Meet Smokey Bear in Washington, DC!

Newly reopened information center welcomes visitors on the National Mall

Alex Demas

Office of Communication

August 18, 2025

Image shows a cut-out of Smokey Bear standing outside the entrance to the Sydney Yates building. — Smokey Bear stands outside the USDA Forest Service entrance. Come in to visit our Information Center and meet Smokey! *(USDA Forest Service photo by Alex Demas)*

Imagine you’re a tourist visiting Washington, DC. As you walk along the south side of the Mall towards the Washington Monument, out of the corner of your eye, you see a tall cut-out of a bear in blue jeans, pointing towards a pair of carved wooden doors. Walking through, with wonderfully cooling air cutting the sweltering DC summer, you’re greeted by smiling Forest Service people, waving you enthusiastically inside.

There, relaxing with his feet up and a piece of fan mail in his paw, is America’s favorite wildfire prevention bear, Smokey. Looking up, he chortles, his deep voice beckoning you in, “Well hello there,” he intones, before uttering his famous line: “Remember, only you can prevent forest fires.”

Image shows a group of people taking pictures of an animatronic Smokey Bear. — Visitors take pictures of Smokey Bear inside the Information Center in Washington D.C. *(USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores)*

Introducing the Forest Service

First opened in 1995, the Forest Service Information Center welcomes visitors to the Sidney R. Yates Federal Building, a stately brick Romanesque building on the National Mall. Inside the Information Center, you can learn all about the Forest Service, its Mission and how we care for the land and serve people.

“Here in the Information Center, we want this to be our introduction to Americans, where they meet us and get to know us,” said Acting Associate Chief Chris French, who cut the ceremonial ribbon to reopen the Information Center after a brief hiatus following the covid pandemic. “People come to Washington, DC, from all over the country and I hope in between their museum visits and memorial tours, they get a chance to stop in and see what we’re about.”

Image shows a woman taking a picture of an animatronic Smokey Bear. — A visitor takes a photo of Smokey Bear inside the Information Center in Washington D.C. *(USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores)*

What we’re about

We care for the 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands under our purview, each of which visitors can learn about in the main cabin part of the exhibit space. An interactive map shows each national forest and grassland, as well as information about the unit, so visitors can find the one closest to where they live.

Surrounding this map is a reproduction of a ranger cabin, with examples of equipment that forest rangers used, such as two-man saws, snowshoes, orienteering compasses and axes. Several screens also play videos of forest rangers talking about their work, including fighting wildfires, maintaining trails and other visitor services, and supporting the industries that rely on the national forests and grasslands.

Next door is our forest room, with screens and exhibits talking about the ecosystems and environmental health of the national forests and grasslands and how we care for them. You can learn about endangered species, water quality and how fire can be a healthy part of a living forest.

Image shows an illustration of Smokey Bear at his desk with his feat up while going through huge stacks of letters. — Smokey sits at his desk in Rudy Wendelin’s beloved 1979 illustration, ”Smokey’s Fan Mail.” *(Image courtesy of the Special Collections, USDA National Agricultural Library)*

Smokey Bear at the office

That leaves just the Information Center’s centerpiece. Smokey sits front and center in a recreation of the famous Rudy Wendelin illustration “Smokey’s Fan Mail.” The painting is most appropriate considering the amount of fan mail Smokey receives. In fact, only two individuals in the U.S. have their own zip codes, the President of the United States and Smokey Bear!

Bringing that illustration to life with his feet propped on a cluttered desk, fan letter in paw and surrounded by other pieces of fan mail, Smokey is ready to welcome visitors with his trademark slogan, “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

Except, isn’t his slogan “Only you can prevent wildfires?” That’s right, the slogan was changed in 2001 to reflect that fire affects more than just forests. However, our Smokey is from before that time, so we recreated how things would have looked in 1958, when his slogan was “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

Image shows a banner reading "Come Visit Smokey Bear!" hanging against a brick wall by a ramp to the Forest Service building's front door. — Keep an eye out for Smokey Bear while you're walking the National Mall, then come on over to check out our Information Center. We look forward to seeing you! *(USDA Forest Service photo by Alex Demas)*

We can’t wait to see you

So next time you’re in Washington, DC, make sure you come on by. Just look for the towering red brick clock tower near the west end of the National Mall and keep an eye out for Smokey Bear out front. That’s how you know you’ve found the Forest Service Information Center. We can’t wait to see you!

The Information Center is open Monday-Fridays, 11 AM - 4 PM excluding holidays. Visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/info for more details.

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