“You could spend a week at the Smithsonian” is a time-honored Washington tourist observation.  It is the world’s largest museum complex.  Thirteen Smithsonian museums and galleries feature hundreds of major exhibitions, and fascinating details of America’s cultural, political, technological, and natural history.  Tours, lectures, films, and concerts are available, including Discovery Theater presentations for children.

600 Independence Avenue, SW

Maintaining the largest collection of historic air- and space craft in the world, the museum includes the original Wright Brothers' 1930 flyer, Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" and the Apollo 11 Command Module.

Special films are shown on a five-story-high movie screen and planetarium presentations are also scheduled regularly.  

http://www.nasm.si.edu

8th and F Streets, NW  

The gallery displays official portraits of presidents, vice presidents, and other outstanding Americans, by American artists.

http://www.npg.si.edu

950 Independence Avenue, SW

The museum exhibits the arts and culture of sub-Saharan Africa from ancient to contemporary times. The permanent collection numbers about 6,000 works in wood, metal, fired clay, ivory, and fiber.

http://www.nmafa.si.edu/index2.html

1901 Fort Place, SE

Located in the historic Anacostia section of southeast Washington, the museum presents exhibitions on the history and culture of African-Americans.

http://www.si.edu/anacostia/

1000 Jefferson Drive, SW

Home of the magnificent Joseph Hirshhorn collection of 19th and 20th-century American and European art.  The museum - a work of art itself - is the Smithsonian's collection of international modern and contemporary art. Inside the cylindrical museum is a diverse compellation of important works by Rodin, Picasso, and other noted artists.

The Sculpture Garden features creations by Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, and David Smith.

http://hirshhorn.si.edu

1050 Independence Avenue, SW

Around 1,000 works of Asian and Near Eastern art are displayed in this distinctive museum. This is a part of the underground complex opened in 1987.  

http://www.asia.si.edu

12th Street and Jefferson Drive, SW

The gallery features a world-renowned collection of art from China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia and the Near East. When the gallery opened to the public in 1923, it was the first Smithsonian museum of fine art.

http://www.asia.si.edu

10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW

The world's most extensive collection of natural history specimens and artifacts, which include of 124 million objects and specimens, is on display at the Natural History Museum. Among the exhibits offered at this museum are the largest taxidermic pachyderm in the world, a 12-ton stuffed elephant, and the 45.5-carat Hope Diamond. Exhibits featuring dinosaurs, animals, and American Indian and Eskimo life are also displayed.

www.mnh.si.edu

14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW

The National Museum of American History features exhibitions ranging from the original 42-foot Star Spangled Banner (the American flag which in 1814 inspired Francis Scott Key’s lyrics for our national anthem) to artifacts and exhibits like Taking America to Lunch and the Hall of Musical Instruments which depict life and popular culture in the United States over the years.

http://americanhistory.si.edu

17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Architect James Renwick designed the original Corcoran Gallery of Art, built during the Civil War era.  The Corcoran has since moved down the street, while this gallery has been restored in the style of the mid- 19th century. It houses exhibitions of American crafts and decorative arts from the 1900s to the turn of the century.

750th Ninth Street, NW    

Using visual arts as a medium of recollection, the displays in this museum trace our nation's growth from a young republic to a world power. This museum is dedicated exclusively to the art and artists of the United States.

http://www.americanart.si.edu

900 Jefferson Drive, SW  (Exhibit halls closed for renovations)

The Arts and Industries Building has a special role among the Smithsonian buildings as the original home of the national museum. Designed in the High Victorian style, the building opened in 1881. The museum offers displays on various topics that depict America's culture and historic milestones.

http://www.si.edu/ai

1000 Jefferson Drive, SW

The original Smithsonian Institution building, known as the “Castle,” is designed in the Norman style adorned with nine turrets of varying design. The Castle houses the visitor information and Associates Reception Center and exhibits relating to the history of the Institution.

http://www.si.edu