The Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex, has found itself at the center of controversy following allegations of a left-wing bias in its messaging. With a sprawling network spanning the country and influencing millions of people each year, the Smithsonian has come under fire from conservatives and President Donald Trump.
Founded in 1846 with funds from the will of British scientist James Smithson, the Smithsonian has steadily grown from a single museum into a vast education and research complex. Today, it owns or leases nearly 700 facilities across eight states, Washington, D.C., and Panama, encompassing roughly 13.6 million square feet of museums, laboratories, archives, warehouses, research stations, and support facilities.
The Smithsonian houses an impressive collection of over 157 million artifacts and specimens, operates 21 museums, the National Zoo, and 14 education and research centers, maintains 21 libraries, and partners with more than 200 affiliate museums and cultural institutions nationwide. Visitors see only a fraction of the Smithsonian's overall collection, with roughly 99% of its artifacts and specimens kept in storage facilities, laboratories, and archives for preservation and study.
The institution welcomes over 30 million in-person visitors each year, while its educational resources and digital platforms reach millions more. With an annual budget of more than $1 billion, the Smithsonian operates as a national education and research institution, shaping the educational experience of the nation's students through initiatives like the Smithsonian Learning Lab and Smithsonian Science Education Center.
Through these initiatives, the institution provides millions of free lesson plans, classroom activities, virtual field trips, and other educational resources used by teachers and students nationwide. It also offers professional development for educators and educational programming that extends well beyond its museums. The Smithsonian is actively involved in partnering with schools across the country on internships, fellowships, research collaborations, and joint academic programs, putting the organization in touch with thousands of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students each year.
The recent controversy surrounding the Smithsonian began with a White House report warning about an alleged infiltration of leftist politics within the institution. According to the report, this shift from history to activism is a deliberate strategy being pushed by socialist and communist activists in the United States. The report cited the National Museum of American History's director, Anthea Hartig, who has stated that she sees history as a 'prime tool of social justice' and aims to connect research and scholarship to activism and advocacy.
In response to the controversy, President Trump has ordered his administration to install signs outside the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History directing visitors to what the White House describes as "accurate" information about the nation's past. This move is likely to keep the controversy over the Smithsonian's cultural influence at the forefront of national conversation for months to come.
