National Museum of Natural History, Natural history museum at National Mall, Washington, US
The building contains permanent galleries devoted to mammals, insects, ancient life, human origins, and mineral sciences, with specimens distributed across multiple floors accessible through a central rotunda featuring an African bush elephant.
Congress authorized construction in 1903, with architect Charles Hornblower designing the original structure that welcomed its first visitors in 1910, later expanding with new wings added during subsequent decades.
The institution serves as a research hub where scientists study biodiversity, climate change, and evolutionary processes while making findings accessible to millions of annual visitors.
Visitors can reach the facility via the Smithsonian Metro station on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines, with daily hours from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM and free admission throughout the year.
The facility maintains laboratories where scientists extract DNA from specimens collected over centuries, including tissue samples from animals no longer found in the wild today.
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