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Second Opinion
The Secretary of the Smithsonian hosts a new roundtable series on some of the big issues facing America.
The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 19 museums and the National Zoo—shaping the future by preserving our heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world.
The Institution was founded in 1846 with funds from the Englishman James Smithson (1765–1829) according to his wishes “under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” We continue to honor this mission and invite you to join us in our quest.
19 Museums + 1 Zoo
28.5M Visits by Public
155M Museum Objects
& Specimens
2.1M Library Volumes
160M Website Visitors
15.1M Social Media Followers
6,349 Employees
762 Research Fellows
7,345 On-Site Volunteers
11,889 Digital Volunteers
For more Smithsonian numbers visit the Smithsonian Metrics Dashboard.