Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex — a federally chartered trust instrumentality of the United States comprising 21 museums, the National Zoo, and nine research facilities. Established by Congress in 1846 with funds bequeathed by British scientist James Smithson "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge," the Smithsonian holds approximately 157 million objects, works of art, and specimens. Admission to all Smithsonian museums is free.

Current Law (2026)

Legal Authority

• 20 U.S.C. § 41 — Establishment (the Smithsonian Institution is established for the "increase and diffusion of knowledge," administered by a Board of Regents)
• 20 U.S.C. § 42 — Board of Regents; members (the Chief Justice, the Vice President, three Senators, three Representatives, and nine citizen members appointed by Congress)
• 20 U.S.C. § 46 — Duties of Secretary (the Secretary is the executive officer, responsible for managing the Institution's affairs)
• 20 U.S.C. § 50 — Reception and arrangement of specimens and objects (the Smithsonian receives and arranges natural history, geological, and other specimens and objects)
• 20 U.S.C. § 65 — Repealed provisions relating to National Museum (historical authority for the natural history and American history collections)
• 20 U.S.C. § 76 — National Air and Space Museum (establishes the museum for commemorating the history and development of aviation and space flight)
• 20 U.S.C. § 80 — National Gallery of Art (administered by a separate board of trustees, but part of the Smithsonian complex)
• 20 U.S.C. § 80q — National Museum of the American Indian (establishes the museum within the Smithsonian for the preservation and exhibition of Native American heritage)
• 20 U.S.C. § 43 — Appointment of regents; terms of office; vacancies (citizen regents are appointed for 6-year terms by joint resolution of Congress; vacancies filled by the Regents; the Chancellor is the Chief Justice)
• 20 U.S.C. § 57a — Smithsonian police (Smithsonian employs security officers with police powers — including arrest authority — to protect the Institution's buildings, grounds, and property)
• 20 U.S.C. § 81 — Administration by Board of Regents (the Board administers the Institution's affairs and publishes annual reports to Congress)

How It Works

The Smithsonian occupies a unique position in American governance — it is neither a federal agency nor a private institution, but a trust instrumentality created by an act of Congress with both public funding and private endowment. This hybrid structure gives it unusual flexibility while maintaining accountability to Congress and the public.

The Board of Regents provides governance, with a composition that bridges the branches of government and the public: the Chief Justice of the United States (who traditionally serves as Chancellor), the Vice President, three Senators, three Representatives, and nine citizen members appointed by Congress. This structure ensures that the Smithsonian serves national interests while maintaining independence from any single branch of government.

The Smithsonian's 21 museums cover an extraordinary range: the National Air and Space Museum (the most visited museum in the world for many years), the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (opened 2016), the National Museum of the American Indian, the Hirshhorn Museum (modern art), the National Portrait Gallery, the Renwick Gallery, the Cooper Hewitt (design), and the National Zoo, among others. All museums are free to visitors — a policy that reflects the Institution's founding mission of "increase and diffusion of knowledge" for all people.

Research is the Smithsonian's less visible but equally important mission. Nine research facilities (peers to the Library of Congress as a national knowledge institution) — including the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center — conduct scientific research in biodiversity, astrophysics, ecology, and cultural studies. The Smithsonian's 157 million objects constitute one of the world's most important scientific and cultural collections.

Funding comes from two sources: approximately two-thirds from federal appropriations and one-third from trust funds (private donations, museum revenue, endowment income). This dual-funding model means the Smithsonian depends on both congressional support and private philanthropy.

How It Affects You

If you're visiting Washington, D.C. — or planning to — the Smithsonian's 21 free museums are among the most visited sites in the country, but planning ahead saves time. Admission is free at all Smithsonian museums, but timed entry passes are required for the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) — the most popular museum in the system, with passes often booking out weeks in advance; reserve at nmaahc.si.edu as early as possible. The National Air and Space Museum on the Mall underwent a major renovation completed in 2022; the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia (free, admission charged for parking) houses the Space Shuttle Discovery, the Concorde, and Enola Gay — often less crowded than the Mall location. The Natural History and American History museums have no pass requirement and absorb large crowds well. All museums are closed on December 25; hours are typically 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Check si.edu for current hours, special exhibition tickets (some paid exhibitions run within free museums), and building closures due to renovation. The Smithsonian app provides real-time visitor guidance and collection search.

If you're a researcher, scientist, or scholar, the Smithsonian's collections and research facilities are among the world's most significant — and more accessible than most people realize. The 157 million objects in the collections include type specimens foundational to taxonomy, historical and cultural materials unique in the world, and art collections spanning millennia. Many collections are accessible through the Smithsonian Online Virtual Archive (SOVA) and the Open Access portal at collections.si.edu, where over 4.7 million objects are available for download under Creative Commons licensing. For in-person collection access, most Smithsonian museums offer appointments with collections specialists — contact the relevant curatorial department directly through si.edu/museums. The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program offers competitive research fellowships at the predoctoral, postdoctoral, and senior levels; applications open each November through fellowships.si.edu. Research facilities — including the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (Cambridge, MA), the Tropical Research Institute (Panama), and the Environmental Research Center (Maryland) — have their own fellowship and visiting researcher programs.

