Admission is free of charge at all museums and the zoo. The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is free of charge through November 29, 2021.
As you plan your visit, please remember to review government travel guidelines or restrictions.
Timed-entry passes are only required at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Zoo, and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City. All Smithsonian museums and the zoo are closed on December 25.
Anacostia Community Museum
Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Wednesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sculpture Garden open daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
National Air and Space Museum
Thursday through Monday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Air and Space Museum Steven F.
Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Museum of African American
History and Culture
Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Reserve Free Passes »
National Museum of African Art
Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Museum of American History
Friday through Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Museum of the American Indian (DC)
Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Museum of Asian Art Freer Gallery
Friday through Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Museum of Natural History
Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Portrait Gallery and
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Wednesday through Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
National Postal Museum
Friday to Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Renwick Gallery of the
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Smithsonian Institution Building (Castle)
Open daily 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Smithsonian's National Zoo
Open daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Reserve Free Passes »
Smithsonian Gardens
Haupt Garden open daily dawn to dusk
All others open 24 hours
New York
All visitors ages 12+ are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to visit. (Key to NYC)
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Thursday through Monday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed Thanksgiving Day
Reserve Tickets »
National Museum of the American Indian (NY)
Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Note: November 20, 2021 to July 6, 2022, the historic Arts and Industries Building will be open to the public for the first time since 2004 with a new exhibition, FUTURES, in honor of the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary.
Keeping Us All Safe
As the Smithsonian reopens, safety comes first. We’re putting new safety measures in place to protect the health of our visitors, staff, volunteers, and collections based on guidance from the CDC and local governments:
- All visitors ages 2 and over are required to wear face coverings indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
- We’re providing hand-sanitizing stations for visitors throughout our facilities and conducting more frequent and enhanced cleaning.
- We’re recommending that visitors maintain a safe social distance between households or groups.
- We’ve installed protective safety shields at bag-check screening stations and registers.
- We’re evaluating our exhibits, interactives, and indoor spaces on a case-by-case basis. Some of these features may be closed or operate at limited capacity.
- Our staff will stay home when sick, wear face coverings, practice social distancing, and wash hands and practice good hygiene.
Please note:
COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that is believed to mainly spread from person-to-person contact. The Smithsonian is doing its part to mitigate transmission intensity, and we ask you, our visitors, to do the same and help us reduce the spread of COVID-19. You must follow all posted instructions while visiting the Smithsonian, including instructions about wearing face coverings and social distancing. Despite our best efforts, the risk of contracting COVID-19 could increase by visiting the Smithsonian. By visiting the Smithsonian, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.
The Smithsonian reserves the right to modify its hours of operations, capacity, or visitor guidelines as circumstances require and to deny entry or access to any person who fails to follow these guidelines or whose conduct puts Smithsonian staff, visitors, or property at risk.
