National Museum of Natural History
Overview
The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is one of the world's preeminent institutions for scientific research, education, and exhibition. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. The museum is dedicated to inspiring curiosity, discovery, and learning about the natural world through its unparalleled research, collections, exhibitions, and education outreach programs.
History
The National Museum of Natural History was officially opened in 1910, although the Smithsonian Institution has been collecting natural history specimens since it was founded in 1846. The museum's collections grew rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the current building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was constructed to house them.
Collections
The NMNH houses over 145 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, and human cultural artifacts. It is the largest natural history collection in the world. The collections are used by the museum's scientists and researchers from around the world to answer fundamental questions about life, the nature of the universe, and our place in it.
Paleobiology
The Paleobiology Department of the NMNH holds one of the most significant fossil collections in the world. The collection includes specimens from all geologic ages and from every part of the globe. These fossils serve as a record of life on Earth and are used by scientists to study the history of life and the changes in Earth's biota through time.
Anthropology
The Anthropology Department of the NMNH holds more than 3 million objects, which include both archaeological and ethnographic artifacts from around the world. The collection represents the cultural diversity of humanity and spans the entire history of Homo sapiens.
Botany
The Botany Department of the NMNH houses one of the largest and most important plant collections in the world. The collection includes specimens of vascular plants, bryophytes, and algae, and is used by scientists to study the diversity and distribution of plants and their role in ecosystems.
Entomology
The Entomology Department of the NMNH houses one of the largest and most significant insect collections in the world. The collection includes more than 35 million specimens, which represent about 90% of the insect families.
Invertebrate Zoology
The Invertebrate Zoology Department of the NMNH houses a collection of more than 50 million specimens, which represent more than 80% of the known animal species that are invertebrates.
Mineral Sciences
The Mineral Sciences Department of the NMNH houses one of the world's most comprehensive collections of minerals, gems, and meteorites. The collection includes more than 350,000 mineral specimens, 10,000 gems, 15,000 meteorites, and hundreds of rocks from the Moon and Mars.
Vertebrate Zoology
The Vertebrate Zoology Department of the NMNH houses collections of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The collections are among the most important and comprehensive in the world, and they are used by scientists to study the diversity, evolution, ecology, and behavior of vertebrates.
Research
Research at the NMNH is focused on systematics, the study of the diversity of life and its evolutionary history. The museum's scientists use the collections to conduct research in a wide range of fields, including anthropology, botany, entomology, invertebrate zoology, mineral sciences, paleobiology, and vertebrate zoology.
Education and Outreach
The NMNH offers a wide range of education and outreach programs, including exhibitions, public programs, digital learning resources, and professional development for educators. The museum's exhibitions are designed to engage visitors with the wonders of the natural world and the process of scientific discovery.