the smithsonian virtual tour

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Digital offering at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History of Washington

Posted on: 12 October 2020

Text by Caterina Sbrana.

The pandemic from Sars Covid-19 has accustomed us to receive messages of cultural events, exhibitions, concerts, shows that are cancelled. Museums and art galleries have also closed public visits.

However, digital technology is trying to bridge physical distances by allowing people to enjoy culture even staying at home.

From now on it begins the virtual tour of the Natural History Museum; Image from: https://naturalhistory.si.edu

There are many museums that have begun to offer digital tours and virtual exhibitions however others already had these tours before Covid-19. In this article I would like to present the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History digital offering that ranges from virtual tours of exhibits to distance learning resources.

First I would tell you why I chose the virtual tour proposed by the Smithsonian National Museum.

The navigation in the site is simple and fast; the graphics of the site, is excellent, very clear and understandable even by people not familiar with the web; thanks to the toolbar that allows you to move your mouse left and right you can easily continue in the path choosing which section of the museum/site to visit.

This photo shows us the beginning of the tour and the rooms we can visit; Image from: https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/vt3/NMNH/z_tour-022.html

It’s great for teachers, because it contains several sections with images that allow you to know not only the different habitats and animals that inhabit them, but also the history of man and its evolution.

The quality of the photographs is excellent; the layout of the exhibition is extremely effective.

The virtual visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History allows visitors to make independent guided tours, room by room, from their desktop or mobile device.

The virtual tour is also recorded in several videos and a narrator explains with simple words the section.

The page to enter in one of the narrated virtual tours; Image from: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour/narrated-virtual-tours

If we decide to enter the section of the museum related to Africa we can admire different animals and hunting scenes and discover the natural environments. Then, we can decide whether to continue the visit to the territories of the southern hemisphere or North America.

I suggest you to watch the video with the narrated tour of the Hall of Human Origins illustrated by the researcher Dr. Diana Pobiner. I found it very interesting because it answers some essential questions about human life “who are we?”, “how did we become human?”.

Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, reports that this is the most visited virtual museum in the world, where people can “find detailed information about our exhibits, events, collections, scientific research and educational programs” and specifies that “the museum’s mission is understanding the natural world and our place in it”.

Once again we discover that, thanks to technology and the web, especially in this period when people move less, we can continue to increase our culture using our digital devices.

https://naturalhistory.si.edu

https://naturalhistory.si.edu/explore-at-home

https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour

https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/vt3/NMNH/z_tour-022.html

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The Smithsonian Castle, the institution's oldest building, first opened to the public in 1849! While the Castle is currently closed for renovations, you can still explore this iconic building with a virtual tour that includes spaces like the Castle Commons, which features objects from every Smithsonian museum, the crypt of founder James Smithson, and the Castle Library. Enter the Castle » How to use this tour »

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National Museum of American History What happens when a people decide to govern themselves? America’s national treasures come to life in this compelling exhibition that examines the bold experiment to create a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” This exhibit explores the history of citizen participation, debate, and compromise from the nation’s formation to today. Take the leap »

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Head over to our Virtual Visitor Center to find everything you need to make the most of your time with us including hours and locations, visitor guidelines, timed passes and tickets, current exhibitions, dining and shopping destinations, accessibility information, and much more! Plan your visit »

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Smithsonian Castle Virtual Tour

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Smithsonian Museum Virtual Tours

If you’re interested in visiting some of DC’s iconic sites from home, the Smithsonian museum virtual tours are a great option; keep reading for our favorites!

The best smithsonian museum virtual tours for your family.

Millions visit Washington, DC, each year to explore and visit some of the country’s most iconic landmarks and world-class museums. If you want to explore space, watch live animals, enjoy art installations, learn about famous women throughout history and the Black experience in America, I have some great news for you.  You still can, virtually. 

I’ve put together a list of Smithsonian museums that you enjoy from the comfort of your home.

National Museum of African American History & Culture Virtual Tour

National Museum of African American History and Culture Courtesy: bakdc/Shutterstock.com

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is one of the many Smithsonian Institute museums located in Washington, DC.  Nearly 5 million people have visited the NMAAHC since it opened in September 2016, which makes it one of the most popular museums in DC.  So, now is a great time to check out the museum virtually.

