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National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Voices

Two men and a woman stand together holding a case with a large diamond inside in this black and white image

How the 'King of Diamonds' Gave the National Museum of Natural History Its Crown Jewel

From the legendary Hope Diamond to a rainbow of colorful gemstones, a multigenerational bond between the Winston family and the Smithsonian transformed the museum’s world-renowned gem collection

Emma Saaty | June 3, 2025

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To Recreate a 17th-Century Masterwork, an Entomologist at the National Museum of Natural History Got Creative with Butterflies, Bees and a Bit of Rosemary

The display will be featured in a new exhibition at the National Gallery of Art as part of a historic collaboration along the National Mall

Jack Tamisiea | May 16, 2025

A man in a grey short sits in a lab setting, in front of a microscope and a computer screen.

Meet the National Museum of Natural History Volunteer Preserving Prehistory One Microfossil at a Time

Carlos Savignano is part of a dedicated group of FossiLab volunteers preparing Smithsonian fossils for display and future research

Alec Quinn | April 22, 2025

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15 Years Later, the National Museum of Natural History Is Still Asking What It Means to Be Human

The museum’s groundbreaking Hall of Human Origins centers around the adaptations that set early humans apart

Jack Tamisiea | March 17, 2025
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Our Planet On the Big Screen: New Museum Exhibition Explores Ever-Changing Earth from Space and on the Ground

The Smithsonian partners with NASA to present the Earth Information Center, a larger-than-life display that visualizes interconnected changes on the planet

Jack Tamisiea | October 17, 2024
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Fetching Fossils and Unwrapping Mannequins: Here’s What Happens When a Museum Exhibition Closes

In the wrap-up of “Objects of Wonder,” hundreds of the museum’s most treasured specimens are returning to the collection

Jack Tamisiea | September 19, 2024
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Check Out These Wondrous Objects on Display Before They Return to the Museum’s Collection

From whale earwax to a shimmering ammonite shell, the “Objects of Wonder” exhibition spotlights some of the museum’s most intriguing specimens

Jack Tamisiea | August 6, 2024
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Inclusive Innovations: An Accessible Natural History Experience

To celebrate the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, discover four creative museum experiences that enhance accessibility for all visitors

Emma Saaty | July 30, 2024
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Dusting Dinosaurs and Elephants: How Specialists Keep the Museum’s Largest Treasures Spotless

To celebrate International Museum Day, learn how experts protect the museum’s most dramatic displays from dust bunnies and cobwebs

Naomi Greenberg | May 16, 2024
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Celebrate Cellphones, Birds and Old Jazz Favorites at the National Museum of Natural History this May and June

Kick off your summer with events spotlighting creatures that soar through the sky and swim through the ocean

Emily Driehaus | May 6, 2024
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NMNH in Review: How an Asteroid Sample Traveled From Outer Space to the Museum's Mineral Hall

After a 500 million mile journey, a piece of the asteroid Bennu is now on display at the Smithsonian. But how did it get here?

Ellyn Lapointe | December 27, 2023
A blue bird with white and grey spots lies against a white background.

Celebrate the Holiday Season with the Museum’s Stunning Collection of Blue Specimens

Learn how this rare hue shows up in the natural world with some of the Smithsonian’s bluest specimens

Ellyn Lapointe | December 12, 2023
A black plate of whale baleen is lit up against a dark background with brown hair-like material coming from the bottom of the specimen.

How a Whale Skull at the Smithsonian Became a Beacon for Marine Mammal Conservation

Take a dive into the museum’s marine mammal collection and learn how a rare North American whale is racing against extinction

Emma Saaty | November 16, 2023
The ceiling of the NMNH rotunda creates a circular pattern above the underside of the grey trunk of the elephant.

Behind the Lens: Meet the Photographers Capturing the Museum’s Most Stunning Moments.

From tiny bat jaws to colossal geodes, the photography team at the National Museum of Natural History has spent decades documenting the Smithsonian’s hidden wonders.

Emma Saaty | July 25, 2023
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New Museum Display Showcases the Mineral Building Blocks of Cellphones

The story behind the specimens at the center of the museum’s new exhibition “Cellphone: Unseen Connections”

Jack Tamisiea | June 28, 2023
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“Endlessly Fascinating Devices”: Why the National Museum of Natural History is Exploring the Cultural Nature of Cellphones

A behind the scenes glimpse of the museum’s new exhibition, “Cellphone: Unseen Connections”

Jack Tamisiea | June 9, 2023
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Dino-Sore: Smithsonian Paleontologist Diagnoses Ancient Ailments in the Museum’s Dinosaurs

For National Veterinary Day, Matthew Carrano gives several ancient reptiles a paleo-physical

Jack Tamisiea | April 28, 2023
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Turning Off Your Lights Could Save Millions of Birds Each Year from Deadly Building Collisions

Artificial lights wash out the stars that guide bird migrations, luring them into a maze of treacherous obstacles and highlighting the need to preserve the dark night sky

Emma Saaty | April 19, 2023
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Discover Why Animals Need the Dark and Other Natural History Programs This April

Stream programs about the ever-brightening sky, the dawn of technology and visit the National Museum of Natural History for a book signing.

Emma Saaty | April 7, 2023
Categories
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  • Anthropology (56)
  • Botany (34)
  • Earth BioGenome Project (1)
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  • Entomology (42)
  • Exhibitions (40)
  • Invertebrate Zoology (51)
  • Laboratories of Analytical Biology (2)
  • Mineral Sciences (52)
  • Office of the Director (4)
  • Paleobiology (77)
  • Smithsonian Marine Station - Fort Pierce (10)
  • Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (1)
  • Specimen Spotlight (13)
  • Vertebrate Zoology (86)
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