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Did you know that the Smithsonian Institution is not just a museum, but the largest museum complex in the entire world? Sometimes referred to as the nation's attic, the Smithsonian is a vast array of museums, research centers, laboratories, libraries, and study rooms used to promote the study and understanding of mankind, past, present and future. The Castle has one small exhibition telling the quirky story of the Smithsonian Institution's founding. James Smithson, the bastard son of the Duke of Northumberland, died in 1829 and even though he had never visited the United States he willed his $104,000 fortune "to found in Washington, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." After a few years of anti-British speeches, Congress finally got around to accepting Smithson's gift. In 1846, Congress hired architect James Renwick to design what would become the first of the Smithsonian's many buildings.
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North America
