Smithsonian Magazine

How Much Wood Could a Museum Collect? Much More Than a Woodchuck Could

From providing forensic wooden “fingerprints” to insights on structural engineering, the museum’s collection of rare and wonderful lumber is a prized scientific resource Erin Wunderlich At the ...

Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC, Close Doors as Shutdown Continues

Smithsonian museums across Washington, DC, closed their doors on Sunday as the ongoing government shutdown causes strain.
NBC Washington

Government shutdown: Which DC tourist sites are closed – and where to go instead

The U.S. government shutdown is affecting thousands of federal workers across the Washington, D.C., area, and it’s also leading some popular museums and sites to close temporarily. Some of D.C.'s ...
Smithsonian Magazine

National Museum of Natural History

Erin Wunderlich is a science writing intern at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. She covers natural history research and collections news for the museum’s blog, Smithsonian Voices.