
HABITAT is a two-year Smithsonian-wide exhibition exploring one big idea: Protecting habitats protects life.





Explore the 13 outdoor exhibits. Indoor Exhibits - Biomes (#7) is closed due to COVID precautions.
Click on a numbered circle to find details about an exhibit


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
Outside the National Museum of American History
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 Temporarily Closed
Inside the S. Dillon Ripley Center
Visit deserts, rainforests, grasslands, wetlands, and tundra without leaving the National Mall.

Key to the Forest
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
Outside the National Air and Space Museum
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 (Temporarily Closed)
Inside the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum
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