The Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution building (the «Castle») is worth a stop as it’s the beautiful, original building; it now serves mainly as the administrative/​information/​welcome center for all the other Smithsonian museum buildings. There are a number of collection items on display here, you can take a tour of the gothic looking building, and the grounds (with carousel) are lovely; in a smaller city, it would be more of a five star attraction. This being D.C., and the fact that the Smithsonian has so many buildings means that it becomes just another (worthwhile) stop along the way.

Myself and children absolutely enjoyed this museum! Unlike a lot of museums, this one is great for children! A lot for them to see and always activities going on! As any other museums food and gift shop can be Pricey!
I will return with children or alone!

Nice welcome and information center in the Smithsonian Castle. They even have a nice café and small gift shop that aren’t overly busy like the ones in their museums. I really like the interactive overview map which was easier to get an idea of the route you want to take versus fumbling with a tourist map or your phone.

The Smithsonian Institute serves as a central hub and visitor’s center for the Smithsonian museums. It’s a great way to start your day since they have volunteers on staff who are able to supply you with a map and a route for specific exhibits that you might find interesting.
In previous years, staff would walk around and greet visitors. Nowadays the set up is a little different. Staff is stationed behind a desk. They have computers set up along the walls which let you select choices from a list of interests. The computer suggests route guidance for your day and a timeline with estimates for how long it will take to view each exhibit. At the conclusion, the info is emailed to the address that you input.
I found this very helpful in terms of maximizing our time at each museum.

Also known as the «Castle,» this center serves ass the Information hub for all the Smithsonian buildings that surround it. Located just past the Washington Monument/​before the U.S. Capital building, you’ll be able to spot this huge «Castle» looking building as you make your way down Pennsylvania and it’s almost like a prop building out of the Medieval Times or even more mid-​fetched, one of the castles from a Harry Potter movie. Looking absolutely formidable and grand in the daylight, you wander in through either the front or back entrance before reaching the lobby.
The lobby has a 3-​D interactive map that provides information to its other Smithsonian Museums; it has a shop for gift purchases, a resting are with tables and chairs, as well as a Information table. A nice to start if you aren’t sure where to go and what museum features what.
Located on the corner of Jefferson Dr. and 14^th Street, near the Carousel, Freer /​Sackler Galleries (currently under construction until Summer 2016), Hishhorn Museum and Ripley Center. The entrance to all Smithsonian museums are free and majority of them close at 5:30pm during normal days. Additionally, there are some museums that offer free Wi-​Fi with some having stronger reception than others.
Some history:
Completed in 1855, designed by architect James Renwick Jr. (original Smithsonian Institution Building)
Now home to the Smithsonian Visitor Center
Smithsonian headquarters
features exhibitions presenting the scope and scale of its collection and research.

I often go there. I don’t know why though… Maybe caz I can see many different kinds of things in one room.
Price: Free.
Customer service: Good.
Café: Hummmm, pricy and I found some moldy berries…
Bathroom: Clean and plenty.

I suck when it comes to peepin historical landmarks, buildings, museums and art galleries. I get bored and cranky and make up some excuse to leave in order to hit up a pub, in close proximity.
Not so with this place.
It was dope to see the attractions, walk around the different buildings, learn about the history (your guide will not bore you), learn about the social/​political/​cultural impact of this «place» (these «places»).
My motto: Learn, every day. (well, its one of my bzillion mottos)
Of Note: I pee’d in the Smithsonian Castle.

This particular building is the «Castle» Or the Smithsonian Institution Visitor Center. It is a welcome center and a bit of a sampler as you look around. Is there a lot to do here? No, but there is a neat exhibit of things in the far wing, parts of collections that are housed here to piqué your interest to get you to see the other locations.
This building houses the administration offices for the Smithsonian Institute as well as that for the researchers.

I’m a little confused as to the purpose of this Smithsonian building. I went through a full security check point and far as I could tell this building was a huge information kiosk and snack bar.
Am I wrong?
Seems to me like we could make a lot better use of our tax dollars on this one.
Skip this one. I didn’t make the postal museum but it has to be a lot more exciting than this one.

This is the place to start when it comes to visiting the 19 museums and the Zoo, which are part of The Smithsonian. You learn how they started, can’t grab a snack. Fountain drinks are $ 3.85 unlimited refills. The have a gift shop and the crypt of the founder is here. Grab the $ 1 book. It’s a great buy and it supports them, while giving you the info on all the museums.
There are plugs to recharge your electronic devices. There is also free WiFi in all the museums.

There’s a 3d map to plan your museums & galleries hopping. Also a small exhibit out back, away from the noisy children when I went. Nice break for my eyes & ears.

I have always loved all of the Smithsonian museums. This past weekend, I visited the Smithsonian castle, which is beautiful from the the outside. It basically serves as the visitor’s hub for all of the Smithsonian museums and art galleries. Inside, you can learn about Mr. Smithson and his contribution. There is also a wonderful topographic layout of the Smithsonian part of D.C., which could aid travelers in deciding how to spend their day.

