Welcome

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. We are a community of learning and the opener of doors. Join us on a voyage of discovery and explore and learn online.

Visit

As we gradually reopen, we’re putting safety first with new measures in place to protect everyone’s health. Free timed-entry passes are required for entry at most of our reopened museums, galleries, and the zoo. Gardens are open with no passes required.

Even when we are closed, you can visit us from home. Explore our digital resources including online events, exhibitions, and podcasts, and discover how Smithsonian cares.

Select a topic to discover featured collections and stories, OR search millions of digital records.
Vote pin
Smithsonian Spotlight

A Vote, A Voice

Explore get out the vote pins and posters, and learn about voting history through the Smithsonian collections.
illustration of autumn leaf
Smithsonian Spotlight

Autumn Views

Celebrating the beauty of the changing season with art and objects in the collections.
Miles Davis' jacket
Smithsonian Spotlight

Don't Forget Your Jacket

Some amazing people have left their jackets at the Smithsonian.
laughing skull
Smithsonian Spotlight

Things That Scare Us

Take a tour through our favorite spooky collection items—if you dare.
People walking in prayer.
Anacostia Community Museum

Moments of Resilience

Share your stories about communities supporting each other on a day-to-day basis in challenging times.
Traditional calaveras, or skulls, which are prominent on Día de los Muertos.
Smithsonian Blog

5 Facts About Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)

What do sugar skulls, marigolds, and monarch butterflies have in common? 
Captain America 41 cent stamp
Smithsonian Spotlight

Excelsior! Super Superheroes

A look at superheroes in the Smithsonian's collections and remembering Stan Lee.
The Chambers Brothers poster
Smithsonian Spotlight

The Art of Rock and Roll

A selection of rock and pop inspired art from concert posters and album covers to objects d'art.
To Ask Freedom for Women is not a Crime
Smithsonian Spotlight

Votes for Women

A look at the fight to get the right to vote through the Smithsonian's collections.
3 bears caught on camera
Smithsonian Collaboration

eMammal: See Wildlife, Do Science

Place “camera traps” in your community to assist researchers in answering questions about mammal distribution and abundance.
steam bike in front of Castle Building
Archival Resources

It’s American Archives Month

Celebrate by exploring our photographs, drawings, scrapbooks, journals, manuscripts, and more.
shark
National Museum of Natural History

Ocean Portal: All About Sharks

Learn about these incredible animals—and the ecosystems in which they play a role.