Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

Securing the future for Smithsonian Collections

Smithsonian Institution
ISBN-13: 978-0-9819500-3-7

Printed on FSC- and SFI-certified, recycled paper 

containing 10% post-consumer waste
Table of Contents

Introduction 2

The Big Picture 6

Process & Tools 10

Findings 16

Strategies 20

Design Prototypes 24

Conclusion 32
2 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

INTRODUCTION

Inspiring Learning and Discovery Begins with Collections
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 3

A child stands before the space shuttle Discovery at the Udvar-Hazy Center, dreaming of exploring 

new frontiers in outer space.

A high school student relishes the ArtLab+ digital media workshop at the Hirshhorn Museum 

and Sculpture Garden, where he has started making his own films after school, often drawing inspiration 

from nearby gallery walls.

A family whose distant ancestors fought in the Battle of Baltimore stands before, and reflects upon, 

the actual Star-Spangled Banner.

A teacher in Warsaw, Poland, uses the Folkways website to share with her classroom the 

protest songs that echoed through the streets when she was their age.

A scientist uses the information captured in invertebrate zoology specimens to work on a 

predictive model of the impact of future environmental events like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

A visitor to the Smithsonian Institution Archives blog spots a 90-year-old photograph of a scientific 

illustrator at work and realizes it’s her grandmother—a revelation that helps bring her family’s story to life.
4 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

THE SMITHSONIAN’S unrivaled collections—138 

million objects and specimens, two million library 

volumes, and 157,000 cubic feet of archival material, 

all constantly growing—enable these journeys, which 

can happen nowhere else on Earth.

For America and the world, the Smithsonian is 

home to decades of discovery, untold cultural riches, 

the puzzle pieces to scientific mysteries, and unique 

resources for research and education. 

Outstanding stewardship of these amazing collections 

is the foundation of a public trust that extends from 

the Institution’s founding in 1846. Stewardship begins 

with space. Collections space must provide secure, 

precisely maintained environmental conditions to 

safeguard irreplaceable objects. It must be sufficient 

and well-designed to ensure access for experts and the 

public alike—now and in the future.

COLLECTIONS SPARK INQUIRY AND DISCOVERY

Among the collections are national icons such as The 

Jefferson Bible; portraits of U.S. presidents; frozen 

biological materials used in biodiversity research, 

including genetic analysis; and fascinating 

memorabilia of popular culture, including uniforms 

of the Harlem Globetrotters. Objects are as large as a 

Saturn V launch vehicle, as tall as a Tlingit totem 

pole, as delicate as Cretaceous fossils belonging to 

animals that co-existed with dinosaurs, and as small 

as microbes unseen to the human eye.

Smithsonian collections preserve cultural legacies 

through landmark projects like Recovering Voices, 

which has saved the last-known documentation of 

130 languages no longer spoken anywhere on Earth. 

The National Museum of Natural History specimens 

help advance discovery about the spread of deadly 

diseases and the loss of biological diversity that only 

time and advancing technology may reveal.

From school children to scholars, users of collections 

share a common passion. They are bound together by 

a thirst for knowledge. Their fascination is piqued by 

what new insight is just beyond the next horizon. The 

Smithsonian becomes their university of the world, 

a window on the past—and a place to glimpse the 

future, too.
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 5

As vast as the reaches of the human 

imagination, the Smithsonian’s 

collections are only as enduring as 

the care invested in them. Care 

begins with the best collections space.

SPURRING ENGAGEMENT, SAFEGUARDING 

COLLECTIONS

Collections staff members make the objects they 

process, preserve, conserve, and protect accessible to 

researchers and the public. They develop and use best 

practices, securing the Smithsonian’s place as a global 

leader in collections care and management. They also 

create exhibitions, scholarship, and other opportunities 

for objects to tell their stories and acquire greater 

meaning.

Staff often break new ground—from extracting 

the sound from experimental Alexander Graham 

Bell recordings to helping revolutionize online 

visitor experiences through 3-D digitization—

thereby creating precedents for colleagues and 

peer institutions around the world. 

COLLECTIONS SPACE IS CENTRAL TO THE 

SMITHSONIAN’S MISSION

The quality of collections space and storage equipment affects the Smithsonian’s ability to make 

collections available to staff, scholars, and the public 

through traditional methods and new technologies. If 

facilities are not in excellent condition, access can be 

impaired, and the collections themselves could be in 

danger of losing their integrity for future generations.

Capacity is equally important. The Smithsonian 

urgently needs more space to continue fulfilling its 

mission to acquire new collections and to protect 

collections already held in trust. It must be able to 

continually upgrade and modernize space and equipment, and do so efficiently and cost-effectively.

How well the Smithsonian is able to respond to 

these needs and challenges impacts the future of its 

collections, as well as the integrity and vitality of the 

Institution. The evaluation process, rigorous standards, 

and recommendations that follow sound an urgent, 

needed call to action.
6 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

THE BIG PICTURE

Reinvigorating a Commitment to Collections—and Collections Space
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 7

The Smithsonian’s commitment to collections stewardship has been steadfast over its history. It has made 

continual strides in improving the management, care, 

and accessibility of collections. Smithsonian leaders 

have balanced strategic thinking and pragmatism. 

They have developed an integrated approach that 

has yielded considerable progress and resulted in 

action and change around a range of issues. Priority 

initiatives examine the physical care and condition 

of collections, as well as the digital and intellectual 

accessibility of collections, pursuing in parallel an 

examination of the amount and condition of the 

space used to safeguard collections.

• The 2005 report Concern at the Core studied Smithsonian collections for the first time as a whole—how 

they are acquired, documented, preserved, housed, 

and used—and focused on the most important challenges and opportunities, including collections space.

• Also in 2005, the Smithsonian Collections Advisory 

Committee was formed to guide Smithsonian senior 

management in setting priorities for collections. The 

next year, the Committee recommended making 

space the highest collections priority, stating, “There 

is an immediate need for permanent, proactive, 

Institution-wide planning of collections space.” The 

committee made sure this priority became part of 

Smithsonian strategic planning.

• The 2010–2017 Strategic Plan, Inspiring 

Generations Through Knowledge and 

Discovery, reinforced the importance of 

strengthening collections stewardship, saying 

the Smithsonian must “continue to improve the 

quality of collections preservation, storage space, 

management, information content, and physical 

and electronic access.” The plan calls for the 

development of a new cross-disciplinary approach 

to the way the Smithsonian works—one that 

promotes collaboration and partnerships.

• In 2010, the Smithsonian established a new position, 

the Deputy Under Secretary for Collections and 

Interdisciplinary Support, to give a higher visibility 

to collections and preservation and serve as a central 

catalyst for pan-Institutional collections initiatives.

