United States Botanic Garden

This garden is part of the Smithsonian Institution so it is free to enter. It is located near the Capitol and Garfield Circle because it is run by the US Congress. Many of the plants were brought back by Charles Wilkes who went around the world between 1838 and 1842 on an exploratory mission funded by the U.S. Congress. The museum itself was not created until 1933 so the plants were planted at the National Herbarium and the Old Patent Office Museum greenhouse until 1850, then later in a building in front of the Capitol. The building is divided into several rooms which each have a different climate.