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National Museum of Natural History

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.

A humpback whale breaches the surface of the ocean on a sunny day as three birds fly overhead.

10 Popular Scientific Discoveries From 2021

Read about the year's most attention-grabbing findings by scientists at the National Museum of Natural History

A Japanese macaque holds a stolen cellphone while shoulder deep in hot spring.

See Past Winning Photographs From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Smithsonian hosts specially curated exhibition of evocative images featuring unforgettable animal behavior.

Karen Osborn, invertebrate zoologist and curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, uses photography to help people connect with the hard-to-see marine animals she studies, like this deep-sea jellyfish (Voragonema pedunculata). (Karen Osborn, Smithsonian)

Why Science Needs Art

From teaching curious museumgoers to adding creativity to the scientific process, art is an essential component of the science done at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

African Bush Elephant, Skeleton Coast, Namib Desert, Namibia by Arby Lipman. Winner of “African Wildlife.” (© Arby Lipman, Nature’s Best Photography Awards 2018)

Check out the Winning Photos From the 2018 Nature’s Best Photography Awards

60 stunning photographs depicting the beauty and diversity of nature are on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History through September 2019.

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