I didn’t have time to go through all of the museums, but I briefly browsed through the Asian Art center, Ripley’s, and the castle. They do a fine job of capturing really cool things.

The Smithsonian Institution is also called the Smithsonian Castle. The building is gorgeous. This building holds exhibits from all the nearby other Smithsonian museums. But the draw for me was the building itself. The arches, the castle like feel to it, nice landscape in the front, garden in the back. It’s a pretty place to rest. And resting is important in DC because there is a heck a lot of walking. TOO MUCH WALKING, really! The blocks in DC are longer than the avenue blocks in Manhattan. Imagine every block in Manhattan being a huge avenue block no matter which direction you walk. It is painful in DC! Just resting at the Castle was a pleasure because of the scenery.

Bottom Line: Mr. Smithson’s knowledge diffusion institution is world-​class and the initial building, commonly known as the Smithsonian Castle, serves as a welcome center and «museum sampler.»
Admittedly, the name of this Unilocal page and its intended purpose is a bit confusing to me. The title of this page is «The Smithsonian Institution» which is a collection of 19 museums although most people here seem to be using this page to describe The Smithsonian Castle, which is the original Smithsonian Building. To make sure all of my basis are covered, here is some information on the Smithsonian Institution as a whole as well as the Smithsonian Castle:
The Smithsonian Institution
–The largest museum complex in the world
–Includes 19 museums and galleries, 11 of which are on the National Mall
–Includes the National Zoo in DC too
–Includes 9 research centers
–In most cases, admission is free (or as I like to say as a tax-​payer, «prepaid»)
The Castle
— The very first Smithsonian building, the Castle served as home to the Smithsonian Secretary, a research center, an exhibit hall, a lecture hall and other things to fulfill the Smithsonian’s mission.
— Today the Castle is the welcome center/visitor’s center for the Smithsonian Institution. It’s a great place to plan your visit to the museums if you need some help.
— Contains a sampling of exhibits that you can expect to find at the various museums, for example stamps from the National Postal Museum, ginormous bird-​eating tarantulas from the Natural History Museum and Bryan Boitano’s ice skates from the American history museum.
— A great chance to check out some rare-​for-​DC gothic inspired architecture.
— Also offers some nice conveniences like a little café, restrooms, WiFi and a gift shop

Aka the Smithsonian Castle, here is not a lot to see inside.
If you have the time take a walk inside to cool off on a hot day.
Most of the attraction is on the outside and in the garden surrounding this unique building.
The is an entrance on the mall and an entrance facing Independence Ave. SW for access to Sackler Gallery, Haupt Garden and Museum of African Art.

Near the White House stands a red castle. It is a Gothic Revival style castle that is made of red sandstone. It is a castle ruled by the Smithsonian. Since 1855 when it was established, it has been the Smithsonian Museum. Over the years, the Smithsonian collection outgrew the space in the castle and spread to 19 museums and the National Zoo. Today, the red sandstone castle is a landmark that stands out from the white granite buildings and monuments along the National Mall.
The Smithsonian Castle (or Smithsonian Institute) is a landmark building in a kingdom that includes eleven museums along the National Mall. After spending a week in Washington DC, I learned that you can easily spend a week exploring just the Smithsonian museums. The sundry of museums can be overwhelming. Today, the Smithsonian Castle serves as a visitor center and administrative offices for the Smithsonian museum system. I highly suggest a visit here before exploring the many museums. The people at the counter are informative. When we visited we had an idea of the museums we were going to visit and this was a middle stop in our tour of the Smithsonians. My question was concerning what museum the first pharmacy was in and when the American Indian Museum closes. The woman at the desk presented me with a map and handwritten closing times. In addition to the informative woman working at the desk, information signs were also helpful. The signs tell you how far you are from a Smithsonian property. So, the sign informing me that I was a twenty minute walk from the American Indian Museum was beneficial because I knew that I’d have sufficient time to spend quality time there.
If there ever was a King ruling over the Smithsonian Castle, the closest would be James Smithson. He is the founder of the Smithsonian. Today he rules the Smithsonian in spirit. As soon as you walk inside the Smithsonian Castle from the National Mall entrance, at the immediate left is the crypt room that holds the tomb of James Smithson.
My favorite exhibit in the Smithsonian Castle was the model of Washington DC. It was neat looking at the city and all the landmarks in a model scale.
The Smithsonian Castle is also a historical spot to sit outdoors in a beautiful garden. The majority of our time here was sitting outside in the 4.2 acre Emid A. Haupt Garden. From this angle we overlooked a botanical framed Arts & Industry Building, the adjacent redstone Smithsonian landmark. This is a beautiful spot to breath in the flowers and relax before continuing on a Smithsonian adventure.
The Smithsonian Castle is where knowledge is king. Knowledge is power. The Smithsonian Castle is where the visitor is king.

