Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery & American Art Museum
2.5
hour
guided
Group Size
Max 8
Tour Duration
2.5 Hours
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Free Cancellation up to 24 hrs
Highlights generally include (as long the exhibit is not on loan or being restored):
• The Nation's T. Rex — stand face-to-face with a fully assembled Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the most complete specimens ever discovered.
• The Hope Diamond & Star of Asia Sapphire — marvel at the world's most famous blue diamond, a 45.52-carat gemstone with a fascinating history of mystery and intrigue. Nearby, admire the Star of Asia Sapphire, a deep blue jewel renowned for its size and flawless beauty.
• Henry the Elephant — meet the museum's beloved African elephant, a life-sized icon that has greeted visitors for over 60 years, offering a striking introduction to the wonders of the natural world.
• The Egyptian Mummies — discover the collection of real Egyptian mummies and cutting-edge forensic reconstructions.
• The Arctic Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea — encounter the elusive narwhal, one of the Arctic's most mysterious creatures. Learn how its spiraled tusk - a tooth that can grow up to ten feet long - helps it navigate icy waters and communicate with its pod.
Travel through time at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, home to one of the world's most extensive collections of natural wonders.
From towering dinosaurs and priceless gemstones to ancient mummies and deep-sea explorers, this museum offers an unparalleled journey through the history of life on Earth. On this 2.5-hour guided tour your expert guide will lead you through the museum's most awe-inspiring exhibits. Stand before the Nation's T. rex, one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons ever discovered. Marvel at the 46-carat Hope Diamond and the luminescent Dom Pedro Aquamarine, the largest gem of its kind. Come face-to-face with the preserved giants of the animal kingdom, including giraffes, elephants, polar bears, and a life-sized model of Phoenix, a 45-ton whale still being tracked through the ocean. You'll even meet Alvin, the deep-sea submersible that helped uncover the wreck of the Titanic. With 126.5 million artifacts in the museum's collection, your guide will ensure you make the most of your visit, navigating you through the highlights that bring natural history to life. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a returning explorer, this 2.5-hour tour will leave you with a deeper appreciation for the wonders of our planet and beyond.
• GUIDED MUSEUM TOUR
• PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDE
• DURATION 2.5 HOURS
• ALL ENTRANCE FEES
• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE FOOD AND DRINKS
• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE HOTEL PICKUP OR DROP-OFF (we recommend UBER or Taxi)
• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE GRATUITIES (optional)
• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE LUGGAGE OR COAT STORAGE
Our family had an amazing time touring the Natural History Museum with Leigh. She was super knowledgeable and, just as importantly, kept our kids engaged throughout the entire tour (a very difficult task with 4 kids under 11). All of our kids said afterward that they loved the tour and asked if we could do another Tour with Leigh the next day!
24 July 2025
We visited the Natural History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, and the National Gallery with our 5-year-old son. Rebecca F guided us for three days, and she was incredibly professional at every museum. She was patient and understanding even when our child was distracted, and she kindly engaged with him at his level and interests. We were so glad to have had Rebecca as our guide. Please pass along our sincere thanks once again.?
30 July 2025
Very informative and entertaining tour guide. He is clearly very educated and it seems his background of both history and biology is perfect for this exhibit.
13 August 2025
Rebecca was great, informative, funny and well versed. I learned a lot and saw a lot during the tour, it was way better than just wandering around.
25 May 2025
We were able to get right in front of displays and take great photos. Our guide was very informative and knowledgable. Glad we did the private tour especially since we were timed limited and wanted to see the standout displays of the museum.
09 June 2025
Rebecca did a fabulous job of walking us through the Natural History Museum. You could wander the place for days to see and absorb everything there, so it was awesome to have someone to hit all the highlights. She was extremely knowledgeable on the artifacts and made the tour of the NHM efficient and enjoyable. Without her there would have been far less context on many of the exhibits. I recommend this tour and Rebecca 100%.
10 June 2025
Ryan was spectacular. Highly recommend. I would absolutely do this tour again. Very informative. A++++++++++++++++
11 June 2025
Ryan was super informative on our tour. A lot of specific details! Knowledgeable about fossils, gems, etc. it was the highlight of our trip. Very patient in waiting fir us
11 June 2025
Our guide Maureen was AMAZING! We had her for both of our tours today Natural History and American History and we couldn't have made it through without her! She hit all the best spots in both places and was SO knowledgeable!
06 July 2025
Amazing- Christopher was funny and so informative - definitely info that you can’t get on your own- felt very lucky to be on this tour
16 July 2025
Amanda was awesome! Very informative! Kept us moving at a comfortable clip. Definitely recommend the guided tour. The small group was perfect!
17 July 2025
We had a tour with Rebecca of the natural history museum, and she was incredibly professional, funny and the whole time and was very knowledgeable on every single subject area in the museum.!!
18 July 2025
Anne-Marie was our tour guide and she was simply wonderful. We look forward to our next tour coming up later this week. See you then!
30 July 2025
Maureen was an excellent guide. She was knowledgeable, friendly and made our tour of the museum enjoyable! We opted for a guided tour as the museum seemed overwhelming. To our pleasant surprise, Maureen took us to various special areas in the museum and had amazing commentary that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Our family of 6 really enjoyed the tour!
04 June 2025
One of the best museums I’ve been to…mostly because of our tour guide Rebecca! Funny, beyond knowledgeable, and super easy to follow!
12 June 2025
Brenda, our guide, was very accommodating in showing us the areas we wanted to see. She was very informed and gave us amazing information we were not aware of.
14 June 2025
Christopher was knowledgeable, entertaining, and moved things along well. I would take another tour with him again (I believe he leads tours elsewhere as well).
18 June 2025
Ryan awesome !!! Very informative Had so much detail . His knowledge was outstanding. Narrowed down the key areas from such a large exhibition - could not imagine doing this by ourselves. Sent a WA message with a link to the exact meeting point which was helpful. Try and ask for Ryan if you book this tourHighly recommended ??
23 June 2025
Even with portions of the Air and flight museum being closed, the amount of information can be overwhelming. Leigh, our guide, introduced herself as our “storyteller “ which was a very accurate description of our experience. There were so many small tidbits which held such significance we would have missed/overlooked. I would recommend taking the tour in the am and then plan to spend the afternoon going back through. You can get a bite to eat in their cafe.
28 July 2025
Our guide, Brenda, was awesome! Our tour with this knowledgeable woman was like a walk through, well, our natural history.
31 July 2025
Rebecca was amazing! She was funny, knowledgeable and entertaining at every turn! First time to DC with my mom and she made the experience so much better! Thank you!
02 August 2025
Ryan was a very knowledgeable Guide with a great sense of humor! Thanks for this great tour. Would definitely do it again!
29 August 2025
Brenda was great, just a walking wealth of information. She is very knowledgeable and keeps everything moving at a good pace. She was very intuitive about what we were interested in & what we could skip. Highly recommend her!
07 September 2025