There are a number of collections available for viewing on the museum’s website.  The site also features a Learning Lab for children ages 0-8, which could be a great addition to your distance learning curriculum.  The NMAAHC is one of a number of African American History museums you can explore from home.

Smithsonian National Zoo Virtual Tour

Here are links to the most popular live cam animals:

National Air & Space Museum Virtual Tour

National Air & Space Museum Courtesy: f11photo/Shutterstock.com

If you’re interested in all things aviation and spacecraft, you can explore the National Air & Space Museum virtually as well.  The Air & Space Museum is home to the Apollo 11 Command Module and Friendship 17 which was flown by John Glenn. These popular attractions make this the second most visited museum in the world.  Discover 3D images of some of the museum’s most popular attractions, and learn about space pioneers on the museum’s website. There’s also an entire section dedicated to Activities and Games. My kiddos have thoroughly enjoyed the Geography from Space activity. The website also has a number of STEM Resources  that might be helpful.

National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tour

National Museum of Natural History Courtesy: Kamira/ Shutterstock.com

The National Museum of Natural History is one of my favorite museums in DC.  It’s the home of the Hall of Mammals, Insect Zoo, and Ocean Hall. The Natural History Museum has a host of exhibits that can be explored on their website.  The website also has a number of digital learning and teaching resources.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Virtual Tour

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Courtesy: GiuseppeCrimeni/ Shutterstock.com

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is offering virtual field trips. Both parents and students can explore nine different exhibits: The Holocaust, the Hall of Witness, and Hall of Remembrance as well as a conservation lab where viewers can learn how museum staff works to preserve and present Holocaust history.

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Virtual Tour

National Portrait Gallery Courtesy: Matt Smith/ Shutterstock.com

Presidents, poets, and activists have been immortalized on the canvases that are on display in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.   Some National Portrait Gallery’s most popular paintings, sculptures, and photos are now available virtually.  Here are some of the popular exhibits that can be accessed online:

• Portraits of African Americans
• First Ladies from the National Portrait Gallery
• Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence

The Hirshorn Museum & Sculpture Garden Virtual Tour

Some unique modern and contemporary art is on display at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden .  Explore the Sculpture Garden through the museum’s online sculpture garden 1 and sculpture garden 2 . The museum also provides some at-home activities for children and virtual programs for art lovers. 

Bonus: International Spy Musuem Virtual Tour

Interactive exhibits at the International Spy Museum

While this museum is not part of the Smithsonian Institution’s 19 museums, the International Spy Museum is one of my family’s favorites DC museums.  If you or your kiddos are interested in spy games and espionage, this museum offers some free lesson plans and activities on their website. My family and I had a wonderful time when we visited the museum.  Unlike the Smithsonian, there is an entrance fee for the International Spy Museum but some of their exhibits are available for free right now.

If you want a more outdoorsy virtual experience, read The World’s Greatest Attractions…Live In Your Living Room!  

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From Cisterns to Temples, These Twelve Underground Worlds Are Open for Exploring

Some of these age-old subterranean spaces have even been transformed into amusement parks, art galleries and restaurants

Shoshi Parks

History Correspondent

Although the lives of humankind play out on the surface of the Earth, for millennia people have explored what lies beneath. Some had a practical reason for venturing underground—quarrying stone for building material, digging out cisterns or mining salt. Others were drawn there for spiritual purposes, building shrines or transforming natural caves into temples of worship.

Whatever the motive, the drive to experience the subterranean world seems to be a universal one. The number of places around the globe where people have looked under the surface to find safety, religious ecstasy or solutions to early technological challenges is astonishing. Some historical underground spaces have even taken on new identities in the modern era, transforming into amusement parks, art galleries and restaurants in recent years.

From Romania’s Salina Turda to California’s Forestiere Underground Gardens, these 12 incredible underground worlds are open for exploration.

Actun Tunichil Muknal

San Ignacio, Belize

“In Classic Maya civilization, caves were considered portals to the underworld,” says Maya archaeologist Andrew Kindon. Actun Tunichil Muknal was uncovered in the thick, tropical jungle of Belize’s western Cayo District in 1989. Inside, researchers discovered a network of caverns rich with ritual artifacts over 1,000 years old: tools, weapons, ceramic vessels with ceremonial “kill” holes to release the spirits within them, and even cave formations modified into altars and otherworldly images. The remains of more than a dozen people have been found inside the cave, including the so-called Crystal Maiden , a sacrificial victim now believed to be a 17-year-old boy whose calcified bones sparkle in the light.