• As part of the implementation of the Strategic 

Plan, the Smithsonian Collections Space Steering 

Committee was formed in 2010 to assess current 

conditions and develop recommendations for addressing current and projected Smithsonian-wide 

collections space requirements.

• Also in 2010, the Smithsonian began to view 

collections through a pan-Institutional lens—as 

assets and resources shared by all museums—a 

direct outcome of a decisive cultural shift at the 

Institution, from a complex of museums to a single, 

integrated Smithsonian.

Progress in improving collections space must be pan-Institutional. It must involve every museum and storage facility, as 

well as experts in collections, facilities management, and capital planning—all working together.

COLLECTIONS: THE FOUNDATION OF THE 

SMITHSONIAN’S PUBLIC TRUST 

The Smithsonian has been in the collections 

business from the beginning. In 1846, Congress 

directed the Smithsonian to create a collection of 

“objects of art and of foreign and curious research, 

and ... of natural history” (20 USC § 50). More 

recently, Congress recognized the value of the 

Federal scientific collections as vital to America’s 

“scientific enterprise” (42 USC § 6624).

In March 2014, the U.S. Office of Science and 

Technology Policy reaffirmed the value of “ensuring 

the proper management, preservation, security, and 

ethical use of Federal scientific collections to inform 

scientific research and maintain the Nation’s legacy 

of exploration and discovery.” The same policy 

continues, “Scientific collections provide an essential 

base for developing scientific evidence and are an 

important resource for scientific research, education, 

and resource management. Scientific collections 

represent records of our past and investments in 

our future. Policies and procedures for maintaining, 

preserving, and developing Federal scientific 

collections while also increasing access to those 

collections for appropriate use are, therefore, 

central to their value.”
8 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

This new Institution-wide commitment is expressed 

in many ways, with collections often in a significant 

supporting role. For example, as part of strategic 

planning, the Smithsonian defined four Grand 

Challenges to guide its work and inspire greater 

collaboration among museums and across disciplines. 

The pan-Institutional groups overseeing these joint 

projects have organized some of the most ambitious 

exhibitions ever, which in turn have drawn on 

collections from many distinct museums, united 

in a common purpose.

At the collections staff level, the change has had an 

immediate impact. Historically, the management of 

collections has been decentralized and delegated to 

individual museums. The recent cultural shift has 

resulted in a cross-disciplinary approach to collections-related challenges and opportunities. And it has 

forged connections between collections management 

staff and facilities management staff. Together, they 

have begun crafting holistic strategies that capitalize on economies of scale and enable comprehensive 

improvements.

Today, there is broad, Institution-wide support for a 

fundamental new way of thinking about collections: 

to bring about measurable, sustainable change, the 

Smithsonian must consider collections as a whole, across 

all museums and facilities.

This concept guided the Smithsonian as it prepared 

to rigorously examine the totality of its collections 

space, advance planning and engagement around 

collections space as never before, and prepare to 

substantially strengthen both collections space and 

the Smithsonian’s capacity for outstanding stewardship 

for decades to come.

FOUR CHALLENGES: ONE SMITHSONIAN 

In 2009 and 2010, the Smithsonian undertook a 

comprehensive strategic planning process to shape 

its focus and set a course for the future. Four Grand 

Challenges were chosen that framed the majority 

of the Institution’s work. All of them depend on the 

depth and breadth of Smithsonian collections: 

• Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe

• Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet

• Valuing World Cultures

• Understanding the American Experience
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 9
10 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

PROCESS & TOOLS

Charting a Roadmap for the Future of Collections Space
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 11

This work was the first major responsibility of 

the newly formed Collections Space Steering 

Committee. The Committee brings together a 

diverse, Smithsonian-wide group of leaders, including 

collections managers, curators, conservators, 

facilities managers, architects, engineers, registrars, 

real estate managers, security specialists, and fire 

protection engineers. It also leverages the input of 

external experts, primarily architects, engineers, and 

collections preservation professionals, who have 

proven essential to the planning process.

The Committee’s charge was to address current and 

projected collections space needs for the near term 

(through 2017), intermediate term (2018–2027), and 

long term (2028–2037), and to lay the groundwork 

for how the Smithsonian can:

• Safeguard irreplaceable collections in the best 

possible conditions.

• Store collections more efficiently, cost-effectively, 

and sustainably, with centralized quality control.

• Make collections more accessible for staff members 

who process, care for, and share objects.

• Develop a strategic, integrated approach to 

addressing current needs, which in turn helps 

anticipate future needs.

The Committee began by taking a snapshot of current 

conditions. To do so, the Committee oversaw a firstof-its-kind assessment of more than 2.1 million square 

feet of collections space in 1,800 individual locations at 

more than 35 properties and 90 buildings, both leased 

and owned, including facilities that are National 

Historic Landmarks. 

WHAT IS COLLECTIONS SPACE?

The Smithsonian defines collections space as “an 

area, owned or leased, enclosed or outdoors, the 

primary purpose of which is to permanently protect 

and preserve, through managed environmental and 

security controls, collections owned by or in the 

custody of the Smithsonian Institution in furtherance 

of its mission; and may include adjacent areas 

that provide managed environmental and security 

controls suitable to accommodate temporary use 

of collections.”

This study of collections space does not include 

exhibition spaces. Collections space makes up 18 

percent of the Smithsonian’s total space and houses 

many functions. These range from providing temporary and permanent storage for collections of every 

possible type and size, requiring every conceivable 

method of care, to creating safe, productive processing 

and laboratory space for all staff and researchers who 

work with collections. The mandate for all collections 

space is the same: to preserve and protect, and facilitate access to, vital cultural and scientific heritage.

The discovery process set out to identify the greatest 

needs for collections space across the Smithsonian 

and to recommend strategies that are realistic, flexible, 

and proactive—ones that will upgrade space today 

and meet projected needs in the coming years and 

decades.

Public and private resources to support this important 

work are very limited. Given this constant challenge, 

the Committee realized that it was critically important 

to show how the Smithsonian can leverage economies 

of scale and improve collections care across the 

Institution efficiently and cost-effectively. 

The Collections Space Framework Plan is a comprehensive, inclusive, Smithsonian-wide project aimed at safeguarding 

the Institution’s remarkable collections for current and future generations. While not intended to provide detailed 

solutions to all collections space needs, planning has established a clear yet flexible roadmap for further strengthening 

stewardship, informing management decisions and maintenance protocols, and guiding short- and long-term allocation 

of resources.
12 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

How much space 

was assessed?

1,800 spaces at

90+ buildings

25 museums and research/cultural 

centers that store collections

comprising

2.1million square feet

belonging to or leased by

GATHERING DATA ABOUT COLLECTIONS SPACE

The first phase of work studied all collections space, 

noting key features such as location, size, use, and 

capacity to meet essential criteria. Information 

gathered led to the establishment of the Collections 

Space Database, the first-ever comprehensive 

inventory of all 1,800 collections space locations 

across the Smithsonian. 

