Current Exhibitions

My Visit

Victory Garden

The Victory Garden represents a typical vegetable garden planted during World War II, when growing food for home consumption was an important part of the war effort.

Spring 2001 – Permanent

Smithsonian Gardens
My Visit

Urban Bird Habitat Garden

This garden is an oasis for many bird species; it provides for their basic needs; food, water, shelter, and a place to raise their young.

July 25, 2012 – Permanent

Smithsonian Gardens
My Visit

The Electric Dr. Franklin

Explore the Franklin's pioneering electrical work and objects showing the electrical science of Franklin’s era and later devices he influenced.

November 20, 2021 – TBA

American History Museum
My Visit

Added to My Visit Removed from My Visit

The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins: What Does It Mean To Be Human? Added

~~The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins: What Does It Mean To Be Human?~~ Removed

View My Visit

The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins: What Does It Mean To Be Human?

Meet your closest ancestors and relatives in this interactive exploration of human evolution.

March 17, 2010 – Permanent

Natural History Museum
My Visit

The David H. Koch Hall of Fossils—Deep Time

Learn how life on Earth evolved and see highlights from the museum's unrivaled collection of 46 million fossils.

June 8, 2019 – Permanent

Natural History Museum
My Visit

Spark!Lab

Open Wednesday–Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Spark!Lab reveals the real story behind inventors’ work through hands-on activities that help kids and families learn about the history and process of invention. Hours are subject to change.

July 1, 2015 – Indefinitely

American History Museum
My Visit

Space Science

The spacecraft on view represent those that perform science in Earth's upper atmosphere or beyond.

November 1, 2004 – Permanent

Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center
My Visit

Small Mammal House

Meet more than 35 species as they move, eat and play in enclosures that mimic their wild habitats.

April 1, 1983 – Permanent

National Zoo
My Visit

Sant Ocean Hall

Dive in with Phoenix—a model of an actual North Atlantic right whale—and discover how the ocean is a global system essential to all life.

September 27, 2008 – Permanent

Natural History Museum
My Visit

Reptile Discovery Center

The Reptile Discovery Center is an interactive exhibition that features some 70 species of reptiles and amphibians.

May 1, 1994 – Permanent

National Zoo
My Visit

Primates

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is home to over a dozen species of primates.

April 15, 1981 – Permanent

National Zoo
My Visit

Pollinator Garden

Stroll along the walkways in the Pollinator Garden to see four habitats of native plants that attract a variety of colorful butterflies spring through fall.

June 30, 1995 – Permanent

Smithsonian Gardens
My Visit

Our Voices in Saving Species

A gallery of photos and stories from staff spearheading research programs at Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute headquarters in Front Royal, Virginia, here at the Zoo in Washington, D.C., and in more than 25 countries across the globe.

January 1, 2016 – Permanent

National Zoo
My Visit

One World Connected

How flight fostered two momentous changes in everyday life: the ease in making connections across vast distances and a new perspective of Earth.

October 14, 2022 – Indefinitely

Air and Space Museum
My Visit

Naked Mole-Rats on the Move

The naked mole-rats at the National Zoo are having a blast in their new, multistory habitat with more than 25 feet of connecting tunnels.

September 1, 2018 – Permanent

National Zoo
My Visit

NASA’s Earth Information Center @ NMNH

Explore high-resolution data visualizations, interactive experiences, and videos that share how scientists collect and interpret data.

October 8, 2024 Through 2028

Natural History Museum
My Visit

Mega-toothed Shark

Come face-to-face with a 52-foot-long model of a female mega-toothed shark suspended above our new dining area.

May 24, 2019 – Permanent

Natural History Museum
My Visit

Mary Livingston Ripley Garden

Meander along the unusual curvilinear serpentine walkway in the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden to view more than 200 varieties of plants.

May 25, 1988 – Permanent

Smithsonian Gardens
My Visit

Lights Out: Recovering Our Night Sky

Discover why dark nights matter, rekindle your connection with the night sky, and consider how much light at night is enough.

March 23, 2023 – December 2025

Natural History Museum
My Visit

Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals

Travel to four continents to see some 274 mammals in lifelike poses in their natural habitat.

November 15, 2003 – Permanent

Natural History Museum
My Visit

Kenneth C. Griffin Exploring the Planets Gallery

This exhibition tells the stories of the diversity of worlds circling our Sun and how exploring those worlds helps enhance our own understanding of Earth.

October 14, 2022 – Permanent

Air and Space Museum
My Visit

Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden

Enjoy roses in a rainbow of colors, along with selected annuals, perennials, and woody plants chosen for year-round interest.

October 7, 1998 – Permanent

Smithsonian Gardens
My Visit

Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals

This hall features 2,500 minerals and gems, including the Hope Diamond, Hooker Emerald Brooch, and a sample from the Bennu asteroid.

September 20, 1997 – Permanent

Natural History Museum
My Visit

Insect Zoo, O. Orkin

The Insect Zoo features many species of live insects, a "nursery" room where visitors can peek at insect larvae and pupae.

September 10, 1993 – Permanent

Natural History Museum
My Visit

Human/Nature: Why People Are Drawn to Living Things

Bringing plants and other elements from nature into our living spaces can help people stay connected to natural cycles.

September 30, 2023 – Summer 2026

Ripley Center

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