Visitor Information
- Chrotopterus auritus (Woolly False Vampire Bat), Brazil. L. H. Emmons. © Smithsonian Institution.
Scientists and graduate students who wish to conduct research in the Division of Mammals are encouraged to visit and use the collections and library. Please contact a member of our staff, preferably a curator or collection manager, well in advance of your anticipated arrival to make arrangements for your visit. Researchers studying North American mammals should contact Biological Resources Division staff. Unannounced visits can be difficult to accomodate due to limited space and staff support.
An Excel file of our collections holdings may be requested via your staff contact and can be emailed to you prior to your visit or provided to you upon your arrival.
The National Museum of Natural History is located at 10th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. in Washington, D.C. Parking near the museum is extremely limited, but public transportation via Metro Rail is very convenient. There are subway stations at National Airport and Amtrak's Union Station, with stops at Archives, Federal Triangle, and Smithsonian all a short walk from the Museum.
The National Collections are open to visitors from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, federal holidays excepted. Please arrive at the security office located in the Constitution Avenue lobby to sign in and contact a staff member. He or she will meet you there and escort you to the Division of Mammals.
Collections at the Museum Support Center (MSC)
While most specimens are housed in the National Museum of Natural History building on the National Mall, many taxa of large mammals have been moved to a special storage facility in suburban Maryland known as the Museum Support Center. Orders of mammals stored off-site at MSC include Tubulidentata, Hyracoidea, Proboscidea, Sirenia, Cingulata, Pilosa, Lagomorpha, Pholidota, Carnivora, Perissodactyla, and Artiodactyla. Cetacean specimens are also housed at MSC or the Garber facility next door. Finally, our large fluid preserved specimens are stored in special tanks at MSC.
Examining specimens at the Museum Support Center requires additional logistical planning. A shuttle bus leaves the museum each hour on the hour and arrives at MSC on the half hour. Therefore, allow an additional hour of commuting time for each day you study collections there. A Divisional staff member must accompany visitors to access the MSC collections. Be sure to let your staff contact know if you plan to work on collections housed at MSC so that your visit will be as productive as possible.
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