2. Devoted to the scientific, cultural, social,
technological, and political development
National of the United States. The Smithsonian's
Museum of National Museum of American History
Natural History
dedicates its collections and scholarship
to inspiring a broader understanding of
the United States and its many peoples.
Current Exhibits Include:
First Ladies at the Smithsonian
Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that
inspired the national anthem
Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello:
Paradox of Liberty
The Price of Freedom: Americans at
War
4. The Smithsonian Institution's National
National Air Air and Space Museum maintains the
and Space largest collection of historic air and
Museum spacecraft in the world. It is also a vital
center for research into the
The National Air and history, science, and technology of
Space Museum holds in aviation and space flight, as well as
trust some 50,000
objects, including planetary science and terrestrial geology
aircraft, spacecraft, engi and geophysics.
nes, rockets, uniforms, s
pacesuits, balloons and
artwork.
Current Exhibits Include:
The original Wright 1903 Flyer
The Apollo 11 command module
A lunar rock sample that visitors can touch
6. A permanent collection of more than
100,000 art objects resides in the museum's
National two buildings. The West Building, designed
Gallery of Art in 1941 by architect John Russell
Pope, houses paintings, sculpture and
graphic arts from as far back as the Middle
Ages. The bright and airy East
Building, designed by I.M. Pei, exhibits
20th- and 21st-century art.
The museum also includes a large outdoor
sculpture garden that exhibits a number of
pieces from the Museum’s contemporary
sculpture collection.
8. The National Museum of the American Indian
The National houses one of the world’s largest and most
Museum of the diverse collections of its kind. The museum’s
American architecture, its indigenous landscaping, and its
exhibitions, all designed in collaboration with
Indian
tribes and communities from across the
hemisphere, combine to give visitors from
around the world the sense and spirit of Native
America.
Current Exhibits Include:
Best in the World: Native Athletes in the
Olympics
Return to a Native Place: Algonquin Peoples
of the Chesapeake
Our Peoples: Giving Voice to Our Histories