The Smithsonian Institution is a group of museums and research centers that is dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. The institution was founded in 1846 and is named after James Smithson, a British scientist who left his fortune to the United States to establish an institution for the "increase and diffusion of knowledge." The Smithsonian Institution is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and includes 19 museums and galleries, as well as the National Zoo. The institution's collections include more than 154 million objects, specimens, and artifacts, and its research centers conduct research in a wide range of fields, including science, history, and the arts.