Specimens were shown as the history of the United States Exploring Expedition was explained. The 19th century government expedition commanded by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes would circumnavigate the globe, chart unknown Pacific islands, and discover Antarctica. The 40 tons of animal, plant, and ethnographic specimens collected by the expedition's six naval vessels became the foundation for the Smithsonian Institution collections, and are still used for scientific research. Several locations of the National Museum of Natural History were toured, including the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and the Museum Support Center in Suitland, Maryland. Topics included the evolution of the Smithsonian and preservation of the specimens.

This was the first of two parts.