Espectacular lugar, muchas actividades para niños y adultos y mucho para aprender siempre tiene videos documentales y educativos con respecto a todo lo que puedes ver, mucho por aprender y el tiempo no alcanza. Todo el día te toma la visita al museo si quieres disfrutarlo al maximo

A beautiful building! The Smithson crypt was really the only reason I wanted to go in because really all the castle is is an information center with a café. The crypt was interesting, almost spine tingling because its a small stone room with a gate and its kind of weird to be in a room knowing there’s a dead body right there. Haha

It’s worth a quick stroll through the gardens and inside. But that’s it. You can’t go anywhere but the ground floor and there’s not much to see inside except the beautiful architecture and craftsmanship.

Gorgeous architecture and piece of history. There’s not much to do or learn here but it’s still beautiful.

The Smithsonian Institution is a such a beautiful castle! It is an umbrella/​campus full of museums for aviation, history, arts, etc. It is very well-​kept and FREE to the public. One thing you can’t do is bring food and drinks since it’s not allowed. My favorite one was the Air and Space Museum.
Outside there are some nice gardens. Inside, in addition to admiring the architecture, there’s the tomb of James Smithson who is the founder of the Smithsonian, there’s also an information desk, gift shop, café, and sample of items from the various Smithsonian museums.
The blue and orange Metro train line runs by the Smithsonian — get off the Smithsonian Station and the castle will be across/​in front.

The Smithsonian Institution is a campus full of museums for aviation, history, botany, etc. There are a handful of buildings/​memorials to admire too. The campus is very well-​kept and is free to the public. My favorite one is the aviation one and the history museum. Of course, the famous memorials were beautiful as well, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial. The memorials did a great job of paying homage to the fallen. The underground train line runs by the Smithsonian. When you exit the station, you’ll be in front of the The Smithsonian Institution (a castle).

This beautiful castle serves as the administrative headquarters of Smithsonian Institution, the organization responsible for providing you free admission to quality museums throughout Washington DC!
Unfortunately, there is nothing to do in the castle itself. Only the first floor is open to public as an information center and café, but the information center was just a desk with few brochures of nearby museums. The entire first floor was not well-​maintained and felt like an outdated retirement home. The only interesting thing inside the castle was the crypt of Smithson himself, the founder of the namesake institution.
Don’t bother going inside the castle’s security checkpoint, but do check out the beautiful garden at the back of the castle!

Hurray for The Smithsonian Museums that account for 8 – 10 of the city’s 130 museums! All of the museums under this governmental umbrella are beautifully maintained and lovingly curated — and they’re FREE. I visited the Freer-​Sackler for its Whistler exhibit. Very well done. Also visited the museum shops (both in the Asian and African buildings). Have long maintained that the best shopping for unique gifts is at the museums in D.C.
Anyway, thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Sackler today. Look forward to many more museum visits. My two favorite Smithsonians (the National Gallery and the Portrait/​American) are great friends of mine so I look forward to upcoming rendezvous!

The Smithsonian Castle is the very first Smithsonian that was created out of the 19 museums in the greater DC area. It serves as the visitors center for the Smithsonians and you’re able to see a grand replica of The Mall inside of the Castle.
Inside the Smithsonian has the crept of James Smithson, the man who donated the money for the open of the Smithsonians in DC. Funny thing is he never stepped food on American soil nor did he get to see where his money went towards. He was originally buried in Italy, but moved him to the US a few years later where we are able to pay tribute to him.
It is very scenic and a nice place to stop in and visit. Also on these grounds is the Enid Haupt Garden that is worth exploring too. Enjoy it and take it all in!

I’m pleased that I’m able to mark my 1,000 review with this one.
There is so much that can be said.
My words can’t express my appreciation for this opportunity.
A priceless gift for all the world.
Go and experience it.
My favorite time is in the spring when the Cherry Blossoms are blooming.
The garden experience is truly unique.

Irgendwann fragt man sich, wenn man immer wieder mit dem Namen konfrontiert wird, was oder wer denn nun Smithsonian war? Es gab ihn tatsächlich, James Smithson (geboren in Frankreich, gestorben in Genua) und er war niemals in Washington oder selbst den USA. Er war englischer Mineraloge und Chemiker, aber auch ein Menschenfreund und vererbete der Stadt Washington sein ganzes Vermögen etwa eine halbe Million Dollar mit dem Ziel in Washington unter dem Namen Smithsonian Institution eine Einrichtung zur Vermehrung und Verbreitung von Wissen unter den Menschen zu gründen. Dies allerdings nur für den Fall, dass Smithsons Neffe und dessen Erben kinderlos sterben würde, was auch geschah. So erbte 1836 die Regierung der USA das Geld, diskutierte mehr als zehn Jahre, was mit dem Geld geschehen solle bevor eine Stiftung gegründet wurde mit deren Geld die Nationalmuseen unterhalten werden. 1855 wurde die erste Kunstsammlung im Smithsonian Castle, oder eben Institution, gezeigt.

Das Smithsonian Institut ist ähnlich einer Nationalen Akademie der Wissenschaften und sein erstes Gebäude, das Schloss beherbergt die Verwaltung und das Besucherzentrum.
Es wurde 1855 fertiggestellt und mehrfach rekonstruiert.