Smithsonian (Washington Metro) - Definition and Overview

Smithsonian is a Washington Metro station in Washington, DC on the Blue and Orange Lines.

The station is located in the center of the National Mall, with one entrance at Independence Avenue and 12th Street, Southwest, and the other north of there in the Mall. It is named after its proximity to most of the museums and tourist attractions in Washington, particularly the Smithsonian museums. It is also very near some federal buildings, including the Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy. Near this station is where Metro had their first fatality, when a train derailed on January 13, 1982, the same day an Air Florida plane crashed into the 14th Street Bridge. Service began on July 1, 1977.

Notable Places Nearby

• National Sculpture Garden
• Several Smithsonian museums, nearest are:
  • Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
  • Arts and Industries Building
  • Freer Gallery
  • Hirshhorn Museum
  • National Museum of African Art
  • National Museum of American History
  • National Museum of Natural History
  • Smithsonian Institute Building (The "Castle")
• Tidal Basin (where the cherry blossoms bloom)
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Washington Monument