“The Castle” opened in Washington, D. C. nine years after the United States National Museum was founded in 1846. This red sandstone building designed by James Renwick Jr. still serves as the headquarters for the Smithsonian Institution. Eleven of the Smithsonian’s nineteen museums are located on The National Mall. The collection totals over 150 million items. It is impossible to see even a fraction of the treasures on display. Yet admission is free. Return as often as you wish.