“Actun Tunichil Muknal is one of many caves in the region that likely served as sites of important spiritual pilgrimage,” says Kindon, and while it’s one of only a few open to the public, “there’s some concern over whether they should be allowed to enter such a sacred and fragile space.”

Those who do seek to visit won’t find Actun Tunichil Muknal, known locally as the ATM Cave, easy to reach. The only way to get to the three-mile-long cave is on a 45-minute hike through the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve , followed by a swim to the entrance through a pool of water.

Basilica Cistern

Beneath Istanbul, the earth is honeycombed with cisterns, first carved in the sixth century to provide water for the rapidly growing Byzantine city. Now, close to 1,500 years later, archaeologists still do not know exactly where each one lies. The largest found to date, the Basilica Cistern , was built as the water source for the Great Palace of Constantinople in 527 C.E. Eventually, though, as new technology replaced older methods of water storage, the cistern was forgotten. The Ottomans rediscovered the chamber in the 15th century but, even today, the source of its water remains unknown. Renovated and opened to the public in 1987, the Basilica Cistern is now a subterranean palace of shadow and slowly shifting colored light, where haunting contemporary and ancient sculptures (including two massive Medusa heads) wade in the shallow pools. While none of Istanbul’s other cisterns draws the kind of crowds as the Basilica Cistern, a few have been preserved or repurposed into modern spaces, including the show-stopping fine dining restaurant The Sarnic .

Villa Torlonia

In 2011, an Italian government employee discovered a trapdoor inside a lavish, 200-year-old Roman palace, Villa Torlonia . Beneath it, a brick staircase descended 70 feet into a previously unknown underground bunker built to protect dictator Benito Mussolini, who lived at the estate with his family between 1929 and 1943. The secret chambers and passages—outfitted with anti-gas doors, an air purification system and four-foot-thick concrete walls—were opened to the public this spring. Although Mussolini was arrested before he could use the bunker, the immersive visitor experience includes a virtual re-enactment of how it would have felt to be hiding there during the World War II bombing of Rome by Allied forces.

Forestiere Underground Gardens

Fresno, California

“It was the Fresno summer heat that inspired Baldassare to move underground,” says Shera Franzman, director of operations for Forestiere Underground Gardens . Although the Sicilian immigrant Baldassare Forestiere had come to California’s Central Valley to establish a citrus orchard, he soon discovered his parched and sweltering land was full of inhospitable hardpan soil. So, in 1906, Forestiere, a onetime subway digger with a fourth-grade education, began to tunnel beneath it. By the time of his death in 1946, he’d created a subterranean agricultural oasis, an approximately ten-acre network of rooms, passageways and courtyards full of grape vines, berry bushes and groves of pomegranates, oranges and loquats.

“Baldassare designed his underground gardens with skylights that were strategically sized and placed to provide enough sunlight for his trees to grow, but not so much that he would lose the benefit of the cool underground home he had created for himself,” Franzman says. Forestiere dreamed of someday opening his grottos as a day resort for summer visitors. While he failed to get his wish in his lifetime, the gardens were opened to the public as a museum immediately after his death. Now a historic landmark, the underground gardens host guided tours seven days a week, and fruit from the innovator’s original groves is seasonally available at the on-site gift shop.

Elephanta Caves

Elephanta Island (Gharapuri), India

Although no one knows exactly when worshipers began carving the solid basalt cliffs of India’s Elephanta Island, archaeologists have found evidence of Buddhist occupation as early as the second century B.C.E. It wasn’t until at least the fifth century C.E., though, that the first of five rock-hewn Hindu temples was built to join two pre-existing Buddhist ones. The most elaborate and best preserved, a 128-foot-deep, human-made chamber, is dedicated to Shiva and filled with shrines, friezes and statues of the Hindu deity.

Unfortunately, most of the island’s other Hindu cave temples did not fare as well. While several still have some support columns, and the fragments of shrines and sculptures, it’s likely they were intentionally destroyed, possibly by the Portuguese, who converted one of two original Buddhist caves into a Christian church in the 16th or 17th century. Despite the damage, the Elephanta Caves remain a magnificent example of rock-cut architecture so universally valuable that, in 1987, UNESCO named them a World Heritage Site .

