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Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C.

Leslie Carbone
Washington, D.C.

Looking forward to visiting the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C.?  Fabulous!  From dinosaur bones to Dorothy’s ruby slippers, they’re packed with fun and fascinating artifacts.

As of this writing, there are 16 Smithsonian museums open in Washington.  All are free of charge to explore, but two currently require timed-entry passes; there are also ticket fees for certain special exhibitions.

You won’t be able to explore them fully in a single visit.  I’ve lived in the Washington area off and on since college, and I haven’t been able to explore them fully.  I recommend that you plan on visiting one or two buildings per day of your visit.

 

As of this writing, the Smithsonian Institution Building, known as the Castle, is closed for renovations, including the Visitor Center.  You may plan your explorations using the Smithsonian’s Virtual Visitor Center.

 

The following Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., are currently open to the public:

The Archives of American Art houses papers and other primary records related to the visual arts in America.

The National Portrait Gallery showcases the likenesses of the people who’ve shaped America, from politicians to poets.  The Gallery maintains the only complete set of presidential portraits in the United States outside the White House.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum displays the works of artists including John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer, and Georgia O’Keeffe.

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The Archives of American Art, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum share the same main building.  The closest Metro stop is Gallery Place on the Red, Yellow, and Green lines.  Michelin restaurants nearby include:  Mediterranean Zaytinya and contemporary French Café Riggs, inside the Riggs Hotel.  Hotels within half a mile include:

The Renwick Gallery is a separate branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum which features contemporary works; together they are the Smithsonian’s most-visited museums, welcoming 1.1 million visitors in 2022.  The closest Metro stops are Farragut North on the Red line and Farragut West on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.  Michelin restaurants nearby include:  French La Bise and Indian The Bombay Club.  Hotels within half a mile include:

The Freer Gallery of Art showcases Asian paintings, sculptures, ceramics, lacquers, and metalware and 19th-century American pieces, including works by James Whistler.  The closest Metro stop is Smithsonian on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.  Hotels within half a mile include:

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden displays international modern and contemporary art.  As of this writing, the Sculpture Garden is closed for “revitalization”.  The closest Metro stop is L’Enfant Plaza on the Yellow, Blue, Orange, Silver, and Green lines.  Hotels within half a mile include:

The National Air and Space Museum houses flight-related artifacts including planes, rockets, and Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit.  Timed-entry passes are required.  The closest Metro stop is L’Enfant Plaza.  Hotels within half a mile include:

The Museum also has a large annex, the Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture features artifacts related to the black experience in America, including Harriet Tubman’s hymnal, Emmett Till’s coffin, and Jackie Robinson’s Dodgers jersey.  Timed-entry passes are required.  The closest Metro stops are Smithsonian and Federal Triangle on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.  Excellent hotels within half a mile include:

The National Museum of African Art houses traditional and contemporary works including masks, baskets, and jewelry from Africa.  The closest Metro stop is Smithsonian.  Hotels within half a mile include:

The National Museum of American History showcases artifacts tracing the American experiment from colonial times, including George Washington’s uniform, Thomas Jefferson’s lap desk, and Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.  The closest Metro stop is Federal Triangle.  Excellent hotels within half a mile include:

The National Museum of the American Indian maintains one most extensive collections of native art and artifacts in the world.  Its collection features objects from virtually the entire Western Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to Cape Horn.  The closest Metro stop is L’Enfant Plaza.  Hotels within one mile include:

The National Museum of Natural History is the place for science buffs, with artifacts ranging from Egyptian mummies to the Hope Diamond.  The closest Metro stop is Federal Triangle.  Excellent hotels within half a mile include:

The National Postal Museum houses artifacts related to the history of the mail and its delivery, from Colonial times to the present.  Its collection features stamps, cards and letters, and vehicles including a stagecoach.  The closest Metro stop is Union Station on the Red line.  Michelin restaurants nearby include:  Asian Bar Chinois and Italian L’Ardente.  Hotels within one mile include:

The S. Dillon Ripley Center houses a Discovery Theater and a small selection of changing exhibitions.  I’ve taken two photography classes here.  The building connects underground to the Sackler Gallery and the National Museum of African Art.  The nearest Metro station is Smithsonian.  Excellent hotels within one mile include:

The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery features South Asian sculpture, modern Japanese ceramics, and ancient Chinese jades and bronzes.  The closest Metro stop is Smithsonian.  Excellent hotels within half a mile include:

The Anacostia Community Museum explores the impact of social issues on urban communities.  The closest Metro station is Anacostia on the Green line.  Hotels within three miles of the Museum include:

Bon voyage!  

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