Smithsonian Museum Day FREE Admission Nationwide Sept. 27, 2025

Mark your calendars for the return of Smithsonian Museum Day on Saturday, Sept. 27, with FREE admission at more than 1,400 participating museums, zoos, botanical gardens and other cultural institutions nationwide.

It is scheduled to return after a two-year absence.

Important – You can’t just walk in. You must download a free ticket, good for admission for two people.

One ticket is allowed per email address, and tickets are good for one person and a guest.

Your Smithsonian Museum Day ticket will be e-mailed, and you must print it and bring it with you for free entry.

Each ticket is only for general admission – it does not include special exhibits, parking or showing such as IMAX.

The ticket link is not yet available – please check back – we will publish it when we get it.

So consider this a “save the date”card.

ecoxplorer tips for Museum Day

If you are a group of more than two, register with different email addresses to receive admission for two with each ticket.
Whether you are part of a group or not, go early in the day, since museums have the right to make you wait in favor of paying customers if space reaches capacity.

Museum Day Participating Museums & Institutions

Participating institutions are still registering, but you can find a list of previous venues here.

Just a small sample of cultural institutions which participated the past –

American Space Museum, Titusville, Florida
Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York
Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, Tennessee
Portland Art Museum, Portland, Maine
South Haven, Michigan’s Michigan Maritime Museum;
International Museum of Art & Science in McAllen, Texas
The National WWII Museum, New Orleans

Smithsonian Institution History

The Smithsonian Institution developed from 1765 to 1829. The project was by James Smithson, a British scientist who donated his estate at Washington to the United States.

On August 10, 1846, the U.S. Senate passed the act to endorse the Smithsonian Institution, signed into law by President James K. Polk. Although Congress authorized acceptance of the Smithson bequest on July 1, 1836, it still took 10 years of deliberation before the Smithsonian was approved. Once established, the museum became part of developing a national identity rooted in exploration and innovation.

Construction began in 1849. Architect James Renwick Jr. designed the project, and its interiors were by Gilbert Cameron. In 1855, the building opened.

The Smithsonian’s first secretary, Joseph Henry, had intended the museum to be a center for scientific research. It also became the depository for various Washington and U.S. government collections — the United States Exploring Expedition by the U.S. Navy went around the world between 1838 and 1842 the voyage amassed thousands of specimens and artifacts. They all became part of the Smithsonian collections.

The institution soon became irresistible to young scientists from 1857 to 1866, who formed the Megatherium Club. The Smithsonian played a crucial role in furthering science. The Smithsonian’s first expansion came with the construction of the Arts and Industries Building in 1881 and The National Zoological Park in 1889 to accommodate the Smithsonian’s Department of Living Animals. Many more extensions came after.

Since more than 175 years ago, the Smithsonian has become the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. It has 21 museums, the National Zoo, and nine research facilities.The Smithsonian museum officially opens.

One of the largest museum systems in the wold, the Smithsonian displays just 1% of their collection, which is estimated at more than 154 million artifacts and specimens.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is an award-winning journalist with 25+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.