We're not a museum. We're 21 of them! (Plus a zoo & 9 research centers.) Find visiting info at si.edu/visit | Legal: s.si.edu/legal

Joined March 2008
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Due to inclement weather, today, Monday, Mar. 16, Smithsonian museums in the DC area including our National Zoo will close at 2 p.m. ET. For updates, visit our website. si.edu
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Museums and research centers in the Washington, DC, area are open today, Wednesday, Jan. 28, at their regularly scheduled times. Our National Zoo will open at 10 a.m. Some museums may offer limited menus in their cafes. Plan your visit: s.si.edu/4k4Wzpr Our @NationalZoo cheetah cubs had a sit in the snow yesterday with mom Amabala. Even though they have thick, fuzzy coats, cheetahs aren't built for the ice and snow. That's why the cheetahs at our Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, have the choice to spend time outside in the snow and always have access to heated dens to warm up. The cheetah cam is a great way to check on the cubs from your own cozy den: s.si.edu/3ZyPJz0 Photo by Amber Dedrick.
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The National Zoo and Smithsonian museums in the Washington, DC, area are closed on Tuesday, Jan. 27, due to inclement weather. We welcome you to explore si.edu where we are always open. Image: Our National Museum of African American History and Culture is visible behind an ice-frosted tree. Photo by Alan Karchmer.
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All Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo, and research centers will be closed on Sunday, Jan. 25, and Monday, Jan. 26, due to winter weather. We welcome you to explore si.edu, where we are always open. From a previous snowy day, this photo shows our Daguerre Memorial capped with snow outside the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery French artist Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre introduced the photography process in which an image is produced on a sensitized plate of silver-clad copper. In 1839, American practitioners turned Daguerre's experimental method into a commercially successful way to make affordable photos. People flocked to studios to pose for portraits.
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On Monday, Nov. 17, all Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo will open at their regularly scheduled times. We look forward to seeing you!
Updated: Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo will reopen on a rolling basis by Monday, Nov. 17. We look forward to seeing you! ✨ Reopened on Friday, Nov. 14 National Museum of American History (@AmHistoryMuseum) National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (@AirAndSpace) ✨Reopening on Saturday, Nov. 15 National Museum of African American History and Culture (@NMAAHC) National Museum of African Art (@SI_AfricanArt) National Museum of Asian Art (@NatAsianArt) National Zoo (@NationalZoo) ✨Reopening on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 12 p.m. ET National Museum of Natural History (@NMNH) ✨Reopening on Sunday, Nov. 16 National Portrait Gallery (@SmithsonianNPG) Smithsonian American Art Museum, with the exception of the Renwick Gallery (@AmericanArt) *Archives of American Art (@ArchivesAmerArt)’s Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery (in the same building as @SmithsonianNPG and @AmericanArt) Smithsonian Gardens (@SIGardens) All locations, with the exception of our @NMNH, will reopen at their regular times. Please note, museums may have limited food service offerings. For the latest updates and reopening information, visit si.edu/visit.
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Updated: Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo will reopen on a rolling basis by Monday, Nov. 17. We look forward to seeing you! ✨ Reopened on Friday, Nov. 14 National Museum of American History (@AmHistoryMuseum) National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (@AirAndSpace) ✨Reopening on Saturday, Nov. 15 National Museum of African American History and Culture (@NMAAHC) National Museum of African Art (@SI_AfricanArt) National Museum of Asian Art (@NatAsianArt) National Zoo (@NationalZoo) ✨Reopening on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 12 p.m. ET National Museum of Natural History (@NMNH) ✨Reopening on Sunday, Nov. 16 National Portrait Gallery (@SmithsonianNPG) Smithsonian American Art Museum, with the exception of the Renwick Gallery (@AmericanArt) *Archives of American Art (@ArchivesAmerArt)’s Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery (in the same building as @SmithsonianNPG and @AmericanArt) Smithsonian Gardens (@SIGardens) All locations, with the exception of our @NMNH, will reopen at their regular times. Please note, museums may have limited food service offerings. For the latest updates and reopening information, visit si.edu/visit.
Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo are reopening on a rolling basis by Monday, Nov. 17. We look forward to seeing you! More info below. ✨ Reopening on Friday, Nov. 14 National Museum of American History (@AmHistoryMuseum) National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (@AirAndSpace) ✨Reopening on Saturday, Nov. 15 Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (@NMAAHC) Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (@SI_AfricanArt) Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (@NatAsianArt) Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (@NationalZoo) ✨Reopening on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 12 p.m. ET Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (@NMNH) All museums, with the exception of our Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, are reopening at their regular times. Please note, museums will have limited food service offerings. For the latest updates and reopening information, visit si.edu/visit.
