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. Arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid crowds.
Features 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