The Interior Museum is a museum operated by the United States Department of the Interior and housed at the Department's headquarters at the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C., on the first floor.
Opened in 1938, the museum's permanent exhibits are divided into galleries that focus on the work of the department's agencies, including the National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, United States Fish and Wildlife Service and United States Geological Survey.
A special feature are dioramas that display the work of these agencies, such as Coal Mine Explosion and Winter Use of the National Parks. One diorama depicts an aerial view of the plan of central Washington, D.C. from 1939.
Other exhibits include mineral and fossil specimens from federal lands. The museum's entrance area and other special display cases feature changing exhibits.
Because of the museum's location, all visitors must present a photo ID to enter. Admission is free.
Earlier this year, the Interior Museum closed for renovations. However, an art and architecture tour of the Main Interior Building is offered. The tour visits 26 photographic murals by Ansel Adams and many of the over fifty mural panels throughout the building painted by artists such as Maynard Dixon, Allan Houser, Gifford Beal, and John Steuart Curry. The Murals Tour is offered Tuesdays at 12:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. Reservations are required at least two weeks in advance.
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