Gombak, Malaysia

A little over a century ago, a limestone cave system north of Kuala Lumpur was reborn as a holy Hindu shrine. Once used for shelter by the Indigenous Temuan, then for mining bat guano, the Batu Caves got their first Hindu temple, the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple, in 1891. Dedicated to Murugan, the Hindu god of war, the temple has drawn Tamil pilgrims to celebrate Thaipusam , a Hindu festival held during the full moon of the Tamil month of Thai in January or February, there annually since 1892.

Over time, the multichambered site has welcomed a number of new shrines and statues. In 2006, a 140-foot-tall image of Murugan erected outside the cave became the tallest statue of the god in the world. Three other caves—the Art Gallery and Museum Caves, which tell the story of Murugan’s life, and the Ramayana Cave, which is painted in scenes from the Hindu epic Ramayana —are also open to visitors, and dancers perform hourly at the site. Guided tours are also available inside Dark Cave, a subterranean passage more than a mile long whose maw is located at step 204 of the 272-stair ascent to Murugan’s shrine.

Sacred Cenote at Chichen Itza

Yucatán, Mexico

The porous nature of the limestone karst that forms the foundation of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula has left the region riddled with caves and cenotes, or underground sinkholes filled with water. Like farther south in Belize, these were places of great spiritual significance to the ancient Maya. Among the most important was the Sacred Cenote at the city of Chichen Itza , says Kindon. “Archaeologists have found hundreds of offerings thrown into the water by priests and pilgrims, including jade, intricately carved plaques, and precious gold and copper objects rarely found at other sites,” he says. Human sacrifice also took place at the Sacred Cenote. A recent study confirmed that all of the victims, most of whom were between the ages of 3 and 6, were male, and many were twins or close familial relations. “In Maya mythology, the gods of the underworld are defeated by a pair of brothers called the Hero Twins,” says Kindon. “It’s likely the sacrifices at the Sacred Cenote were associated with that story.”

Visitors to Chichen Itza can see the Sacred Cenote from a hiking trail just above it, its waters green with algae, but swimming at this important archaeological site is prohibited. To take a dip, head to nearby Cenote Ik Kil , Cenote Yokdzonot or Cenote Kax Ek instead.

Derinkuyu Underground City

Nevsehir, Turkey

Up to 20,000 people once lived in the city of Derinkuyu in Turkey’s Cappadocia region. But Derinkuyu was not like other cities. Everything there, from its churches, schools and cemeteries to its barns, bedrooms and kitchens, was built entirely underground.

Construction at Derinkuyu may have begun as early as the eighth century B.C.E., but it wasn’t until the eighth century C.E. that the city was fully inhabited as a subterranean refuge from the Arab-Byzantine wars. Local people found not just relief from battle there, but consistently cool temperatures ideal for food storage. Since then, many others have found sanctuary at Derinkuyu too, including Christians in the 14th and early 20th centur ies . Visitors today can explore about half of the 18-level city, which stretches almost 300 feet beneath the Earth’s surface.

Salina Turda

Transylvania, Romania

For over 2,000 years, humans have been extracting salt from beneath the earth at Turda, in Romania’s Transylvania region. With generation after generation chasing the precious mineral with pickaxes, hammers and chisels, the caverns grew into a full-scale salt mine containing multiple chambers up to 367 feet deep. Mining ended at Salina Turda in 1932, but its chambers weren’t forgotten. Salina Turda was used as a bomb shelter in World War II and, later, as a warehouse for cheese storage. In 1992, however, Salina Turda entered its most exciting phase yet, transforming into an otherworldly amusement park complete with a subterranean Ferris wheel, bowling alley, miniature golf course, a lake for paddle and rowboats, and a halotherapy spa. The remains of Salina Turda’s mining operations still remain, too, now eerily illuminated.

