Largest natural history museum in the world

Q: Where is the worlds largest natural history museum?

The Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History, located at 10th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C., is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum houses the worlds largest collection of natural history specimens and artifacts.

Table of Contents Show
Collections
The Natural History Museum in lockdown: flesh-eating beetles and exploding fossils
Who is looking after the collections while the Museum is in lockdown?
On display at the Museum
News
Mantellisaurus: 3D-scanning one of the most complete British dinosaurs
A usually inaccessible dinosaur will be available to researchers around the world.
20 August 2019
Science news
Are natural history museums inherently racist?
How these institutions now engage with their history is crucial in how they move forward.
16 July 2019
News
The secret history of Hope the blue whale has finally been revealed
Evidence suggests she may have given birth the year before she died.
21 September 2018
Space
Maggie Aderin-Pocock on asteroid impacts – and how we can avoid them
Dr Aderin-Pocock talks us through asteroid sample return missions, and what experts are doing to prevent a space rock hitting Earth.
Collections
The blue whale: a cetacean relation
The Museum's blue whale died 120 years ago, but the legend of its dramatic demise lives on in the minds of one family.
Oceans
Highlighting coral reefs at risk
What can antique corals reveal about the impact of climate change on the ocean?
What on Earth?
The most painful wasp sting in the world explained
Armed with one of the most painful stings on the planet, tarantula hawks are a spider's worst nightmare.
Collections
The art of preserving a fish
Find out how Museum scientists used a new technique to preserve this enormous blue marlin forever.
On display at the Museum
Collections
The heavy metal rock bands charting life on early Earth
The touchable, wavy folds of this rock tell a story as old as life on Earth.
Anthropocene
Seaweeds: a hidden habitat under threat
Climate change could bring an end to algae and seaweed.
Collections
The blue whale: a three-year labour of love
Join Museum scientists as they reflect on becoming part of this specimen's giant story.
News
Museum unveils 'Hope' the blue whale skeleton
The Natural History Museum has unveiled a blue whale skeleton: the new star of its reimagined Hintze Hall, which begins the biggest transformation in its 136-year history.
13 July 2017
On display at the Museum
Collections
Missouri Leviathan: The making of an American mastodon
From touring spectacle to Museum star: hear the hidden history behind this ancient mammal skeleton.
On display at the Museum
Dinosaurs
The search for the real Iguanodon
Discover how Iguanodon's true identity was finally revealed.
Oceans
A blue whale's banquet
Rare drone footage could prove vital for research into the meals of the largest animals on the planet.
Oceans

A window into the world of seaweeds
Professor Juliet Brodie explains why seaweed forests are so important to coastlines all over the world.
Oceans
On the trail of the Wexford blue whale
Trace the 126-year journey of the blue whale from the sea to Museum.
Collections
Minerals: sparkling, sensitive and toxic
Minerals may look tough, but getting these crystals from ground to display case needs a very steady hand.
Collections
Tall order: rehousing a taxidermy giraffe
Go behind the scenes with Museum staff as they try to fit a taxidermy giraffe through some tight spaces.
News
Newly redeveloped Hintze Hall to open 14 July
The Museum's spectacular new central space will reopen on 14 July - and visitors can win an exclusive tour and be the first to experience it.

15 May 2017
Collections
The blue whale skull: an unusual delivery
After months away, the blue whale skeleton has returned to the Museum. How did conservators get it through the Victorian doors?
Collections
Why is taxidermy still valuable?
A bird curator discusses how and why taxidermy is still bringing nature to life.
On display at the Museum
Collections
The Imilac meteorite: a gem as old as the solar system
Dr Caroline Smith sheds light on the secrets this rock holds about the formation of our own planet.
Dinosaurs
A Diplodocus deconstructed
Moving a dinosaur is never easy. Watch as Museum conservators pack Dippy the Diplodocus into boxes, one bone at a time.
Anthropocene
Could giraffes become extinct?
Mammals expert Richard Sabin explains why giraffe numbers have plummeted in the past 15 years.
Collections
Indexing Earth's wonders: a history of the Museum
Find out how new developments will build on the Museum's history as an index of the natural world.
News
BBC Horizon to document transformation of Hintze Hall
BBC Two's Horizon programme will go behind the scenes at the Museum to film the move of a blue whale skeleton into Hintze Hall.
26 April 2018
On display at the Museum
Collections
The giant sequoia: preserving a slice of natural history
How do you conserve an ancient wedge of giant tree? With solvent, buckets of resin and a lot of patience.
Dinosaurs
Taking Dippy down: the first steps
Lorraine Cornish, Head of Conservation, prepares to dismantle the Diplodocus skeleton.
News
Exciting year ahead for the Museum
This year will be a milestone in the Museum's transformation into a Natural History Museum for the future. At the centre of this is Hintze Hall, which will be unveiled in summer 2017.
3 January 2017
Dinosaurs
How to clean a Diplodocus
Cleaning Dippy the dinosaur takes more than a quick flick with a duster. Exhibition specialist Helen Walker talks us through it.
News
Dippy the dinosaur's UK tour venues announced
Eight venues will host the Museum's Diplodocus skeleton on its tour of the country, including a cathedral, parliament building and community centre.
26 April 2018
News
Blue whale conservation team wins prestigious award
The conservators preparing the Museum's blue whale skeleton for its move into Hintze Hall have received a prize for their contribution to the public's understanding of conservation.
4 June 2018
Collections
Hidden treasures above our heads
It is a detail that most Museum visitors miss, but the Hintze Hall ceiling is a work of art in itself.
Oceans
Whale move: conservation commences
Watch as our blue whale is moved into storage and the conservators start their work.
Dinosaurs
Dippy: this is your life
Discover Dippy's story, from the unearthing of the first Diplodocus bones to the famous cast's time on display at the Museum.
Oceans
Examining the blue whale: the move begins
Go behind the scenes as the first bones are taken down from the blue whale skeleton.
Oceans
Teaser: staging set for blue whale skeleton move
Watch the scaffolding rising around the blue whale skeleton as the Museum gears up for the move.
'Monstrous' mastodon molar
This is the first mastodon fossil from Britain ever described. It belonged to William Smith, creator of Britain’s first geological map.
A history in pictures: the Museum's Hintze Hall
What specimens have captivated visitors over the years as they enter the Museum?
News
Blue whale to take centre stage at the Museum
A vast blue whale skeleton is set to welcome visitors through the Museum's main entrance from summer 2017. The whale will take the place of the Diplodocus cast that has stood in Hintze Hall for 35 years.
29 January 2015

Where is the world's largest natural history museum?

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, located at 10th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C., is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum houses the world's largest collection of natural history specimens and artifacts.

What is the biggest history museum in the world?

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian is the world's largest research and museum complex, with 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and various research stations.