The Committee’s first step was designing a survey to 

capture data about quality, current conditions, and 

needs across categories focused on preservation and 

access:

 Construction

 Environment 

 Fire Safety

 Security 

 Collections Storage Equipment

Completed surveys populated the Database. With 

conditions always in flux, it became clear that 

follow-up surveys were needed so that the collections 

and facilities management staff can report the most 

recent data, including improvements, new challenges, 

changes in leased space, and additions of newly built 

space. The survey has become a multipurpose tool: it 

helps maintain the Database, helps establish priorities 

for capital planning and collections care projects, and 

helps inform the need for feasibility studies and 

master planning. The Committee now issues an 

annual request for updates.

SETTING AND APPLYING RIGOROUS 

STANDARDS

The next priority was developing a scoring method 

to quantify survey data and, in turn, seed a grading 

system for all 1,800 locations. 

Because planning included every factor involved 

in adding, maintaining, and upgrading space and 

thinking about collections space over decades, the 

grading system is both demanding and flexible. It 

can be updated as standards evolve, positioning the 

Smithsonian for long-term effectiveness. 

The grading system’s categories are descriptors of 

conditions based on current Smithsonian standards:

OPTIMAL: The space meets or exceeds current 

standards. Room for improvement, if needed, may 

include: cosmetic damage to building surfaces and/

or minor issues with environment, safety, security, 

or storage equipment.

ACCEPTABLE: The space meets the majority 

of standards but still can be improved. Areas for 

improvement may include some of the following: 

recurring environmental problems; manageable 

water/pest infiltration or exposure to hazards; safety 

and security issues in need of corrective action; 

and/or upgrades to storage equipment.

UNACCEPTABLE: The space fails to meet current 

standards or falls significantly below them. Corrective actions must be taken to address some or all of 

the following: poor environmental conditions; failing building construction; and problems with safety, 

security, or storage equipment that pose a risk.
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 13

47% 34%

19%

OPTIMAL

ACCEPTABLE

UNACCEPTABLE

The Committee constructed the grading system to be 

rigorous. Major shortcomings in one area or minor 

shortcomings in multiple areas automatically result in 

an “Unacceptable” rating. In this way, the system casts 

the most critical eye on current space and its condition, highlights needs, and develops a baseline for 

collections space planning.

RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION

More than half of Smithsonian collections space is 

“Optimal” or “Acceptable,” including the one-third of 

space that achieves an “Optimal” grade. 

The Smithsonian is committed to taking action 

to upgrade or replace “Unacceptable” space, and 

the evaluation pointed out tactics that will make 

considerable headway:

• The average “Unacceptable” score is within 7 percent 

of an “Acceptable” grade, indicating that a substantial amount of “Unacceptable” space can improve 

to “Acceptable” with corrections in just one scoring 

category.

• The Smithsonian undertakes comprehensive projects 

to upgrade collections space across multiple categories. It is a practical, impactful strategy that takes 

advantage of cost efficiencies. That means planned 

renovations and replacement will often address 

more than one scoring category at the same time.

For example, replacing and reconfiguring storage 

equipment may call for upgrades to security, fire 

protection, and mechanical equipment as well. The 

best possible outcome is being able to upgrade to 

“Optimal” collections space that is currently 

“Unacceptable” and “Acceptable.”

• The Smithsonian can make great headway by 

prioritizing improvements to the collections space 

responsible for the majority of “Unacceptable” space. 

More than half of this space is in two facilities: the 

Paul E. Garber Facility, comprised of 25 buildings 

at the Suitland Collections Center in Suitland, 

Maryland, and the National Museum of Natural 

History’s Mall building. By focusing resources on 

these two locations, the Smithsonian can resolve 

most outstanding collections space issues.

Because planning included every factor involved in 

adding, maintaining, and upgrading space and thinking 

about collections space over decades, the grading system 

is both demanding and flexible.

The Results

Using data from September 2012, 

the Collections Space Database 

classified the 2.1 million square 

feet of collections as follows:
14 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

EVALUATING SPACES AND IDENTIFYING NEEDS

As a final step in the discovery process, master 

planning staff and external experts led a team that 

conducted an additional research phase. To catalog 

and analyze site-specific challenges and needs, 

they interviewed representatives of all Smithsonian 

museums and facilities that maintain collections. 

They requested estimates of anticipated future growth 

and drilled down into the information gathered in 

surveys about the quality, density, and utilization of 

storage equipment, enabling new insights about 

conditions that can impede access to collections.

After aggregating the Database analysis and these 

evaluations, the Committee had a thorough understanding of existing conditions and the diversity of 

issues facing individual museums and facilities. Here 

was the foundation on which to begin planning in a 

proactive, cost-effective manner, and the starting point 

for assessing space moving forward—consistently and 

always through a pan-Institutional lens.

2%

1%

6%

9%

14% 22%

33%

13%

18% 14%

13%

9%

25% 5%

7%

9%

 Paul E. Garber Facility – Suitland 

 National Museum of Natural History – Mall 

 National Zoological Park

 National Museum of American History – Mall 

LOCATION OF UNACCEPTABLE 

COLLECTIONS SPACE

LOCATION OF ALL COLLECTIONS SPACE

This study of collections space does not include exhibition 

spaces. Collections space makes up 18 percent of the 

Smithsonian’s total space and houses many functions. 

 Museum Support Center – Suitland 

 Pennsy Collections and Support Center

 National Air and Space Museum – Dulles

 All Other
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 15
16 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

Drawing Conclusions from Assessment and Evaluation

FINDINGS
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 17

The study next identified four major findings. While indicating progress and the value of pan-Institutional collaboration, 

these findings also suggest that the Smithsonian must elevate its overall commitment to collections space, including an 

integrated approach to capital planning (i.e., renovating existing collections space and building new space).

The findings also offer a reminder of the continual 

need to upgrade and replace collections space. Some 

of the space now in “Unacceptable” condition was 

deemed state of the art not long ago. They also signal 

the importance of responsible, ongoing maintenance 

for collections space and of monitoring all space with 

tools like the Database survey.

FINDING 1: The Smithsonian is making steady 

progress in adding and improving collections space 

to achieve the best possible collections care and 

management.

Over the last decade, Smithsonian leaders have begun 

a program of major improvements, resulting in significant upgrades to a wide range of collections space.

• The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center has significantly 

increased the capacity of the National Air and Space 

Museum to display, house, manage, preserve, and 

restore its collections.

• The National Museum of Natural History improved 

collections and laboratory space for invertebrate 

zoology on the second floor of the west wing, as well 

as processing and laboratory space for paleobiology 

on the northeast ground floor.

• The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has 

upgraded collections storage and processing spaces.

