National Museum of Natural History

Children often refer to this Smithsonian showcase as "the dinosaur museum," because of the dinosaur hall, or as "the elephant museum," since a huge African bush elephant is the first thing you see in the Rotunda when you enter from the Mall. Whatever you call it, the National Museum of Natural History is the largest of its kind in the world and one of the most visited museums in Washington. It contains more than 126 million artifacts and specimens, everything from Ice Age mammoths to the legendary Hope Diamond.

This old gal turned 100 in 2010 and celebrated in the most suitable way possible, by debuting a grand new exhibit, the 15,000-foot Hall of Human Origins showcasing 285 early human fossils and artifacts. What does it mean to be human? is the theme explored here, through exhibits that probe evolution and the ecological and genetic, physical and cultural connections that humans have had with the natural world. Among the most popular of the 23 interactive exhibits is the morphing station that allows you to see what you would have looked like as an early human.

The opening of the Human Origins Hall followed on the heels of another blockbuster gallery debut in late 2008: Ocean Hall, the largest, most diverse exhibit of its kind in the world. Designed by the same firm that created the exhibits and spaces of the highly interactive International Spy Museum, the hall includes collections and state-of-the-art technology to demonstrate our oceans' essential role in life on earth. Look for a model of a 45-foot-long North American right whale and a 1,500-gallon coral reef aquarium with more than 70 live animals and 674 specimens.

Meanwhile, the museum's older, permanent exhibits still appeal, starting with the one that lies just outside the building. Before you enter the museum, stop first on the 9th Street side of the building to visit the butterfly garden. Four habitats -- wetland, meadow, wood's edge, and urban garden -- are on view, designed to beckon butterflies and visitors alike. The garden is at its best in warm weather, but it's open year-round. (And if you like that, you're going to love the museum's Butterflies and Plants exhibit, which includes a Butterfly Pavilion -- keep reading!)

Now go inside and admire the African bush elephant. Ready?

Okay, if you have children, you might want to head first to the first-floor Discovery Room, which is filled with creative hands-on exhibits "for children of all ages." Call ahead or inquire at the information desk about hours. Also on this floor is the Kenneth E. Behring Hall of Mammals. Set in the restored west wing and boasting up-to-date lighting and sound, the Hall of Mammals features interactive dioramas that explain how mammals evolved and adapted to changes in habitat and climate over the course of millions of years. At least 274 taxidermied mammals, from polar bear to tiger, are on display, along with a dozen mammal fossils. From time to time, the hall erupts with animal sounds, all part of exhibit wizardry that helps make this a lifelike experience.

Other Rotunda-level displays include the fossil collection, which traces evolution back billions of years and includes a 3.5-billion-year-old stromatolite (blue-green algae clump) fossil -- one of the earliest signs of life on earth -- and a 70-million-year-old dinosaur egg. Ancient Seas features a 100-foot-long mural depicting primitive whales, a life-size walk-around diorama of a 230-million-year-old coral reef, and more than 2,000 fossils that chronicle the evolution of marine life. The Dinosaur Hall displays giant skeletons of creatures that dominated the earth for 140 million years before their extinction about 65 million years ago. Mounted throughout the Dinosaur Hall are replicas of ancient birds, including a life-size model of the Quetzalcoatlus northropi, which lived 70 million years ago, had a 40-foot wingspan, and was the largest flying animal ever. Also residing above this hall is the jaw of an ancient shark, the Carcharodon megalodon, which lived in the oceans 5 million years ago. A monstrous 40-foot-long predator with teeth 5 to 6 inches long, it could have consumed a Volkswagen Bug in one gulp. Elsewhere on this floor is African Voices, which presents the people, cultures, and lives of Africa through photos, videos, and more than 400 objects.

Upstairs lies another exhibit popular among the under-10 crowd: the O. Orkin Insect Zoo, where kids enjoy looking at tarantulas, centipedes, and the like, and crawling through a model of an African termite mound. Right next door is "Butterflies and Plants: Partners in Evolution", a 4,000-square-foot exhibit that illustrates the evolving relationship between butterflies and plants over millions of years. The exhibit includes a walk-through, 1,400-square-foot, tropical Butterfly Pavilion, where hundreds of live colorful butterflies and giant moths alight upon the plants, the ceiling, the walls, the floor -- upon you, in fact. (When you exit, you're politely patted down to make sure you're not inadvertently transporting an exotic creature out the door.) Note: The museum charges a $6 fee for admission (but free admission on Tues) to the pavilion portion of the exhibit.

Ever a big draw is the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals, which showcases the Hope Diamond; the 23.1-carat Burmese Carmen Lucia ruby, one of the largest and finest rubies in the world; and other treasures of the National Gem Collection. Besides staring spellbound at priceless jewelry, you can learn all you want about earth science, from volcanology to the importance of mining. Interactive computers, animated graphics, and a multimedia presentation of the "big picture" story of the earth are some of the things that have moved the exhibit and the museum a bit further into the 21st century.

Don't miss the Samuel C. Johnson IMAX Theater with a six-story-high screen for 2-D and 3-D movies (Dinosaurs 3D and Arabia 3D were among those shown in 2011), a six-story Atrium Cafe with a food court, and expanded museum shops. The museum also offers the small Fossil Café, located within the Fossil Plants Hall on the first floor. In this 50-seat cafe, the tables' clear plastic tops are actually fossil cases that present fossilized plants and insects for your inspection as you munch away on smoked turkey sandwiches, goat-cheese quiche, and the like.

The theater box office is on the first floor of the museum; you can purchase tickets by phone (tel. 202/633-4629 or 866/868-7774), online, or at the box office at least 30 minutes before the screening. The box office is open daily from 10am to the last show. Films are shown continuously throughout the day. Ticket prices range, based on the film and the age of the audience member, from $7.50 for ages 2 to 12 for admission to a 60-minute or less presentation, to $15 for ages 13 to 59 for admission to a feature presentation, defined as "longer than 60 minutes." Admission is free for children 1 and under. IMAX films play throughout the day and also most evenings after the museum's closing; call for details (tel. 866/868-7774).

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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