smithsonian-mcp-server

io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-serverVersion 0.4.0

Search 14.5M Smithsonian Open Access objects, get CC0 images, find cross-collection connections.

Status

Responds565 msNov 14, 2026, 14:48 UTCAnswered our handshake without sign-in.

Registry data may be out of date

We could not refresh it, so this page shows the last copy.

Last checked: Nov 14, 2026, 14:48 UTC
Latency: 565 ms
Remotes responding: 1 of 1
Sign-in: No sign-in
Hosting: Hosted outside the EU (detected)
Registry data as of: Nov 14, 2026, 22:14 UTC

Data from the official MCP Registry, checked by run.zero. How we check

Connect

Streamable HTTP

https://smithsonian.caseyjhand.com/mcpResponds565 msNov 14, 2026, 14:48 UTC

No sign-in

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http smithsonian-mcp-server https://smithsonian.caseyjhand.com/mcp

Claude Desktop and claude.ai

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Settings > Connectors > Add custom connector
Name: smithsonian-mcp-server
Remote MCP server URL: https://smithsonian.caseyjhand.com/mcp

Cursor

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "smithsonian-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://smithsonian.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

VS Code

code --add-mcp '{"name":"smithsonian-mcp-server","type":"http","url":"https://smithsonian.caseyjhand.com/mcp"}'

Streamable HTTP

npm: @cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server 0.4.0

Package only

npm (npx)

claude mcp add smithsonian-mcp-server -e 'SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY=<YOUR_SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY>' -- npx -y @cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server@0.4.0

Replace <YOUR_SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY> before running.

Streamable HTTP

npm: @cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server 0.4.0

Package only

npm (npx)

claude mcp add smithsonian-mcp-server -e 'SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY=<YOUR_SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY>' -- npx -y @cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server@0.4.0

Replace <YOUR_SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY> before running.

