Editing Smithsonian Institution (section)

==Museums==
{{main|List of Smithsonian museums}}

Nineteen museums and galleries, as well as the [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoological Park]], comprise the Smithsonian museums.<ref name="Fact">{{cite web| url= http://newsdesk.si.edu/factsheets/facts-about-smithsonian-institution |title= Facts about the Smithsonian Institution| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101101232622/http://newsdesk.si.edu/factsheets/facts-about-smithsonian-institution |archivedate= November 1, 2010 | website= newsdesk.si.edu | publisher= Smithsonian Institution| access-date= February 19, 2011}}</ref> Eleven are on the [[National Mall]], the park that runs between the [[Lincoln Memorial]] and the [[United States Capitol]]. Other museums are located elsewhere in Washington, D.C., with two more in New York City and one in [[Chantilly, Virginia]].

[[File:Air and Space Planes.jpg|thumb|200px|Aircraft on display at the [[National Air and Space Museum]], including a [[Ford Trimotor]] and [[Douglas DC-3]] (top and second from top)]]

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"| Institution<ref name="Fact" />
!scope="col" class=unsortable| Type of collection
!scope="col" style="width: 15%"| Location<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.si.edu/Visit/Maps |title= Maps and Directions| website= Smithsonian Institution | access-date= February 21, 2011}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Opened
!scope="col" class=unsortable|{{ref heading}}
|-
!scope="row"| [[Anacostia Museum|Anacostia Community Museum]]
| [[African American culture]]
| [[Washington, D.C.]] <br> [[Anacostia]] 
| 1967
| <ref name="Anacosta">{{cite web| url= http://anacostia.si.edu/Museum/Mission_History.htm |title= Mission and History| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110828225228/http://anacostia.si.edu/Museum/Mission_History.htm |archivedate=August 28, 2011 | website= anacostia.si.edu| publisher= Anacostia Community Museum| access-date= December 6, 2009}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[Arthur M. Sackler Gallery]] (affiliated with the Freer Gallery)
| [[Asian art]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> [[National Mall]]
| 1987
| <ref name="Freer">[http://www.asia.si.edu/visitor/history.htm History of the Galleries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320023807/http://www.asia.si.edu/visitor/history.htm |date=March 20, 2009 }}. Freer and Sackler Galleries. Retrieved December 6, 2009</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[Arts and Industries Building]]
| Special event venue
| Washington, D.C. <br> National Mall
| 1881
| <ref name="Arts">{{cite web|url= http://www.si.edu/Museums/arts-and-industries-building |title= Arts and Industries Building| website= Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved December 26, 2015.}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum]]
| Design history
| New York City <br> [[Fifth Avenue#Museum Mile|Museum Mile]]
| 1897
| <ref name="Cooper">{{cite web| url= http://www.cooperhewitt.org/ABOUT/ |title= About The Museum | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090310142556/http://cooperhewitt.org/ABOUT/ |archivedate= March 10, 2009 | publisher= Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum| access-date= December 6, 2009}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[Freer Gallery of Art]] (affiliated with the Sackler Gallery)
| [[Asian art]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> National Mall
| 1923
|<ref name="Freer" />
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden]]
| [[contemporary art|Contemporary]] and [[modern art]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> National Mall
| 1974
| <ref name="Hirshorn">{{cite web| url= http://hirshhorn.si.edu/info/column.asp?key=92 |title= History of the Hirshhorn | publisher= Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080928232542/http://hirshhorn.si.edu/info/column.asp?key=92 |archivedate=September 28, 2008 |access-date= December 6, 2009}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[National Air and Space Museum]]
| [[Aviation]] and [[spaceflight]] history
| Washington, D.C. <br> National Mall
| {{sort|1946|1946,<br/>1976{{NoteTag|name=Moved| Year museum moved to current building}}}}
| <ref name="NASM">{{cite web |url= http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/history/nasm25th/chronology/index.htm |title= National Air and Space Museum Chronology| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130422183430/http://airandspace.si.edu/museum/history/nasm25th/chronology/index.htm |archivedate= April 22, 2013 | website= nasm.si.edu| publisher= National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution| access-date= December 6, 2009}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| National Air and Space Museum's [[Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center]]
| Aviation and spaceflight history
| [[Chantilly, Virginia|Chantilly]], [[Virginia]]
| 2003
| <ref name="Udvar">{{cite web| url= http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/ |title= Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120430130921/http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/ |archivedate= April 30, 2012 | website= nasm.si.edu| publisher= National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution| access-date= February 25, 2010}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[National Museum of African American History and Culture]]
| [[African-American history]] and [[African-American culture|culture]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> National Mall
| {{sort|2003|2003,<br/>2016{{NoteTag|name=Moved}}}}
| <ref>{{cite web| url= http://nmaahc.si.edu/section/about_us |title= About Us| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090326185133/http://nmaahc.si.edu/section/about_us |archivedate=March 26, 2009 | publisher= National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution|access-date=February 25, 2010}}</ref><ref name="NMAAHC">[http://nmaahcdesign.si.edu/overview/ Building The Museum, Overview]. National Museum of African American History and Culture. Retrieved January 10, 2010</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[National Museum of African Art]]
| [[African art]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> National Mall
| {{sort|1964|1964,<br/>1987{{NoteTag|name=Moved}}}}
