Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: a practical guide

More Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History guides

• Natural History in 2 hoursA 2-hour route through the Smithsonian Natural History Museum: elephant, Deep Time fossils, human origins, ocean and the Hope Diamond, with timings.
• Free entry and hoursSmithsonian Natural History Museum free entry, daily hours 10am to 5:30pm, whether you need a pass, the best time to avoid crowds and what costs money.
• Must-see highlightsThe 10 must-see highlights of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum: Hope Diamond, T. rex, Henry the elephant, whale, human origins and where they are.
• With kidsHow to visit the Smithsonian Natural History Museum with kids: a 90-minute route, dinosaurs, whale, insects, food, strollers and the best time to go.

Why it is worth visiting

This is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world, and it looks after a collection of roughly 146 million specimens. Only a small fraction is on display, but it is enough to cover billions of years of history: dinosaurs and mammoths, human origins, the oceans and one of the most famous gem collections on the planet, with the Hope Diamond as its star.

How to plan your visit

• There are two main entrances: the National Mall entrance (main level, by the elephant rotunda) and the Constitution Avenue entrance (lower level). Both have security screening.
• Admission is free and, according to the official site, you do not need a timed pass for the permanent exhibits, unlike the Air and Space Museum or the African American History Museum.
• Go to your top priorities first: the building is huge and it is easy to run out of steam in the first hour.
• Check the museum map on arrival: halls and temporary exhibits change, and some areas may be closed for maintenance.
• Scan any piece or sculpture with the AnyArt app to hear its story, a free alternative to renting an audio guide.

Combining it with the rest of the National Mall

The museum is a few minutes' walk from the National Museum of American History, the National Gallery of Art and the Air and Space Museum. A common plan is Natural History in the morning and the National Gallery in the afternoon. Remember that the Air and Space Museum and the African American History Museum do require free timed passes.