The museum, managed by the Smithsonian Institution, has collected more than 100 million different exhibits. It exhibits collections of minerals, precious stones, minerals, archaeological finds, fragments of space bodies, and much more. The museum is free for visitors, it works seven days a week all year and closes only at Christmas.
An amazing museum to visit. So much to discover and learn. We planned only 2-3 hours which was reasonable but not sufficient really. Kids loved variou.. Read more »s sections in the museum and so did we. A must visit if you happen to be in the Washington DC especially with kids and family. People of all ages will have things to learn and be amazed at.
And entrance was free and parking was easily available ?
21.08.22
An amazing (free) experience that was tons of fun for all of us and we all left smarter. Plan to spend at least 2 hours if you want to see most of the.. Read more » exhibits. If you want to read and learn about the exhibits it, allot at least 3 hours.
They do have restaurants inside, ample restrooms and a nice gift shop.
Our favorite exhibits were neanderthals exhibits and ancient animals, especially the dinosaur skeletons. They have many real looking animal exhibits, and detailed scientific background on them which was fun to learn.
08.08.22
Every time someone goes here it is amazing. Summer crowds are a lot. But get there just as they open and it will feel okay.
Definitely plan for a Full.. Read more » day here. Check online when the extra exhibits are free. The butterflies are free on Tuesday. So we lucked out!
There is no online reservation for those free days though.
02.08.22
I had never been in a museum as amazing as this one; it's amazing, they have so many things to see; dinosaur fossils are the best, my three year old.. Read more » daughter enjoyed it very much, she has not stopped talking about it in the last two days. We went on a Sunday and it was quite long but it is not overwhelming because it is very big place, there was enough space to see and do things. the museum is very interactive, it has so many things to learn, a single day is not enough to learn about so many things. It has easy access for strollers and wheelchairs, there are multiple elevators, several shops for souvenirs and gifts, it has a very nice cafe area. you won't get bored here. In addition, everything is super clean and it is totally free. When you enter the museum you go through a lot of security but the process is fast.
02.08.22
BEST NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM I HAVE EVER BEEN! ?
Fossils are simply awesome, there are tons of interactive items all around. The Mammals section has r.. Read more »eally cool taxidermy! Insect section has alive animals inside! Quality of the pieces is overall outstanding and it is a very updated Museum! Great for science students, families and children!
Gold tip for you: the Museum is normally less crowded during the mornings, especially when you enter around the opening hour (10 a.m.)
30.07.22
The museum is huge with plenty to see and entry is free. We used a parking garage that was 4 blocks away and that cost $20 for a full day on the weeke.. Read more »nd. Great location with so much in walking distance.
Our 3 yr old daughter enjoyed walking around seeing the exhibits and being able to touch and interact with some pieces throughout. We anticipated spending about 3 hours there, but at her age she got through half that time.
A great place for all ages. Exhibits range from sea life, mammals, insects, gems and diamonds, and much more.
23.07.22
This was my family and our first time visiting the Smithsonian of Natural History Museum. My kids range from the age of 12 to 23 and they absolutely l.. Read more »oved it! Admission was FREE and they asked for a $1 donation if you wanted a map of the museum. The museum consists of three floors, two gift shops and a large food cafe with plentiful eating area on the first floor. There were a lot of terrific exhibits that covered the wide spectrum of ages. We did spend about 3.5 hrs in this museum looking at the exhibits and eating lunch there. The food was cooked, plated, and you would grab what you would like and pay at the cashier. There's a soda fountain if you paid for soda. There are also water fountains to refill your water bottle. The food tasted good, serving size is plentiful, and very fair in cost especially when there is no admission charge into the museum. There's plenty of restrooms located throughout the museum. My family and I had an excellent time visiting and would love to visit this museum again!
11.07.22
The National Museum is a great place for the whole family. I think this is the best place and high lights for kids 11 years old and below. The rest of.. Read more » the trip in DC is for 12 and above or kids that are very interested in history, arts, museums, building structures and monuments. We stayed from opening till 4:00 P.M. because there are so much interesting to see and learn The best part is that there is a restaurant in the museum and you don't have to leave the building for the rest of the day (especially during summer to stay cool). Make sure wear comfortable shoes and have plenty of memory in your cameras.
