National Museum of Natural History
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{{for|the museum in [[Manhattan]]|American Museum of Natural History}}
{{Otheruses1|the museum in Washington, D.C.}}
{{Expand|date=April 2008}}
[[Image:National Museum of Natural History.jpg|thumb|The museum as seen from the [[National Mall]], the [[Old Post Office Building (Washington)|Old Post Office Building]] visible in the distance]]
[[Image:National museum of natural history entrance.jpg|thumb|National Mall museum entrance]]
The '''National Museum of Natural History''' is a [[museum]] administered by the [[Smithsonian Institution]], located on the [[National Mall]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]
The museum's collections total over 125 million specimens of [[plants]], [[animals]], [[fossils]], [[minerals]], [[Rock (geology)|rocks]], [[meteorite]]s, and human cultural [[Cultural artifact|artifacts]]. It is the second most popular of all of the Smithsonian museums and is also home to about 185 professional natural history [[scientist]]s — the largest group of scientists dedicated to the study of the natural and cultural history in the world.
The museum was established in 1910, with its building designed by [[Hornblower & Marshall]]. The building, designed in the [[neoclassicism|neoclassical]] architectural style, was the first constructed on the north side of the National Mall, along [[Constitution Avenue]], as part of the 1901 [[McMillan Commission]] plan.
==The Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals==
The National Gem and Mineral Collection is one of the most significant collections of its kind in the world. The collection includes some of the most famous pieces of gems and minerals including the famous [[Hope Diamond]] and the Star of Asia [[Sapphire]]. There are currently over 15,000 individual [[gems]] in the collection, as well as 350,000 [[mineral]]s and 300,000 samples of [[Rock (geology)|rock]] and [[ore]] specimens.<ref name=nyt> {{cite news |first=Dennis|last=Hevesi|title=George Switzer, 92, Dies; Started a Gem Treasury |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/us/06SWITZER.html?ref=us|work= [[New York Times]] |publisher=|date=2008-04-06 |accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> Additionally, the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection houses approximately 35,000 [[meteorites]], which is considered to be one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind in the world. <ref name=nyt/>
The Hope Diamond is one of the most popular attractions in the exhibit. It weighs 45.52 carats (9.104 g),<ref name=nyt/> and is most well known for the supposed curse that it puts on its owners. Almost all of the previous owners of the diamond have been forced to sell it out of financial strife. The Star of Asia Sapphire has no curse on it, however it is one of the largest sapphires in the world, weighing in at an astonishing 330 carats (66 g), it was mined in [[Sri Lanka]].
Part of the collection is displayed in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals, one of the many galleries in the Museum of Natural History. Some of the most important donors are [[Washington A. Roebling]], the man who built the [[Brooklyn Bridge]], who gave 16,000 specimens to the collection, [[Frederick A. Canfield]], who donated 9,000 specimens to the collection, and Dr. [[Isaac Lea]], who donated the base of the museum’s collection of 1312 gems and minerals.
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Nationalmuseumofnaturalhistory.jpg|Inside the National Museum of Natural History, underneath the [[rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]].
Image:NMNH Hall of Dinosaurs.jpg|Hall of [[Dinosaur]]s
Image:NMNH Hall of Mammals.jpg|Hall of [[Mammal]]s
Image:Prehistoric_Sea_Turtle.jpg|The skeleton of a [[Prehistory|prehistoric]] [[sea turtle]]
Image:Hope_Diamond.jpg|[[Hope Diamond]]
Image:Mummified_Bull.JPG|[[Mummy|Mummified]] [[cattle|bull]]
Image:Saber-toothcat.jpg|[[Sabre-toothed cat]]
Image:Mastodon.jpg|[[mastodon|American mastodon]]
Image:AmericanAngler.jpg|American angler [[goosefish]]
Image:NaClPHSCologram.jpg|[[PHSCologram]] depicting a [[nacl|salt crystal]]
Image:Quartz crystal.jpg|The largest flawless quartz sphere
</gallery>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
{{commonscat|National Museum of Natural History}}
* [http://www.mnh.si.edu/ National Museum of Natural History official website]
* [http://www.gimizu.de/sgmcol/ GiMiZu - Smithsonian Gem & Mineral Collection]
* [http://www.minerals.si.edu/collections.htm National Museum of Natural History - National Gem and Mineral Collection]
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{{Smithsonian museums}}
[[Category:Museums in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Natural history museums in the United States]]
[[Category:National Mall]]
[[Category:American national museums]]
[[Category:Natural history of the United States]]
[[Category:Smithsonian Institution]]
[[Category:Domes]]
[[Category:Rotundas]]
[[Category:Members of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington]]
[[Category:Museums established in 1910]]
[[ca:National Museum of Natural History]]
[[es:Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de la Institución Smithsoniana]]
[[fa:موزه ملی تاریخ طبیعی (آمریکا)]]
[[fr:National Museum of Natural History]]
[[id:Museum Nasional Sejarah Alam]]
[[it:National Museum of Natural History]]
[[he:המוזיאון הלאומי להיסטוריה של הטבע]]
[[nl:National Museum of Natural History]]
[[ja:国立自然史博物館 (アメリカ)]]
[[pl:Muzeum Historii Naturalnej w Waszyngtonie]]
[[pt:National Museum of Natural History]]