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Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo are reopening on a rolling basis by Monday, Nov. 17. We look forward to seeing you! More info below. ✨ Reopening on Friday, Nov. 14 National Museum of American History (@AmHistoryMuseum) National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (@AirAndSpace) ✨Reopening on Saturday, Nov. 15 Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (@NMAAHC) Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (@SI_AfricanArt) Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (@NatAsianArt) Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (@NationalZoo) ✨Reopening on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 12 p.m. ET Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (@NMNH) All museums, with the exception of our Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, are reopening at their regular times. Please note, museums will have limited food service offerings. For the latest updates and reopening information, visit si.edu/visit.
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The Smithsonian will reopen the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum, and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on Friday, Nov. 14. All other museums, research centers, and the National Zoo will reopen on a rolling basis by Monday, Nov. 17. For the latest updates, please see si.edu/visit.
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Due to the government shutdown, Smithsonian museums are temporarily closed beginning on Sunday, Oct. 12, along with our research centers and the National Zoo. We will update our operating status as soon as the situation is resolved. We do not plan to update social media other than to inform you of changes to our operating status. While our doors are closed, Smithsonian digital resources continue to be available at si.edu 📷: @SmithsonianNMAI
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Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo are open today and will remain open through our scheduled closing time on Saturday, Oct. 11. If the government shutdown continues past Oct. 11, Smithsonian locations will be closed beginning on Sunday, Oct. 12. Find visiting information at si.edu/visit Image: Ginkgo biloba trees outside the Smithsonian Castle in fall, Smithsonian Gardens
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In the event of a government shutdown, our museums, research centers, and the National Zoo will remain open through at least Monday, Oct. 6. The Smithsonian will use prior-year funds still available to us to remain open. Visit si.edu for updates.
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As the keeper of memory for the nation, it is our privilege and responsibility to tell accurate and complete histories. As has been recently reported, in July, a placard was removed from @amhistorymuseum’s exhibit “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.”  The intent of the “Impeachment” section of the exhibit is to reflect all impeachment proceedings in our nation’s history.     The placard, which was meant to be a temporary addition to a 25-year-old exhibition, did not meet the museum’s standards in appearance, location, timeline, and overall presentation. It was not consistent with other sections in the exhibit and moreover blocked the view of the objects inside its case. For these reasons, we removed the placard. We were not asked by any Administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit.    The section in question, “Impeachment,” will be updated in the coming weeks to reflect all impeachment proceedings in our nation’s history.
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On Tuesday, July 15, our @Hirshhorn, @NatAsianArt, @si_africanart, and the @smithsoniannmai located on the National Mall will be closed due to an issue with the air conditioning system. Plan your visit to our other locations: si.edu/visit
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On Monday, July 14, our @Hirshhorn, @NatAsianArt, @si_africanart, and the @smithsoniannmai located on the National Mall will be closed due to an HVAC issue. Plan your visit to our other locations: si.edu/visit
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On Sunday, July 13, our @Hirshhorn, @NatAsianArt, @si_africanart, and the @smithsoniannmai located on the National Mall will be closed due to an HVAC issue. Plan your visit to our other locations: si.edu/visit
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Recent reports about the Smithsonian removing the historic Greensboro, North Carolina, lunch counter are inaccurate. In 1960, four Black college students remained at the segregated, “whites only” counter at the Greensboro Woolworth’s and refused to leave. Their sit-in helped ignite a youth-led movement to challenge inequality throughout the South. Two stools from the sit-ins remain on view at our @nmaahc as the centerpiece of an interactive exhibition. A large section of the Greensboro counter also remains on display at our @amhistorymuseum. Suggestions that the Smithsonian had planned or intended to remove these items are false. The Smithsonian preserves and protects all objects and artifacts in its collection to ensure their long-term conservation and to safeguard them for future generations. Our statement regarding objects on display at our National Museum of African American History and Culture: s.si.edu/4lPUfmJ
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Update! Today, Monday, Jan. 20, our @NMNH is open to visitors. The museum will offer more limited cafe and retail options than usual due to inclement weather. Also open today: @SmithsonianACM and
@airandspace’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Our @NationalZoo will open at 10 a.m. 

Other museums in the Washington, DC, area are closed today due to security measures, road closures, and other restrictions for Inauguration Day.
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Please note that Smithsonian museums in DC will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2025, due to security measures, road closures, and other restrictions for Inauguration Day. Our @NationalZoo, @SmithsonianACM, @SmithsonianEnv, and @AirAndSpace’s Udvar-Hazy Center will remain open.
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All Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are open today and we look forward to welcoming you. Plan your visit: si.edu/visit/museums How do we know that no two snowflakes are identical? Photographer Wilson A. Bentley. A trailblazer in photomicrography, Bentley captured the first successful photograph of a snowflake in 1885. These are in the collection of our @SILibraries @SmithsonianArch.
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A frosted pumpkin treat at our snowy @hirshhorn. Smithsonian museums in the DC area are closed on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Yayoi Kusama’s "Pumpkin" (2016), installed in the museum's plaza. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts. © YAYOI KUSAMA. Collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
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