19.06.22
The museum is a gem! It's 2 floors, tons of fun interactive exhibits, and it includes over 145 million specimens (99% of which are not visible). There.. Read more »'s tons of halls, including mammals, dinosaurs, skeletons, ancient Egypt, human origins, pandemics, and more. Of course there's also the iconic elephant statues in the atrium. I would recommend 2-3 hours, maybe even 4 if you're going thoroughly to see everything. I would highly recommend if you're bored in DC and want something to do.
21.05.22
I would suggest allowing plenty of time to visit the Smithsonian. We visited the geology section, and got to see the Hope Diamond. Donated to the Smi.. Read more »thsonian by Harry Winston, it is as exquisite as you may have heard it described! The Hope Diamond is a deep blue color and over 45 carats! I was also able to Touch a piece of rock that's almost 4 BILLION years old!!
On a practical note, there was no wait/line to enter the museum on a Friday. There were convenient restrooms with ample stalls in the ladies' room. An elevator is available to take you to the second floor.
The Smithsonian is Historic, Beautiful, and has Wonderful exhibits, including dinosaurs and butterflies, in addition to the aforementioned minerals and gems.
If you enjoy museums and you're in DC, admittance is FREE!! I recommend checking out The Smithsonian. Wow, I can now say I've been there! (✷‿✷)
12.04.22
Easily one of the best natural history museums in the US, and the entry is free! Has plenty of historic skeletons from prehistoric humans to extinct m.. Read more »ammals and dinosaurs, as well as real mummies from ancient Egypt. I also recommend checking out the butterfly pavilion experience and other temporary exhibitions.
A day's worth of interesting things to explore and learn about.
They are also very transparent about which parts of an exhibit are fake replicas and which ones are originals, a small but important detail.
27.03.22
Free museum. Great for kids. Lots of interesting exhibits. I went during Cherry Blossom ? peak week so it was pretty crowded on a Saturday. I spent 3+.. Read more » hours exploring. There’s 3 floors. Definitely recommend. There something for everyone.
18.03.22
Free and amazing museum. You could easily spend a full day in here. Facilities were great and well maintained. All is ADA accessible as well. Beautifu.. Read more »l and interactive exhibits. Highly recommend for all children and families to experience. We loved seeing the gems exhibit featuring the hope Diamond.
10.01.22
Just like most of the museums in DC, free admission. Truly an awesome museum. There is something for everyone here, kid friendly. There is so much to .. Read more »see and read, you could be here all day. My favorite area that I loved was the gems and geology section, you can touch a rock from Mars! Also seeing real Egyptian mummies was cool.
28.12.21
National Museum of Natural History is a place worth to visit. Being a first timer, I was awe-struck about how they have organized the place.
The entr.. Read more »y is free and there will be an initial security checking.
The museum consists of stuffed and preserved animals, mummified Egyptian mummies, different kinds of metals, rocks and stones and also a section featuring precious gems from around the world.
Also a piece of rock from Mars is displayed here and allow us to feel it. These are displayed along with small write-ups, videos and audios.
The place has also got souvenir shops, food courts and restrooms to relax the museum goers.
So guys, hop on your comfy shoes and explore this magnificent place!
?️ Free to General admission
♿✅ Wheelchair accessible entrance
?✅ Separate restroom
?✅Food court available inside
?✅ Gift and souvenir shops available inside
?️✅ Spacious parking area
15.12.21
What a wonderful place! I loved the diversity of exhibits and my son loved the animals. It was nice and warm inside on a cold night in DC do that was .. Read more »very appealing to us considering we didn’t want to do anything outdoors because of the cold. Anyways, wonderful place, very informative and extremely clean. It’s free to enter right now without any need to reserve advance passes. That was def a perk. We were able to see almost the whole thing in a few hours. I’m sure we missed a few exhibits but the point is is you are crunched for time, with kids, or looking for something memorable to do for free, this is def your spot.
