Smithsonian (Washington Metro)

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For other uses, see Smithsonian (disambiguation).

Smithsonian

Station statistics

Address

1200 Independence Avenue, Southwest
Washington, D.C. 20004

Lines

Blue Line

Orange Line

Silver Line (planned)

Platforms

2 side platforms

Tracks

Bicycle facilities

2 racks

Other information

Opened

July 1, 1977

Accessible

Code

D02

Owned by

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Traffic

Passengers (2006)

4.549 million ▲ 2%

Services

Preceding station	Metrorail	Following station
Federal Triangle toward Franconia–Springfield	Blue Line	L'Enfant Plaza toward Largo Town Center
Federal Triangle toward Vienna/Fairfax–GMU	Orange Line	L'Enfant Plaza toward New Carrollton
Federal Triangle toward Route 772	Silver Line (planned)	L'Enfant Plaza toward Stadium–Armory

Station entrance pylon

Smithsonian is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., on the Blue and Orange Lines. It will also serve the planned Silver Line. The station is located near the center of the National Mall. The station's south entrance is at the southwest corner of Independence Avenue and 12th Street, Southwest, the street elevator is at the northwest corner of the same intersection, and the north entrance is on the south side of the Mall near Jefferson Drive, Southwest.

Smithsonian

The station is named for its proximity to the Smithsonian Institution's museums and is close to the Washington Monument, the Tidal Basin and other tourist attractions on and near the National Mall. The station is also near several federal office buildings, including those of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy.

Service began on July 1, 1977. Near this station, Metro had its first fatality, which occurred on January 13, 1982 when a train derailed. On the same day, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge. The two events closed the federal government in the Washington Metropolitan Area.

The Smithsonian station has been closed all day on the Fourth of July since 2002, as its north entrance is within the secure perimeter established around the National Mall during Independence Day events.