• A new facility at the Museum Support Center in 

Suitland, Maryland, named “Pod 5,” was specifically 

designed and built to more safely preserve scientific 

specimens in alcohol and formalin.

• Renovations to an existing facility at the Museum 

Support Center, named “Pod 3,” provide collections 

space for three art museums as well as physical 

anthropology and other collections requiring specialized environments from the National Museum of 

Natural History, including Antarctic meteorites, 

paleobiology core samples, and frozen tissue samples. 

• Major renovations have upgraded space at the 

Laboratories of Analytical Biology and the 

Smithsonian Institution Libraries, both in the 

Natural History’s Mall building.

• Smithsonian Institution Libraries has also upgraded 

spaces in the Mathias Lab at the Smithsonian 

Environmental Research Center and the FoxMiller Townhouses adjacent to Cooper Hewitt, 

Smithsonian Design Museum.

• When it reopens, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian 

Design Museum will have a number of improved 

collections processing, conservation, and storage 

spaces.

The Collections Space Framework Plan has added to 

this impact. The Smithsonian and its museums have 

incorporated the plan’s recommendations into ongoing capital projects, and the National Air and Space 

Museum used them when it recently completed a 

master plan update. The plan will also inform master 

planning that is either underway or about to begin at 

several other museums and facilities:

 Anacostia Community Museum

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

 National Museum of African Art

 National Museum of American History

 National Museum of the American Indian

 National Museum of Natural History

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and 

Freer Gallery of Art

 Suitland Collections Center

These new and updated master plans all address 

collections space improvements and additions 

holistically and proactively, especially for mixedused facilities.
18 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

FINDING 2: The Smithsonian must upgrade 

existing collections space and add appropriate 

space to support the preservation, accessibility, 

and use of collections.

To meet immediate needs, the Smithsonian must 

renovate and maintain 695,166 square feet of 

existing space, including historic buildings. This 

is not a “one-design-fits-all” project. It is a major 

undertaking that requires flexible, conceptual 

design prototypes, described later, which will 

upgrade “Unacceptable” space by:

• Using existing collections space more efficiently and 

cost-effectively and, in some cases, helping reduce 

the Smithsonian’s reliance on leased space.

• Providing more appropriate environments to 

preserve collections, often achieved by separating 

space by function.

• Improving collections accessibility for researchers, 

curators, and collections management staff by 

using appropriate, flexible equipment.

• Locating collections-based work areas adjacent to 

collections storage spaces.

These renovations will lead to better designed, 

organized, and equipped collections space. They 

also emphasize the importance of equipment in 

preserving collections, using spaces efficiently, and 

reducing energy costs associated with maintaining 

stable preservation environments.

FINDING 3: The Smithsonian needs more space to 

properly store its collections.

Renovations alone cannot sufficiently upgrade 

collections capacity or meet the current and future 

demands for new space. The plan identified the need 

to build, and then invest in maintaining, approximately one million square feet of new collections space to:

• Replace some “Unacceptable” space that is beyond 

remediation.

• Accommodate future collections growth.

• Upgrade equipment to reduce overcrowding of 

collections.

• Replace leased facilities, when financially 

advantageous, with newly built Smithsonian-owned 

facilities.

Once in use, the design prototypes can add a 

combined 1.3 million square feet of capacity—

addressing the current need for new space and, to 

the extent possible, anticipating future growth.

The design prototypes can add a 

combined 1.3 million square 

feet of capacity—addressing the 

current need for new space and, 

to the extent possible, anticipating 

future growth.
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 19

FINDING 4: Through shared facilities and 

resources, the Smithsonian must leverage existing 

opportunities to realize more efficient and effective 

operations.

The larger cultural shift across the Smithsonian, 

which is inspiring new collaborative opportunities, 

is also changing how people think about organizing 

collections space. For example, renovating the 

Museum Support Center so it can store, in close 

proximity, paintings from art museums, fossils from 

the National Museum of Natural History, and frozen 

tissue samples from the National Zoological Park.

Collections space planning has already strengthened 

interdisciplinary teamwork. This effort positions the 

Smithsonian strongly for future planning, design, and 

construction, including projects that have green 

objectives—from energy efficiency to sustainable land 

use, which becomes more feasible when museums 

plan together for future collections storage.

Collaboration also responds to a Smithsonian 

prerequisite: making a little go a long way. When 

collections and facilities management staffs 

collaborate to advance stewardship, they are 

learning how to think, plan, and work holistically—

and learning to conserve resources even as they 

preserve precious collections. When collections and facilities management staffs collaborate to 

advance stewardship, they are learning how to think, plan, and 

work holistically—and learning to conserve resources even as 

they preserve precious collections.
20 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

STRATEGIES 

Bringing Clear Direction to the Roadmap
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 21

The Smithsonian designed a set of strategies to improve collections space and address overall needs. These strategies—

and the tactical recommendations below—led directly to the development of the design prototypes.

STRATEGY 1: Develop customizable, standardsdriven solutions for all collections space requiring 

renovation or replacement.

The Smithsonian must tailor solutions to individual 

museums and facilities, as well as to the scope of 

collections, current conditions of storage space, and 

anticipated needs. Three overarching approaches rise 

to the top.

• Renovate as much existing collections space as 

possible to upgrade it and provide greater efficiency. 

The Smithsonian identified 695,166 square feet of 

“Unacceptable” space that could be “Acceptable” 

with renovations. This comprises 32 percent of all 

collections space, including many historic buildings, 

and accounts for the majority of “Unacceptable” 

space.

• Replace collections space that cannot be improved 

through renovations. Complete replacement is 

appropriate for some locations, such as the Paul E. 

Garber Facility, which stores large objects for several 

museums, or, for example, a basement storage area 

at risk of water damage. The Smithsonian needs to 

replace 336,954 square feet, or 15 percent of collections space, with new construction.

• Relieve overcrowded collections space: The survey 

and subsequent evaluations defined overcrowding 

by looking at the volume used for storage and how 

densely objects are stored in equipment or drawers. 

The Smithsonian needs 338,877 square feet of 

additional space for existing collections currently 

stored on floors, on crowded shelving, and in overfilled cabinets and drawers. These conditions are 

unsafe, can cause collections damage, and do not 

allow access for staff and researchers who need to 

manage and work with collections. Overcrowding 

also severely limits future collections growth.

STRATEGY 2: Anticipate collections growth as 

effectively as possible.

Adding to collections is an important part of 

the Smithsonian’s commitment to our nation. 

Ever-evolving collections ensure the ability of the 

Smithsonian to tell and share our nation’s continuing 

story in all its dimensions—across history, art, science, 

and culture. However, the Smithsonian has never considered collections to be static. Rather, they contribute 

to global innovation and document the world’s forever 

changing cultural and scientific heritage. They are 

teaching and learning tools for one generation after 

another—sources of inspiration and starting points for 

countless new journeys.