30.11.21
This is the best Smithsonian Museum in DC as far as I'm concerned. Great for all ages. Make time for this one and plan accordingly. Plenty of re.. Read more »strooms, gift shops and places to eat. Also places to sit and rest. I appreciated most all of the exhibits but especially the one on viruses. Very cool and well done! Educated on several different viruses and the impact they've had also what the actual virus looks like when it's magnified x1,000,000.
29.11.21
Super informative and interactive experience! Make sure you check out the Fossil Lab to see real-time scientists/palaeontologists work on fossils. The.. Read more »re is so much to see here, a good variety of exhibits. There are tons of real fossils as well as intricately made casts on exhibit. Each section was described in detail. Overall a great place to walk around, for both kids and adults.
22.11.21
This Museum is amazing. It's like going back in time and looking at how everything came to be. The first floor us practically a cruise through the dif.. Read more »ferent time periods. The second floor has great things as well. I saw things that I didn't even know existed. Everything is so beautiful. I would go again every time I get the chance to do so because it's so much, you'll need a few visits to just take it all in and enjoy it.
24.10.21
It's been awhile since I been here but I have visited this museum so many times as a teen, I could have been a tour guide. This is my most favorite pl.. Read more »ace to go visit when I am visiting the National Mall. Love the exhibits and mostly the insect area where you can hold a tarantula in your hand. Loved that. Also, I love the gem stones, the skeletons of the different animals and so much more. You could stay in here the whole day. I recommend anyone coming to DC to visit this museum because they will love it.
13.09.21
Wow what a beautiful place!! I’m from nashville Tennessee and we certainly don’t have museums like this. The natural history museum is a great place f.. Read more »or kids and adults. My personal favorite part was the dinosaurs and the gems in minerals! Even in Covid, everyone was wearing their masks, there was sanitizer all over the facilities, I felt very safe in that regard. The fact that this place is free is amazing! The exhibits are beautifully done and the flow of the building is great, took us about 3 hours walking very briskly to see it all in enough detail. Please go, you’ll be so glad you did!
31.08.21
This museum was awesome. I was blown away by the beautiful, interesting, and informative exhibits. Theres so much to learn and discover here. It's bes.. Read more »t to come multiple times to soak it all in. I've been twice and will definitely be going again. I came once in the daytime and didn't have time to see an of the exhibits. I returned to attend a private evening event, which was really nice. I loved dining in the museum. I'm hoping to make a third visit soon.
07.08.21
Perhaps the best museum I have ever been to. The exhibits are all informative and exciting. I spent only about three hours here but easily could have.. Read more » stayed much longer. This museum (and all Smithsonian museums in DC) are free. If you are a museum person at all, this is the one you cannot miss. It is phenomenal.
25.07.21
Amazing museum! We went there during the weekend and had to wait in the line for about an hour to get in. You need to take a whole day to be able to s.. Read more »ee all the secions in detail. Very professionally designed and detailed information provided for each item. Better to download the map of each floor from their website and plan your visit in advance. There is a nice cafe inside the museum with different food/drink options for reasonable prices. There were also lots of food trucks in front of the entrance.
20.07.21
The Museum is Beautiful.
So much to see. Very enjoyable.
Not much social distancing.
Especially in the Gem area.
Many places to stop and sit along the.. Read more » way.
It took us 5 hours.
We weren't slow but we sure took our time to enjoy.
The cafe had good food.
Prices were museum prices.
But a good assortment to choose from
The gift shops have lots to offer and a decent variety of prices.
Overall super pleased we were able to experience this wonderful place.
16.07.21
It was nice to see it again. There is a new multi angle ramp. Matched so nicely that it looks like the original building style. Sad to see timed pas.. Read more »ses needed and some nice exhibits I love closed.....like the gems and jewelry. Even the gift shop on gems was closed. Nice to see an old friend the elephant in the entrance. Fast entrance to enjoying the exhibit s.
24.05.21
A fun museum with some standout exhibits. Although in my opinion I don't think it was really worth the hype. And I mean that without even considering .. Read more »the massive crowd that you'll find here. Regardless, I would still consider it to be one of the best in DC.
24.05.21
Words cannot describe this place. Exhibits are amazing. So much to see. From the hope diamond to Crown Jewels. I was pleasantly surprised to how .. Read more »well this museum was laid out. Worth the trip.