If you're an educator teaching K–12 students or working in informal science education, the Smithsonian's digital and physical resources are extensive and largely free. The Smithsonian Learning Lab (learninglab.si.edu) offers curated digital collections and educator-created lesson plans tied to NGSS and Common Core standards — covering everything from civil rights history using NMAAHC materials to insect biodiversity from the Natural History collections. Smithsonian Affiliates — approximately 200 museums and cultural institutions across all 50 states — receive access to Smithsonian traveling exhibitions, staff expertise, and programming support. Find an affiliate near you at affiliations.si.edu. For field trips to D.C.: the Smithsonian offers group visit planning resources and educator guides for most museums; many exhibits have downloadable pre-visit materials. The Smithsonian's Science Education Center supports STEM curriculum development at the national level.

If you're tracking federal cultural institution funding and policy, the Smithsonian receives approximately $1 billion or more annually in federal appropriations — the primary funding source for salaries, collections care, building maintenance, and research. Recent developments have made Smithsonian governance more politically visible: Trump executive orders directing federal agencies to eliminate DEI programming in 2025 created tensions between the EO mandate and the Smithsonian's core programming at the NMAAHC, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Smithsonian Latino Center. The Board of Regents — which includes the Chief Justice and the Vice President as ex officio members, plus congressional members and citizen regents — navigated these pressures without altering core permanent collections, though some programming was modified. The construction of the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women's History Museum — both congressionally authorized for National Mall sites — is proceeding slowly due to heavy reliance on private fundraising alongside modest appropriations. For Smithsonian budget and governance details, annual reports are published at si.edu/about.

State Variations

The Smithsonian Institution is exclusively federal. Most museums are located in Washington, D.C., though some facilities are elsewhere:

• Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is in New York City
• The National Zoo is in Washington, D.C.
• The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is in Panama
• Traveling exhibitions bring Smithsonian collections to museums and venues nationwide
• The Smithsonian Affiliates program partners with approximately 200 museums across the country

Implementing Regulations

The Smithsonian operates under its own Board of Regents and organic statute (20 U.S.C. §§ 41–70). 36 CFR Part 504 contains Smithsonian visitor conduct rules. No comprehensive CFR governs internal operations — the institution exercises significant self-regulatory authority through its Board.

Pending Legislation

• S 3953 — Smithsonian African American history teaching program, $4M/year authorized. Status: Introduced.
• HR 6467 — Designate Baltimore museum as National Museum of the Blind People's Movement. Status: Introduced.
• S 3371 — Same: designate National Museum of the Blind People's Movement. Status: Introduced.

Recent Developments

The National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum were authorized by Congress in 2020, with planning and design underway for new facilities on or near the National Mall. The Smithsonian has dramatically expanded its digital presence, making millions of collection objects available online with open access. The Institution continues to address the repatriation of Native American human remains and cultural objects under NAGPRA and its own repatriation policies.

• Trump DEI executive orders and Smithsonian programming: Trump's executive orders directing federal agencies and federally funded institutions to eliminate DEI programs affected Smithsonian programming, exhibits, and educational content. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Smithsonian Latino Center faced pressure to modify or remove exhibits and programs characterized as advancing DEI ideology. The Smithsonian's Board of Regents — which includes the Chief Justice and the Vice President ex officio, plus congressional members and private citizen regents — engaged in governance discussions about compliance with EOs versus the Smithsonian's educational mission. Some programming was modified; core permanent collections were not altered.
• NAGPRA repatriation and Smithsonian acceleration: The 2023 NAGPRA regulatory revisions and ongoing tribal pressure have accelerated Smithsonian repatriation efforts. The National Museum of Natural History — which holds the largest collection of Native American human remains in the world (approximately 39,000 individuals) — announced a 10-year plan in 2023 to complete repatriation. The Smithsonian operates under the National Museum of the American Indian Act (not NAGPRA directly) but has adopted NAGPRA-equivalent repatriation standards. Major tribal repatriations of skeletal remains and sacred objects have occurred; documentation and cultural affiliation research for the remaining inventory continues.
• New museum construction — American Latino and Women's History: The National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women's History Museum advanced their planning phases in 2024-2025. Both museums were authorized on the National Mall; site selection and design competitions are underway. Congressional appropriations for construction have been modest relative to what construction will ultimately require — both museums depend heavily on private fundraising. The DOGE-era review of federal construction projects did not directly affect these congressionally authorized museums, but federal construction cost oversight has extended timelines.
• Smithsonian digital and AI collections access: The Smithsonian's Open Access initiative — launched in 2020 — has made over 4.7 million digital collection objects available under Creative Commons licensing with no use restrictions. AI companies have used Smithsonian digital collections for training datasets; the Smithsonian has engaged with AI ethics questions about how cultural heritage collections should be used in AI training. The Smithsonian has partnered with Google Arts & Culture and other platforms to provide immersive digital access to exhibitions; revenue from digital licensing of high-resolution images generates modest but growing non-appropriated funds for collection digitization.