Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
Intended to showcase the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere, the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC is part of a suite of three facilities, joining the George Gustav Heye Center in New York City and Cultural Resources Center in Maryland. Designed by Native people, the five-story limestone building sits on 4.25 acres of simulated wetlands, modeled after four areas indigenous to the Chesapeake Bay: hardwood forest, wetlands, cropland and meadow. More than 33,000 indigenous plants, 25 native trees and crops such as corn, beans and squash adorn the grounds.
Inside, the museum houses over 800,000 works in its four permanent exhibitions: Our Universe, Our Peoples, Our Lives, and Return to a Native Place. Guests can explore artifacts such as stone carvings, painted hides, feather gardens, ceramics, pottery and objects in jade and gold.
The museum is open daily from 10 AM to 5:30 PM. It is closed Christmas. A one-hour highlights tour runs Monday through Friday at 1:30 PM and 3 PM and weekends at 1 PM, 1:30 PM and 3 PM. Admission is free.
