The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo - shaping the future by preserving heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world.

10 Historical Artifacts That Shaped America

• The Star-Spangled Banner.
• Plymouth Rock.
• Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin.
• The Emancipation Proclamation.
• Conestoga Wagons.
• The Spirit of Saint Louis.
• The Telegraph.
• Television.

a national museum and institution / (smɪθˈsəʊnɪən) / noun. a national museum and institution in Washington, D.C., founded in 1846 from a bequest by James Smithson, primarily concerned with ethnology, zoology, and astrophysics.

Congress vested responsibility for the administration of the Smithsonian in a Board of Regents, consisting of the Chief Justice of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, three members of the United States Senate, three members of the United States House of Representatives, and nine citizens.

Each member of the Smithsonian community is expected to act in accordance with professional standards, as well as with honesty, integrity, openness, accountability, and a commitment to excellence.

The scope of objects in Smithsonian collections is staggering - from ancient Chinese bronzes to the Star-Spangled Banner; from a 3.5 billion-year-old fossil to the Apollo lunar landing module; from the ruby slippers featured in The Wizard of Oz to presidential memorabilia.

Apple pie, baseball and the United States flag are three well-known American cultural icons. Liberty Enlightening the World: the famous New York landmark illustrated in a print by Currier and Ives.

1. : the continent of North America or the continent of South America. 2. or the Americas /əˈmerəkəz/ : lands of the Western Hemisphere.

The Smithsonian Institution was established with funds from James Smithson (1765–1829), a British scientist who left his estate to the United States to found “at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” On August 10, 1846, the U.S. Senate ...

It represents light, knowledge, enlightenment, strength, resolve, consistency, and lots and lots of other words. It also gives a visual to The Smithsonian's mission, “For the increase and diffusion of knowledge…”And you may have already noticed this, but the sun itself, to put it mildly, is a pretty big deal.

Since its founding, more than 175 years ago, the Smithsonian has become the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums, the National Zoo, and nine research facilities.

157 million Admission to all Smithsonian museums in Washington is free. Smithsonian Collections - The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at nearly 157 million, of which nearly 148 million are scientific specimens at the National Museum of Natural History.