Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is a group of museums and research centers administered by the United States government.
==Role==
It appeared as a major setting in the film Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. 
==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.
==Gallery==
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Category:Locations
Category:Museums
Category:Places