As collections grow, the Smithsonian finds it 

challenging, and sometimes nearly impossible, to 

predict how quickly expansion will happen. 

Nevertheless, there are baseline numbers that can 

help the Institution project space needs into the 

future and ensure it never turns away collections 

that deserve to be at the Smithsonian:

• The Smithsonian has historically increased 

collections at the following rates of acquisition: 

0.3 percent annually for museum objects and 

specimens, 3 percent for library volumes, and 3.6 

percent for cubic feet of archives. As a result, the 

Smithsonian predicts that it will acquire, at a 

minimum, new collections requiring an additional 

12,110 square feet of storage space every year.

• Unpredictable patterns of growth often occur 

because of history-making events that need to 

be documented, such as the decommissioning of 

the Space Shuttle program or the authorization of 

new Smithsonian museums, as well as unique 

collecting opportunities, sizeable donations 

and transfers of objects and specimens, and 

the development of new collecting initiatives. 
22 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

STRATEGY 3: Reduce reliance on leased spaces 

for collections storage.

The Smithsonian should own collections space 

whenever possible and, in the interest of cost-effective 

management and long-term planning, should 

consider exit strategies for costly leases. Currently, the 

Smithsonian rents 324,033 square feet of collections 

space in more than 10 locations. While leased 

storage facilities have historically made sense in the 

short term, further analysis shows that it is not an 

effective long-term strategy for a number of reasons:

• Leased space generally does not provide the same 

control of the storage environment afforded by 

owned space.

• Rent for third-party facilities is a sizeable budget 

item, and not a cost-effective one since it reflects 

the cost of landlords’ real estate taxes, while the 

Smithsonian does not pay taxes on owned buildings.

• Leasing space, typically warehouses with limited 

access, often require significant renovations and 

physical upgrades to create an appropriate 

preservation environment and ensure better access 

to collections. These are capital improvements 

that call for resources usually better used in the 

design and construction of new purpose-built 

owned facilities.

Faced with limited space for expanding collections, 

the Smithsonian must focus on solutions for the long 

term rather than immediate crises. While a museum 

may lease temporary storage facilities when necessary, 

the Smithsonian should plan on owning all long-term 

storage space.
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 23

STRATEGY 4: Update internal policy and 

procedures to reinforce the importance of 

excellent collections space to the Smithsonian.

The current strategic plan prioritizes collections 

space and stewardship, and recognizes this work as 

an ongoing responsibility that requires consistent 

attention. Space and equipment that were state of 

the art a few decades ago are now out of date. The 

following tactics emphasize the value of incorporating 

collections space needs into both day-to-day 

operations and long-term planning.

• Establish the Collections Space Steering Committee 

as a standing pan-Institutional advisory committee 

charged with continually monitoring space and 

contributing to all plans to construct and renovate 

collections space.

• Create a formal, reviewable process for requesting 

and approving additional collections space. 

• Collaborate with building directors and managers 

who can work with the collections management staff 

and facilities management staff, thereby creating a 

collaborative model to oversee space maintenance 

and improvements.

• Include budget line items for equipment purchases, 

maintenance costs, and collections moving costs 

whenever collections space is part of any facility’s 

capital project.

• Ensure that Smithsonian policies, procedures, and 

guidance that directly or indirectly affect the design, 

construction, management, and use of collections 

space are reviewed by all stakeholders and affected 

units.

• Reinforce anticipated storage needs in the policies of 

all museums, specifically at the time of collections 

acquisition.

• Heighten awareness of collections space and its 

special requirements by taking advantage of opportunities to educate all Smithsonian staff members.

• Encourage sharing of collections space and related 

resources within and among all museums and 

facilities with dedicated collections space.

The current strategic plan prioritizes collections space and 

stewardship, and recognizes this work as an ongoing 

responsibility that requires consistent attention.
24 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

DESIGN PROTOTYPES

Realizing the Future of the Smithsonian’s Collections Space
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 25

Strategies alone are not enough. With external experts, the Smithsonian created three conceptual design prototypes to 

support recommendations and serve as adaptable models for future projects. All three are either underway or scheduled 

for piloting and implementation in the near future. Object size was the primary organizing factor because it affects the 

type of construction, the collections handling methods that each design prototype must accommodate, and the choice of 

storage equipment.

• The Existing Building Prototype is a plan for 

flexible, efficient renovation of existing buildings. 

• The Large Object Prototype is a new construction 

model designed to house large objects—such as an 

Old West stagecoach, a postal vehicle, a Vietnam 

War-era Huey helicopter, industrial machinery, or 

dinosaur and whale skeletons.

• The Small and Medium-Sized Object Prototype is 

a second new construction model designed for small 

and medium-sized objects—such as stamps, ancient 

Chinese bronzes, musical instruments, decorative art, 

paintings and textiles, ceramics and glass, insects, 

folk art, botanical specimens, or African masks. 

These models allow for different curatorial methods 

and processing systems. At the same time, they further 

the pan-Institutional approach to collections space—

by establishing common best practices and by offering 

the opportunity to co-locate similar materials and 

types of collections, whether or not they are from the 

same museum’s collections.

Each design prototype emphasizes cost effectiveness 

in its design, including maintenance costs and energy 

efficiency. They are replicable and adaptable as needs 

change with time. 
26 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

EXISTING BUILDING PROTOTYPE

Interior Renovations to Current Space

DECORATED AND VISIONARY

Assemble the military uniforms of the National 

Museum of American History in one long line, 

and you could traverse history like a commander 

inspecting the troops. From George Washington’s 

uniform to the blues and grays of Civil War soldiers 

to present-day Marine combat wear, each battle and 

peace-keeping mission comes to life—as do the 

sacrifices and service of those in uniform. This 

collection, always popular when on display, supports 

academic historians and historical re-enactors intent 

on authenticity, and was an early beneficiary of 

physical improvements under the Smithsonian’s 

Collections Care Initiative. This means that space 

designed to store and preserve military uniforms 

was a forerunner of the Existing Building Prototype, 

which will upgrade other American History 

collections space. “How symbolic that these uniforms 

paved the way for progress,” says museum director 

John Gray. 

“After all, our Armed Forces are as 

essential to this nation as our collections 

are to telling America’s story.”

This design prototype renovates existing collections 

space and, whenever possible, expands its capacity. 

Much of this space is in historic buildings, where the 

footprint of the facilities cannot change. The pilot site 

chosen was the National Museum of American History, which offers excellent opportunities to address 

diverse issues, including temporary and permanent 

storage and processing space. Lessons from these 

projects will help other museums and facilities flexibly 

apply the design prototype.

The Existing Building Prototype specifies four tactics:

• Renovations for temporary collections space, such as 

those that are used during ongoing improvements to 

public space.

