithsonian Story
This Bible Kept Record of One Family’s History After Slavery
During Reconstruction, newly freed African Americans embraced liberty by establishing families.
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Smithsonian Collection Spotlight
Music and Fashion: Culture in Conversation
Music and fashion influence each other, and they reflect and impact the culture at large. -
National Museum of American History
Sitting for Justice
On February 1, 1960, the Greensboro Four sat at this Woolworth's lunch counter and helped ignite a youth-led movement to challenge racial inequality in the South. -
National Portrait Gallery
Langston Hughes
Born on this day in 1902, Hughes created moving works that transcended the unpleasant realities he portrayed. -
Smithsonian Collection Spotlight
Martin Luther King Jr.
The Smithsonian celebrates an American civil rights icon with a look through the collections. -
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Smithsonian Collection Spotlight
Football Treasures
Explore football in the Smithsonian's collections with art and artifacts from the 1880s to 2010s. -
Smithsonian Collection Spotlight
1926: A Year in the Collections
Look back one hundred years into the Smithsonian's collections. -
Smithsonian Open Access
Digital Backgrounds
Put yourself in the scene! Download high-res images to use as your video meeting or desktop background. -
Around the Smithsonian
Mysteries of the Universe
Starting with solar studies in 1890, the Smithsonian has been exploring questions spanning from our atmosphere to deep space. -
Smithsonian Story
Six Animals the Smithsonian Has Helped Save from Extinction
Conservation efforts help bring endangered species back from the brink.
Sidedoor Podcast
The Smithsonian's flagship podcast sneaks you through the side door to learn the stories you won't find anywhere else.
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Sidedoor Podcast
The Secret of Lincoln's Watch
Sidedoor digs into the family story of a secret message etched inside Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch.
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Sidedoor Podcast
The Curse of the Hope Diamond
We track the lore of this notorious gem through the centuries.
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Sidedoor Podcast
The 'Gentle Anarchy' of the Muppets
Conserving the history of Jim Henson's Muppets.
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Sidedoor Podcast
Zoo's Clues
Grab your microscope and get ready to head through a very special side door of the National Zoo—behind the scenes with veterinary pathologists.
Membership
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