Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Tour - Family-Friendly Private
About this activity
Explore the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History on a 2.5-hour family-friendly private guided tour. See the Nation’s T. rex, the Hope Diamond, Henry the elephant, and Egyptian mummies with your own guide.
Highlights
- Stand before the Nation’s famous T. rex skeleton
- See the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond
- Gaze up at Henry the iconic African elephant
- Step back in time with real Egyptian mummies
- Discover the Arctic narwhal and ocean life
Full description
Discover the natural world together on a private, family-friendly tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Your guide brings dinosaurs, gemstones, animal life, and ancient cultures into focus over 2.5 hours. Highlights generally include the Nation’s T. rex, the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond, Henry the elephant, Egyptian mummies, and the Arctic narwhal, subject to exhibits being on loan or closed. Meet at the large stairs of the Madison Drive NW entrance facing the National Mall. The guide adapts the visit to your family’s interests and ages.
Included / Excluded
- Private 2.5-hour guided museum tour
- Professional, knowledgeable tour guide
- Guided visit to the Smithsonian museum
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities (optional)
- Temporary exhibitions
Itinerary
Natural History Museum - Madison Drive NW front stairs
Meet the guide at the large Madison Drive NW stairs facing the National Mall.
Smithsonian Natural History guided highlights
Explore the Nation’s T. rex, Hope Diamond, Henry the elephant, Egyptian mummies, and Arctic narwhal with your private guide; individual exhibits may be unavailable.
Meeting point
Start Location
Natural History Museum - Madison Drive NW front stairs
Meet the guide at the large stairs of the museum’s Madison Drive NW entrance, facing the lawn of the National Mall.
Get directions →Important information
Know before you book
- Maximum group size is 8 people
- All ages welcome; strollers allowed
- Tour does not include access to temporary/rotating exhibits
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes
- Bring a refillable water bottle (no food allowed inside exhibits)
- Arrive 10 minutes early at the large stairs of the Madison Drive NW entrance, facing the National Mall
- Public parking is limited; rideshare or public transport recommended
- The private museum tour is wheelchair-friendly
Cancellation policy
Up to 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible
Reviews
We booked this tour to get as much as possible out of our time at The Met. What we didn’t know we were getting was a personalized experience full of captivating stories about the artists' lives and the people who brought the art to the museum. Robin was a wealth of knowledge and a highlight of our trip to New York!
Spent a great day with Charlie he was very engaging and shared lots of information and entertaining stories with us. He took great care of us and we would recommend him for any future tours.
Mark, tour guide for the Metropolitan Museum is an outstanding teacher: engaging; entertaining; professional; personable; experienced and deeply knowledgeable as a result of a lifelong passion and relationship with the Met. He loves what he does and cares deeply about sharing his knowledge and insight to spark curiosity and inspire his clients--his students--to understand context and meaning of each piece or work of art reviewed. My wife, a retired professor emeritas and myself both left thoroughly impressed and grateful to have been taught by best and most captivating guides we have had the privilege of meeting on one of our many travels and adventures. Hire the best. Hire Mark. Worth every penny and every minute of your time you can afford at the Met. Like us, you will look forward to coming back for another teaching session from Mark. In my case, hopefully we will be back on my birthday next year! (Thanks again Mark!)
Frequently asked questions
FAQs
Additional information
Bring a government-issued ID or a photo of it. Museum security screening applies. Meet at the large stairs of the Madison Drive NW entrance facing the National Mall; tell your driver to use the Mall side. For assistance call +1 917 999 0380.