• Renovations of collections processing space to 

improve overall efficiency and enhance preservation 

environments and security and safety measures.

• Renovation of permanent collections space to 

improve space utilization, storage capacity and 

conditions, fire and security protection, and 

programmatic adjacencies.

• Relocation of collections from existing space that is 

vulnerable to risk, such as susceptibility to damage 

from internal building system failures and water 

infiltration from building perimeter, which is 

unsuitable for the storage of collections and might 

be repurposed for other functions.

One specific variation of the design prototype as 

shown on page 27 in before and after versions, will:

• Combine and reorganize small, inadequate rooms to 

create larger, more open spaces, reflecting efficient 

functional design allowing staff members greater 

flexibility to access objects and process them.

• Allow for collections isolation areas to ensure 

that potentially contaminated collections are not 

introduced into clean rooms.

• Provide adequate access to the facility’s loading areas.
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 27

Existing Plan Proposed Programmatic Plan 

 

EL. +1’- 3”

WASTE LOADING 

DOCK

SECURITY

OFFICE

SHARED

OFFICE

VAULT PROCESSING

WORKSHOP

WASTE LOADING

DOCK

HAZARDOUS 

WASTE STORAGE

TELECOM

FIRE ALARM

EQUIPMENT

ELEVATOR

MACHINE 

RM

COPY RM

BUILDING

RECEIVING VACANT

 

 

 

LOADING DOCK

COLLECTIONS

RECEIVING

665 sf DIRTY VESTIBULE

300 sf

ISOLATION

90 sf

FREEZER

90 sf

VAULT

120 sf

COLLECTIONS

PROCESSING

1550 sf

OFFICE

650 sf

CLEAN 

VESTIBULE

75 sf

The Existing Building Prototype provides strategies for renovating and reconfiguring collections space in the constrained context of an existing building. This 

prototype was developed using several collections spaces at the National Museum of American History, and serves as a model for improving space utilization, 

design, and functionality that will be applied to collections space in other existing Smithsonian buildings. The figure above highlights significant improvements 

to a collections receiving and processing area.

Existing Building Prototype

Interior Renovations to Current Space
28 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

LARGE OBJECT PROTOTYPE

New Construction

WHERE DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT

The National Air and Space Museum’s peerless 

collection of aircraft and spacecraft are among the 

most captivating and awe-inspiring objects in the 

Smithsonian. “These artifacts powerfully convey 

the excitement and beauty of flight,” says museum director General John R. Dailey, “as well as 

embody the imagination, ingenuity, courage, and 

commitment that make the technology of flight 

one of humankind’s greatest achievements.” The 

future Dulles Collections Center will ensure the 

material heritage of this remarkable story endures. 

“Unique is a term that applies to much of what 

the Smithsonian holds,” notes General Dailey. 

“For example, nearly 130 aircraft in the NASM 

collection are one-of-a-kind or the sole surviving 

example. You can see them only at the Smithsonian.” Proper care of these irreplaceable treasures 

at the Dulles Collection Center will ensure the 

National Air and Space Museum will continue to 

be a place like none other.

The Smithsonian developed this design prototype to 

be part of a proposed plan for building additional 

facilities at the future Dulles Collections Center, currently home to the National Air and Space Museum’s 

Udvar-Hazy Center. This new model will introduce 

greater efficiency to the storage of large, heavy, and 

high-density objects, while the new center represents 

a significant opportunity to develop large-object 

collections space within the Washington, D.C.,

metropolitan area. 

One of the most important advantages of 

implementing the design prototype in this setting is 

the opportunity to establish a permanent facility to 

take in collections from the aging buildings of the 

Paul E. Garber Facility, which is being phased out 

after 60 years of service. 

This prototype can help museums with large 

objects dispersed at several sites to consolidate 

these collections, thereby providing more efficient 

management, care, and accessibility of all objects. 

The design prototype will:

• Accommodate the most heavy-duty storage 

equipment.

• Maximize efficiency—and sustainable land use—by 

designing storage modules with three floor levels and 

a range of ceiling heights.

• Maximize capacity and minimize risk by incorporating 

a 30,000-square-foot storage module.

• Make phased construction possible, since its ten 

modules can be added in pairs.

• Allow for flexible subdivision of space for separate 

collections, giving each an appropriate environment, 

sufficient room for curatorial oversight, and optional 

processing space.

• Provide a sustainably designed building “envelope” 

to maintain interior environmental conditions and 

reduce energy costs.

This Large Object Prototype includes 10 distinct 

collections modules and commits 682,660 square feet 

to collections space within a total area of 909,530 gross 

square feet, including central loading facilities and 

mechanical rooms.
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 29

The Large Object Prototype provides new construction for efficient high-bay collections storage of primarily large, oversized objects requiring wider structural spans 

and greater load capacity for associated heavy-duty storage and handling equipment. This prototype allows for phased construction and incorporates centralized loading 

facilities and a utility plant. It also has a sustainable design that can efficiently maintain highly controlled interior environmental conditions. The placement of this 

prototype (10 storage modules) on the undeveloped portion of the Dulles site presents an excellent opportunity to establish a permanent facility to consolidate large 

objects dispersed at several locations, including collections currently stored in the aging buildings of the Paul E. Garber Facility in Suitland, Maryland.

SECTION

High-Bay Spine

Freight Stair

Elevator

Central 

Utility Plant

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Building 

Services, 

Loading 

Dock and 

Security

Large Object Prototype

High-Bay 

Spine

Stair

Freight 

Elevator

Mechanical 

Room

High-Bay Collections Storage: 

3rd Floor

High-Bay Collections Storage: 

2nd Floor

High-Bay Collections Storage: 

1st Floor

Mechanical 

Room

High-Bay Collections Storage: 

3rd Floor

High-Bay Collections Storage: 

2nd Floor

High-Bay Collections Storage: 

1st Floor

High-Bay 

Spine

High-Bay 

Spine

Large Object Prototype

 10 High-Bay Collections Storage Modules

 Future medium objects and hangar storage

 Udvar Hazy Center, existing buildings

 Additional development area

 Shared utilities and mechanical systems 

 Circulation Spine 

PLAN

Diagrammatic Site Plan: Future Dulles Collections Center

Chantilly, Virginia
30 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED OBJECT PROTOTYPE

New Construction

This design prototype addresses replacement space 

for small and medium-sized objects, with the flexibility to include some larger objects. The model is 

highly adaptable and able to incorporate a range of 

specialized storage spaces and laboratories, as well as 

processing, research, and program support units. 

