One of the photos in a new Smithsonian exhibit features a Junior Ranger joining the Park Service’s Jessica Keller to explore the corals of Little Africa, a pristine reef at Loggerhead Key in Dry Tortugas National Park/NPS, Brett Seymour

A visit to Washington, D.C., yields a glimpse into the nation’s history, much of it preserved by the National Park Service at the National Mall and Memorial Parks. Park lovers will have extra incentive to visit through next August, as the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History will honor the Park Service’s centennial with a new photography exhibit.

“100 Years of America’s National Park Service: Preserve, Enjoy, Inspire” opens Aug. 4 and features images from more than 50 sites – including national monuments, historic sites, battlefields, lakeshores, seashores, and others. It’s scheduled to be on display until August 2017.

“As the National Park Service celebrates its 100th anniversary, we want to recognize the important work of partner organizations like the Smithsonian that have been engaged with national parks since their establishment, and that continue to help the NPS study and support these extraordinary places,” National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said in a release. “This exhibit brings that partnership to life for visitors to the National Museum of Natural History, and sets the stage for a second century of collaboration and engagement between these two iconic American institutions.”

The images were captured by 18 award-winning photographers such as Stan Jorstad and Carol M. Highsmith. Museum visitors will be able to view more than 60 park visitor-submitted photos displayed on a slideshow, 15 nature panoramas, five National Park Service videos sharing how visitors explore parks year-round, as well as artifacts and specimens collected by Smithsonian researchers from park sites.

“America’s national parks are a treasured asset, not only for the millions of visitors they host every year, but also for scholars who study the history of our species and planet,” Kirk Johnson Sant, director of the National Museum of Natural History, said in a release. “The long-lasting partnership between the National Park Service and the Smithsonian has yielded insights into everything from the fossils found in petrified forests, the lives sacrificed on Civil War battlefields, to the flow of wildlife in urban areas.”

The 1,820-square-foot exhibition will also highlight how the Smithsonian has played a role in the history of the National Park Service, including the establishment of Yellowstone National Park.  Research conducted by the Smithsonian has supported the conservation of America’s heritage by the National Park Service.