Skip to Content

Virtual museum visits are free with Smithsonian Open Access

Can’t get to your favorite museum or one you’ve wanted to visit your whole life? Consider logging into Smithsonian Open Access for a free virtual visit.

To keep up with latest news, sign up for the daily Miami on the Cheap newsletter. You can also follow us on Facebook and on Twitter and visit our Facebook group page.

With Smithsonian Open Access, you can download, share and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images right from your laptop, desktop, tablet or smartphone. With new platforms and tools, you can access nearly 3 million 2D and 3D digital items from the Smithsonian’s massive collection. It also includes text, still images, sound recordings, research datasets and collections data.

Included in the collection are images and data from the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives and the National Zoo. The content has been released to the public domain as Creative Commons Zero, meaning it is free of copyright restrictions and can be used for any purpose, free of charge, without permission from the Smithsonian.

The Open Access program is an effort by the Smithsonian to follow its founding mission – “the increase and diffusion of knowledge” and empowering of people everywhere to participate in that mission.

Entertainment Calendar

Josie Gulliksen

About Josie Gulliksen

Josie Gulliksen is a freelance writer and major arts advocate and enthusiast who loves everything cultural and is excited to live in such a thriving community as Miami. A Miami native, aside from Miami on the Cheap, she currently writes for Artburst Miami, Biscayne Times, Edible South FL and Miami Media Group. She worked for nearly a decade at Miami Today as Calendar Editor and arts writer and then worked for 13 years in public relations. She has her own blog Scene Around South FL.

Living on the CheapMiami on the Cheap is a member of Living on the Cheap, a network of websites published by frugalistas, journalists and consumer advocates. Find practical advice on saving money on groceries, travel and shopping, plus tips from our experts on how to live the good life for less at Living on the Cheap.

Living on the Cheap in the Media