Smithsonian Castle

Hear the stories behind our best loved and little known museums on the Mall! Washington’s most famous and lesser known museums can be found on the East side of the National Mall, laid out between the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument. Called “America’s Attic,” the Smithsonian Institution is one of the largest museum organizations in the world, with 30 million annual visitors, 19 museums and over 140 million items in the collection. On this tour, explore how the Smithsonian Institution has helped shape the fabric of the National Mall since 1847. Please note we’ll be discussing the museums from the exterior, with the exception of the National Gallery of Art, which we will briefly go inside!