List of Smithsonian museums - wikipedia List of Smithsonian museums Statue of Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, in front of the Smithsonian Institution Building The Smithsonian museums are the most widely visible part of the United States ' Smithsonian Institution and consist of nineteen museums and galleries as well as the National Zoological Park. Seventeen of these collections are located in Washington D.C., with eleven of those located on the National Mall. The remaining ones are in New York City and Chantilly, Virginia. As of 2010, one museum, the Arts and Industries Building, is closed in preparation for a substantial renovation, and its newest museum building, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened in 2016. The birth of the Smithsonian Institution can be traced to the acceptance of James Smithson 's legacy, willed to the United States in 1826. Smithson died in 1829, and in 1836, President Andrew Jackson informed Congress of the gift, which it accepted. In 1838, Smithson 's legacy, which totaled more than $500,000, was delivered to the United States Mint and entered the Treasury. After eight years, in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution was established. The Smithsonian Institution Building ( also known as `` The Castle '' ) was completed in 1855 to house an art gallery, a library, a chemical laboratory, lecture halls, museum galleries, and offices. During this time the Smithsonian was a learning institution concerned mainly with enhancing science and less interested in being a museum. Under the second secretary, Spencer Fullerton Baird, the Smithsonian turned into a full - fledged museum, mostly through the acquisition of 60 boxcars worth of displays from the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The income from the exhibition of these artifacts allowed for the construction of the National Museum, which is now known as the Arts and Industries Building. This structure was opened in 1881 to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper facility for public display of the growing collections. The Institution grew slowly until 1964 when Sidney Dillon Ripley became secretary. Ripley managed to expand the institution by eight museums and increased admission from 10.8 million to 30 million people a year. This period included the greatest and most rapid growth for the Smithsonian, and it continued until Ripley 's resignation in 1984. Since the completion of the Arts and Industries Building, the Smithsonian has expanded to twenty separate museums with roughly 137 million objects in their collections, including works of art, natural specimens, and cultural artifacts. The Smithsonian museums are visited by over 25 million people every year. Museums Eleven of the 19 Smithsonian Institution museums and galleries are at the National Mall in Washington D.C., the open - area national park in Washington, D.C running between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol, with the Washington Monument providing a division slightly west of the center. Five other Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are located elsewhere in Washington. Two more Smithsonian museums are located in New York City and one is located in Chantilly, Virginia. The Smithsonian also holds close ties with 171 museums in 41 states, as well as Panama and Puerto Rico. These museums are known as Smithsonian Affiliates. Collections of artifacts are given to these museums in the form of long - term loans from the Smithsonian. These long - term loans are not the only Smithsonian exhibits outside the Smithsonian museums. The Smithsonian also has a large number of traveling exhibitions. Each year more than 50 exhibitions travel to hundreds of cities and towns all across the United States. Museums, galleries and park Type of collection Location Opened Picture Anacostia Community Museum African American culture Washington, D.C. Anacostia 1967 Arthur M. Sackler Gallery ( Part of the National Museum of Asian Art ) Asian art Washington, D.C. National Mall Arts and Industries Building Closed for renovation Washington, D.C. National Mall 1881 Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Design history New York City Museum Mile 1897 Freer Gallery of Art ( Part of the National Museum of Asian Art ) Asian art Washington, D.C. National Mall 1923 Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Contemporary and modern art Washington, D.C. National Mall National Air and Space Museum Aviation and spaceflight history Washington, D.C. National Mall 1946 1976 National Air and Space Museum 's Steven F. Udvar - Hazy Center Aviation and spaceflight history Chantilly, Virginia 2003 National Museum of African American History and Culture African - American history and culture Washington, D.C. National Mall 2003 2016 National Museum of African Art African art Washington, D.C. National Mall 1964, 1987 National Museum of American History American history Washington, D.C. National Mall 1964 National Museum of the American Indian Native American history and art Washington, D.C. National Mall National Museum of the American Indian 's George Gustav Heye Center Native American history