Admission: Free
Building Hours: Open daily 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Closed December 25

About the Smithsonian Castle:

The Smithsonian Institution Building, popularly known as the "Castle," was designed by architect James Renwick, Jr., and completed in 1855. The building is constructed of red sandstone from Seneca Creek, Maryland, in the Norman style (a 12th-century combination of late Romanesque and early Gothic motifs). Over the years several reconstructions have taken place. The first followed a disastrous fire on January 24, 1865, which destroyed the upper story of the main segment and the north and south towers. In 1883, the east wing was fireproofed and enlarged to accommodate more offices. Remodeling from 1968 to 1969 restored the building to the Victorian atmosphere reminiscent of the era during which it was first inhabited.

The building served as a home for the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Joseph Henry and his family. Until 1881, it also housed all aspects of Smithsonian operations, including research and administrative offices, lectures halls, exhibit halls (which remained until the 1960s), a library and reading room, chemical laboratories, storage areas for specimens, and living quarters for the Secretary, his family, and visiting scientists. In 1901, Washington's first children's museum was installed in the Castle's South Tower Room where the original decorated ceiling and wall stencils were restored in 1987. Today, the Castle houses the Institution's administrative offices and the Smithsonian Information Center. Located inside the north entrance is the crypt of James Smithson, benefactor of the Institution, while outside on the Mall a bronze statue of Joseph Henry, executed by William Wetmore Story, honors the eminent scientist who was the Institution's first Secretary.

More Information:

To many, this building - known as the Castle - symbolizes the entire Smithsonian. It was the Institution's first building, designed by James Renwick Jr. and completed in 1855. Today, it houses the Smithsonian Information Center, administrative offices and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Smithsonian Information Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Highlights include two orientation theaters featuring a 20-minute video overview of the Smithsonian, interactive touch-screen programs on the Smithsonian in six languages, electronic wall-maps and interactive touch-screen programs on popular capital attractions, and scale models of Washington's core and its famous monuments. For information, call or write Smithsonian Information, Smithsonian Institution, SI Building Room 151 MRC 010, Washington, D.C. 20560; (202) 357-2700, TTY (202) 357-1729.

Additional Information:

http://www.si.edu/visit/infocenter/aboutsib.htm

http://sc94.ameslab.gov/TOUR/smith.html

http://www.si.edu/