National Museum of Natural History
8.8Friend Score / 10#4 of 8 Museums in Washington, DC
free
Known forsmithsonianfreenational mallfamily
The Smithsonian's natural history museum on the Mall, famous for the Hope Diamond, the giant rotunda elephant, a renovated dinosaur fossil hall and a live butterfly pavilion. It is enormous, free and family-friendly, so target a few halls rather than trying to see everything. It gets very busy midday, so arrive at opening or in late afternoon.
Key facts
| Hours | Hours not verified |
|---|---|
| Price | free |
| Phone | — |
| Website | — |
| Nearest transit | — |
| Time needed | — |
| Best time to go | — |
| Last verified | July 15, 2026 |
Friend Score
8.8/10- Value9.5
- iconic9.0
- excellence9.0
- Crowd level8.5
- Authenticity8.5
- Accessibility8.5
Nearby in Ask Washington DC
- National MallPark0.3 km · 4 min walk
- National Museum of American HistoryMuseum0.34 km · 4 min walk
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture GardenMuseum0.44 km · 5 min walk
- National Gallery of ArtMuseum0.52 km · 7 min walk
- National Museum of African American History and CultureMuseum0.57 km · 7 min walk
Where to stay near National Museum of Natural History
Compare hotels & stays on Booking.com · doesn’t affect the Friend Score