The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History is a source of great pride for all Americans. Located in our nation's capitol, it has the distinct reputation as Queen Mother of Museums. No museum in the world can begin to compete with its more than 125 million natural science specimens and cultural artifacts housed in 1.5 million square feet of space (325,000 square feet of which is exhibition and public space). The Museum is the size of 18 football fields! It serves as one of the world's great repositories of scientific and cultural heritage.

THE COLLECTIONS
Various collections include 30 million insects, 4 million pressed plants, 7 million fish species, and 2 million cultural artifacts, including 400,000 photographs found in the National Anthropological Archives. Also housed in the grand museum are fossilized pollen, bones of Tyrannosaurus Rex and other prehistoric dinosaurs, a slab of a giant sequoia tree, tiny crustaceans from the sea all the way up to giant squids from the major oceans, DNA samples, whale skulls, ancient spear points, the Hope Diamond and Moon rocks (and these are just the top of the iceberg, so to speak).

SPECIAL EXHIBITS
Fascinating temporary exhibits are brought in regularly. This year's exhibits are: "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil"; "Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution"; "The Lost Amazon"; "Ocean Views"; and "The Truth About Crystal Skulls". An exciting upcoming exhibit (September 2008) is "Ocean Hall", which will be a one-of-a-kind interpretive exhibit, demonstrating how the ocean is intrinsically connected to other global systems and to our daily lives. "Atmosphere: Change is in the Air" is an exciting and interactive new virtual exhibition offering a comprehensive exploration of Earth's atmosphere. This web exhibit includes flash interactives, videos and educational materials.

MOST POPULAR EXHIBITS
When children enter the museum, you can usually hear them asking, "Mom, where's the dinosaur bones?" It goes without saying that Dinosaur Hall is the most popular attraction to the younger generations that visit the Natural History Museum. But, it is actually The National Gem and Mineral Collection, however, that attracts the most adult visitors.
The National Gem and Mineral Collection is one of the most significant collections of its kind in the world. The collection includes some of the most famous pieces of gems and minerals including the cursed Hope Diamond and the Star of Asia Sapphire (largest Sapphire

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