plugmyagent

Smithsonian Open Access

Science Data Free key (no card)

AuthenticationFree key (no card)
Rate limitNo published quota in the public docs; keep requests reasonable.

Documentation: edan.si.edu ยท Checked Sep 13, 2026

About

The Smithsonian's Open Access API gives you programmatic access to millions of museum artifacts, natural-history specimens, historic images, and even 3D models. Much of the content is free of copyright restrictions and cleared for reuse. You sign up with a free api.data.gov key, which takes seconds and needs no credit card.

Details

Free to start. You may need a free key, but no credit card.

Auth: Free key (no card)

Rate limit: No published quota in the public docs; keep requests reasonable.

Verified: 2026-09-13

Best for: personal developer fun

Read the docs Back to catalog

Setup

  1. Get a free key at api.data.gov/signup by entering your email (no credit card).
  2. Paste the example URL with your key to search the collections instantly.
  3. Change the q parameter to any keyword like 'dinosaur' or 'apollo'.
  4. Use the object endpoints in the docs to fetch full details, images, and 3D files.
Sign up