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Tools

6 tools

Tools of smithsonian-mcp-server
	Description		Read-only	Idempotent	Open world
`smithsonian_browse_category`Browse Smithsonian objects within one exact category — a single museum (mode "museum"), culture, indexed date term (mode "period"), object type (mode "medium"), or subject term (mode "topic"). The value must be an exact indexed category term, not free text: resolve museum, culture, period, and topic vocabulary with smithsonian_list_terms first (object_type is not enumerable there — harvest it from smithsonian_search_objects results, and treat each casing as its own category, since a harvested object_type covers only the casing it was written in). Returns the category total count, a page of matching objects, and a museum breakdown of that page; page the full category with start and rows. For open-ended or topic discovery, start with smithsonian_search_objects instead.	Browse Smithsonian objects within one exact category — a single museum (mode "museum"), culture, indexed date term (mode "period"), object type (mode "medium"), or subject term (mode "topic"). The value must be an exact indexed category term, not free text: resolve museum, culture, period, and topic vocabulary with smithsonian_list_terms first (object_type is not enumerable there — harvest it from smithsonian_search_objects results, and treat each casing as its own category, since a harvested object_type covers only the casing it was written in). Returns the category total count, a page of matching objects, and a museum breakdown of that page; page the full category with start and rows. For open-ended or topic discovery, start with smithsonian_search_objects instead.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Yes
`smithsonian_find_related`Discover objects across Smithsonian collections related to a given anchor object, matched on shared metadata signals — culture, period, object type, named parties, and topic terms. Each related object is tagged with the signals that connected it to the anchor; a named-party signal carries the catalog's own role for that party (maker, Collector, Donor, issuing authority, …), not a fixed "maker" label. Matches surface across museums — an NASM aerospace anchor can pull related objects from NMNHPALEO, SAAM, and NMAH.	Discover objects across Smithsonian collections related to a given anchor object, matched on shared metadata signals — culture, period, object type, named parties, and topic terms. Each related object is tagged with the signals that connected it to the anchor; a named-party signal carries the catalog's own role for that party (maker, Collector, Donor, issuing authority, …), not a fixed "maker" label. Matches surface across museums — an NASM aerospace anchor can pull related objects from NMNHPALEO, SAAM, and NMAH.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Yes
`smithsonian_get_media`Return every CC0 (open-access) image for a Smithsonian object at multiple resolutions. The tool never returns an empty list — it names the reason instead: an object with nothing digitized, an object whose media is entirely non-image (3D models, scanned books, documents), and an object whose images are entirely non-CC0 each fail with their own reason. Each image entry includes thumbnail (~120px), screen-size (~800px), and high-resolution JPEG/TIFF URLs with pixel dimensions. The cc0_only filter on smithsonian_search_objects surfaces objects that have downloadable CC0 images.	Return every CC0 (open-access) image for a Smithsonian object at multiple resolutions. The tool never returns an empty list — it names the reason instead: an object with nothing digitized, an object whose media is entirely non-image (3D models, scanned books, documents), and an object whose images are entirely non-CC0 each fail with their own reason. Each image entry includes thumbnail (~120px), screen-size (~800px), and high-resolution JPEG/TIFF URLs with pixel dimensions. The cc0_only filter on smithsonian_search_objects surfaces objects that have downloadable CC0 images.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Yes
`smithsonian_get_object`Fetch a normalized catalog metadata projection for a Smithsonian object by its record_id (from smithsonian_search_objects results). Returns title, dates, description, labeled notes, makers, materials, dimensions, places, cultures, topics, exhibitions, credit line, identifiers, rights, and a media summary. Natural-history records can include scientific_names, taxonomy, and collection coordinates without inferred precision. The media summary counts the media and links every non-image item (3D models, scanned books, documents); full image URLs come from smithsonian_get_media.	Fetch a normalized catalog metadata projection for a Smithsonian object by its record_id (from smithsonian_search_objects results). Returns title, dates, description, labeled notes, makers, materials, dimensions, places, cultures, topics, exhibitions, credit line, identifiers, rights, and a media summary. Natural-history records can include scientific_names, taxonomy, and collection coordinates without inferred precision. The media summary counts the media and links every non-image item (3D models, scanned books, documents); full image URLs come from smithsonian_get_media.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Yes
`smithsonian_list_terms`Enumerate the valid term vocabulary for an indexed Smithsonian filter field (unit_code, culture, place, date, online_media_type, topic). Terms are a controlled vocabulary — often plural or qualified (e.g. "Paintings", not "Painting") — so guessed filter values tend to return nothing. Returns a page of the field's distinct term values; large vocabularies (topic has 133k terms, place 114k) page via start and rows. For unit_code, each code is returned with its museum name and contains matches the name as well as the code, so a museum name resolves to its code in one call.	Enumerate the valid term vocabulary for an indexed Smithsonian filter field (unit_code, culture, place, date, online_media_type, topic). Terms are a controlled vocabulary — often plural or qualified (e.g. "Paintings", not "Painting") — so guessed filter values tend to return nothing. Returns a page of the field's distinct term values; large vocabularies (topic has 133k terms, place 114k) page via start and rows. For unit_code, each code is returned with its museum name and contains matches the name as well as the code, so a museum name resolves to its code in one call.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Yes
`smithsonian_search_objects`Recommended first step for open-ended or topic discovery: free-text search across 14.5 million Smithsonian objects, with optional exact filters. Filters narrow by museum unit, object type, indexed date term, culture, geographic place, subject topic, named party, and online/CC0 availability. Returns curated summaries (title, date, museum, thumbnail URL, CC0 flag) with the total match count. The record_id in each result is the identifier for smithsonian_get_object, smithsonian_find_related, and smithsonian_get_media. To browse one exact category — a single museum, culture, date term, object type, or topic — use smithsonian_browse_category instead.	Recommended first step for open-ended or topic discovery: free-text search across 14.5 million Smithsonian objects, with optional exact filters. Filters narrow by museum unit, object type, indexed date term, culture, geographic place, subject topic, named party, and online/CC0 availability. Returns curated summaries (title, date, museum, thumbnail URL, CC0 flag) with the total match count. The record_id in each result is the identifier for smithsonian_get_object, smithsonian_find_related, and smithsonian_get_media. To browse one exact category — a single museum, culture, date term, object type, or topic — use smithsonian_browse_category instead.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Yes

Details

Registry status: Active
Published: Nov 1, 2026
Updated: Nov 1, 2026
Website: Not given
Repository: https://github.com/cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server⁠ (opens in a new tab)
Categories (suggested): Design and mediaSuggested categories are assigned automatically from the registry text and may be wrong. Verified operators can correct them.
GDPR: Not declared

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