If there’s a combination that can draw the museum crowds almost as much as spaceships and airplanes it’s dinosaurs and whopping huge diamonds and having a life-size elephant just inside the main entrance doesn’t hurt either.It’s no wonder that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s most-visited museums.It might not be a combination that comes immediately to mind, but it’s one offered by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History on the National Mall.The theme that ties the whole place together is the natural world, that encompasses quite a lot, and the museum has impressive displays ranging from dinosaurs, ocean life, the Hope Diamond from India, geology, the animal kingdom, world indigenous cultures, and history of the human race.The museum also displays the live population of earth!

The Smithsonian is an AWESOME museum. It is great for both kids and adults alike, with plenty to do if you want to fill the whole day, or just go through it quickly. Either way, it is a great place to visit

The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2016, with 7.1 million visitors, it was the eleventh most visited museum in the world and the most visited natural history museum in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum on the National Mall was one of the first Smithsonian buildings constructed exclusively to hold the national collections and research facilities. The main building has an overall area of 1.5 million square feet (140,000 m2) with 325,000 square feet (30,200 m2) of exhibition and public space and houses over 1,000 employees.The museums collections contain over 145 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts, the largest natural history collection in the world. It is also home to about 185 professional natural history scientists—the largest group of scientists dedicated to the study of natural and cultural history in the world.

Was able to enjoy it before COVID-19. This was a great experience. Many things to see, get to know about and also learn. Dinosaur fossil collection is amazing and planetarium screening is fun.

Free and awesome place! A long line forms before it opens but everyone gets in and it really doesn’t take that long. Come an hour after it opens and there is no line during the week. The hope diamond was there in 2019 when I went.

You can never go wrong when you visit DC and the museum. Put on some comfy shoes and get ready for a lot of walking. All museums are free as well as parking if you can find one. If you get to DC early enough you will find a spot. The Museum of Natural History is a must and make sure you do the butterfly section. Well worth the money just to see the joy of your child’s face. I love doing this every time I come here cause it is awesome to see the butterflies and the chrysalis they have. What even more awesome when the butterflies land on you.

It was a fabulous experience at this museum. It’s very informative museum showing various stages of earth’s extinctions and reformations happened million years ago. The fossil collection at this museum is excellent and extensive. I’d definitely go back to complete remaining portion of this place. It requires a great amount of time when you visit this museum. But all that time is worth it.

First let me say I could live in the Smithsonian museums. The exhibits are amazing and there are so many of them. You could spend several days in just one museum in order to truly take in the wealth of information. They also have theaters, gift shops and cafes. The best part is admission is free. I am a member of the Smithsonian Institution because I believe in their mission and I want everyone to have access to this American treasure. The Natural History Museum is the one I visit the most (Air and Space is a close second) mainly because it is good for kids and all my family members have kids; so we go there when they visit. I love the dinosaur exhibit and of course the Hope Diamond is cool. The live butterfly exhibit is a great experience too. Everyone can find something to love about this place. Check it out! :-)

My favorite museum! Provided a spot for me to clear my head and be in a wonderful environment (before the COVID times hit lol).I hope the employees are doing okay while the museum is shut down, and look forward to you guys safely re-opening someday! This is such a magical place and I miss it so much.

There is a lot of cool fossils and old cultural artifacts but the best part of this museum is its collection of rocks and gems. After visiting I have started my own gem collection. One would think that as an engineer I would muckiest prefer the Air and Space museum, but alas no, the gems here are just too entrancing. Granted, as an engineer I can find interest in understanding the atomic structure of each crystal matrix and how different impurities result in different types of gems. Anyways, just fascinating. My photos cannot capture the true beauty. Just consider it a prelude to your amazement when you visit.

Loved the museum! Its huge and may need few hours to be fully explored. It has many interactive sections which can be enjoyed fully both by children and adults. We were short on time and had to be selective on sections we wanted to visit but I would suggest to schedule and enjoy every section. The real time population counter is very interesting. Much effort is done by the management to have everything well organized. Appreciate it!

