Guide and Directions
Ten of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., span an area from 3rd to 14th Streets between Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km). Because you will do a lot of walking between and within museums, plan to wear comfortable clothing and shoes!
Try to use Public Transportation
The use of public transportation, including taxis, in Washington is recommended as on-street parking is extremely limited and traffic is often heavy.
Metro
Metrorail, Washington's subway system, and Metrobus link the city with nearby communities in Maryland and Virginia. Every subway station is equipped with an elevator and most with escalators. Metrorail is conveniently located near many Smithsonian museums and National Zoo. To begin your visit at the Smithsonian Information Center in the Castle (1000 Jefferson Drive, SW), take Metrorail and exit at the Smithsonian Station (Mall exit). For Metrorail map and more information, visit the Metro Web site http://www.wmata.com.
Circulator
To help navigate the largest museum complex in the world, the D.C. Circulator bus offers a quick and convenient service to Smithsonian museums. For more information on this inexpensive, hop-on/hop-off service, call 202.962.1423 or visit the Web site at http://www.dccirculator.com.
Parking
There is no public parking facility at the Smithsonian on the National Mall; on-street parking is limited and posted times are enforced. There are commercial parking lots and garages located within several blocks of the museums. There is also a limited number of parking spaces for vehicles with the appropriate license plate or permit for visitors with disabilities.
Directions
Directions from anywhere in the nation can be found using mapquest.
www.mapquest.com
The green structure circled in red is our location