Things to do nearSmithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Opened in 1910 and operated by the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of Natural History on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. houses one of the largest natural history collections in the world, with more than 145 million specimens spanning geology, biology, anthropology, and paleontology. The neoclassical building itself is a landmark, its domed rotunda and columned facade a familiar presence along the Mall.

Inside, the fossil halls were significantly renovated and reopened in 2019 as the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils, presenting a sweeping narrative of life on Earth through meticulously assembled skeletons including the Nation's T. rex, a remarkably complete Tyrannosaurus specimen. The Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals draws particular attention for the Hope Diamond, a 45.52-carat blue diamond with a well-documented history stretching back centuries to the French crown jewels.

Beyond the headline exhibits, the museum rewards slower exploration: the Hall of Human Origins traces the evolutionary story of our species through skulls, tools, and interactive displays, while the Sant Ocean Hall presents an 85-foot model of a North Atlantic right whale suspended above coral reef specimens and deep-sea curiosities. The O. Orkin Insect Zoo offers a genuinely tactile experience, with live colonies of leaf-cutter ants and opportunities to handle insects under staff supervision.

Admission to the permanent collection is free, a rarity among museums of this caliber, making it one of the most accessible world-class institutions in the country and a compelling reason to spend a full day here.