Plan Your Visit
General Information
Admission to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History is free and no tickets are required for entrance to the museum. National Museum of Natural History programs are also free unless otherwise noted.
For general Smithsonian Institution visitor information, including maps, transportation options, and other tips for visiting, please see: Smithsonian Visitor Information. For additional information, please call (202) 633-1000 or TTY (202) 357-1729.
Photography is allowed in all exhibitions except where otherwise indicated. The use of tripods is not permitted inside the museum unless permission is granted by the museum's Public Affairs Office. Tripods may be used on the museum's grounds.
Street Address
The Museum is located at the intersection of 10th Street and Constitution Ave., NW in Washington, D.C. 20560 (Mailing Address)
Maps
For a map of the National Mall, including the National Museum of Natural History and other Smithsonian museums, as well as floor maps of the National Museum of Natural History, see our maps page.
Parking
There is no public parking facility at the Smithsonian on the National Mall; on-street parking is limited and posted times are enforced. There are commercial parking lots and garages located within several blocks of the museums. There are also a limited number of parking spaces for vehicles with the appropriate license plate or permit for visitors with disabilities.
Public Transportation
Metro
Metrorail, Washington's subway system, and Metrobus link the city with nearby communities in Maryland and Virginia. Every subway station is equipped with an elevator and most with escalators. Metrorail is conveniently located near many Smithsonian museums. The closest Metro Station to the National Museum of Natural History is the Smithsonian Station (Mall exit) on the Blue and Orange line. For a Metrorail map and more information, visit the Metro Website: http://www.wmata.com.
DC Circulator Bus
To help navigate the largest museum complex in the world, the D.C. Circulator bus offers a quick and convenient service to Smithsonian museums. For more information on this inexpensive, hop-on/hop-off service, call (202) 962-1423 or visit the Website: http://www.dccirculator.com.
Directions
For directions to the Museum visit the main Smithsonian Visitor Information web page entitled "Directions: How to get to the Smithsonian Institution": http://www.si.edu/visit/directions.htm.
Museum Hours:
The museum is open every day of the year except December 25.
Regular hours are 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
SPECIAL NOTICES:
Restricted Building Access:
We are in the final stages of constructing one of the Museum’s largest permanent exhibits, the new Sant Ocean Hall, scheduled to open to the public on Saturday, September 27, 2008. To complete the final installation of the exhibit, several areas in the Museum’s public space will need to be closed to the public and staff beginning, Monday, September 8, until Saturday, September 27. For more details...
Other Visitor Information
The Discovery Room is a special educational facility for families and students. The room features activities using real Museum objects and interactive, hands-on experiences that allow visitors to explore the natural world at their own pace, guided by their own interests and sense of wonder. See the Discovery Room web page for more details.
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