National Museum of Natural History facts for kids

"NMNH" redirects here. For other uses, see NMNH (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
National Museum of Natural History
View of the main facade from Madison Drive
Established	1910; 115 years ago (1910)
Location	National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States
Type	Natural history museum
Collection size	146,000,000 specimens
Visitors	4,400,000 (2023) 573,000 (2020) 4,200,000 (2019) 4,800,000 (2018)
Public transit access	at Federal Triangle

The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a really cool museum about nature and history. It's run by the Smithsonian Institution and is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Guess what? It's completely free to visit and is open almost every day of the year! In 2023, about 4.4 million people visited, making it one of the most popular museums in the U.S.

The museum building opened in 1910. It was one of the first Smithsonian buildings made just for national collections and research. The main building is huge, covering about 1.5 million square feet. It has 325,000 square feet for exhibits and public areas. Over 1,000 people work there.

The museum has an amazing collection of over 146 million items. These include plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, and even human cultural artifacts. It's the biggest natural history collection in the world! It's also home to about 185 professional scientists. They are the largest group of scientists studying natural and cultural history anywhere.

History of the Museum

Early Days: 1846–1911

The United States National Museum started in 1846. It was part of the Smithsonian Institution. At first, the museum was in the building now known as the Smithsonian Castle. A special exhibit hall opened in 1858. The collections grew so much that a new building was needed. This new building, the National Museum Building, is now called the Arts and Industries Building. It was built very quickly, in just 15 months, and opened in March 1881.

Congress decided a new, even bigger building was needed in 1902. They chose a spot on the north side of the National Mall. The D.C. company Hornblower & Marshall designed the building.

A Ford Model T car parked in front of the museum in 1926.

The Natural History Building, which is what the museum was first called, opened on March 17, 1910. It gave the Smithsonian more room for its growing collections and research. The building was fully finished in June 1911. It cost about $3.5 million back then. This Neoclassical style building was the first one built on the north side of the National Mall. Besides natural history, it also held American history, art, and cultural collections.

Modern Times: 2003–2012

In January 2003, Cristián Samper became the museum's director. He was from Colombia and had degrees from Harvard University. Samper had also run the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Under his leadership, the museum opened the $100 million Behring Hall of Mammals in 2003. It also received a big donation for the Sant Hall of Oceans.

In 2007, Samper was named Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian. Paul G. Risser became the acting director of the museum. There was some discussion about changes to an exhibit called "Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely." Some scientists felt the changes made global warming seem less certain. Samper said he wanted the exhibit to show both sides of the issue.

Looking up inside the museum's rotunda.

In June 2008, the Victoria and Roger Sant family gave $15 million for the new Ocean Hall. In 2009, the museum celebrated 50 years of having the Hope Diamond. They gave it its own special exhibit. In March 2010, a new $21 million human evolution hall opened.

In January 2012, Samper left to lead the Wildlife Conservation Society. Soon after, the museum got a $35 million gift to update its dinosaur hall. The Sant family also gave another $10 million for the director's position. On July 25, 2012, Kirk Johnson became the new director. He had been a vice president at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The museum's main building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.

Museum Research and Collections

Scientists at the museum study many different things. They work in seven main areas: anthropology (the study of humans), botany (plants), entomology (insects), invertebrate zoology (animals without backbones), mineral sciences, paleobiology (ancient life), and vertebrate zoology (animals with backbones).

The NMNH holds 90% of all the Smithsonian Institution's collections. It's one of the biggest and most complete natural history collections in the world. The Smithsonian says there are about 146 million items. This includes 30 million insects and 4.5 million plants. There are also 7 million fish stored in jars! The collection of amphibians and reptiles has grown a lot, from 190,000 in 1970 to over 580,000 in 2020.

About 2 million cultural artifacts are also part of the collection. Around 400,000 of these are photographs. Many specimens are loaned out to other places for study. About 3.5 million specimens are on loan every year. The items not on display are kept in special research areas. Some are at the Museum Support Center in Maryland. The museum also has marine science centers and field stations in places like Belize and Kenya.

Exciting Exhibitions

Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals

The Star of Asia, a huge 330-carat star sapphire.

The famous Hope Diamond.

The National Gem and Mineral Collection is one of the most important in the world. It has over 15,000 individual gems. There are also 350,000 minerals and 300,000 rock and ore samples. The museum also has about 45,000 meteorites. This is one of the best meteorite collections anywhere.

Some of the most famous items are here. These include the amazing Hope Diamond. There's also the Star of Asia, which is one of the largest sapphires. You can also see the Carmen Lúcia Ruby, one of the biggest and most valuable rubies in the world.

This collection is shown in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals. Many people have donated to this collection. These include Washington Roebling, who helped build the Brooklyn Bridge. He gave 16,000 specimens.

Hall of Human Origins

Rick Potts, a scientist who studies human origins.

The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins opened on March 17, 2010. This was the museum's 100th birthday! This hall is named after David H. Koch, who gave $15 million for the exhibit.

