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Things to do in Washington DC, District of Columbia (DC): The Best Art Museums
Washington DC is a hub for American politics and history. Attracting as many school field trips as it does travelers the district offers a peek into the country’s democratic origin. There are plenty of free museums to take advantage of but the real draw here is the memorials and monuments dedicated to great American leaders. Spend some contemplative time at the Reflecting Pool within the National Mall, among the most patriotic places in the country.
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1. National Gallery of Art
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 9,190 reviews
We belong to you. The National Gallery of Art—the nation’s museum—preserves, collects, exhibits, & fosters understanding of works of art.
Reviewed By kazoochance - New Haven, United States
Just go here and check out both spectacular buildings - the modern IM Pei East Wing and the the lovely old classical West Building - especially by taking the underground passageway - and feel the differences and greatness of both classical and modern culture! Go stand in front of so many paintings you’ve seen in art books and marvel at Van Gogh and his luminous color and thick paint just inches away, and Gauguin with his bright colored patterns and shapes on the other side of the room... be amazed at the brilliant details of light in the Dutch masters and Salvador’s Dali’s Last Supper... And take your kids! Just go by feel and see what pulls you ...and maybe appreciate your good fortune for getting to be alive and able to appreciate that there is so much beauty in the world after all.
2. Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,251 reviews
Hillwood, the grand estate of Post Cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, sits on 25 acres overlooking Rock Creek Park in northwest Washington DC. Along with a world renowned collection of Russian and French decorative arts, Hillwood also features extensive gardens and special exhibitions.
Reviewed By wbee2016 - Lincoln, United States
Ms. Post amassed a huge and varied collection of Russian artifacts from the days of Imperial family rule, including Fabrege eggs, jewelry, porcelain, and religious icons. Arrive early to see the gardens and grounds when not crowded. When standing on the steps looking toward the putting green across the lunar lawn, spot the Washington monument in the distance. Take the docent led mansion tour. Not on the guided tour but not to be missed is the icon room. There is a cafe on the grounds with delicious lunch fare and attentive service. This is a quiet jewel in a bustling tourist town. Go when you need to refresh.
3. Dumbarton Oaks
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 321 reviews
Dumbarton Oaks is an institute of Harvard University dedicated to supporting scholarship internationally in Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies through fellowships, meetings, exhibitions, and publications. It opens its doors to the public to visit its historic Gardens, designed by Beatrix Farrand; its Museum, with world-class collections of art; and its Music Room, for lectures and concerts.
Reviewed By NikaJunie - Jersey City, United States
This is a hidden gem, but will only be interesting to people with certain refined tastes. Basically, it is a big, early 19th century country house set in a large, extraordinary garden. It contains a small museum dedicated to Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art. Musical events and lectures are often held here and it is a center of active scholarship, an enclave of Harvard University. These areas do not form a coherent whole but, rather, reflect the interests of the donors. If you are drawn to landscaping, Byzantium, or the ancient Americas you should not miss Dumbarton Oaks. There is a good bookshop/gift shop. Opening hours are limited, so plan ahead.
4. The Phillips Collection
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,392 reviews
"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.
Reviewed By Nutmeg2003 - Washington DC, United States
This 2 story private home expanded its space to add a larger 3 story exhibit area for its wonderful collection and visiting exhibitions some years ago. Is the tale apocryphal of a fellow from Germany bringing his girlfriend to DC to propose to her in front of Renoir's The Boating Party? It's believable, as the painting beguiles viewers. The current exhibition of Nabi artists: From Bonnard to Vuillard, will soon end, but there's always another worth seeing. I'm most intrigued by the Impressionist art, so well curated, but go to the website to see more of the permanent collection. If you can grab a ticket for a Sunday concert in the music room, by a wonderful traveling quartet, the acoustics in the main house are amazing. Just off Dupont Circle, this museum is special even in DC, where museums abound.
5. National Portrait Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,498 reviews
Visitors can view the portraits of all the U.S. presidents.
