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Events

Directions to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

photo of the National Museum of Natural History

Location:

National Museum of Natural History
10th and Constitution Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20560
Phone: 202-633-1000

The National Museum of Natural History is located at 10th and Constitution, NW in Washington, DC. The official website is www.mnh.si.edu.

By Metro:National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC map

The museum is reachable by Metro at either the Federal Triangle or Smithsonian stops on the Blue/Orange line, then by walking to the Constitution Avenue entrance on the North side of the Natural History Museum.

Metro information:

  • For all Metro stations, see the Metrorail Stations page.
  • For a map of the station and surrounding neighborhood, click on the PDF in the Entrances / Evacuation Maps box.
  • For the full Metro system of lines, see the Metrorail map – PDFs of rail maps are available in black & white and in color; Metro Pocket Guides are available in seven languages: English, French, Amharic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, Korean.
  • For the train status map, see Live Metrorail Train Map.  New)

Getting there by the Moovit App:

  • Download the Moovit app for all your local transit options.
  • Type in your current location (or where you want to leave from) and where you want to go and it will immediately show where the nearest bus or Metro line might be and when the next train or bus is scheduled to arrive. View bus and train schedules, arrival times, service alerts and detailed routes on a map, so you know exactly how to get to anywhere in Washington, D.C. - Baltimore, Maryland.
  • The Federal Triangle Metro station (Blue/Orange line) is located at 302 12th St., NW, Washington, DC. The metro stop is located on the West side of 12th St. between Pennsylvania and Constitution Aves., NW.
  • The Smithsonian Metro station is located at 1200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC. The metro stop (Blue/Orange line) is located on 12th St. at Jefferson Dr. SW (The Mall), SW corner 12th St. and Independence Ave., SW.

To plan your metro ride, use the Trip Planner at https://www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner/.

See the Parking section if you plan to drive your car to the meeting.

Meetings are normally held in the Cathy Kerby Room of the Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, at Tenth Street and Constitution Avenue, NW. Enter at the Constitution Avenue entrance and wait on the marble bench on the left side of the lobby behind the guard desk for a GNSI escort to take you upstairs.

Note: The Cathy Kerby Meeting room is located in the East Wing of the museum. It is only accessible by staff with badges. Escorts will be arriving in 15-minute intervals from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m., to escort attendees to the meeting room. Please wait for an escort.

Note: Due to the increased security at the museum, those visitors who wish to park in the Natural History Museum lot (5:30 p.m. or later, at the west entrance) will have to identify themselves, state that they are attending a GNSI meeting, and allow the search of their car (the trunk). Visitors may need to obtain a security badge from the guard office, and must be accompanied up stairs by a museum employee.

 

Museum and Visitor Information:
Specific visitor information is available at https://www.si.edu/visit/.

Detailed information on the Museum layout is available at Museum Map (.pdf).

Parking

Some parking is available in the museum staff parking lot after 5:30 p.m. The parking entrance is on Constitution Avenue between 10th and 12th Streets (see Getting Here and Parking page). Tell the guard at the gate that you are attending the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators meeting. (Be prepared to have your trunk searched.)

Or, try to use Public Transportation. The use of public transportation, including taxis, in Washington is recommended as on-street parking is limited and traffic is often heavy at rush hour.

There is no public parking facility at the Smithsonian on the National Mall. On-street parking is limited and posted times are enforced. There are commercial parking lots and garages located within several blocks of the museums. There is also a limited number of parking spaces on the Mall for vehicles with the appropriate license plate or permit for visitors with disabilities.

Accessibility

For information about accessibility at Smithsonian museums, see Visitors with Disabilities at https://access.si.edu/ There is also an accessibility map showing accessible entrances, curb cuts, designated parking, and more.

Traffic Conditions and Street Closings

Riding Metro to the Event

Metro information:

  • For all Metro stations, see the Metrorail Stations page.
  • For a map of the station and surrounding neighborhood, click on the PDF in the Entrances / Evacuation Maps box.
  • For the full Metro system of lines, see the Metrorail map – PDFs of rail maps are available in black & white and in color; Metro Pocket Guides are available in seven languages: English, French, Amharic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, Korean.
  • For the train status map, see Live Metrorail Train Map.  New)

Getting there by the Moovit App:

  • Download the Moovit app for all your local transit options.
  • Type in your current location (or where you want to leave from) and where you want to go and it will immediately show where the nearest bus or Metro line might be and when the next train or bus is scheduled to arrive. View bus and train schedules, arrival times, service alerts and detailed routes on a map, so you know exactly how to get to anywhere in Washington, D.C. - Baltimore, Maryland.

To plan your metro ride, use the Metro Trip Planner at https://www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner/. The Trip Planner will give you an idea of the travel time and fees from your Metro station to the station near the event.

Metro Accessibility Frequently Asked Questions are at https://www.wmata.com/service/accessibility//faq.cfm. See also the Metro Accessibility information.

Parking in Metro lots

A SmarTrip card is the only form of payment accepted at Metro-operated parking lots. For more information about Metro parking and lot operating hours, see Parking at Metrorail Stations.

Where to Buy a SmarTrip Card

You may purchase SmarTrip cards online from the SmarTrip Store.

Standard SmarTrip Farecard

A renewable SmarTrip farecard purchased online has a $20 fare value already on it. The cost for the renewable card is $5. The total charge for this card is $25 online.

Senior and Disabled SmarTrip Farecard

In order to purchase a discounted farecard, Senior citizens (65 and older) and persons with disabilities must have proof of age or a valid Metro Disability ID Card. For information on how to apply, see https://www.wmata.com/service/accessibility/metro-access/eligibility.cfm. Senior citizens 65 years or older with a disability and Medicare card holders with a valid photo ID are not required to apply for the Metro Disability ID card, but may purchase fare by showing proof of age at any Metro Sales location, many public libraries in the District of Columbia, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County, and retail outlets. Applications for the free WMATA Disabled ID card are available from the Office of ADA Programs at 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 or by calling 202-962-1245 or TTY 202-628-8973 or calling 202-962-1558 or TTY 202-962-2033 and requesting an application be mailed to you. A renewable SmarTrip farecard for senior (65 and older) and disabled riders purchased online has a $10 fare value already on it. The cost for the renewable card is $5. The total charge for this card is $15 online.

SmarTrip cards may also be purchased from vending machines in Metro stations but come with a lower initial fare value: $5 for the card with a $5 fare value for a total of $10 for the standard farecard. A separate vending machine allows you to add fare value up to $300 to the card.

For more information about purchasing SmarTrip cards, see Metro Passes, Fares, SmarTrip Cards, and Tokens.

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Last modified Friday, 14-Apr-2023

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