The Smithsonian is quite possibly the largest network of museums in the world. It’s facilities can be found scattered throughout the Washington, DC, area, but it is the museums on the National Mall and the Zoo in Adams Morgan that attract the most visitors.

Each building has its own distinctive sound; both when open and closed. None of them are ever truly empty though, and the sparse and occasional sounds of voices and activity that can be heard in the museums when they are closed to the public gives a distinctly different impression.

The Zoo provides its own unique backdrop, being a space devoted to nature in the center of urban sprawl. When was the last time you heard wolves howling amidst the sound of a city’s hum? You can here!

This library includes sounds from the Museum of Natural History, Museum of American History, Museum of Air and Space, Museum of the American Indian, The Freer Gallery, the subterranean exhibits of the Sackler Gallery and the Museum of African Art, the Administrative Ripley Center, and the National Zoo. All told, three and a half hours of unique ambiences!