This hall is all about how humans came to be. It covers 15,000 square feet. You can see 76 human skulls from different species. Each of these species belongs to the "Homo" genus, meaning they are human. One example is Homo heidelbergensis, which lived 200,000–700,000 years ago. There's also a skull from Homo floresiensis, a human species that might have lived until only 17,000 years ago.

The exhibit has an interactive family tree. It shows six million years of human evolution. There's also a "Changing the World" gallery. It talks about climate change and how humans affect the world. The main idea of the hall is "What Does It Mean To Be Human." It looks at big steps in human evolution. These include walking upright, having bigger brains, and thinking symbolically. You can also see a real Neanderthal fossil and amazing replicas made by artist John Gurche.

Deep Time Exhibit/Fossil Hall

The Deep Time exhibit, showing a huge Diplodocus skeleton.

A Tyrannosaurus rex in the Deep Time exhibit, looking like it's hunting a Triceratops.

The Hall of Dinosaurs has real fossil skeletons and cast models. You can see a Tyrannosaurus rex cast facing a Triceratops cast. This Triceratops exhibit even shows the first accurate dinosaur skeleton moving virtually! The collection has 46 "complete and important specimens" of dinosaurs.

In May 2012, David H. Koch gave $35 million for a big update to the dinosaur hall. The hall closed in April 2014 and reopened in June 2019.

In June 2013, the Smithsonian got a 50-year loan of a T. rex fossil skeleton. It's the first T. rex skeleton to be shown at the museum! Before this, they only had a cast of a skull. This skeleton is called the "Wankel" or "Devil" rex. It was found in Montana in 1988. This T. rex skeleton is 85 percent complete. It's about 35 feet long and is the main attraction of the dinosaur hall since it reopened in 2019.

The "Nation's T. rex" arrived at the museum on April 15, 2014. It traveled in 16 crates! While it was displayed in the Rex Room, experts checked its condition. They also scanned every bone to make a 3-D model for research.

Hall of Mammals

A view of the Hall of Mammals from above.

The Behring Hall of Mammals shows mammal specimens like modern art. Visitors can learn how mammals have changed over time to live in many different places. You'll also discover that you are a mammal too!

The museum has the largest collection of vertebrate specimens in the world. This includes important collections from the 1800s and early 1900s.

Insect Zoo

The O. Orkin Insect Zoo is a fun place with live insects. It has exhibits about insects and entomologists (scientists who study insects). Different habitats show where insects live. You can see insects from a freshwater pond, a house, a mangrove swamp, a desert, and a rain forest. This zoo is supported by Orkin, a company that helps with pest control.

Ocean Hall

Inside the beautiful Ocean Hall.

The Sant Ocean Hall opened on September 27, 2008. It was the biggest update to the museum since it first opened. The hall has 674 marine specimens and models. These come from the museum's huge collection of over 80 million specimens. The hall is named after the Roger Sant family, who gave $15 million for it.

The collection includes a North Atlantic right whale and a giant Lion's mane jellyfish model. There's also a 1,500-gallon aquarium. You can see a female giant squid in the middle of the hall and a male off to the side.

The museum also has the Smithsonian Ocean Portal website. It has new information from the museum's research and the Ocean Hall.

African Voices

This exhibit and its website explore the many different cultures of Africa. It shows how African people and cultures have changed over time. It also looks at their global influence in areas like family, work, and community.

Butterflies + Plants: Partners In Evolution

The Butterflies + Plants is a live butterfly pavilion. Here, visitors can watch how butterflies and other animals have changed and grown with their plant partners over millions of years.

Bone Hall

This exhibit shows many different skeletons of animals with backbones. They are grouped by how they are related through evolution.

Skeletons in the Bone Hall, including an extinct Steller's sea cow.

Q?rius

Opened in 2013, Q?rius is the museum's interactive and educational area. You can use microscopes and touch screens for fun activities and puzzles. There's a "collection zone" with over 6,000 different specimens and artifacts that you can actually touch! The area also hosts events where you can meet Smithsonian scientists.

Museum Facilities

On the lower level, there's a bird exhibit. It's called the Urban Bird Habitat Garden. It features all the birds that migrate to or live in Washington, D.C.

The museum often hosts sleepovers for children aged 8–12. These are organized through the Smithsonian Associates.

Baird Auditorium

The Baird Auditorium around 1911.

Underneath the museum's main rotunda is the Baird Auditorium. It's named after Spencer Fullerton Baird, who was the second Secretary of the Smithsonian. The auditorium was finished in 1909. It has a special Catalan vault tile ceiling. The American Institute of Architects calls it the museum's "greatest interior space."

Baird Auditorium Events

The Baird Auditorium has hosted many famous events. In 1920, it was the location of the "Great Debate" in astronomy. This debate was about spiral nebulae and the size of the universe. Famous musicians have also performed there. Merle Travis gave a country guitar concert in 1976. In 1977, Muddy Waters performed blues music there.