Smithsonian Museum Support Center, Research museum facility in Suitland, United States
The Smithsonian Museum Support Center is a storage and research facility in Suitland that holds millions of objects. Five massive warehouse buildings, each roughly the size of a three-story football field, contain artifacts from natural science, history, and culture.
The facility opened in 1983 and represented a new approach to caring for museum collections. It centralized preservation work for multiple Smithsonian institutions in a single location.
Specialists from different fields work together here to protect and study collections reflecting the diversity of nature and human history. Visitors can observe how conservators and researchers handle valuable objects daily to preserve them for future generations.
Visitors need to book appointments in advance and bring valid photo identification to access the facility. The center operates during standard weekday business hours, making it accessible for those who plan ahead.
The center uses strictly controlled environmental conditions with constant temperature and humidity to protect delicate collection items. These conditions are as critical as storage itself, allowing millions of objects to remain in perfect condition for decades.
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