Did you know our greatest museum was funded by and named for an Englishman who never set foot in the United States? Read up on the origins of the Smithsonian and how it was born in our nation's capital.

In 1958, President Eisenhower approved plans for a National Air Museum. See some of the fascinating and beautiful designs that didn't make it.

Take a journey through time and explore the construction of the Arts and Industries Building on the Mall in Washington, DC. From the 1879 photo to the 1878 rendering to the finished product, see it all!

Take a look back in time at this beautiful 1856 photo of the Smithsonian Castle. Click to see incredible details from Ghosts of DC.

Discover the proposed design for the Smithsonian Castle from 1846. Learn about the Gothic design with three stories, a central tower/cupola, crenellated embattlements, and symmetrical wings from the Building Committee of the Board of Regents.

Take a step back in time and explore a Civil War-era photo of Independence Ave. This incredible photo showcases the Smithsonian Institution Building and the U.S. Capitol dome, taken before the 1865 fire. Source: Smithsonian Archives.

What a beautiful view of the Mall from the Smithsonian. This was taken in the early 20th century. view of Mall from Smithsonian Source: Library of Congress

What an incredible 360-degree panorama of Washington from 1886. This image was taken from the top of the Smithsonian Castle. Don't miss it!

Explore an 1857 view of Washington, D.C. with the Smithsonian in the distance. Click on the image for a larger version to study. See if you can spot the Washington Monument just out of the frame on the right.

Explore the beauty of Garnet Jex's 1936 painting, an aerial view of the Smithsonian. See the stunning details and learn more about this amazing artwork.

We are loving the Smithsonian Archives! This is a great one from 1874. Looking south from the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 11th Street, the silhouette of the Smithsonian Institution Building is seen in the distance. The photograph, taken by William Henry Holmes and signed “W.H.H. Phot.,” shows horse-drawn carriages along the avenue of storefronts. Above the first building to...

This is a view from the top of the Washington Monument, sometime late in 1940s. You’ll see old temporary buildings occupying the current site of the Museum of American History. Aerial view from the Washington Monument showing the “Tempos” or temporary buildings before their demolition. They were located on the site of the future National Museum of History and Technology (NMHT), now...

Take a look back in time as we explore the Smithsonian's Flickr feed and uncover a photograph of the Arts & Industries Building around 1905. Learn more about this historical moment here!

Thank you Shorpy for an amazing photograph. This appears to be a photo we haven’t yet seen. Smithsonian Castle between 1860 and 1865

Check out this amazing view of Washington, DC in 1867. We found this gem on the Library of Congress site and have included the full caption. See the image and find out more about the view!

Discover the mysterious bone discovered beneath Capitol Hill in 1898 that led to DC's official dinosaur. Learn more about the bone and the paleontologist who identified it as Capitalsaurus, the District's official dinosaur.

Daniel H. Riggs, Howard University Medicine, in the South Yard of the Smithsonian Institution Building, stands next to his carriage. Picture shows the East Wing after Adolph Cluss’ 1884 renovation. Against the building are sheds, used by the Department of Living Animals, 1887-1890 (Smithsonian Archives) Here’s a photograph from 1890 which shows Dr. Daniel H. Riggs of Howard University...

We are a great nation and Americans in the 1880s were proud of their rapidly growing and dominant country. But how can you truly be a great nation without a national zoo to show off all the wonderful creatures that roam your lands, as well as those of foreign lands? Not only that, how will you help preserve the species that were being decimated by the rapid westward expansion and industrial progress? A...

This is a guest post by Aaron. Rendering of “SONG 1” (hirshhorn.si.edu) Art fans will focus Thursday night on the outer walls of the Hirshhorn Museum.  Eleven video projectors will paint the Smithsonian’s modern and contemporary ring with 360 degrees of a looping film called, “SONG 1.”  The Hirshhorn’s exterior will become exhibition space as...

Can you imagine a more terrifying death? This woman met her end by climbing into the lion enclosure at the National Zoo. True story.