If you only have time for one museum in Washington,DC.. This has to be the one! Such an AMAZING place to visit! Make sure your trip includes a full day here as there is three floors of priceless information about to give your brain overload! So many interesting historical, evolutionary, ecological & environmental artifacts, movies, oddities & scientific research & information that it deserves one full day! State of the Art displays & exhibits. This Museum is located on the National Mall in Washington, DC

Absolutely amazing museum! This is the best museum I’ve ever been to. The best thing about this best museum is that it’s absolutely free but you might have to be in line to get in if you go there in demanding hours. Different floors are assigned for different kinds of exhibits. Even children were enjoying the museum a lot. I spent 3 hours in the museum but still had to speed up to witness all they had to offer. I will be back there again very soon. The photos I’ve posted below don’t do the full justice to the museum exhibit.

This place is pretty magical with impressive exhibits ranging from insects to full scale dinosaur models. A highlight for us was the butterfly pavilion where you can walk amongst a range of butterflies and moths. Its a big place and hard to see it all in a single visit. You may want to spend a few hours, take a break, and come back. Definitely worth a visit!

I had the opportunity to visit Smithsonian National Museum during my visit to Washington in November. Personally this was the most interesting museum I visited. It was huge and the variety of display was amazing. I couldnt go around the whole museum because of time constraint, but whatever I saw was amazing. I would definitely recommend people to visit if they have any interest in natural history. A piece of advice, plan for the whole day. I am sure there is enough to see which is not possible in 2-3 hrs. The best part is that kids will love to be there.

The fossil and ocean sections were okay; the majority of areas were not. Touring the museum took a couple of hours, though I did skip the minerals section. I felt underwhelmed and disappointed, so I left earlier than Id planned.Many interesting items were on display, but they were often presented poorly. Explanations covered walls and surfaces in a way that resembled a high school science project competition. It looked dull and repetitive.Occasionally, extra effort was put in. For instance, in the form of patterned lights: green vines projected onto the ground near a theater, and the cell projected onto the floor near the Epidemic exhibition. These were nice, unique touches in what otherwise felt like a repetitive landscape.Yet, for the most part, signs of effort didnt shine through. Even the animal taxidermy was usually poor: Ive seen animals better taxidermied elsewhere, such as at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.There was also an exhibition that I thought was sexist: Bearded Ladies. It occupied a large room; photos were on display along the walls. The idea behind that exhibition was that women are often seen as lesser scientists. But I dont see how putting a masculine symbol (beard) onto a womans face helps to change any hearts and minds on that point. Instead, I imagine that those geared towards misogyny would only laugh, saying it showed how women look ridiculous when they try to be more male. And as for myself (a woman), I would rather see womens contributions celebrated sans fake beards.I was also annoyed by the Butterfly Pavilion. I noticed a monarch butterfly trapped in the closed-off entrance area of the pavilion. Its a spot meant to keep the butterflies from escaping into the museum itself: a glass door, a bare floor, and bare walls. Nets are on hand to catch escapee butterflies. I pointed out the half-escaped butterfly to the guard and information desk nearby. I figured theyd appreciate being told, the butterfly would be caught, and it would be placed back inside with the others. But that wasnt what happened. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders at me, looked at me as if I was mentally disabled, and then the two went back to talking. The butterfly was left on the ground, ignored. The complete lack of concern shown toward it, and the rudeness shown towards me, bothered me.Other points of annoyance that merited my low rating were the 5 gift shops (no need for so many!), and some gross spots that needed cleaning but seemed ignored.If you do decide to go, then I suggest going on a weekday morning or afternoon when its not busy.

I had a blast here, and I would give yourself at least 4 hours to really look at everything. There was also a long line to get inside the museum so plan for that. The exhibits were very well laid out and easy for groups to look and read the placards. The dinosaur skeletons were my favorite, especially the T-Rex. Dont forget the T-Rex skull on the bottom floor. You can really get close to this one. I loved it all you have to go check it out.

For the film photographers out there.I was searching for the info before going but couldn’t find it. So maybe this will be useful for any film photographers out there.The indoor color temperature is around 3400k, so a Tungsten film is best for color. My meter read 1/60 @ 2.8 for most situations. Pretty standard indoor settings, but I wasn’t sure what lights they were using for the displays etc., so I used B&W film for the day we went here. A 24mm prime was all I needed, and a perfect length for every situation.If I were to go back knowing what I do now, I’d bring a single camera with 24mm prime, and shoot CineStill 800T pushed 1 stop. That’s a winning combo right there. Cheers.

The Gem exhibit is worth the trip alone. The living sea & Dino were very enjoyable. I have children from ages 11-18 and we all had a wonderful day.

Had so much fun learning and hanging around here. I especially love the mineral and gemstones sections, so many beautiful specimens and some have great history too! The shop inside also have a good selection of mineral, I bought a piece of optical calcite for $3 and a piece of Spanish aragonite for $8, both are in great conditions! What a steal! I will definitely go there again!

One of the best museums to bring your kids! The animals, fishes here look so real and you can see many animals that you never seen or known before!Harry Winston Hope diamond is very beautiful, must go see it!

This review is for the Butterfly Pavilion Only!We were in DC over the weekend and decided to go into the Smithsonian and finally check out the butterfly experience. I paid $17 dollars for two adult tickets online which if you ask me now is the experience worth the price? Id say no for adults and maybe for kids, here is why. First issue I had is this is an additional cost experience within a massive FREE museum already curated for kids with endless displays to meet any childs interests and keep them engaged for hours. Second, given it is an additional cost for admission I had an expectation that the experience would align with the price and that was not the case. The room where the butterflies are on display is the narrow length of a cross walk and the amount of butterflies flying around is descent not too many not too few, in my opinion I wanted to see more of them it wasnt what I envisioned. Most people (adults) were taking advantage of the photo opportunities which was fun. Parents beware if you are bringing kids the idea maybe good in your head but I found a majority of small children were uncomfortable or outright scared of the butterflies and moths being so close to their face, ask your children first before you invest it maybe innocent to you but kids can freak out and some enjoyed it not to say all kids were scared. Lastly, it was crowded and you are not allowed to touch the butterflies which is for their safety. Overall average experience with a good photo opportunity, you decide if the price point is worth it for yourself.

Excellent museum to visit with family and kids. Visited last weekend with family and found very useful and informative. The museum offers free entrance and absolutely worth spending half a day to one whole day. It has variety of exhibits you can’t miss. There is a butterfly garden experience which is the only paid exhibit. There is an exhibit called “Qrious” which gives puzzle stations to kids of all ages. There is a good food court inside which offers variety of food options. Worth planning half a day to one full day depending on your time and leisure.

First off, the line to get in moves very quickly. Once inside, the building is amazing and the architecture is remarkable. My friends, daughter, and I spent about an hour looking at all the exhibits. I loved the mammals exhibits the most. It was incredible to see the animals so up close and personal. None of the animals are alive, but the taxidermy work is fantastic. I highly recommend visiting this Smithsonian museum.

A truly amazing place! Download the APP and bring your walking shoes! You probably won’t see it all in a day. It is nice to cherry pick the things you know you want to see, but don’t cheat yourself; just walk around and take it all in. You will find interesting things you never dreamed of. The kids-boy 10 and girl 13-loved it. Park in/under the Reagan Building across the street. Lots of good food trucks right out front!

One of the best natural history museums! Going here was an experience that I never want to forget. Seeing the fossils was the absolute best part especially with the updated information about how the dinosaurs had feathers. We were ecstatic to see that.i am a dinosaur fanatic ever since i was a kid. Then moving on to the geology and astronomy section was amazing for me. Seeing the rock formations and the space rocks were a dream come true. Id love to come back here again some day.nice place to spend time and learn some history

Really nice and informative museums. There are different sections on each floor to visit and get a lot of information as well as get amazed. You can go with kids and family. There is live butterfly show available specific times. You can choose to visit different sections such as wild animals, sea animals, fossils, diamonds, etc. There is a lift as well as stairs to go top floors. Enjoy this meusum and make sure to keep few hours to cover most of the sections.

