New Collection: The Smithsonian Institution

Millions of Artifacts

The Smithsonian’s collections represent the richest cultures from across the natural and manmade world.

138 million artifacts, works of art and specimens are held in the Smithsonian's collections, 127 million of those are housed in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Scholars and scientists from every continent use the Smithsonian collections for research projects, from ancient Chinese cultures and million year old fossils, to Apollo moon landing equipment and iconic movie memorabilia.

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United States National Museum

In 1829, renowned British scientist, James Smithson, left a vast proportion of his wealth to his nephew Henry James Hungerford. When Hungerford died childless in 1835, his immense wealth was then bequeathed, in accordance to Smithson’s will, to “the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men".

After several years of tense and fruitless quarrels in Congress, the modern day equivalent of over $11million was poured into what was then called the United States National Museum, housing animal and plant specimens, unseen natural and anthropological artifacts collected from around the globe.

The World's Largest Museum Complex

The Smithsonian Institution is one of the most visited and recognisable cultural organizations in the world.

Apart from having the world’s largest museum complex neighboring the White House in Washington DC, the Smithsonian encompasses 19 museums and galleries, 168 cultural and educational institutions and 1 Zoological Park spanning across 39 US states.

Thirty million visitors are admitted through the doors of the Smithsonian, free of charge, every year. Maintaining its roots, the bulk of the Smithsonian’s funding is from the Institution's own endowment as well as private contributions, which support the maintenance and growth of the remarkable collections.