Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is a wonderful group of museums and research centers. It was created to help share knowledge with everyone. It started in 1846 and is named after James Smithson, a scientist who gave money to begin it.

Today, the Smithsonian has over 21 museums, libraries, research centers, and a zoo. Most of these are in Washington, D.C., with others in Maryland, New York, and Virginia. There are also many places called Smithsonian Affiliates in 47 states, Puerto Rico, and Panama.

The Smithsonian holds more than 157 million objects and artworks. This makes it one of the largest museum systems in the world. Almost all visitors can enter for free, except at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City, which charges a small fee.

Some famous items in the museums include the Star-Spangled Banner, President Abraham Lincoln’s hat, the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, and the original Teddy Bear named after President Theodore Roosevelt. The Air & Space museum also has a large model of the starship Enterprise from the Star Trek TV series.

The Smithsonian works hard to share its collections and research with people all over the world. It has many museums and galleries, including the National Zoological Park. Eleven of these museums are in the National Mall, a park in Washington, D.C., between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol. You can also find museums in other parts of Washington, D.C., New York City, and Chantilly, Virginia.

The Smithsonian also has research centers in different places such as Washington, D.C.; Front Royal, Virginia; Edgewater, Maryland; Suitland, Maryland; Fort Pierce, Florida; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Panama. These centers study many topics like astrophysics, conservation, tropical ecology, and more.