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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
ammonites embedded in a slab of rock

Explore

Take a deep dive into the topics and objects featured at the museum.
Discover more through stories, activities, and online learning resources.

Blue, orange, and white bird perched on a metal bar.
Animals
a triceratops skull floats in a black background
Dinosaurs & Fossils
Fluorite gems
Geology, Gems & Minerals
haida artwork
Humans & Culture

Featured at the Museum

A blue diamond necklace on a blue background
Hope Diamond
a giant squid specimen
Giant Squid
Two adults and a child looking at a T. rex eating a Triceratops
The Nation's T. rex
Hall of Fossils - Deep Time, Giant Sloth
Virtual Tours

Visit From Home

The museum offers virtual tours of our exhibits—bringing the museum to wherever you are across the globe.
Go to the Tours

Learn More With Our Websites

a wave logo

Ocean Portal

The Ocean Portal dives into everything you could want to know about the ocean—from marine biology, to coastal cultures.

a handprint on a rock

Human Origins

The Human Origins website explores what we know about distant human ancestors—from tools, to evolution.

a volcano explodes

Global Volcanism

The Global Volcanism Program documents, disseminates, and archives eruption information to better understand worldwide volcanic activity.

Stories from the Museum Blog: Smithsonian Voices

Teaching Resources

A cicada with orange wings, black body, and red eyes. It is sitting on a blade of grass.
Periodical Cicadas
Volcano erupting with lava streaming down the side. A forest is at its foot and the eruption is reflected in a dark lake.
When Volcanos Erupt
All Teaching Resources

Featured Collections

large blue rock
What Makes Things Blue?
Red, gold, and black cape made from Hawaiian bird feathers
Linking Nature to Culture
All Featured Collections

Video Series

Dr. Hans Sues in front of a blue screen next to a dinosaur.
The Dr. Is In
A man leaning against a rock face while wearing a helmet and backpack. Mountains are in the background.
Scientist Spotlight
entry way to the exhibit with evolution of face on wall
Human Origins Today
a logo of a black door opening
At SI.edu

Sidedoor Podcast

Learn more about our collections through the Smithsonian Institution's podcast.
Go to Sidedoor

Across the Smithsonian

A photograph of a fossil with a black background.
Open Access Media
Illustration of a woolly mammoth skeleton mounted standing up. The skeleton is white on a black background.
Smithsonian 3D
Black fossil of a trilobite sticking up out of a piece of white rock. The trilobite has a segmented body with more than a dozen appendages sticking up.
Smithsonian Distance Learning Resources