and art New York City Bowling Green National Museum of Natural History Natural history Washington, D.C. National Mall 1858, 1911 National Portrait Gallery Portraiture Washington, D.C. Penn Quarter 1968 National Postal Museum United States Postal Service ; postal history ; philately Washington, D.C. NoMa Renwick Gallery American craft and decorative arts Washington, D.C. Lafayette Square 1972 Smithsonian American Art Museum American art Washington, D.C. Penn Quarter 1968 Smithsonian Institution Building ( The Castle ) Visitor center and offices Washington, D.C. National Mall 1855 National Zoological Park ( National Zoo ) Zoo Washington, D.C. Rock Creek Park 1889 Year museum moved to current building A satellite image of the eastern half of the National Mall with 10 Smithsonian museums located on it. On the northern side of the Mall are the National Museum of American History ( 2 ) and the National Museum of Natural History ( 3 ). On the southern side are the National Museum of the American Indian ( 10 ), the National Air and Space Museum ( 11 ), Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden ( 12 ), Arts and Industries Building ( 13 ), Smithsonian Institution Building ( The Castle ) ( 14 ), Freer Gallery of Art ( 15 ), Arthur M. Sackler Gallery ( 16 ), and the National Museum of African Art ( 17 ). The National Museum of African American History and Culture is built on the plot of land to the west of the National Museum of American History ( 2 ). Other landmarks shown in this image include the Washington Monument ( 1 ), the National Gallery of Art 's Sculpture Garden ( 4 ), West Building ( 5 ), and East Building ( 6 ), the United States Capitol ( 7 ), the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial ( 8 ), and the United States Botanic Garden ( 9 ). References ^ Jump up to : Facts about the Smithsonian Institution. newsdesk.si.edu ( Pressroom of the Smithsonian Institution ). Retrieved February 19, 2011 ^ Jump up to : Building The Museum, Overview. National Museum of African American History and Culture. Retrieved January 10, 2010 Jump up ^ History. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved November 19, 2011 Jump up ^ The Smithsonian Building : A Building Worthy of Smithson 's Gift. From Smithson to Smithsonian : The Birth of an Institution. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved March 11, 2010 Jump up ^ Baird and the Centennial Exposition Archived 2013 - 06 - 16 at the Wayback Machine... Spencer F. Baird 's Vision for a National Museum Archived 2010 - 03 - 02 at the Wayback Machine... Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved March 16, 2010 ^ Jump up to : Molotsky, Irvin, S. Dillon Ripley Dies at 87 ; Led the Smithsonian Institution During Its Greatest Growth. The New York Times. March 13, 2001, Retrieved March 16, 2010 Jump up ^ Maps and Directions. The Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved February 21, 2011 ^ Jump up to : Mission and History Anacostia Community Museum. Retrieved December 6, 2009 ^ Jump up to : History of the Galleries Archived 2009 - 03 - 20 at the Wayback Machine... Freer and Sackler Galleries. Retrieved December 6, 2009 ^ Jump up to : Arts and Industries Building. The Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved December 26, 2015. ^ Jump up to : About The Museum Archived 2009 - 03 - 10 at the Wayback Machine... Cooper - Hewitt, National Design Museum. Retrieved December 6, 2009 ^ Jump up to : History of the Hirshhorn Archived 2008 - 09 - 28 at the Wayback Machine... Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Retrieved December 6, 2009 ^ Jump up to : National Air and Space Museum Chronology. National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved December 6, 2009 ^ Jump up to : Steven F. Udvar - Hazy Center. National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved February 25, 2010 Jump up ^ About Us Archived 2009 - 03 - 26 at the Wayback Machine... National Museum of African American History and Culture. Retrieved February 25, 2010 ^ Jump up to : Brenson, Michael ( September 8, 1987 ). `` Beneath Smithsonian, Debut for 2 Museums ''. The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Mission and History. National Museum of American History. Retrieved February 14, 2018 ^ Jump up to : About the National Museum of the American Indian Archived 2010 - 02 - 06 at the Wayback Machine... National Museum of the American Indian. Retrieved February 25, 2010 Jump up ^ 20,000 American Indians March at National Museum Opening. National Geographic News. September 21, 2004. Retrieved December 29, 2009 Jump up ^ Visitor Information New York, NY Archived 2009 - 04 - 13 at the Wayback Machine... National Museum of the American Indian. Retrieved December 29, 2009 ^ Jump up to : A Brief History. National Museum of Natural History Museum History. Retrieved February 21, 2011 Jump up ^ Visiting the Museum, A Brief Overview : History with Personality. National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved February 25, 2010 Jump up ^ Visiting the Museum, Building Chronology. National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved December 29, 2009 ^ Jump up to : History of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. National Postal Museum. Retrieved December 29, 2009 ^ Jump up to : About the American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery, History of the Museum Collection Archived 2014 - 08 - 20 at the Wayback Machine... Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved December 29, 2009 ^ Jump up to : Smithsonian Institution Building ( The Castle ). Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved February 21, 2011 ^ Jump up to : History of the National Zoo. National Zoological Park. Retrieved December 29, 2009 External links Smithsonian Institution website Smithsonian Affiliated Museums Smithsonian Institution Museums African American History and Culture African Art Air and Space Udvar -- Hazy American Art American History Numismatic Collection American Indian Heye Center Anacostia Arts and Industries Castle Cooper -- Hewitt Design Freer Gallery of Art Hirshhorn Natural History Barcode of Life Global Volcanism Portrait Gallery Postal Renwick Gallery Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Zoo National Zoological Park Uncle Beazley Research Archives of American Art American Gardens Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems Program Conservation and restoration Archives Astrophysics Conservation Biology Environmental Research Libraries Marine Station Museum Conservation Institute Migratory Bird Tropical Research Cultural Asian Pacific Latino Folklife and Cultural Heritage Folklife Festival Folkways Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Smithsonian Global Sound Media Air & Space Smithsonian magazine Smithsonian Channel Other Affiliations James Smithson Ripley Center Science Education Traveling Exhibition Service Wilson Center ( The Wilson Quarterly ) Smithsonian Police Landmarks of Washington, D.C. Memorials Adams African American Civil War American Veterans Disabled for Life Belmont - Paul Women 's Equality National Monument Mary McLeod Bethune Boy Scout James Buchanan D.C. War Albert Einstein Emancipation John Ericsson First Division James A. Garfield Samuel Gompers Ulysses S. Grant Holocaust Museum Holodomor Genocide Japanese American Patriotism During World War II Jefferson Memorial Lyndon Baines Johnson Grove John Paul Jones Marquis de Lafayette Law Enforcement Officers Lincoln Memorial Martin Luther King, Jr. Korean War Veterans George Mason George Meade National Statuary Hall Collection Navy -- Merchant Marine Nuns of the Battlefield Peace Monument Pentagon Second Division Signers of the Declaration of Independence The Extra Mile The Three Soldiers Jean de Rochambeau Franklin Delano Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Island Taras Shevchenko Statues of the Liberators Oscar Straus Robert A. Taft Titanic United States Air Force United States Navy Victims of Communism Vietnam Veterans Vietnam Women 's Washington Monument Daniel Webster World War II Rainbow Pool Other Capitol Reflecting Pool Immaculate Conception Basilica Ford 's Theatre Petersen House Healy Hall Islamic Center Jefferson Pier John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Library of Congress National Arboretum National Capitol Columns National Building Museum National Gallery of Art Lincoln 's Cottage at Soldiers ' Home Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool National Archives Newseum National Cathedral National Mall Old Post Office Pavilion Old Stone House Smithsonian Institution The Arts of War and The Arts of Peace Tidal Basin Treasury Building Tudor Place Union Station United States Capitol United States Supreme Court Building White House Willard Hotel Parks and plazas Constitution Gardens Dupont Circle East Potomac Park Freedom Plaza Lafayette Square L'Enfant Plaza Meridian Hill Park National Arboretum Pershing Park Rock Creek Park The Ellipse United States Botanic Garden West Potomac Park Boundaries Anacostia River Arlington Memorial Bridge Boundary Markers of the Original District of Columbia Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Constitution Avenue Francis Scott Key Bridge Pennsylvania Avenue Potomac River Zero Milestone Planned Adams Memorial Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial General Francis Marion Memorial Gold Star Mothers Monument National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial National Liberty Memorial Peace Corps Commemorative World War I Related National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission National Mall and Memorial Parks List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C. National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Public art in Washington, D.C. ( Outdoor sculpture, American Revolution Statuary, Civil War Monuments, commemorating African - Americans ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Smithsonian_museums&oldid=829894811 '' Categories : Lists of museums Smithsonian Institution museums Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Featured lists Talk About Wikipedia Русский 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 11 March 2018, at 13 : 28 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: how many smithsonian museums are there in washington
Answer: Seventeen