| <ref name="NYT2">{{cite news |last=Brenson |first=Michael |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/08/arts/beneath-smithsonian-debut-for-2-museums.html |title=Beneath Smithsonian, Debut for 2 Museums |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 8, 1987 |access-date=December 29, 2009}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[National Museum of American History]]
| [[American history]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> National Mall
| 1964
| <ref name="American History">[http://americanhistory.si.edu/museum/mission-history Mission and History]. National Museum of American History. Retrieved February 14, 2018</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[National Museum of the American Indian]]
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American history]] and [[Native American art|art]]
| [[Washington, D.C.]] <br> [[National Mall]]
| 2004
| <ref name="Indian">[http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=about About the National Museum of the American Indian] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206102230/http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=about |date=February 6, 2010 }}. National Museum of the American Indian. Retrieved February 25, 2010</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040917050700/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/09/0914_040915_indian_museum_opening.html 20,000 American Indians March at National Museum Opening]. [[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]] News. September 21, 2004. Retrieved December 29, 2009</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| National Museum of the American Indian's [[George Gustav Heye Center]]
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American history]] and [[Native American art|art]]
| [[New York City]] <br> [[Bowling Green (New York City)|Bowling Green]]
| 1994
| <ref name="Indian" /><ref>[http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=visitor&second=ny Visitor Information New York, NY] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413221042/http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=visitor&second=ny |date=April 13, 2009 }}. National Museum of the American Indian. Retrieved December 29, 2009</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[National Museum of Natural History]]
| [[Natural history]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> National Mall
| {{sort|1858|1858,<br/>1911{{NoteTag|name=Moved}}}}
| <ref name="Natural">[http://www.mnh.si.edu/onehundredyears/brief_history.htm A Brief History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121200124/http://www.mnh.si.edu/onehundredyears/brief_history.htm |date=January 21, 2016 }}. National Museum of Natural History Museum History. Retrieved February 21, 2011</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[National Portrait Gallery (United States)|National Portrait Gallery]]
| [[Portrait painting|Portraiture]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> [[Penn Quarter, Washington, D.C.|Penn Quarter]]
| 1968
| <ref>[http://www.npg.si.edu/inform/overview.html Visiting the Museum, A Brief Overview: History with Personality]. National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved February 25, 2010</ref><ref>[http://www.npg.si.edu/inform/chronology.html Visiting the Museum, Building Chronology]. National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved December 29, 2009</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[National Postal Museum]]
| [[United States Postal Service]]; [[postal history]]; [[philately]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> [[NoMa]]
| 1993
| <ref name="Postal">[http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/museum/1c_history.html History of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414185001/http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/museum/1c_history.html |date=April 14, 2012 }}. National Postal Museum. Retrieved December 29, 2009</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[Renwick Gallery]]
| [[American craft]] and [[decorative arts]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> [[Lafayette Square Historic District, Washington, D.C.|Lafayette Square]]
| 1972
| <ref name="SAAM">[http://americanart.si.edu/visit/about/history/ About the American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery, History of the Museum Collection] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820024139/http://americanart.si.edu/visit/about/history/ |date=August 20, 2014 }}. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved December 29, 2009</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[Smithsonian American Art Museum]]
| [[Visual art of the United States|American art]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> Penn Quarter
| 1968
| <ref name="SAAM" />
|-
!scope="row"| [[Smithsonian Institution Building]] (The Castle)
| [[Visitor center]] and offices
| Washington, D.C. <br> National Mall
| 1855
| <ref name="Smithsonian">[http://www.si.edu/Museums/smithsonian-institution-building Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)]. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved February 21, 2011</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoological Park]] (National Zoo)
| [[Zoo]]
| Washington, D.C. <br> [[Rock Creek Park]]
| 1889
| <ref name=Zoo>[http://nationalzoo.si.edu/AboutUs/History/ History of the National Zoo]. [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoological Park]]. Retrieved December 29, 2009</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[Smithsonian American Women's History Museum]] 
| [[Women's history]]
| Washington, D.C. <br>  
| 2020{{NoteTag|name=Unbuilt| Year established; museum is currently pending construction}}
| <ref name="newmuseums-2020">{{cite web |last1=Blair |first1=Elizabeth |title=Congress Approves 2 New Museums Honoring American Latinos, Women's History |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/12/22/949153631/congress-approves-2-new-museums-honoring-american-latinos-womens-history |website=NPR |access-date=22 February 2025 |language=en |date=22 December 2020}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| [[National Museum of the American Latino]] 
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans]]
| Washington, D.C. <br>
| 2020{{NoteTag|name=Unbuilt}}
| <ref name="newmuseums-2020" />
|}