This museum is amazing. The prices for the butterfly pavilion, I went with my daughters for the first time (1and 5 yr old). The butterfly are beautiful and the exhibit was breathtaking especially when a butterfly landed on your shoulder but the price is a bit high. Like everything in life, you learn. If I may provide a suggestions for your guest, provide them a takeaway so they remember ( a photo, a keychain of a butterfly). This would help support the cost of this exhibit. Now, I plan to come back with my daughters and friends, but please I beg whoever is reading, the bathroom is disgusting. I couldnt believe it, its very outdated. Yes, I know the museum is free but the smell is horrible, please dont blame it on the guest. The hand soap is i dont know. If the funds arent there, respect, thats why I still rated five stars because i dont know what it take to make such a huge change. Yet, I still believe someone can be innovative, change the toilet seats and sink handles. Try please! You all are doing a amazing job of exhibiting Gods creation. Keep up the good work be of excellence. Be Blessed.

Ive been visiting since I was an infant and somehow it never ceases to amaze. Incredible taxidermy, beautiful habitat reconstructions, a gorgeous array of minerals and examples of mine shafts and layouts, and SO much more. Animals, rocks, fossils, insects, human history, anything youre interested in is probably here. I particularly enjoyed the staff members at certain areas that offered some extra fun activities and knowledge. Five-year-old twins had an incredible time and ask to go back at least once a week. Parking on the street was $3 for two hours and it was readily available. Only had to walk about a block.

The Smithsonian of Natural History was incredible! Who knew there was so much knowledge to gain and so much to see! We loved exploring every inch of this place with our 2 year old who enjoyed the dinosaurs and insect section. If I ever visit again I will definitely be going back.

Amazing place!!A lot of exhibitions.I loved Animals most ️ you can go there with your children and show them how animals look. Better than zoo because you can watch them slowly and close up :)And of course dinosaurs!! You need to go there, specially that entry is free.

Free museum with lots to see and do. Gets pretty crowded, especially in the more popular places like the fossils and the Hope Diamond, but still worth visiting. The gem exhibit is great, butterflies are cool, and the dinoaurs and fossil wing is recently renovated and well organized by time. Staff is energetic and helpful, especially for kids. A must visit when you come to DC.

Had a lovely time here. The museum was beyond excellent! Informative exhibits and volunteers. I was very sad to see that the butterfly pavilion was closed, volunteers said it would probably be open early October this year (2019). I loved the exhibit on pandemics and the spread of disease. My other favorite was the Mummies. The only con I have is the cafe. A 12 oz vanilla latte was $6.50, and there wasn’t a place to recycle ️ the cup. They did use plastic straws though! The store was having a book sale which made me extremely happy!

Huge museum! Allow half an hour to get through security on a weekend, and another few hours to walk through the exhibits. Exhibits include animals, dinosaurs, humans, gems, insects, etc.Exhibits are well put together, interactive and informative, suitable for young and old. Highly recommend to visit if you are in the area.

For people who love history or want to know the evaluation process this is a nice place. The play a movie about our ancestors which is great. This museum is a knowledgeable place especially for kids. Various life forms have been described in there as well as there behavior, culture.

Dont plan any other museum if you are visiting this one. The best time in the morning hours.Dont miss these (must see)1. Mammals section.2. Gems & Jewellery - HOPE diamond3. Objects of world4. Egypt mummies and human origin5. Birds on Ground FloorGo against the flow. Start from the 2nd floor.Nothing much too eat inside the cafeteria and overpriced.Eat your breakfast, start your trip and by 1 PM you will finish visiting all floors.

Highlighted points:1) it’s free of cost and is busy all the time m.2) must be on checklist if you are visiting Washington DC.3) they have marine species quite extinct, dinosaurs fossils, human ancient history and evolution of life, mammals, butterfly garden, mummies, etc4) lot I’d knowledge for kids. Again they have guides for educating kids

If you have not visited this museum, you must go while in DC. The exhibits are unparalleled. Our favorite is the animal exhibit where we were able to learn about many of the animals that have historically inhabited North America. Additionally, the geologic exhibit is immensely popular given the beauty and breadth. When we went, there were a few hands-on experiences that the kids loved. For example, we were shown up close a huge sample of sodium chloride, which the geologist explained to us that whether big or small, always had the same basic shape characteristics. Overall, the museum is clean and inviting. It is an excellent way to spend an hour (or many hours) while in DC.

