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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

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🎡 Attractions

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Washington, DC · National Mall

About

The big domed limestone hall on the north side of the Mall is where the Hope Diamond glints behind glass, a 45-foot ocean hall is anchored by a life-size right whale overhead, and the Deep Time fossil hall walks you from the first cells to the last mammoths. Start in the rotunda under the African bush elephant, then pick your rabbit hole: gems and minerals, the live butterfly pavilion, or a wall of insects you can hold. Admission is free, no timed pass needed, and you can lose a whole afternoon without spending a dime.

Highlights

Hope DiamondSant Ocean HallDeep Time fossil hallFree admissionLive butterfly pavilion

Getting there

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Washington D.C. Attractions23 places

Washington D.C. Attractions

No city packs more world-class attractions into a walk than Washington, and most of it is free. The Smithsonians line the National Mall like a museum mile, from the moon lander hanging in Air and Space to the Hope Diamond and the Wright Flyer. Between them stand the monuments and memorials: Lincoln gazing down the reflecting pool, the Washington Monument over the Tidal Basin cherry trees, the marble halls of the Capitol and the Library of Congress. Bring good shoes and a full day, and you still will not see it all.