19.05.21
The best museum I've ever been. It's like learning the earth history in details since the beginning. It's the fifth most visited museum in the world a.. Read more »nd the fact it has 125 million pieces there explains this. You can actually spend the whole day there and you'll feel that you'll need a month to visit all the parts and see everything in details. For me it was an unique experience and I just wish my sons were there too. If I could, I'd give it 6 stars
22.12.20
Fantastic archives from artifacts to documentaries. I found the Ted Nancy exhibit to be particularly exhilarating. I love their work and sense of hu.. Read more »mor.
01.12.20
The Smithsonian is an AWESOME museum. It is great for both kids and adults alike, with plenty to do if you want to fill the whole day, or just go thro.. Read more »ugh it quickly. Either way, it is a great place to visit
20.11.20
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washin.. Read more »gton, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2016, with 7.1 million visitors, it was the eleventh most visited museum in the world and the most visited natural history museum in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum on the National Mall was one of the first Smithsonian buildings constructed exclusively to hold the national collections and research facilities. The main building has an overall area of 1.5 million square feet (140,000 m2) with 325,000 square feet (30,200 m2) of exhibition and public space and houses over 1,000 employees.
The museum's collections contain over 145 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts, the largest natural history collection in the world. It is also home to about 185 professional natural history scientists—the largest group of scientists dedicated to the study of natural and cultural history in the world.
10.10.20
I don't really have too much word on it, other than I went here during a field trip in April of 2009. The experience was okay, I guess... I personally.. Read more » liked seeing the world-famous Hope Diamond, despite losing my camera that day.
06.10.20
Pretty neat. Hope diamond was cool but the museum was not very extraordinary from other natural history museums.
25.09.20
Was able to enjoy it before COVID-19. This was a great experience. Many things to see, get to know about and also learn. Dinosaur fossil collection is.. Read more » amazing and planetarium screening is fun.
22.09.20
If there’s a combination that can draw the museum crowds almost as much as spaceships and airplanes it’s dinosaurs and whopping huge diamonds and havi.. Read more »ng a life-size elephant just inside the main entrance doesn’t hurt either.
It’s no wonder that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s most-visited museums.
It might not be a combination that comes immediately to mind, but it’s one offered by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History on the National Mall.
The theme that ties the whole place together is the natural world, that encompasses quite a lot, and the museum has impressive displays ranging from dinosaurs, ocean life, the Hope Diamond from India, geology, the animal kingdom, world indigenous cultures, and history of the human race.
The museum also displays the live population of earth!
14.09.20
Excelent museum, very informative, there are so many things to watch there!
13.09.20
Free and awesome place! A long line forms before it opens but everyone gets in and it really doesn’t take that long. Come an hour after it opens and t.. Read more »here is no line during the week. The hope diamond was there in 2019 when I went.
11.09.20
My favorite museum! Provided a spot for me to clear my head and be in a wonderful environment (before the COVID times hit lol).
I hope the employees.. Read more » are doing okay while the museum is shut down, and look forward to you guys safely re-opening someday! This is such a magical place and I miss it so much.
08.02.20
First let me say I could live in the Smithsonian museums. The exhibits are amazing and there are so many of them. You could spend several days in ju.. Read more »st one museum in order to truly take in the wealth of information. They also have theaters, gift shops and cafes. The best part is admission is free. I am a member of the Smithsonian Institution because I believe in their mission and I want everyone to have access to this American treasure. The Natural History Museum is the one I visit the most (Air and Space is a close second) mainly because it is good for kids and all my family members have kids; so we go there when they visit. I love the dinosaur exhibit and of course the Hope Diamond is cool. The live butterfly exhibit is a great experience too. Everyone can find something to love about this place. Check it out! :-)
27.01.20
You can never go wrong when you visit DC and the museum. Put on some comfy shoes and get ready for a lot of walking. All museums are free as well as p.. Read more »arking if you can find one. If you get to DC early enough you will find a spot. The Museum of Natural History is a must and make sure you do the butterfly section. Well worth the money just to see the joy of your child’s face. I love doing this every time I come here cause it is awesome to see the butterflies and the chrysalis they have. What even more awesome when the butterflies land on you.
4.9 / 20