The prototype will be further tested through 

feasibility studies and piloted at the Suitland 

Collections Center in Suitland, Maryland, which 

currently houses a range of collections for 13 

Smithsonian museums. Implementing this prototype 

will first require moving a sizeable amount of 

collections from the Paul E. Garber Facility to 

the Large Object Prototype at the Dulles Collections 

Center. Accordingly, these two prototypes are dependent on one another, as well as on near term projects 

to add Pod 6 to complete the Museum Support 

Center, update the Suitland master plan, and build 

additional medium object storage modules adjacent to 

the Udvar-Hazy Center.

Flexible enough to accommodate a broad range 

of collections, the Small and Medium-Sized Object 

Prototype shares several advantages of the Large 

Object Prototype in that it will:

• Maximize efficiency, especially with compact 

shelving and storage equipment, and relieve 

overcrowded storage equipment.

• Allow for flexible subdivision of space for separate 

collections and phased construction.

• Maximize capacity and minimize risk by incorporating a single 30,000-square-foot storage module.

• Provide a sustainably designed building “envelope” 

to maintain interior environmental conditions and 

reduce energy costs.

This prototype provides approximately 517,000 

square feet of collections space within a total area 

of more than 750,000 gross square feet, including 

mechanical rooms.

PROLIFIC PARTNERSHIPS

Caring for 93 percent of the Smithsonian object/

specimen collections, from microscopic meteorites to colossal skeletons, the National Museum 

of Natural History is central to improving and 

maintaining collections space. Scientific richness 

beyond scope inspires collaboration with 

federal agencies such as the U.S. Departments 

of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, and the 

Interior. These roles often converge. When the 

USDA needed a home for a 100,000-lot parasite 

collection and a research partner, they turned 

to Natural History. At a laboratory space in the 

Museum Support Center in Suitland, Maryland, 

which is comparable to what will be provided by 

the Small and Medium-Sized Object Prototype, 

the museum’s entomology staff works with USDA 

scientists and the Walter Reed Biosystematics 

Unit to expand knowledge of injurious species. 

Improved collections space conditions can enhance and foster new collaborative opportunities. 

“The project with the USDA continues an 

excellent relationship, supports our researchers, 

and makes good use of federal resources,” says 

Carol Butler, assistant director for collections.

“It asks the Smithsonian to do what we 

do best: serve as a center of expertise 

and discovery for the nation and the 

world.”
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 31

Diagrammatic Site Plan: Future Suitland Collections Center

Suitland, Maryland

The Small and Medium Object Prototype provides new construction for efficient high- and low-bay storage of small and medium objects. The prototype includes 

sustainable land use, phased construction, flexible storage equipment (such as compact storage units), flexible space division for specialized environments with adjacent 

collections support program space, central loading dock and utility plant, and a sustainable design that can maintain highly controlled interior environmental 

conditions and reduce energy costs. This prototype (8 storage modules with required programmatic support adjacencies) at the Suitland Collections Center addresses 

new construction needs as part of the replacement of the Garber Facility. 

SECTION

 8 Low- and High-Bay Collections Storage Modules

 Existing buildings

 Additional development area

 Pod 6 (currently in detailed planning phase)

 Shared utilities and mechanical systems

 Circulation spine

 Collections support programs

 Loading dock, security and central services

Collections Support Program

Stair

Freight 

Elevator

High-Bay

Spine

High-Bay Collections Storage: 

1st Floor

Mechanical 

Room

Low-Bay Collections Storage: 

2nd Floor Low-Bay 

Spine
32 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

CONCLUSION

Taking Action, Serving Future Generations
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 33

The Smithsonian must take immediate action to ensure that its collections have sufficient, well-maintained space to 

continue to serve America and the world—as well as room to grow.

This roadmap emerges from the assessment of 

more than 2.1 million square feet of space in 1,800 

individual locations at more than 35 properties 

and 90 buildings. The process was not only 

unprecedented; it was groundbreaking. It informed 

strategies for resource planning and provided an 

ongoing framework for managing improvements and 

adding new collections space. The vision is for all 

audiences—experts and the public alike—to enjoy 

access to the Smithsonian’s vast, unrivaled collections.

FROM PLANNING TO IMPLEMENTATION

The three conceptual design prototypes that 

emerged from planning are all about a successful, 

expansive future. Implementation of the Existing 

Building Prototype will upgrade collections space, 

beginning with the National Museum of American 

History and plans to renovate other buildings. The 

Large Object and Small and Medium-Sized Object 

Prototypes —for new construction at the Dulles 

and Suitland Collections Centers—are largely 

dependent on one another and will take place 

across an overlapping timeframe of many years. 

The work to implement these design prototypes 

is captured in the Smithsonian’s capital plan, and 

it also informs projected annual operations and 

planning costs for all museums and facilities that 

house collections.

Given the long-term, substantial nature of this work, 

the Smithsonian will identify diversified financing 

opportunities for construction projects and for the 

operations of Dulles and Suitland. With an estimated 

overall need of more than $1 billion over 30 years, 

funding sources may include Federal appropriations, 

alternative financing, and private philanthropy.

A NEW SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION

Assessing space and planning for the future 

underlines the value of collaboration. The result is 

a holistic approach integrating stewardship and 

collections space across the Institution. This enables 

comprehensive improvements, emphasizes efficiency 

and cost-effectiveness, and benefits as many collections and audiences as possible.

The planning process united diverse Smithsonian 

leaders to collaborate around issues that affect all of 

their responsibilities. These leaders have now forged 

solutions that will improve the sharing of information and resources among museums. Colleagues in 

seldom-associated fields—engineers and curators, 

facilities managers and conservators—are working 

side-by-side to solve longstanding problems creatively 

and cost-effectively.

This collaborative spirit has also reached into 

the broader museum world. In March 2013, the 

Smithsonian held a Summit on the Museum 

Preservation Environment to bring together staff 

members from every corner of the Institution 

and representatives from peer institutions around 

the world.

The Summit considered the value of environmental 

specifications for collections space and the ways in 

which standards have evolved to reflect scientific 

research, institutional capabilities, and sustainable 

choices. Participants shared ideas and proven 

approaches and envisioned best practices. A key 

takeaway was the importance of interdisciplinary 

decision-making and planning in managing 

collections space, especially in a way that enhances 

preservation environments, conserves energy, and 

increases cost savings.
34 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan

THE ULTIMATE IMPACT OF PLANNING

Without proactive measures, the Smithsonian’s 

collections will run out of room to grow, jeopardizing 

safety and access. Decisive action to guide renovations 

and new construction—and the upgrades and 

maintenance both require—is the order of the 

day. It impacts everyone who interacts with the 

Smithsonian in person, in their communities, and, 

increasingly, online.

Collections space will be better able to accommodate 

growth and be more adaptable to changing 

circumstances. Implementation of the Collections 

Space Framework Plan will strengthen Smithsonian 

collections stewardship—ensuring the long-term 

preservation and accessibility of Smithsonian collections. 

As collections begin to encompass a new level of 

innovation, the challenge of predicting their current 

and future needs becomes even more daunting.

