The Smithsonian Institution has long served as America’s attic, a repository for the nation’s triumphs, contradictions, innovations and struggles. But that mission faces scrutiny as President Donald Trump continues to criticize how the institution presents American history. A recent White House Domestic Policy Council report declared the Smithsonian Institution “cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.”
The institution is pushing back, reaffirming its commitment to research and historical accuracy, even when that means confronting some of America’s most difficult chapters. Whatever the political debate, it’s become clear just how influential the Smithsonian has become in shaping how the public understands the nation’s past. With 21 museums, the National Zoo, and millions of objects in its collections, it’s far more than a tourist destination in Washington, D.C. It’s a living archive of American culture, creativity, and resilience.
A World of Free Access
Most of the Smithsonian’s 21 museums are free to enter. Among them are the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Postal Museum, and the Anacostia Community Museum, which celebrates the rich history of D.C.’s historically Black neighborhoods.
National Museum of African Art
Tucked into the center of the National Mall is the National Museum of African Art, often overlooked by those rushing to other well-known monuments. Inside, visitors discover the rich visual traditions of the continent through paintings, sculptures, and textiles. Founded in 1964 in a home once owned by Frederick Douglass, the museum features thoughtful exhibitions like “Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art,” which examines how contemporary African artists engage with LGBTQ+ themes and identity. It’s a gem worth the detour.
The National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum’s main building opened in 1976, but stepping through its doors still feels like entering a time capsule of American achievement. The museum tells the stories of the Tuskegee Airmen, Bessie Coleman (the first international Black pilot), and other pioneering figures who broke barriers in flight and space exploration.
National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery holds more than 26,000 portraits spanning U.S. presidents, civil rights leaders like John Lewis, and countless influential figures. Among its most-visited pieces are the portraits of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, unveiled in 2018.
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery houses an extraordinary collection of works by Black artists whose contributions have shaped American art. From Aaron Douglas’ powerful “Into Bondage” to Alma Thomas’ vibrant abstractions, Jacob Lawrence’s narrative paintings, Gordon Parks’ photography, and contemporary voices like Kerry James Marshall and Kara Walker, the gallery’s Black Artists Guide documents more than two centuries of artistic excellence.
The National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History is packed with iconic artifacts, but Entertainment Nation brings pop culture fully into the conversation. The “Roots to Pop” exhibition explores how movies, music, television, sports, and theater have shaped American identity through over 200 objects. You’ll find Dorothy’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” Prince’s “Yellow Cloud” guitar, Selena’s performance costume, the original Muppets, and Star Wars costumes for R2-D2 and C-3PO. It’s a reminder that entertainment doesn’t just reflect America; it helps define it.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is where contemporary art sparks conversation and challenges assumptions. Yayoi Kusama’s immersive Infinity Mirror Rooms share space with works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mark Bradford, Barbara Kruger, and Auguste Rodin. The outdoor sculpture garden features monumental installations in a serene setting, making it a destination for understanding how modern and contemporary artists use their practice to question, inspire, and reimagine the world.
Anacostia Community Museum
Nearly 60 years old, the Anacostia Community Museum preserves stories that mainstream historical narratives often leave untold. Founded in 1967 as the Smithsonian’s first neighborhood museum, it documents the history, culture and resilience of Black communities and other historically marginalized groups. The collection also celebrates Washington, D.C.’s distinctive cultural legacy, including a focus on go-go music. Visitors can see Chuck Brown’s Gibson guitar and learn how the “Godfather of Go-Go” shaped D.C.’s sonic identity, connecting music, community, and local history in ways that feel immediate and personal.
International Spy Museum
Telling America’s story requires acknowledging espionage. The International Spy Museum explores that hidden history and includes exhibitions on Black spies who were instrumental during the Revolutionary War and continue to serve in intelligence agencies today.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Sir Isaac Julien’s five-screen installation “Lessons of the Hour” offers far more than a historical retrospective. Layering period reenactments, archival imagery, and poetic visuals with an unsettling soundscape, Julien resurrects Frederick Douglass not as a figure to remember but as a thinker whose words remain unfinished business. More than a century after his death, Douglass’ rhetoric on democracy feels less like the past than a challenge to the present.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Since opening in 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has become essential viewing for all visitors to the National Mall. Dedicated entirely to Black history, culture, and legacy, the museum offers carefully curated exhibitions on historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), sports, the performing arts, and everyday objects with extraordinary meaning. One exhibit features a dress sewn by Rosa Parks herself, a tangible reminder of dignity and resistance.
Smithsonian Gardens
The Smithsonian Gardens offer respite where nature, art, and history intersect. The Mary Livingston Ripley Garden showcases diverse plantings, while pollinator-friendly landscapes educate visitors about conservation and biodiversity. These aren’t decorative spaces but living exhibits that connect people to science and environmental stewardship.
National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum reveals how the smallest artifacts can carry profound historical weight. Its virtual exhibition “The Black Experience” tells American history through U.S. postage stamps, highlighting figures who transformed the nation in civil rights, science, arts, literature, sports, and exploration. Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Jackie Robinson, and Bessie Coleman appear on stamps that commemorate their legacies and continue to tell their stories.
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History brings scientific discovery to life across vast timescales and ecosystems. The David H. Koch Hall of Fossils traces billions of years of Earth’s evolution. The Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals features the legendary Hope Diamond. The Sant Ocean Hall explores marine biodiversity and conservation. Together, these exhibitions remind visitors of their place in a living, constantly changing world.
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