Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)

The Smithsonian Institution Building was constructed between 1847 and 1855 from Seneca red sandstone to house the newly founded Smithsonian Institution and its collections. Designed by architect James Renwick Jr., it originally contained offices, laboratories, and exhibition space and now houses the Smithsonian Visitor Center and institutional offices. The building is a National Historic Landmark and a prominent example of mid-19th-century federal cultural infrastructure on the National Mall.