Stewardship of collections is not a once-and-done 

task. Keeping space on the leading edge and 

meeting optimal conditions are complex, constantly 

evolving enterprises. They call for continued vigilance 

and leadership.

Ultimately, the purpose of collections space extends 

beyond objects that are unique and irreplaceable. 

It is about learning that never ends. Outstanding 

collections space helps to assure that, centuries from 

now, the Smithsonian continues to fulfill its mission 

of inspiring learning and discovery in support of the 

most vibrant, sustainable future for later generations.

Implementation of the Collections Space Framework Plan will 

strengthen Smithsonian collections stewardship—ensuring the 

long-term preservation and accessibility of Smithsonian collections. 
 Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan • 35
36 • Smithsonian Collections Space Framework Plan
Cover (left to right), Jeff Malet / A student 

explores the Discovery Room in the National 

Museum of Natural History. 

Hugh Talman / The Jefferson Bible, created by 

Thomas Jefferson who cut out Biblical passages 

that were important to him and glued them 

into folios of blank papers. National Museum of 

American History collection. 

Mark Gulezian / National Portrait Gallery. 

Adrian James Testa / Lynne Parenti, curator in 

the Division of Fishes, Department of Vertebrate 

Zoology, National Museum of Natural History. 

The National Fish Collection is the largest in the 

world. 

P. 1: Eric Long / Morning sunrise at the 

Smithsonian Institution Building, popularly 

known as the Castle. Completed in 1855, it 

originally housed all Smithsonian operations.

P. 2: Jeff Malet / A young visitor learns about 

gravity and air in “How Things Fly” at the 

National Air and Space Museum.

P. 4: Eric Long / Uniform worn by Hubert 

“Geese” Ausbie, a Harlem Globetrotter from 

1961 to 1985. National Museum of American 

History collection.

P. 5: Ken Rahaim / Archives’ cold storage at the 

National Museum of American History. It houses 

the Photographic Services collection, which is 

scheduled to relocate to Pennsy Drive Collections 

and Support Center.

P. 6: Nelson Young / Recent renovations to 

Pod 3 of the Museum Support Center provided additional collections space for three art 

museums, including painting storage for the 

Hirshhorn Museum.

P. 8: The four Grand Challenges. Top row: 

NASA, Chip Clark. Bottom row: Jeff Malet, 

Chip Clark.

P. 9: Susana Raab / Students hike on the Carver 

nature trail outside the Anacostia Community 

Museum.

P. 10: Chip Clark / The U.S. National Entomological Collection at the National Museum of 

Natural History is the second largest insect collection in the world, with 35 million specimens.

P. 12: Donald E. Hurlbert / Yup’ik snuff box, 

accessioned 1882. Small boxes for storing 

chewing tobacco provide some of the finest 

examples of traditional Yup’ik carving. National 

Museum of Natural History.

P. 15: Walter Larrimore / Students explore 

the National Museum of the American Indian 

collections in Suitland, Maryland, which 

represent more than 12,000 years of history 

and 1,200 indigenous cultures.

P. 16: Dane A. Penland / The Steven F. UdvarHazy Center in Virginia — companion to the 

National Air and Space Museum — displays aviation and space artifacts and houses a restoration 

facility, conservation laboratory, and archives.

P. 18: Harold Dorwin / The carbon-filament 

bulb Thomas Edison used in 1879 for the 

first public demonstration of the electric 

incandescent lamp. National Museum of 

American History collection.

P. 19: Jon Crispin / Martin Kotler, a frames 

conservator at The Lunder Conservation Center 

where visitors have the unique opportunity 

to see conservators at work and learn the 

importance of conservation.

P. 20, Smithsonian American Art Museum / 

Inventorying artwork in Graphic Arts storage at 

the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

P. 22: James Di Loreto / Doug Owsley, forensic 

anthropologist, trains researchers and serves the 

FBI, State Department, and national law enforcement in work ranging from individual criminal 

cases to mass disasters and war crimes.

P. 23: Hugh Talman / First Lady Michelle 

Obama’s first inaugural gown. White House 

collection, on display at National Museum of 

American History through January 19, 2015.

P. 24: Adam Metallo / The Smithsonian is digitally scanning a T. rex bone by bone. Digitization 

will exponentially broaden access to Smithsonian 

treasures as well as safeguard them for future 

generations.

P. 25: John Tsantes / Humayun Seated in a 

Landscape, from the Late Shah Jahan Album, 

India, Mughal dynasty, ca. 1650. Arthur M. 

Sackler Gallery collection.

P. 26: Jeff Tinsley / Blue wool coat, part of a 

suit of regimentals made for George Washington 

in 1789. National Museum of American History 

collection.

P. 28: Eric Long / 1903 Wright Flyer. The 

Wrights’ first powered airplane flew at Kitty 

Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. 

National Air and Space Museum collection.

P. 30: USDA, Scott Bauer / Varroa jacobsoni

mite, a parasite that attacks Asian honey bees 

and can weaken or destroy the colony. U.S. 

National Parasite Collection at the National 

Museum of Natural History.

P. 32: James Di Loreto / Children explore 

National Museum of Natural History collections 

during Bring Your Child to Work day.

P. 34: Matt Flynn / Textile, Papillion. 1997–

2004, designed and made by Sheila Hicks 

(American b. 1934). Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian 

Design Museum.

P. 35: Donald E. Hurlbert / Opened in 2007, 

Pod 5 was specifically built to store the 

National Museum of Natural History’s biological 

collections preserved in flammable fluids such as 

alcohol and formalin.

P. 36: Ken Rahaim / Electronic Superhighway: 

Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii. 1995, Nam 

June Paik. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 

gift of the artist © Nam June Paik Estate.

National Collections Progarm

S. Dillon Ripley Center, Suite 3149

1100 Jefferson Drive, SW

MRC 726, PO Box 37012

Washington, DC 20013-7012

ncp@si.edu

Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations

Office of the Director 

600 Maryland Avenue, SW Suite 5001

MRC 511, PO Box 37012

Washington, DC 20013-7012

OFEO-Communications@si.edu

SPECIAL THANKS / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The development of the Collections Space Framework Plan is the result of a multi-year highly collaborative and interdisciplinary 

planning initiative conducted by collections and facilities management staff from across the Smithsonian. The Framework Plan 

would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication, and expertise of the Smithsonian Collections Space Steering 

Committee, unit points of contact, subcommittee members and the team of consultants led by the architecture and planning firm 

of Ayers Saint Gross. We thank all who have contributed to the success of this important planning initiative that will ultimately 

strengthen Smithsonian collections stewardship.

PHOTO CREDITS
Smithsonian Institution

Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Collections and Interdisciplinary Support 

The Castle | Suite 320 | MRC 009

202-633-5135 | collections@si.edu | www.si.edu