Come Visit Us
Smithsonian Gardens are located around museums throughout the National Mall in Washington, DC. They are open year-round, seven days a week, with something to see in every season!
Let's Move! with Smithsonian Gardens
Smithsonian Gardens has created a program in conjunction with Let's Move!, First Lady Obama's initiative dedicated to fighting childhood obesity.
A Guide to Smithsonian Gardens
A Guide to Smithsonian Gardens is a beautifully illustrated guide to the colorful gardens that surround the Smithsonian museums along the National Mall. To order, visit SmithsonianStore!
Our Gardens
An integral part of the Smithsonian Institution (SI), the Smithsonian Gardens creates and manages the Smithsonian’s outdoor gardens, interiorscapes, and horticulture-related collections and exhibits. Established in 1972 to manage the museum grounds, Smithsonian Gardens extends the museums’ exhibits and learning environment in a public garden setting while shaping visitors’ overall experience of the Smithsonian.
Come Learn!
Our mission at Smithsonian Gardens is to enrich the Smithsonian experience by extending the museum experience into an outdoor living classroom. We hope that the gardens tours and events in our gardens as well as our activity packages will help youth to exercise both their mind and body in the gardens around the Smithsonian and ultimately in their own community.
Garden Internships
The Smithsonian Gardens provides an exceptionally well-rounded array of experiences in its intern program thanks to the wide diversity of services it offers to the Smithsonian.
Mobile Field Guide
Leafsnap is the first in a series of electronic field guides being developed by researchers from Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution. This free mobile app uses visual recognition software to help identify tree species from photographs of their leaves.
Container Contest
The Smithsonian Gardens would like to invite all local garden enthusiasts to participate in our 2012 Garden Fest Container Contest. The focus of this contest will be to create a unique, planted arrangement in a container.