Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), established on August 10, 1846 "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge," is a group of museums and research centers administered by the Government of the United States. The institution is named after its founding donor, British scientist James Smithson. Originally organized as the "United States National Museum," that name ceased to exist as an administrative entity in 1967. Termed "the nation's attic" for its eclectic holdings of 154 million items, the Institution's nineteen museums, nine research centers, and zoo include historical and architectural landmarks, mostly located in the District of Columbia. Additional
Museum of the Rockies Museum of the Rockies Museum of the Rockies is a museum in Bozeman, Montana. Originally affiliated with Montana State University in Bozeman, and now, also, the Smithsonian Institution, the museum is known for its paleontological collections, although these are not its sole focus. The Museum of the Rockies houses the largest collection of dinosaur remains in the United States, possessing the largest "Tyrannosaurus" skull ever discovered, as well as the thigh bone of a "Tyrannosaurus rex" that contains soft-tissue remains. The museum is part of the Montana Dinosaur Trail and is Montana's official repository for paleontological specimens. The museum's collections