Exhibits

Learn about the ecology of African elephants, their place in geologic time, and their connections to humans, including the threats they face from poachers.

Examine the diversity, dynamism, and global influence of Africa's peoples and cultures over time in the realms of family, work, community, and the natural environment. 

Step into a tropical lowland forest where vested anteaters, tapirs and coatimundi’s share their island home with Smithsonian researchers, whose 100 years of research informs tropical forest conservation initiatives worldwide.

Compare and contrast the skeletons of flying fish, a massive sea turtle, snakes, a giraffe, monkeys, and many more vertebrates. Learn what skeletons tell us about how different animals live.

Walk through our butterfly pavilion filled with tropical plants and live, flittering butterflies. Explore how plants and butterflies have evolved in response to each other.

What’s inside your cellphone? Explore its materials, meet some of the people who make it possible, and consider how your phone influences your life—and connects you to the natural world.  

Journey through time from the beginning of life on Earth through the reign of the dinosaurs to the present, a time of immense planetary changes.

Meet your closest ancestors and relatives in this exploration of human evolution. Discover fascinating stories of extinction and survival, and learn what set us apart from other species.

Uncover the world of ancient Egypt through the ceramics, tools, and jewelry found in ancient tombs, along with four mummies from over 2000 years ago that have been uncovered through modern science and technology.

Dig in to unearth the secrets of our planet’s gems, minerals, rocks, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Examine meteorites that hold the mysteries of the formation of our solar system.

Can you find a leaping tiger, a pink fairy armadillo, or a South American kinkajou? These animals, many of which you can’t see anywhere else, highlight the incredible variety of the mammal family.

When was the last time you saw the Milky Way? Experience the grandeur of a starry night, discover the dark side of artificial lights, and find out how you can reduce light pollution and reconnect with the night sky. (Night sky: © Babak Tafreshi, TWAN)

Come face-to-face with a 52-foot-long model of a female mega-toothed shark suspended above our new dining area.

Explore the craft, innovation, and global influence in early handmade books through the natural materials—animal, vegetable, and mineral—that went into their making.

Get up close and personal with live insects and their many-legged relatives. Watch a tarantula eat lunch and hold a hissing cockroach. Learn about the diversity of bees, flies, and other insects.

Explore the breadth, depth, and splendor of the world's most extensive natural history collection. View some of the most intriguing, beautiful, and awe-inspiring objects in our collection.

Explore inspirational stories about the places and connections to nature that changed people’s lives. Participate in activities to explore and share your own personal story. Add YOUR voice to make the museum and the world a better place for people and nature. 

Students in grades K-5 get a chance to practice their scientific inquiry skills as they interact with items from the museum’s collections.

Get details about this interactive learning space, including location, hours, events, and activities.

Dive into the ocean, from the shore down to the ocean floor. Travel through time, from the origins of the ocean 3.8 billion years ago to the challenges and opportunities the ocean presents today.

Get up close to the fossil remains of giant reptiles—mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and sea turtles— that once ruled the sea off the coast of West Africa 88 – 66 million years ago.

Image Credit: Karen Carr Studio Inc. for the Paleo Angola Project and SeaMonsters Unearthed. 

Relax and recharge among an indoor garden of live plants. While you soak in the green, learn why and how plants “move” to survive and thrive.

Visit our exhibits, past and present, all from the comfort of home!