Research and Collections
The Smithsonian gives an approximate number for artifacts and specimens of 127.3 million. More specifically, the collections include 30 million insects, 4.5 million plants preserved in the Museum’s herbarium, and 7 million fish stored in liquid-filled jars. Of the 2 million cultural artifacts, 400,000 are photographs housed in the National Anthropological Archives. Through an off-site active loan and exchange program, the museum's collections can be accessed. As a result, 3.5 million specimens are out on loan every year. The rest of the collections not on display are stored in the non-public research areas of the museum and at the Museum Support Center, located in Suitland, MD. Other facilities include a marine science center in Ft. Pierce, Florida and field stations in Belize, Alaska, and Kenya.
Research in the museum is divided into seven departments: anthropology, botany, entomology, invertebrate zoology, mineral sciences, paleobiology, vertebrate zoology.
Read more about this topic: National Museum Of Natural History
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