I love museums, being near DC gives me great access to many Smithsonian museums which are some of the best in the country IMO.
the general public. The goal of serving researchers is increasingly shifting to serving the general public.
There are many types of museums, including art museums, natural history museums, science museums, war museums, and children's museums. Amongst the world's largest and most visited museums are the Louvre in Paris, the National Museum of China in Beijing, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the British Museum and National Gallery in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and Vatican Museums in Vatican City
. There is no value in being just the largest if we do not share the Smithsonian with as many people as possible. It means making sure those who cannot travel to Washington can somehow experience and enjoy the Smithsonian." – Secretary I. Michael Heyman 
History Growth of the program.
The program was received by museums across the country. The end of the fiscal year 1997 recognized 21 organizations as Affiliates. As of 2017, there are over 200 Affiliates.
Program overview.
Smithsonian Affiliations considers membership proposals from