About the Museum
Without doubt, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is one of the best museums in DC. Its vast collection will take you on a tour of the fascinating history of our planet, from its beginning and through many years of transformation.
According to Tripadvisor, it’s actually the #1 museum in DC. I agree with that assessment. It’s one of those places which you absolutely must visit if you find yourself in the nation’s capital.
Do you want to look at some cool dinosaur fossils? Are you excited to see the Hope diamond, one of the world’s most famous? And how about a piece of 300,000 ton meteorite?
All of these treasures and much more will be waiting for you behind the doors of this incredible museum.
To make things absolutely easy, admission is free and no prior reservation is required.
The museum is located on the intersection of Constitution Avenue & 10th street NW. It’s open from 10:00 am till 5:30 pm.
Key Exhibits
At the National Museum of Natural History you will find many rich exhibits, including the Mammals hall, Fossils Hall, Ocean Hall, Mineral and Gem Collection, as well as Insect Zoo and Butterfly Pavillion.
If you are into dinosaurs, you’re in luck. Some of the coolest items on display include dinosaur fossils.
You will see remains of stegosaurus, sauropods and other dinosaurs, learn how dinosaurs changed from one era to another until finally coming to extinction 66 million years ago after a giant asteroid hit the Earth and caused firestorms, mega-tsunamis and eruptions, the debris blocking the sun.
Keep in mind, most of the fossils on display are real. Some are casts; but they are exact replicas of the real fossils.
You will also have a chance to observe scientists working on fossils. During our last visit, we saw a scientist working on the fossils of a whale who lived 10 million years ago.
Another must see hall is the one featuring the mineral and gem collection. There are a whopping 350,000 mineral specimen and 10,000 gems. Beyond doubt, this is one of the largest and most impressive collections in the world! The items in this collection were obtained through gifts, purchases, collection and sometimes by exchange. Amazingly, all of the gems were gifts of generous individuals.
You’ll see a lot of fragments of meteorites and learn about their origin- like the fragment of a 300,000 ton meteorite that struck the Arizona desert 50,000 years ago. If you visit Arizona, you can see the Meteor Crater created by this meteorite.
The National Gem Collection
This is my favorite exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History by far. Get ready to see astounding gems on display. There are 7,500+ individual gemstones ranging from half a carat to almost 23,000 carats.
The Hope Diamond
One of the treasures which you will have a chance to see is the world famous blue Hope Diamond which weighs 45.52 carats. The beauty of this diamond is as incredible as its history.
It was originally purchased by French King Louis XIV from Jean Baptiste Tavernier, an explorer who just returned from a trip to India. The jewel was passed on to Louis XV and later – to the ill fated King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette who were executed during the French Revolution. When they were trying to flee Paris, this diamond was confiscated from them together with other royal jewels.
In 1792, the diamond was stolen by the group of thieves. It eventually turned up in London and later made it to NYC. Harry Winston purchased it in 1949. He eventually donated it to the National Gem Collection.
Napoleon’s Gifts to Marie-Louise
Marie-Louise was the second wife of the Emperor Napoleon. At the museum, you will see two jewelry pieces which Napoleon presented to Marie-Louise. The first one is the diadem, which was his wedding present to her in 1810. The second one is the necklace which he gave her a year later to celebrate the birth of their son, the King of Rome.
Napoleon’s reign did not unfortunately last much past the birth of his son. Soon enough, Marie Louise left France and took her jewels with her. She passed them on to other family members after her death. Eventually, the tiara and the necklace appeared at an auction. Marjorie Merriweather Post, a famous collector purchased them and donated to the Smithsonian in 1971.
A few important points about the jewels. The diadem contains over 1,000 diamonds and is surrounded by Persian turquoise. But the turquoise was not in the diadem originally. Instead, it included emeralds. The jewelers took them out and started selling them separately. From time to time, some of these gems still circulate and appear at auctions. So, if you are interested, be on a lookout!
Marie-Antoinette’s Diamond Earrings
The collection also includes earrings which once belonged to the Queen Marie-Antoinette. The earrings are also a gift to the museum, this time from Eleanor Close Barzin (the daughter of Marjorie Merriweather Post), back in 1964.
These earrings were a gift to Marie-Antoinette from her husband, King Louis XVI. When the royal family was trying to escape during French Revolution, Marie-Antoinette brought these earrings with her. When the escape turned out unsuccessful, the revolutionaries confiscated the jewels which Marie-Antoinette had with her, including these very earrings.
At some point, Grand Duchess Tatiana Yousupoff of Russian acquired these masterpieces. Eventually, they found their way to the auction and ended up at the museum where everyone can admire them.
If you want to know more about Napoleon’s life, his wives and the history of his reign, check out my blog post Guide to Visiting the Chateau de Fontainebleau.
If you’d like to learn more history behind these and other incredible gems, visit my post: The Hope Diamond and Other Famous Gems in Washington DC.
The Ocean Hall
Leaving the jewels aside, there is plenty of other equally fascinating stuff at the National Museum of Natural History.
Don’t miss an opportunity to watch a variety of educational videos featured in various halls of the museum. They which will appeal to both adults and children.
For instance, in the Ocean Hall, you will have an opportunity to watch a show about the sea creatures populating the world’s oceans and learn about how scientists study the ocean.
Submersibles now make it possible to go through deep through the water mass, all the way down to the ocean floor. The landscape changes as the submersible goes deeper and deeper under water, and sea creatures change as well. During the show, you will be able to see what types of creatures live at different ocean depths. And trust me, they look very cool!
These technologies are not without risks, of course. One thing is to watch the video at the National Museum of Natural History, another – to actually get on one of the submersibles and explore the ocean.
You probably remember the heartbreaking incident back in 2023, when the Titan submersible operated by the American company OceanGate imploded during their expedition to see the remains of Titanic. All five people on board died, including the CEO of the company, 2 members of a prominent Pakistani family, a British adventurer and even a Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
I’m a big fan of everything related to Titanic and I’d love to see the ship in real life. These days, deep sea tourism opportunities are incredible. But after hearing about this freaky accident, I’m a bit on the fence about this. One of the former passengers who took the trip to Titanic compared it to a “suicide mission”, probably for a good reason. All in all, I don’t think it’s worth it- at least for me. Would you go if you got a chance?
The Final Word
I hope this article got you all excited about going to the National Museum of Natural History. It’s truly a cool museum and we are very lucky that it’s free, in addition to everything.
Make sure you have at least 4-5 hours to spend there. Time goes by very quickly, as there are many great exhibits. The dinosaurs will take you some time, so will the ocean hall and other cool exhibits. And once you get to the minerals and gems, you won’t be able to stop.