I never enjoyed museums as a child and frankly, history bore me. However, once I had children I began taking them to DC and the Natural History Museum is now our favorite! We try to go several times a year and back in the Summer they opened their newly updated dinosaur exhibit and cafe. My children were inundated with amazing things all around. They ask questions, touch the hands on exhibits, and come home wanting more! This museum is truly exceptional and everyone who works here is a delight. Even as an adult I love it and learn something new every time. I cannot sing enough praises for this wonderful spot. Will return many many more times for years to come and I suggest you do the same!

We took our boys here for their 6th birthday and it was brilliant. Everyone we encountered there was super friendly and cheerful. They all wished my boys a happy birthday as they walked in cheering him.There was so much to see, touch and watch. Seeing the scientists to there thing with the fossils was fun too. Many interactive screens for them to learn about the different exhibits and test their knowledge too.We spent four hours there and did not cover it all.

This museum is always an absolute joy to stroll through. What I love about it is that it celebrates life. It celebrates all parts of life and lifes true meanings. These days, thats hard to come by. And, if we do stumble across it, we are too busy fighting to survive to truly see it.Enjoy this place my friend. Take it all in.

Good presentation and open exactly right time. Didnt waste a single minute when walk around in the museum. One of the great place in the Washington DC

It makes no sense to close some museums and open others. Either open all or close all. They still have the best closed down.

OMG this place is absolutely amazing, we visited it over a two day period and still felt like we missed something. So full of so many beautiful and mind blowing artifacts and rare jewelry and creatures of nature that your mind cant even fathom. This is truly a vivid and spectacular place to visit and see and learn so much. I truly want to come back. The tour guides were so knowledgeable and so patient with all of our questions.

A must stop for a visit to Washington DC. There was simply so much to see that after four hours, we had sensory overload and needed a break. I would suggest a visit of 2-3 hours, followed by lunch, and another hour or two. Small ones will LOVE the dinosaurs, mummies, and massive displays. Adults will marvel and the oddities and unique pieces in the collection from all over the world. If I had to choose a single museum in DC to visit, it would be this one.

The guard outside was kind of rude but the long lived ghouls inside were very pleasant. I hope they manage to thrive after the Brotherhood took control of all the clean water

As of right now because of the construction at the air and space museum this is the new hot spot. And honestly Im upset I never came here as a kid. Some of the amazing things here are absolutely gorgeous. Id highly recommend this place for anyone interested in any type of history not just natural history. If your coming to D.C. I would consider this a must see.

A place everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. The displays are impeccable and appeal to young and old alike. Admission is free and the staff are wonderful. There is also a butterfly garden in the insect room that is 100% worth the price of admission. You could easily spend an entire day exploring this museum.

Must visit during your trip to Washington DC. Amazing exhibits including the live butterfly exhibit, gemstones. One of the largest collection of minerals which was my favorite. Their collection of bones and animals is huge. Keep a day for this museum separate if you are really interested. Get started early to complete the museum in a day. Outside food is not allowed to get in. Have lunch early or a little late to skip the lunch crowd. Do not miss the jewelry collection on display including the Hope diamond.

Visit to this place is living your childhood dream. I have heard so much about this place despite having less than a day I made it back and forth between Hershey and Washington that too traveling by bus :). Its a wonder land for kids and creative land for the grown ups. Tells so much about how we not only as humans but earth as whole have evolved. I was literally a kid lost in the magical world. Awesome place and must see in Washington.

One of the best museum which has an enormous resources to explore and learn starting from the early man to extinct species, from mummies to first man, butterflies, insects, reptiles and various other species living on earth. You get to know about the earth, the gems and minerals. The details along with presentation is so interesting and fascinating that it certainly grabs the attention of all age groups. So many things to see and learn within three floors that it almost took 3-4 hours approx for the whole tour.

Amazing place. There are remains of most of the creatures that we have seen and those we have never seen. The best part of the butterfly sanctuary

This was a really fun museum! There is so much to see and do. There are awesome gift shops, the food pavilion has a lot of choices, and overall the museum has some of my favorite exhibits! Everything from nature photography to gems to art. Definitely a fun place to go!

