Explore The Largest Natural History Collection In The World At This Washington D.C. Attraction

In the world's largest and most popular natural history museum, you can touch the tooth of a saber-toothed tiger, be dazzled by a $250 million dollar blue diamond, and discover what you'd look like as an early human. Covering the equivalent of 18 football fields, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., is packed with amazing objects and interactive experiences that help explain our natural world. View meteors and learn about our planet and solar system, stand next to dinosaur skeletons that are millions of years old, marvel at the size of a giant squid and right whale, and see what a snow leopard's fur looks like up close.

The Natural History Museum is one of the 21 museums of the Smithsonian Institution, which preserves a range of American and world heritage. It, along with others like the Air and Space Museum and the African-American Museum, are free and family-friendly. On the National Mall, steps from the White House, the Natural History Museum does have one exception: The Butterfly Pavillion is $8 for adults and timed tickets are required. It's always 80 degrees in the pavilion where hundreds of butterflies fly freely around lush tropical foliage and sometimes land on visitors. 

Whether you're fascinated by insects, geology, evolution, or mammals, you'll find exhibit after exhibit and hall after hall of compelling displays that surprise, inform, and engage even the most museum-shy visitor. It's no wonder that Washington, D.C. is one of Rick Steves' top American cities for visitors.

With upwards of 145 million objects covering varied and vast subjects, dates, and types at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, it's challenging to spotlight just a few. One does immediately come to mind though: The Hope Diamond. A clear brilliant blue and a whopping 45.52-carats (for comparison, the average size of a diamond in an engagement ring in America is 1-carat), the Hope Diamond was once owned by France's King Louis XIV. It's in the Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals that's full of colorful specimens and experiences like exploring a mine. 

The 700 specimens — including a woolly mammoth — in The Hall of Fossils are just a part of the story of the Earth and its lifeforms that the Deep Time exhibition covers. Starting 4.6-billion-years ago and ending in the future, Deep Time discusses evolution, ecosystems, and extinction. The Hall of Human Origins focuses on human evolution and provides the opportunity to hold early human skulls from different regions and see what you'd look like if you had lived millions of years ago. Learn fun facts about 274 animals like the okapi and binturong in the Hall of Mammals, and see thousands of insects and explore a 14-foot termite mound at the Orkin Insect Zoo. 

What might be unexpected, is the museum's exploration of ancient Egyptian death customs. Through mummies, artifacts, and touch screens you'll discover the beliefs and rituals of mummification.

The Natural History Museum is definitely on the list of the best things to do in Washington, DC. Take the M to Federal Triangle to visit the museum, which is open daily, 10 a.m. through 5:30 p.m., except on Christmas and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Note that the Butterfly Pavillion is open Sunday-Thursday and is free on Tuesday. Most people spend 2-3 hours at this museum, so if you get peckish, try one of its two places to eat. 

The large Atrium Café on the ground floor features crowd-pleasing fare like burgers and pizza, is open 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., and serves alcohol. Look for the shark hanging from the ceiling of the Rotunda to find the Ocean Terrace Café on the first floor. It serves generally healthier and more sustainable options like grain bowls and vegetarian meals and is open 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check the museum's website before visiting to see if there are special exhibitions or events like coral reef tank talks or musical performances that appeal to you.

The Mall is lined with museums but right next door to this museum is the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Culture and history buffs will want to spend the morning in one and the afternoon in the other to see the flag that inspired the "Star-Spangled Banner," Dorothy's ruby slippers, and Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves. Visitors might also want to travel outside the city to explore Maryland's oldest town, which is an outdoor living history museum.