The 10 Best Museums in Dupont Circle, District of Columbia (DC)

Book Arts is the culmination of the collective efforts of gifted American and Florentine bookbinders, conservators, book artists, letterpress printers and leather craftsmen. Inspired by the classic Florentine atelier and a 100 year old legacy, Book Arts coalesces a life-time of experience to make available timeless works with uncompromising services, employing the arts of fine binding. Services include the design, binding, and printing of limited editions, expert restoration and conservation of books, and fine binding and printing of single books.

"Americas First Museum of American Art" boasts a collection of over 2,500 19th and 20th-century masters, both American and European, including Renoir, Picasso, Gauguin, Manet, OKeefe and more.

Explore the Society of the Cincinnati's historic headquarters, Anderson House, a National Historic Landmark that has been the Society's home since 1938. The Society and its American Revolution Institute work to honor the men and women who won American independence in the Revolutionary War by supporting advanced study, presenting exhibitions and other public programs, advocating preservation, and providing resources to teachers and students. Tours of Anderson House reveal the history of the Society of the Cincinnati, the significance of the American Revolution, and the lives and collections of the home's first owners, Larz and Isabel Anderson. The mansion was completed in 1905 for the Andersons, a wealthy couple who devoted their lives to public service, travel, entertaining, collecting, and philanthropy-interests and activities that are reflected in Anderson House, where much of the couple's art collection and furnishings are still on display. Guided tours begin at 15 minutes past each hour. Anderson House also offers a changing exhibition gallery, a research library, and an active calendar of public programs.

Historic Dupont Circle home of German immigrant and brewmaster Christian Heurich (1842-1945) and family The mansion was built from 1892-94 by German immigrant, local brewer, and philanthropist Christian Heurich (1842-1945). He and his family lived in their Dupont Circle home from its completion in 1894 until his wife's death in 1956. Recognized as Washington, DC's most successful brewer, he ran the Chr. Heurich Brewing Co., the city's longest-operating brewery (1873-1956), until his death at 102. The mansion is notable for its fireproof construction, original interiors, and family collections. The museum, located at 1307 New Hampshire Avenue in Dupont Circle, is open for regular public events and guided tours Thursday through Saturday at 11:30 am, 1:00 and 2:30 pm. Private tours and event rentals are also available.

Established in 2008 and relocated in 2011, our museum’s mission is to document and expose the Laogai, China’s vast, brutal and lucrative system of forced-labor prison camps. Its Party documents, prison artifacts, and video interviews preserve the memory of the Laogai’s victims and educate about the Chinese Communist government’s ongoing abuse of its own people. Free entry, self-guided tours, and bilingual signage make it ideal for DC residents and foreign and American visitors alike.

Photographer Ansel Adams was a Wilderness Society Council member and supported the organization for more than four decades. Throughout his distinguished career as a photographer, Adams photographed dozens of iconic portraits of wildlands, such as Alaska’s Denali and California’s Yosemite . He is one of the world’s best-known landscape photographers. More than 70 works are on display at the Ansel Adams Collection at The Wilderness Society headquarters in Washington, D.C. The collection is open to the public on weekdays and closed on weekends and federal holidays.

Experience the new World Bank Group Visitor Center! Open Monday–Friday, 10am–5:30pm. Visit and enjoy a 6,200-square foot modern space dedicated to sharing the World Bank Group’s mission, goals, and achievements with the public through videos, art exhibits, and interactive stories told in augmented and virtual reality. We welcome you to explore and learn more during your stay in Washington, D.C.