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# Smithsonian Institution

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                  -   Sidedoor: A Smithsonian PodcastDude, Where’s my Carbon?
How does so much carbon end up in tropical forests, and how is it measured? Visit Panama and find out. 
 
                  -   Life on a Sustainable PlanetCelebrate Earth Month with the Smithsonian
Learn and get inspired to be a part of building a sustainable future where life on Earth thrives.
 
                  -   SmithsonianCosmic Journey
Journey with us from an eclipse of our closest star, the sun, to the far reaches of the universe with events and virtual resources.
 
                  -   Create. Imagine. Discover.Smithsonian Open Access
Download, share, and reuse more than 4.9 million 2D and 3D digital items from the Smithsonian’s collections.
 
                  -   Smithsonian American Women’s History MuseumBecoming Visible: Bringing American Women’s History into Focus
Discover how women’s histories have been recorded, remembered, lost, and recovered.
 

Today, Friday, January 19, the following Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., are open: 
                - National Air and Space Museum
                - National Museum of African American History and Culture
                - National Museum of American History
                - National Museum of Natural History
                - Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Virginia

All other D.C. museums, including the National Zoo, are closed today. 

## Welcome

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest **museum**, **education**, and **research** complex. We are a community of learning and an opener of doors. Join us on a voyage of discovery. **Explore our vast digital resources**and**learn online.**

## Plan Your Visit

Plan your visit at our **Virtual Visitor Center**. Get information on **hours and locations** and **entry and visitor guidelines**.

Find out **what's on** and learn about our **events** and **exhibitions**.

Select a topic to discover featured collections and stories, OR search millions of digital records.
                    - EXPLORE
                    - Art & Design
                    - History & Culture
                    - Science & Nature

                      -        Smithsonian Open Access  Digital Backgrounds
Put yourself in the scene! Download high-res images to use as your video meeting or desktop background.
 
                      -        Smithsonian Collection Spotlight  Orchids: Nature's Art
Smithsonian Gardens has more than 8,000 specimens. Explore a selection from the collection along with art inspired by these beautiful blooms.
 
                      -        Smithsonian Sparks  A “Monster” in the Milky Way Galaxy         Two new studies have produced the first polarized light image of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way.   
                      -        Smithsonian Collection Spotlight  Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Swinging for the fences with these items in our collections.
 
                      -        Smithsonian Collection Spotlight  Votes for Women
A look at the fight to get the right to vote through the Smithsonian's collections.
 
                      -        Smithsonian Collection Spotlight  Fabulous Footwear
Along with the Ruby Slippers, the Smithsonian has some fabulous footwear in the collections.
 
                      -        Smithsonian Collection Spotlight  Tax Season
Along with collection items, “Tax Day from Smithsonian Folkways” addresses the spectrum of emotions associated with tax season.
 
                      -        Smithsonian Collection Spotlight  A Celebration of Poetry
In celebration of National Poetry Month, explore poetry-related collections from across the Smithsonian.
 
                      -        Smithsonian 3D  Neil Armstrong's Space Suit
Explore and download 3D models of Armstrong's spacesuit and other Apollo 11 objects.
 
                      -        Smithsonian Collection Spotlight  Up, Up, and Away
Let balloonamania carry you away with these picks from the collections.
 
                      -        Smithsonian  National Volunteer Month
On-site, online, or behind the scenes, the Smithsonian has always relied on volunteers and citizen scientists.
 
                      -        Smithsonian Collection Spotlight  Duke Ellington
Legendary performer Tony Bennett, portrays the man he celebrated as his mentor. Learn more about Duke Ellington from across the Smithsonian.
 

## Sidedoor Podcast

The Smithsonian's flagship podcast sneaks you through the side door to learn the stories you won't find anywhere else.

                      -        Sidedoor Podcast  The Artist Critics Love to Hate         His paintings, sketches, and prints papered the second half of the 20th century, highlighting American icons in his colorful expressionist style.   
                      -        Sidedoor Podcast  Monkeyin' Around on the Devil's Island         Follow along on a search for the elusive and rambunctious capuchin monkey on an island in the Pacific.   
                      -        Sidedoor Podcast  Cellphones Rock         Cellphones put the power of the world at our fingertips and it's all made possible by rocks formed millions of years ago, deep underground.   
                      -        Sidedoor Podcast  Red, White, and Brew         Meet the Smithsonian's brewing historian and a new wave of brewers who are working to craft some flavorful history of their own.     

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*Smithsonian* magazine places a Smithsonian lens on the world.

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Award-winning programming exploring science, nature, history, and pop culture.

Shop
Your purchase helps the Smithsonian bring exciting learning experiences to everyone.

Travel
Over 350 tours and cruises to all seven continents. Let the journey begin.

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