Excellent new exhibit of “Deep time” with the obligatory focus on some excellent skeletal fossils - and in new action poses. Renovation took almost 5 years - just wish they did the restrooms as well - ahem - could use a new exhaust fan or three. Everything was custom mounted with new 3D printed frames. Beautiful!

Amazing museum. Years ago, this is where I first tried gelato as a child. Lots of exhibits to see, and definitely leaves a lasting impression.

This is a great place to spend several hours if you have a family with young kids. The excitement and astonishment on their faces is priceless. The learnings are undeniable. The cafe has the usual fare of pizza and pastas. The salads and sandwiches add a gourmet touch for the folks who want to indulge a bit more! The exhibits are truly world class. The effort that goes behind the creations should be extraordinary! This should be on the bucket list of everybody visiting the DC area.

Fascinating exhibits that will take plenty of time to get through, especially if theres a diamond exhibit. But have patience and enjoy some amazing natural history!

We loved it! The natural history museum is amazing. There is so much to see and is fun for all ages. They have a couple hands on kids areas. The best part is its free but there is usually a line to get in but it moves pretty quickly because you need to go through security.

I must say this was one of my favorite exhibits besides the air museum. They have some amazing stones and gems and mammals and so much to explore! You can even see what you would have looked like as a caveman!! I am including SOME OF MY PICTURES! The fact is, I took more pictures at this museum than ANY other one. The variety is enough to entertain everyone in your family or group!!

I love this museum! Lots of information for those who love to learn! Not a lot of places to sit or charge your phone, but there are some benches throughout the museum.Plenty of restrooms. There are also elevators & escalators, but I dont remember if the entrances are wheelchair accessible.Please add a kids dig/excavation area in the dinosaur exhibit!Also, maybe a hologram video or something interactive for adults for the dinosaur exhibit would be great, as well.If youre the type of person who likes to read everything, itll take you approx. 3 days to get through this museum.

We were there for a short visit because my daughter had a project on Marian Anderson. We were able to take a brief look at the presidential exhibit. In summer of 2021, we can hopefully revisit.

Coming here is always an excellent time. Clean facilities and great staff. Looking forward to coming again when possible.

Amazing place to visit. Its a nice, knowledgeable, fun loving place especially for kids theyll enjoy for sure.

This museum was the most dense and beautiful Smithsonian. There is so much to look at and learn! Each room you find almost overwhelms the mind, and the exhibits are quality pieces. I feel the need to go back to catch what I could have missed! Highly recommend visiting.

Such an incredible museum. It’s perfect for people of all ages! It was so nice to see the hope diamond and the photography exhibit was so sweet!

One of the best museum I ever visited. Great plays to go with kids. Never stayed in queue for this long in any of other museums. Worth visiting to spend an entire day.

If you are visiting Washington D.C., the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History it’s a Must! What a unique place... It is absolutely amazing, very very well done. It has something for all ages to see. Plenty of exhibitions packed with knowledge. From Human Evolution to Gems and minerals. The Hope Diamond is beautiful. The taxidermy and fossils are really impressive. We loved it!

Laid out very well and the exhibits are artfully done. Definitely geared towards children, in my opinion, but still very enjoyable. I went there by myself because I had some time to spare, and it was still enjoyable for me. I got there about 9:55 on Saturday morning. Theres definitely a line to get in (bag check etc), but it only took about 5-10 minutes to get in and I got into the line when it was down to the street. No food is allowed, and only water. I left around 11:15.. so allow about an hour and a half to do it, if youre just hanging at things that interest you. Id say 2 hours if you have kids or are really meandering through.

The collection of gems and minerals here is amazing. Dont just come for the Hope Diamond and leave because there is so much more that (I think) is way more impressive in the rest of the wing. The newly redesigned dinosaur exhibit is also good now that it is open. Definitely worth the ticket price, which is free as always

Absolutely incredible! Specifically went to see the gems and minerals exhibit and was completely blown away. Such wonderful specimens on display as well as tons of cool information. Could easily spend a whole day just wondering around the place.