The Smithsonian has close ties with 168 other museums in 39 states, [[Panama]], and [[Puerto Rico]].<ref name="Fact" /> These museums are known as Smithsonian Affiliated museums. Collections of artifacts are given to these museums in the form of long-term loans. The Smithsonian also has a large number of traveling exhibitions, operated through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).<ref>[https://www.sites.si.edu/s/ Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110051740/https://www.sites.si.edu/s/ |date=November 10, 2017}}</ref> In 2008, 58 of these traveling exhibitions went to 510 venues across the country.<ref name="Fact" />

===Collections===
{{Expand section|date=September 2012}}
Smithsonian collections include 156&nbsp;million artworks, artifacts, and specimens. The [[National Museum of Natural History]] houses 145&nbsp;million of these specimens and artifacts, which are mostly animals preserved in formaldehyde. The Collections Search Center has 9.9&nbsp;million digital records available online. The Smithsonian Institution Libraries hold 2&nbsp;million library volumes. Smithsonian Archives hold {{convert|156830|cuft}} of archival material.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.si.edu/Collections|title=Smithsonian Collections |work=Smithsonian|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204031426/http://si.edu/Collections|archive-date=December 4, 2015 |access-date=June 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://collections.si.edu/search/about.htm|title=Smithsonian|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614050316/http://collections.si.edu/search/about.htm|archive-date=June 14, 2017 |access-date=June 28, 2019}}</ref>

