The Smithsonian Institution: the top 5 museums

The Smithsonian Institution is the largest museums and research complex in the world, owning 19 world-renowned museums, galleries and zoos. The name of the institution derives from its founder James Smithson (1765-1829), an English chemist and mineralogist. Each museum guides its visitors to the discovery of the most fascinating aspects of our world, from history, to nature, science, or art… And the admission is free for everybody! Here we have listed our top 5 museums/galleries of the Smithsonian Collection.

1. National Museum of African American History and Culture

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a national museum dedicated only to African American life, history, and culture. There, visitors can learn about the richness of the African American heritage and its important contribution to the US.

The museum opened to the public in September 2016 and it is the newest museum of the Smithsonian collection. Today, it houses more than 36,000 artifacts and has almost 100,000 members.

Where: 1400 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.

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On this day in 1957, nine students in Little Rock, Arkansas attended their first full day of classes at Central High School. Escorted by the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division under the orders of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thomas, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Minnijean Brown, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Pattillo Beals entered the Central High School as its first African American students. ⁣ ⁣ The students faced angry mobs and the threat of violence on their very first day at Central High School. Inside the school, the “Little Rock Nine” also endured physical and emotional abuse from their peers.⁣ #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📷: Bettmann / Contributor; Bettmann / Contributor; Bettmann / Contributor, Gift of Elmer J. Whiting, III

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2. National Air and Space Museum

This museum has two locations: one in Washington D.C., and another one by the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport.

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. houses many different objects, including the 1903 Wright Flyer and Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit.

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center displays hundreds of historically significant aircrafts and spacecraft, and thousands of artifacts. The collection is located in an open setting. Another interesting part of the museum is the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar: here, visitors can watch how artifacts are restored.

Where: 

• 655 Jefferson Drive, SW, Washington, DC 20560
• 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA

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"The real barrier wasn't in the sky but in our knowledge and experience of supersonic flight." On this day in 1947, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time in Bell X-1 "Glamorous Glennis." He reached Mach 1.06 at an altitude of 43,000 feet, over the Mojave Desert near Muroc Dry Lake, California. The Bell X-1 was the first in series of supersonic aircraft which continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in aviation. Though originally designed for conventional ground takeoffs, the X-1 was air-launched from Boeing B-29 or B-50 Superfortress aircraft. Bell X-1 is in our collection. #IdeasThatDefy #AirSpacePhoto

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3. National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery opened to the public in 1968 and is housed in the Old Patent Office Building in Washington D.C. Through the use of visual arts, performing arts, and new media, the collection focuses on famous American people who have contributed to the country’s history. Thanks to the exposition, visitors can learn about the biography of presidents, poets, activists, actors, writers and other Americans from precolonial times to the present day.

Where: 8th and G Streets, NW, Washington, DC

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We want to thank all our visitors who have stopped by to see the portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama by artist Amy Sherald since its unveiling in 2018. Starting October 26, the portrait will go off view to the public to prepare for its inclusion in “Every Eye Is Upon Me: First Ladies of the United States” opening Nov. 13. Save the date to check out the new show. For free, timed passes to the museum visit si.edu/visit.

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4. National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum of Natural History enables visitors to connect science with everyday experiences. It is dedicated to understanding the natural world and the place that humans held in it. Recognized as the world’s largest natural history collection, the museum displays more than 145 million specimens and artifacts, each one reflecting a different time period. Throughout the exposition, visitors are able to learn about the story of planet Earth, from the very beginning to present times. 

Where: 10th St. and Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC

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The National Fossil Collection contains over 40 million fossil specimens. These fossils and rock samples record the history of life on Earth over the last 3.5 billion years. The collection contains specimens collected by the first North American paleontologists and is the reference collection for most of the paleontological research conducted by the United States Geological Survey since the late 1800s. #NationalFossilDay

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5. National Museum of the American Indian

The National Museum of the American Indian is a diverse cultural and educational institution which houses a broad collection of objects, photographs, and media related to the Western Hemisphere. The museum has three venues.

The Washington D.C. venue has a curvilinear architecture and houses art exhibitions designed in collaboration with tribes and communities. It includes art galleries, spaces to host performances and lectures, and areas dedicated to research and educational activities. 

The second venue is the George Gustav Heye Center, located in New York City. The center houses exhibitions, research, educational activities, and performing arts programs. 

The third facility is the Cultural Resources Center. It is located in Suitland, Maryland, and it includes art collections, research facilities, as well as the conservation, repatriation, and digital imaging programs. 

Where: 

• 1^st venue: 4th Street and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC
• 2^nd venue: Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, One Bowling Green, New York, NY
• 3^rd venue: 4220 Silver Hill Rd, Hillcrest Heights, MD 20746 

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Portrait of Chief Mato He Hlogeca (Hollow Horn Bear, Sicangu Lakota, 1850–1913), taken when he was a delegate to the U.S. Indian Congress of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition. Omaha, Nebraska, 1898. Chief Hollow Horn Bear, who fought in the Battle of Little Bighorn, remained an advocate for the Lakota people all his life. (Photo by Frank Rinehart or Adolph Muhr) ▫️ Cegape or Strike the Kettle (Lakota, ca. 1841–?). Untitled painting on muslin (detail), collected in 1893. North or South Dakota. 20/5176. Most large painting of this kind focus on a single event, often a battle. This painting, made by a follower of Sitting Bull, shows warriors—the figures on horseback—within the Lakota way of life. ▫️ On June 25 and 26, 1876, warriors of the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho nations defeated Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Americans have always remembered the battle. What we often forget are the difficult decisions tribal leaders made afterward to ensure the safety of their people. ▫️ On Smithsonian Voices, Duane Hollow Horn Bear (Sicangu Lakota), a longtime member of the Lakota Studies Department at Sinte Gleska University and the great-grandson of Chief Hollow Horn Bear, talks via video about the values encoded in the wapaha, or feather headdress. Then Mandy Van Heuvelen (Mnicoujou Lakota), the Cultural Interpreters coordinator at our museum, looks at how those values—generosity, bravery, wisdom, and perseverance—continue to serve the Lakota people today. ▫️ At the link in our profile or https://bit.ly/LakotaValuesEndure ▫️ @sintegleskauniversity #NDNsEverywhere #NK360 #BattleofLittleBigHorn #LittleBighorn #BattleofGreasyGrass #GreasyGrass #GeorgeArmstrongCuster #AmericanHistory #Indigenous #teachersofinstagram #otd #onthisday #onthisdayinhistory #lakota

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For a complete list of all museums, gardens, and zoos of the Smithsonian Institution, visit the official website.