This is a great place to visit, you can see so many different things from dinosaurs to the Hope diamond. This is a great place for kids because they will be in awe the whole time with the many levels to check out. With the different floors you can capture everyones interest. Its a must see while and DC. There gift shop are awesome, one that gears towards children and one gears more towards adults. Check this place out!

Excellent museum with amazing exhibitions. Perfect to take children of all ages to. Especially as there are lots of interactive and colourful exhibitions. A lot of the information is also vital for a childs education and it presents it in such a way that is intuitive and exciting. My personal favourite parts were the narwhal exhibition and the exhibition on human evolution. But I can imagine that children will enjoy the countless animals dotted around the museum.

I went here today with families,cousin and uncle it was great Ill come back here again.

Wow, whats not to love about this place! Very informative and well stocked with a myriad of activies and exhibits for the whole family. On top of that its free and only asks for donations. We spent 6 hours and still didnt take in everything. A must see for anyone.

My happy place! There is just so much to see in here. We have been here twice and there is just not enough time to see everything! Highly recommend to visit if you come to DC, bring everyone! So much knowledge and educational information in one place. Science for the win! Well definitely come back again.

I love this museum because this museum have lots of natural history for every species in world. They have museum of human, fish, mammals,Jurassic world,birds, wild creatures,sea creatures,reptiles,gems and stone, universe, and more. In Washington DC so many other museum are there and it’s all cost you no fees.If you wants to study all museum really well than I think you need 1 week for all dc museum.

Every animal looks pretty real. All hardwork to get them to life really paid off. Great place to kill time learning all about animal kingdom.

A great museum that is severely underrated. The exhibits are fun and sometimes interactive which is great for all ages. The geology exhibit was awesome seeing jewels and gems from other nations. It was very exciting to see one from my native country!Since it was free you really did get your money worth! It is definitely best to donate something to the Smithsonian as they are very passionate of there work and we should thank them. Especially since they stayed open for as long as possible with this recent Gov/trump Shutdown.10/10 would go again with visiting family!

Possibly the best one along with Air and Space. Watch things come to life here. Very realistic recreations of thousands of species.Estimated time for good tour: 4 hours

I had a great time walking around seeing everything, real cool! I took plenty of pics, cause its to much to explain lol! And seeing dinosaur bones, to cool!

This place is a must!!! There is usually a line to get in, but for good reason! You do not want to miss out! My daughter was so excited to go there and it definitely kept her in awe and jumping from one thing to the next! This place also gave her a new love for dinosaurs which I think is awesome! Make sure you plan to be there a while this place has many different areas and floors to see! It will have a lot of people to move around and walk through, just like any other place in the area. But trust me any negative I may have said is countered with the sheer volume of this place and all the amazing memories that will come from it!!!

I loved it here so much! I was able to see the Hope Diamond and a bunch of other jewels. In addition to all of the beautiful jewels I saw at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, I was able to see what the Earth looked like when humans were just starting out on this planet and what the Earth looked like before humans were ever created. I highly recommend this tourist spot in Washington D.C. if your looking for some fun with your family.

So many impressive creatures and minerals and rocks and pictures!! This museum helps you appreciate the world we live in. One of the most important diamonds in the world is housed here. The hope diamond doesn’t look super impressive but it’s crazy expensive. You’ll see Dino bones, massive animals and live exhibits of bugs and smaller animals.

Awesome museum, free admission and loads of different permanent en changing exhibitions to see. Must see museum in youre in town. Also a lot of touch and feel items for kids and a real cool Trex display raawr!!

Situated in Washington DC this museum is near national mall.People get to know in-depth about civilisation, aquatic species, birds, reptiles and other useful information.Children and adults throng this museum for getting a better understanding of nature. The exhibits are neatly displayed with a brief for better understanding.Most of the places had a digital screen for real time experience.There are enough rest rooms and food courts at each level. At most of the places there were chairs for the tired to relax.An important and informative tourist place for the family.

A must-see place to someone how wants to know more about natural science and the origins of mankind! And an incredible Ancient Egypt expo! One of my favorite places in the world!

