The Smithsonian Has 18,000 Marine Mammal Bones Hidden In A Warehouse. But What Does It Do With Them?

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has over 18,000 specimens in its marine mammal bone collection, notably featuring a rare 8.5-foot adult Rice's whale skull. This collection is so large — in both size and scale — that it has outgrown the museum.

Most of the collection is located in an airplane hangar in the Museum Support Center in Maryland. Here's a deep dive into where the Smithsonian gets these bones, how they're cleaned, why it has them, and how they're maintained.