Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is a collection of museums and research organizations, many of which are located in the city of Washington, DC on Earth. It was initially formed in 1846 in the United States of America, for the "diffusion of knowledge amongst men." Its collection includes the Phoenix, the first Human warp ship. 

Background

 * The Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum houses the original shooting model of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) from TV's Star Trek series in the lower level of the gift shop in the National Mall building. The model was placed in the Smithsonian as part of the Star Trek Smithsonian Exhibit which opened in 1992.
 * The Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center also previously held the space shuttle Enterprise, named for the Star Trek ship, and which also appears in the opening credits of Star Trek: Enterprise. In 2012, the Enterprise was transferred to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.