Part of the Smithsonian Institution the museum houses a national collection of more than 125 million natural science specimens and cultural artifacts.
It is the most-visited natural history museum in the world, and the most popular Washington DC museum for families.
The museum offers nature photography exhibitions.
Exhibitions & Dates
Color in a New Light
Jan 23 2016 -
See color in a new light — from chemistry to catalogs, from colorblind tests to couture
Life In One Cubic Foot
Mar 4 2016 -
Documents how much life passes through 1 cubic foot during 1 normal day
Objects of Wonder: From the Collections of the National Museum of Natural History
Mar 10 2017 -
145 million artifacts and specimens illuminate our understanding of nature and human culture
The Last American Dinosaurs: Discovering a Lost World
Nov 25 2014 -
Fossils piece together a complex ecological community of animals and plants
Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend
Aug 3 2017 -
Presenting Inuit perspectives, immersive environments, and the latest scientific knowledge on narwhals
Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World
May 18 2018 - May 2021
Join epidemiologists and veterinarians and learn about the science and social effects of outbreaks
The David H. Koch Hall of Fossils: Deep Time
Jun 8 2019 -
Takes visitors on a journey through the epic story of our planet