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Begin your Smithsonian exploration at the Smithsonian
Information Center in the Institution's first building, popularly
known as the Castle, which is open daily 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. |
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The Center serves as the focal point for information
about the Institution's 17 national museums and National Zoo in the
Washington metropolitan area. A scale model of Washington's monumental
core provides information about city-wide points of interest and captioned
interactive video programs on the Smithsonian Institution (in 6 languages)
convey information at a touch. |
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Enjoy a rejuvenating respite from museum trekking by
dining in any of the museums' self-service food facilities. |
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Accommodations are not available
for eating bag lunches within Smithsonian museums. |
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Spring and summer are peak visitation months when these
facilities may be crowded. At such times it may be advantageous to
make special arrangements for group dining. Call Smithsonian Business
Ventures at 866.868.7774 (toll free), Monday, Friday, 10am to 5 pm;
or e-mail: GroupSales@si.edu. |
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In pleasant weather, visitors are always welcome to
bring provisions to picnic on the grassy, tree-lined National Mall. |
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The Smithsonian does not operate any parking facilities
except at the National Zoo and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. |
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Near the National Mall, there are several
areas where tour buses can park on a first-come, first-served basis,
including West Potomac Park. For information on bus parking sites,
contact the National Park Service Mall Operations Office at 202.426.6841.
U Street Parking Inc., located at 900 9th Street, NW,
near the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American
Art Museum, provides parking for 30 buses for a fee. For information
and reservations, call 202.265.0010. On-street parking for
buses is available at the Anacostia Community Museum. |
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Tour Bus Parking at the National Zoo
One Zoo parking lot is used for bus parking on weekdays during the
peak season of March through June. Priority is given to buses arriving
from local schools, which must make reservations to park. Tour and
other school buses can reserve parking only with the purchase of a
Group Tour Package (see below). There is no bus parking available
on weekends unless the group is registered for a Group Tour Package. |
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Reservations for bus parking and/or for a Group Tour
Package can be made by calling 202.633.4480, Monday through Friday,
from 9 am to 4 pm. Please make reservations at least two weeks (longer
is recommended) in advance of your visit. |
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Buses without reservations will be allowed to enter
the Zoo and proceed to the Bus Loading/Unloading Area to discharge
their passengers. Buses must depart as soon as passengers disembark.
Buses leaving the Zoo must arrange a pick-up time with their group.
They can return to the Bus Loading/Unloading Area no sooner than 10
minutes before they are scheduled to pick up their passengers. |
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Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) offers a variety
of group tour packages available to bus groups with 15 or more passengers.
All packages include free, guaranteed, reserved bus parking on Zoo
grounds as well as various other amenities. For information or to
reserve a Group Tour Package, please call 202.633.4480. |
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Tour
Bus Parking at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Tour and
school bus parking at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly,
Virginia, is free. |
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Free on-street parking for cars and vans on Jefferson and Madison
Drives on the National Mall is limited and the 3-hour posted regulations
are enforced. Parking is available in nearby commercial lots and garages.
Parking is available for free at the Anacostia Community Museum. Parking
at the Zoo costs $10 for the first hour; $15 for 2-3 hours; $20 for
more than than 3 hours. Daily parking at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy
Center costs $15 per vehicle; parking is free after 4:00 pm. |
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Metrobus and
Metrorail, Washington's subway system, link the city with communities
in nearby Maryland and Virginia. Every subway station is equipped
with an elevator and/or escalators. For information on Metrobus and
Metrorail schedules as well as parking at Metro stations, call 202.637.7000
(voice) or 202.638.3780 (TTY), or visit the Metro Web site at MetroOpensDoors.com . |
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D.C. Circulator offers a quick and convenient
service to Smithsonian museums. For more information on this inexpensive,
hop-on/hop-off bus service, call 202.962.1423 or visit the Web site: www.dccirculator.com. |
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