Knowra Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution is a U.S. group of museums, research centers, and educational institutions established by Congress in 1846 and funded largely by the federal government.
Smithsonian museums : Museums operated by the Smithsonian Institution, spanning art, history, science, and culture. They are the Institution’s most visible public-facing units.
James Smithson : An English chemist and mineralogist whose bequest funded the Smithsonian Institution. His will supplied the founding gift despite his never visiting the United States.
National Museum of Natural History : A Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C., devoted to natural history and scientific research. It brings research collections and public exhibitions together under one roof.
National Gallery of Art : A federally supported art museum in Washington, D.C., institutionally separate from the Smithsonian. It is a major national museum nearby but operates outside the Institution.
Smithsonian research centers : Research organizations within the Smithsonian Institution that study subjects including biology, astrophysics, and conservation. They extend the Institution’s work beyond exhibitions and public collections.
Smithson bequest : James Smithson’s bequest to the United States for an institution dedicated to increasing and diffusing knowledge. Congressional debate centered on how to honor and use this gift.
National Air and Space Museum : A Smithsonian museum documenting the history of aviation and spaceflight. Its collections preserve artifacts of flight and space exploration.
Library of Congress : The research library and national library of the United States, established by Congress in 1800. It shares a federal public mission but centers on library collections rather than museums.
Smithsonian Institution Archives : The repository that preserves records documenting the Smithsonian Institution’s history and operations. Its records trace how the Institution developed and made decisions.
Smithsonian Institution Act : The 1846 U.S. law that established the Smithsonian Institution and defined its governance. It converted Smithson’s bequest into a federally chartered institution.
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