Napoli Sotterranea

Naples, Italy

Some 2,400 years of history exist within what Arianna Albertini, director of Napoli Sotterranea , calls the “womb” of Naples. At its deepest depths, close to 130 feet below the surface, Greeks quarried great caverns from the rock to build the city’s landmarks. Romans converted the quarries into a network of aqueducts to supply water to the growing city. Later, other features they built, including Roman theaters, were buried as Naples modernized its landscape. It’s all still there, deep under the city, and new discoveries continue to be made. Recently, says Albertini, “drain sewers from the Bourbon period made out of riggiole [tiles] with blue color designs” were revealed beneath the floor of the fragmented remains of a Roman theater. But not everything visitors can see in Napoli Sotterranea is ancient. Tours also wind through tunnels that were converted into air raid shelters in World War II, and the 115-foot-deep Hypogeum Gardens , “a vegetable garden growing in the bowels of the Earth,” says Albertini, that has been producing traditional plants since 2015.

The Paris Catacombs

The Paris Catacombs are an “empire of death,” according to the sign at their entrance. Beginning in 1785, more than six million individuals were buried there, in underground limestone quarries from which the stone of many of the city’s most famous monuments was extracted. A two-pronged solution for fighting the noxious scent of human decay and freeing up more land above ground for the living, the bones weren’t just stacked inside the Catacombs—they were used to build an entire labyrinth of macabre columns, arches and mosaics. One of the most famous subterranean sites in the world, the Catacombs first opened to the public in 1809. Since the 1950s, it has been illegal to go more than about a mile through the site’s 186 miles of tunnels, but Parisians have not always followed the rules. A special branch of the local police patrols the passageways in search of explorers and, occasionally, something more—like the hidden cinema and bar stocked with 1950s film noir classics and bottles of whiskey discovered in 2004.

Caves of Hercules

Tangier, Morocco

Millenia before ’80s rock gods Def Leppard turned up the volume inside the Caves of Hercules near Tangier, Morocco, it was a resting place for the superhumanly strong Greek and Roman hero Hercules—or so the legend goes. While archaeologists can’t verify that particular tale, they have some ideas about what came later. It was likely Phoenicians who broke through one of the cave’s walls, finding a sea-accessible shelter in which they left behind drawings of eyes in the shape of a map. Later, while quarrying for stone to make wheels, Berbers cut an entrance through the other end of the rock, tapping into the natural cavern that extended more than 18 miles to the Sea of Gibraltar. Three levels of the cave are open to visitors today, their walls carved into undulating waves by ancient tools. And up above a subterranean pool stands a statue of Hercules , bow drawn for battle.

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Shoshi Parks | READ MORE

Shoshi Parks is an anthropologist and freelance writer whose work on history, travel, food and the natural world has appeared in  Atlas Obscura , Afar , NPR and a variety of other outlets. She lives in California's Bay Area.

Watch: How to explore famous museums around the world with Google Arts & Culture

Museums, galleries and landmarks house massive amounts of content to look at, learn from and interact with.

However, taking a trip to visit some of these places, whether it's in your city or halfway around the world, can be expensive. Plus, you might run out of time before you get to see everything. For example, the large crowd of people admiring the Girl with a Pearl Earring painting may mean you don't get as good a look as you hoped for while visiting the Mauritshuis Museum in the Netherlands. Or maybe you have one child who wants to see the dinosaur exhibits at the Smithsonian while another one wants to see rocket ships. 

Well, if anything gets in the way of your culture vulture experience, you can forget the hassle and expense of a return visit and grab your laptop instead, because all you need to visit some of these museums and galleries is a computer with an internet connection. 

Watch this video to see how to tour a museum from your couch.  

Google Arts & Culture

You’re probably familiar with using Google Street View to look at a house or scope out the parking situation before checking out a new restaurant. Google Arts & Culture essentially uses that tool to invite you inside museums and galleries to explore more than 3,000 collections, including art in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico. No passport required!

Google Arts & Culture also offers 3D Immersive Experiences , online exhibits, augmented reality games and so much more. 

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Virtual Tours

The Smithsonian allows virtual visitors to digitally roam around some of its museums, including the Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum.  

If historical landmarks or the great outdoors are more your style, let the National Park Service show you around. The NPS website offers virtual and narrated tours of sites like the Wesleyan Chapel at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park and places that aren’t open to the public, like the Nathan and Polly Johnson House.

You can also explore some of the country’s most beautiful national parks from your couch. Take a walk in Yellowstone National Park or climb a 300-foot Redwood Tree in virtual reality. Now, that's not something you get to do every day.

