HABITAT is a Smithsonian-wide exhibition exploring one big idea: Protecting habitats protects life.
Explore the exhibits
Click on a numbered circle to find details about an exhibit
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Sheltering Branches
Outside the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Discover the story of the Southern live oak tree: an enduring symbol of safety, strength, and resilience.
Life Underground (Off Display)
Did you know that beneath your feet is a network of living organisms communicating with each other?
Dead Wood Is Life
Outside the National Museum of American History
When a tree dies, it’s not the end of the story; it’s the start of a new chapter.
We Need You!
Outside the National Museum of American History
Native wildflowers are beautiful, but did you know they also help us produce food?
Nests
Outside the National Museum of Natural History
Ever wondered what a bird nest looks like up close?
Bug B&B
Outside the National Museum of Natural History
Bugs are everywhere, and they need places to live, just like us.
Biomes: Life in the Balance
Inside the S. Dillon Ripley Center
Visit deserts, rainforests, grasslands, wetlands, and tundra without leaving the National Mall.
Key to the Forest (Temporarily Closed)
Enid A. Haupt Garden
Figs are delicious, but did you know they also play a vital role in their habitats?
Foundation of the Sea
Enid A. Haupt Garden
Plants and animals live in habitats, but did you know that some species create habitats themselves?
Monarchs on the Move
Outside the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Monarch butterflies travel around 3,000 miles when migrating—that’s farther than the distance between Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.
Habitat of Flight (Off Display)
For centuries, humans have sought inspiration from nature while studying the mysteries of flight.
Native Landscape
Outside the National Museum of the American Indian
The Native Landscape at the NMAI features more than 33,000 plants of approximately 150 species native to our area.
The Great Indoors
Inside the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery
Experience the benefits of bringing the great outdoors inside!
Go directly to an Exhibit page:
Habitat Exhibition Introduction
Protecting Habitats Protects Life
Photos from the exhibits
Installation photos from various locations
Mushroom sculpture by Foon Sham, Artist, outside of the National Museum of American History
Mushroom sculpture by Foon Sham, Artist, outside of the National Museum of American History
Arches of Life sculpture by Foon Sham, Artist, outside of the National Museum of American History
Arches of Life sculpture by Foon Sham, Artist, outside of the National Museum of American History
Vascular Form XI, Unbound sculpture by Foon Sham, Artist in the National Museum of American History Victory Garden
Nest in the Urban Bird Habitat outside of the National Museum of American History
Bug B&B in the Pollinator Garden outside of the National Museum of American History
Sign of the Dragonfly in the Enid A. Haupt Garden Moon Gate Garden
Sheltering Branches outside of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Sheltering Branches outside of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Sheltering Branches outside of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Homes in the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden
Habitat of Flight outside of the National Air and Space Museum
Foundation of the Sea in the Enid A. Haupt Garden Fountain Garden
Foundation of the Sea in the Enid A. Haupt Garden Fountain Garden
Biomes: Life in Balance inside the S. Dillon Ripley Center.
A variety of grasses and milkweed commonly found in Midwest prairies accompany wood silhouettes of a baby bison and a northern harrier in the grassland biome.
Bringing Nature Inside Panel at The Great Indoors Exhibition inside the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard
Inspiring Creativity Panel at The Great Indoors Exhibition inside the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard
Helping Houseplants Feel at Home Panel at The Great Indoors Exhibition inside the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard