Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Guided Tour – Semi-Private

The collection is housed in a purpose-built structure that covers the area of 18 football fields, but your guide will be there to make sure you don’t waste a second exploring the best parts. You’ll marvel at the 46-karat Hope Diamond, whose brilliant blue sparkle caught the eyes of Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette before disappearing during the French Revolution. As you gawk at the gems and jewels, you’ll gaze at the glowing Dom Pedro Aquamarine, the world’s largest gem of its type. Lose the glitz as you come face to face with real mummies and explore the rituals and routines of Ancient Egypt. These Egyptians aren’t the only once-living specimens on display. Giraffes, elephants, polar bears, and other land giants are stuffed and mounted for your pleasure. Then set sail towards the Ocean Hall, where a real-life coral reef exhibit brings the sea to you. Learn the story behind Phoenix, a 45-ton whale that the museum has been following in the wild, as you stand in front of a life-sized replica. With only 126.5 million artifacts housed in the National Museum of Natural History’s collection, you’ll be thankful to your guide for navigating them for you.