Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian''s mission is "the increase and diffusion of knowledge." It was established in 1846 with funds bequeathed to the United States by James Smithson. The Institution is as an independent trust instrumentality of the United States and holds more than 137 million artifacts and specimens in its collections. It is a center for scientific research and scholarship in the arts, history, and culture.

www.si.edu