Obviously great place to spend an afternoon. We arrive at 10am to a 10/15 person line up. Security check makes the line up a little slow to go in, but smooth. Like airport security, but leave tour shoes and coat on. Dont be in a hurry, you could easily spend hours in one room alone.

Well this is the best museum on the National Mall strip for the family. It was massive and the exhibits were very educational for the entire group. You could easily spend three to four hours here.They have a ton activities for all ages. You can do this at your own pace. The prehistoric section was one of the favorites. We also like the aquatic area as well. My word of advice is plan you day out ahead of time. This is a museum that you could easily get lost in and pass a day. I am so glad we stopped in for a visit.

Another great Smithsonian Museum! Really neat to watch them work on the fossils in the Fossil Lab! Must stop if you are in DC for the sightseeing!

Finally had the time to visit while on business. Never have been here, and truly enjoyed the immense amount of exhibits to spend time in. We spent 5 hours there going through every exhibit. The Egyptian exhibit and the gem/crystal gallery were my absolute favorite places to be. Staff is very friendly, very attentive to the crowd, and security was a breeze.

This was a great museum. Great for kids and families. They had so many cool exhibits and lots of information about the exhibits. Perfect for a rainy day to. Love that it’s free!

The New Fossil Exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History will open June 8th 2019. Today was a preview for Staff and guests. Many millions of dollars spent on the first update since the early 1900s. A number of donors made this possible. Largely the taxpayers and David H. Koch. Mr. Koch, in spite of being a climate change denier, has not meddled in the structure or message of this extraordinary exhibit. Hi-tech and gorgeous, this exhibit should be on everyones list. Especially bring your kids. If you dont have any...borrow some.

Theres so much to see here! All that the Museum of Natural History has to offer cannot be truly appreciated in just a few hours, but we tried our best. As someone who loves ocean life, I was very impressed with their large ocean exhibit. I also particularly enjoyed the photography exhibit thats hidden away on the second floor near the Cafe, I highly recommend checking it out (thats where I found these amazing photos Ive attached).Great place to learn, for kids and adults! Theres something for everyone. (And best of all, its free, of course.)

To begin with, its a free museum. Theres lockers available to keep your heavy bags. Its wonderfully maintained. The exhibits are a sight to see. I spent almost half a day here.

Beautiful gallery and great atmosphere. There was a gaming event going on and it was so much fun to walk down memory lane. I love how they have so many events going on throughout the year.

A must-see museum where not only can appreciate the wildlife of the world but the origins of humanity and extraordinary gemstones that houses our planet. Also the vestiges of ancient cultures, prehistoric animals, insects even meteorites that fell in different places. In short, a must.You need atleast 4-5 hrs to easily browse through the national history museum and does have some really interesting history of animals, humans and ocean!The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous jewels in the world, with ownership records dating back almost four centuries. Its much-admired rare blue color is due to trace amounts of boron atoms. Weighing 45.52 carats, its exceptional size has revealed new findings about the formation of gemstones.

I think if the is one museum to go, you hate to choose this one! The staff is very kind, everytime we ask for directions, we have a nice answer! You can take a coffee and there is many place to sit! The expositions are incredible! Very nice display! The dinosaur exposition is very nice to see! There is many people, but the place is so big! Of you wanna see everything, I think you have to go there a complete day!

How does one go to Washington and not go to a Smithsonian museum? With time being of the essence I could only make one museum so I chose the Natural History museum. It was filled with relics from another era, unusual species of insects, a wing devoted to taxidermied animals from all over the world, and the most beautiful display of jewelry, gemstones, crystals and rocks I have ever seen. Oh and one other little item that might be worth mentioning... The HOPE DIAMOND!

Loved it. Dinosaurs were awesome! Seeing the hope diamond was cool and we loved the butterfly pavilion

A must see for both tourists and locals! The entire museum is amazing (want to see the Hope diamond? Butterflies and bugs? Mummies? Take a picture in the jaws of the megalodon? See what you would look like as an early man? Theyve got it all. The Hall of Fossils (opened in mid-2019) is especially awesome. You can see the skeletons of all sorts of dinosaurs and early mammals. They even have a giant sloth.