The Smithsonian Institution has many categories of displays that can be visited at the museums. In 1912, First Lady [[Helen Herron Taft]] donated her inauguration gown to the museum to begin the [[Ball_gown#First_Ladies_Collection|First Ladies' Gown]] display at the [[National Museum of American History]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://americanhistory.si.edu/first-ladies/tradition-of-the-gowns|title=The First Ladies at the Smithsonian: The Tradition of the Gowns (page 1 of 3)|work=The National Museum of American History|date=April 4, 2012|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|access-date=March 8, 2017 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308221145/http://americanhistory.si.edu/first-ladies/tradition-of-the-gowns |archive-date=March 8, 2017}}</ref> one of the Smithsonian's most popular exhibits.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://americanhistory.si.edu/first-ladies/introduction|title=The First Ladies at the Smithsonian: The First Ladies: Introduction |work=The National Museum of American History|date=April 4, 2012 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution|access-date=March 8, 2017|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301223434/http://americanhistory.si.edu/first-ladies/introduction |archive-date=March 1, 2017}}</ref> The museum displays treasures such as the [[Star-Spangled Banner (flag)|Star-Spangled Banner]], the stove pipe hat that was worn by President [[Abraham Lincoln]], the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard Of Oz]]'', and the original Teddy Bear that was named after President [[Theodore Roosevelt]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.teddybearandfriends.com/archive/articles/history.html|title=The History of the Teddy Bear|first=Marianne|last=Clay|year=2002|magazine=Teddy Bear & Friends|publisher=Madavor Media, LLC|access-date=December 10, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723184018/http://www.teddybearandfriends.com/archive/articles/history.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011}}</ref> In 2016, the Smithsonian's Air & Space museum curators restored the large model ''Enterprise'' from the original ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' TV series.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/06/28/483281249/smithsonian-sets-phasers-to-restore-on-original-starship-enterprise |title=Smithsonian Sets Phasers To Restore On Original Starship Enterprise|date=June 28, 2016|work=Morning Edition|publisher=NPR: National Public Radio|access-date=July 1, 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701072340/http://www.npr.org/2016/06/28/483281249/smithsonian-sets-phasers-to-restore-on-original-starship-enterprise|archive-date=July 1, 2016}}</ref>

Following international debates about the [[decolonisation of museums]] and the legal and moral justifications of their acquisitions, the Smithsonian adopted a new "ethical returns policy" on April 29, 2022. This will permit the [[Deaccessioning|deaccession]] and restitution of items collected under circumstances considered unethical by contemporary standards and thus places moral over legal arguments. A month before, the Smithsonian's [[National Museum of African Art]] had announced the planned return of most of its 39 [[Benin Bronzes]] to [[Nigeria]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=McGlone |first=Peggy |title=Smithsonian to give back its collection of Benin bronzes |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/03/08/smithsonian-benin-bronzes-nigeria-return/ |access-date=May 18, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> as well as of other cultural items to [[Turkey]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ludel |first=Wallace |date=May 4, 2022 |title=Smithsonian adopts new 'ethical returns policy' to handle artefacts with problematic histories |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/05/04/smithsonian-new-ethical-returns-policy |access-date=May 18, 2022 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events}}</ref>

On October 11, 2022, Benin Bronzes from the [[National Museum of African Art]], as well as the [[National Gallery of Art]], were formally returned to Nigerian cultural officials in a ceremony held in Washington D.C. The Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, [[Lai Mohammed]], and Prince Aghatise Erediauwa, representing the [[Oba of Benin]] Kingdom, spoke at the ceremony. Mohammed said the "decision to return the timeless artworks is worth emulating."<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 11, 2022 |title=Smithsonian Returns 29 Benin Bronzes to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments in Nigeria |url=https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-returns-29-benin-bronzes-national-commission-museums-and-monuments |website= Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>

===Open access===
In February 2020, the Smithsonian made 2.8&nbsp;million digital items available to the public under a [[Creative Commons Zero]] Public Domain Dedication, with a commitment to release further items in the future.<ref>{{cite web |title=Open Access FAQ |url=https://www.si.edu/openaccess/faq |website=Smithsonian Institution |access-date=November 14, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>