Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Smithsonian Institution: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

News •

Mercer professor’s pandemic-themed book art featured in Smithsonian Museum • Nov. 11, 2026, 12:00 PM ET (The Macon Telegraph)
Smithsonian Joins WILDLABS, Expands Growing Conservation Technology Community • Nov. 10, 2026, 1:55 PM ET (National Zoo)
Haggin Museum bark houses exhibit honors Yosemite Native American tribe • Nov. 8, 2026, 9:14 PM ET (CBS)
Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III reflects on museum legacy at 250th American anniversary • Oct. 29, 2026, 10:33 PM ET (The Michigan Daily)
Smithsonian scientists just recreated the first 2 billion years of the Universe • Oct. 27, 2026, 6:01 AM ET (Science Daily)

Facts

Date 1846 - present
Headquarters Washington, D.C.
Related People John Quincy Adams • Lonnie G. Bunch III • Kevin Young • Bernice Johnson Reagon • I. Michael Heyman • Daniel J. Boorstin • James Renwick • James Smithson • Aleš Hrdlička • William Henry Holmes • G. Brown Goode • Leonard Carmichael

Photos and Videos

The Smithsonian Institution's Castle in Washington, D.C., a large red sandstone building with multiple towers and arched windows, seen from the front across a lawn.
Hope diamond
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Smithsonian Institution
The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, features a curving, layered stone facade with large glass windows and a recessed entrance.
Smithsonian Institution
A short history of the Smithsonian Institution
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics