Smithsonian Institution

Hello! We are the Smithsonian Institution, and we have a very special story to share. Our beginning was a surprise that came from across the ocean. It started with a kind and curious English scientist named James Smithson. He was a man who loved learning and believed that knowledge should be shared with everyone. Even though Mr. Smithson never had the chance to visit the United States, he decided to give his entire fortune to the country. He wanted his gift to create a special place in America for learning and discovery.

In the year 1846, the United States government used this wonderful gift to start our organization in the capital city, Washington, D.C. Our mission was clear from the very beginning: to increase and share knowledge with the world. We soon began work on our very first building. It was a beautiful building made of red stone, with towers and arches that made it look just like a fairytale castle. Because of its special look, people started calling it “The Castle,” and we still call it that today. It became our first home, a place to welcome visitors and begin our important work.

Inside The Castle, we started to gather all sorts of amazing things for people to see and study. Our first collections included interesting plants from all over the world, preserved animals of every shape and size, colorful rocks and minerals from deep inside the earth, and beautiful works of art. Our collection of objects grew bigger and bigger every year. Soon, The Castle was completely full! We knew that if we wanted to keep sharing new and exciting things, we would need more room. So, we began to build more museums, each one dedicated to a different subject.

Today, we are not just one museum, but a large family of museums, art galleries, and even a zoo. When you visit us, you can explore so many different worlds. You can look up at giant airplanes and real spaceships that have traveled far above the Earth. You can stand next to the huge bones of dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago. You can see famous paintings created by artists long ago and the very American flag that inspired the song “The Star-Spangled Banner.” We believe that everyone should have the chance to learn, so we made sure that visiting most of our museums is completely free.

But our work doesn't stop at the museum doors. We are also a very busy research organization. Thousands of scientists work with us to make new discoveries. They explore the deepest parts of the ocean to study strange and wonderful animals, and they use powerful telescopes to look at distant stars and galaxies in space. We take everything they learn and share it with students, teachers, and curious people everywhere. Our goal is to keep James Smithson’s dream alive by helping everyone continue to learn about our amazing world.