Open seven days a week.

10:00 a.m - 5:30 p.m., including holidays with the exception of December 25th when we are closed to the public.

10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20560

Visitors may enter from the National Mall on Madison Drive or Constitution Ave.

Admission is FREE.

Tickets are not required

Guidelines for Visiting

The Smithsonian is implementing COVID-19 safety measures based on guidance from the CDC and local governments. The latest guidelines are available at si.edu/visit/tips .

When is the museum open? The National Museum of Natural History is seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except December 25.

Are passes necessary to enter the museum? No, passes are not needed to enter the museum.

Will there be security screening?  For everyone’s safety, all visitors are required to go through screening during the security process. Please visit the Smithsonian’s security information page for more information on prohibited items. 

All visitors are required to walk through a metal detector. Those unable to go through the metal detector will be hand-screened with an electronic wand by security personnel.

We encourage visitors to limit the number of personal belongings and bags brought into the museum as they may be subject to a thorough search. Limiting the items brought will increase your speed through security checkpoints and help us all maintain a safe social distance. Please note that we do not offer coat, bag, or locker storage at this time.

Will the museum cafés and retail shops be open?

The Atrium Café is open from 11:30am-3:30pm and the Ocean Terrace Café is open 11:30am-4:00pm. The Family Store, Gallery Store, and Gems and Minerals Store are open from 10am-5:30pm.

Is there a coat or bag check at the museum? We have limited locker storage available for small bags and items. Visitors are encouraged to travel as lightly as possible and refrain from bringing large bags and packs for the best museum experience.

Are there family-friendly restrooms? A restroom designated for family use is located on the 1st floor of the museum, off of the Sant Ocean Hall. 

Can I bring my stroller, scooter, walker, wheelchair or any type of mobility device? The museum is accessible to visitors using strollers, scooters, walkers, wheelchairs, and mobility devices. There are elevators available to visitors on every floor of the museum.

Are wheelchairs available? A very limited number of manual wheelchairs are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis for use while visiting the museum. You are encouraged to bring a wheelchair with you due to limited availability.

How do I contact the museum with questions? For more information about visiting the museum, please email [email protected] .

Masks are not currently required to visit. While not required, all visitors who feel more comfortable wearing a face mask during their visit are encouraged to do so.

Our current health and safety measures are based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local governments. These measures may change in response to changing CDC COVID-19 Community Levels, so we encourage visitors to regularly check our website before their visit for the latest guidelines.

Museum Address The museum is located on Madison Dr. NW, between 9th St NW and 12 St NW ( Google Map ). Visitors may enter on Madison Ave. or at 10th St. NW & Constitution Ave. NW. 

Metro The closest Metro stations to the museum are the Federal Triangle Metro station, located on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines; the Archives/Navy Memorial station on the Green and Yellow lines; and the Metro Center station on the Red line. View a map of the closest Metro stations .

Parking There are no Smithsonian Institution public parking facilities on the National Mall. There are a number of nearby commercial lots and garages  which may have available parking. If you must drive, please see parking options . For additional information on bus parking, contact the National Park Service Mall Operations Office at 202-426-6841 .

For More: Visit our Getting Here and Parking Page .

The National Museum of Natural History is committed to providing inclusive experiences for all audiences. Please contact 202-633-3611 or send an email [email protected] for access services. For more information visit the Accessibility Information page .

Entrance All museum entrances and exits are accessible. 

Parking The Smithsonian does not provide parking, but there are designated accessible spaces around the National Mall.

Service Animals Service dogs specially trained to assist a person with a disability are welcome in the museum.

Information for Visitors in a Wheelchair

• All of the museum's exhibitions are accessible by wheelchair, and all public floors of the museum can be reached by elevator.
• All theaters include wheelchair locations and companion seats.
• All food service areas are accessible by wheelchair with no steps, turnstiles, or other potential obstructions
• All museum restrooms are accessible to those with mobility disabilities or in wheelchairs. Family/companion care restrooms are located on the First Floor off the Rotunda via the Sant Ocean Hall.

Information for Visitors Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

• Video presentations within exhibitions are open captioned. 
• Induction loops are installed at the Rotunda Visitor Information Desk and the Worldwide Theater in the Hall of Human Origins.
• Assisted Listening Devices are available upon request for programs in Baird Auditorium and Q?rius Theater.
• Sign language interpretation or real-time captioning (CART) are available for public programs with a two week advanced notice. To request this service, please call (202) 633-5238 or e-mail [email protected] .

Information for Visitors Who Are Blind or Partially Sighted

• Tactile objects are provided for all visitors at designated points throughout the museum. A full list of tactile objects can be found at the Information Desks in large print and braille.
• Verbally-described tours with tactile elements designed for visitors with visual disabilities are available with a two-week advanced notice. Subject to volunteer availability. To request this service, please call (202) 633-5238 or e-mail [email protected] .
• Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/deep-time-audio-description/id1465972882?ls=1
• Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.si.natualhistory.deeptime

Information for Visitors with Developmental, Learning & Sensory Disabilities

Calendar of Events This calendar of events highlights some of the programs and activities that will be happening at the museum.

For More: Visit Our Accessibility Information Page

We are committed to visitor safety and have security measures in place to keep you and Museum objects protected. When you arrive at the Museum you can expect a full security screening similar to what you might experience at the airport, except you can keep your shoes and belts on.

Items Not Permitted in the Museum

• Firearms / ammunition
• Knives (including pen, pocket or "Swiss Army"-style knives)
• Aerosol cans (including pepper spray and Mace)
• Tools (screwdrivers, awls, etc.)
• Placards, signs, or banners
• Pets (except service animals)
• Wagons (collapsible and fixed wheel)

Items You Are Prohibited from Using Inside the Museum

• Selfie sticks
• E-cigarettes
• Skateboards / scooters

Items Permitted in the Museum

• Mobility aids (canes, walkers, etc.)
• Service animals (not emotional support animals)
• Bottled water

Check the Smithsonian's security policy for the most up-to-date information. 

The museum's Security Office is located on the Ground Floor in the north (Constitution Avenue) lobby next to the elevators.

Ocean Terrace Café Open 11:30am – 2:00pm Location: First Floor Make-your-own Grain Bowls at the Ocean Terrace Café with fresh greens and nutritious toppings. In addition, we feature fresh sandwiches, desserts, snacks, and beverages.

Atrium Café Open 11:00am – 3:00pm Location: Ground Floor National Museum of Natural History: Featuring butcher craft burgers, grill items, a chef’s market table featuring seasonal menus, made-in-house Focaccia hot melts, desserts, and beverages.   

Shopping Selected merchandise items in our shops are now available for purchase online at the Smithsonian Store .

For inquiries about our museum stores, please contact the NMNH Store Management Team at 202.633.2060.

Gem and Mineral Store Location: Second Floor Open 10:00am – 5:30pm

Gallery Store Location: Ground Floor, Evans Gallery Open 10:00am – 5:30pm

Family Store Location: Ground Floor, Evans Gallery Open 10:00am – 5:30pm

Dinos and More Store Location: First Floor, near the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals Open hours vary

Natural History Express Kiosk Location: Second Floor, near Cellphone: Unseen Connections Open hours vary

Bag Lunches Seating for bagged lunches is not currently available. Bagged lunches must be stowed away at all times while visiting the museum and must be eaten outside of the museum. The museum has no refrigerated storage for lunches.

Nursing Station The museum now has a dedicated public nursing room. Located in the Constitution Avenue Lobby, the public nursing room allows our visitors to nurse in private and is close to the restrooms and health unit.

Pets Pets (except service animals) are not permitted in the museum. Emotional support animals are not permitted in the museum.

Photography The Smithsonian permits still and video photography for noncommercial use only in its museums and exhibitions, unless otherwise posted. For the safety of our visitors and collections, the use of tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks is not permitted at any time. Working members of the media who need to use a tripod or monopod must obtain permission from the museum’s Press Office and must be escorted by a museum staff member while in the building.

Notice: Visitors may be filmed, photographed, or recorded by the Smithsonian for educational and promotional uses, including for posting on the Smithsonian’s and other public websites.

Wi-Fi The museum provides free Wi-Fi access; choose the "si-visitor" network on your device. No password necessary. This is a public, unsecured network.

Smoking Smoking is prohibited in all Smithsonian facilities. This includes e-cigarettes.

Please see the "Prepare for Security" section above for items that are not permitted inside the museum.

Butterfly Pavilion

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