Reviewed By rossf976 - Fargo, United States
You intended to visit the much-hyped International Spy Museum, only to discover the entrance mobbed with tourists and the $22.95/adult a bit above budget. So you glance across the street to a hulking Greek Revival style building apparently ignored by the mobs. Better take a closer look. You’ve stumbled onto the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum, unencumbered by the multitudes and…free. These two art galleries in the sprawling ex-U.S. patent office tend to be missed perhaps because the building is several blocks off Smithsonian central on the National Mall. Some people who have visited Washington over the years also may remember its location in a once-dubious neighborhood surrounded by pimps and addicts. Well, that was then. Now the area between F and G streets has been cleaned up and this museum ought to move to everyone’s A list. It’s become one of the city’s top art museums. The portrait gallery features American history as told through the presidents, George Washington to Barack Obama. That newest portrait is so popular staff had to set up ropes to control the line. The American art gallery side houses a vast collection of just about any kind of work you want to see, from Renaissance art (European but with a connection to the New World) to contemporary abstracts. Pottery, sculpture, folk art, glass-walled conservation demo room, charming covered courtyard—well, it’s clearly too much for the limited space. In fact, some of the art has been squeezed together top to bottom hanging from back-to-back boards on the nearly-ignored third level. Don’t miss that. The building itself features grand staircases, marble floors and dramatic skylights, architecture alone is worth a look. That it barely survived a tear-down plan during the philistine ‘50s makes it all the more amazing. To see everything requires several hours. But what the heck—come back again later. After all, it’s free. And mob-less. One possible concern: it doesn’t open until almost lunch time, 11:30 a.m. But it stays open until 7 p.m.
6. Smithsonian Institution Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 718 reviews
The Smithsonian Institution has two museums of Asian art: the Freer Gallery of Art, which opened to the public in 1923, and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, which welcomed its first visitors in 1987. Together known as the Freer|Sackler, the museums are physically connected by an underground passageway and ideologically linked through the study, exhibition, and sheer love of Asian art. Please note: The Freer Gallery of Art will be closed to the public from January 2016 until summer 2017. The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Library, and Archives will remain open for the duration of the renovation.
Reviewed By 649kennethb - Toronto, Canada
Although the holdings of these two galleries would arguably be better off displayed as one, fully integrated, collection they nonetheless represent one of the best collections of Asian art that I have ever seen. I am particularly interested in Iran and was stunned at the breadth and quality of the Persian artifacts, especially those of the Sassanian period. Even my Iranian friends back home, after viewing my photos, said that many of the pieces stand up against those on display in the best museums in Tehran. This experience paired nicely with the temporary exhibition of works by six female photographers, either living in contemporary Iran or members of the Persian diaspora communities that have done so much to enrich cultural life in the West. I was heartened to see that more recent works by Gohar Dashti are ever so slightly less bleak than what I had seen from her in the past in that they at least seem to see some future for Iran - though, interestingly, the images of the decayed remnants of Iranian buildings being reclaimed by nature are bereft of people. Mitra Tabrizian is also represented by a few, well-chosen works. Elsewhere, the Japanese screens are absolutely stunning and, along with the famed Peacock Room, are the highlights of a museum where everything on view is a masterpiece. The Freer/Sackler was my favourite of all the Smithsonian museums I visited.
7. The Kreeger Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 116 reviews
The Kreeger Museum is an art museum located in the former residence of Carmen and David Kreeger. Designed by Philip Johnson and Richard Foster, the Museum houses the Kreegers’ collection of 19th and 20th-century painting and sculpture and outstanding examples of African and Asian art.
Reviewed By HeaveNEarth - Fairfax, United States
A small wonderful art museum with a small collection of Chagall, Monet, Picasso, Miro, Renoir, Cezanne and, yes, good collection of Rodin sculpture. Only drawback is a small parking lot. The building the art museum houses itself is a piece of art. We actually sat down at a library and read some art books. We haven't done that for years. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
8. Renwick Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,118 reviews
A museum of American craft art that begins with James Renwicks architectural design of the building itself.
Reviewed By clairemC5031KQ - Charlottesville, United States
Our timing could not have been more perfect....we walked into the Renwick at 11:59 a.m., having no idea that the docent led tour started at noon. I have visited my sister in the D.C. area for thirty years, and why I have never been to this museum remains a mystery. Located across the street from the White House, this wonderful museum is a National Historic Landmark and part of the Smithsonian, so it’s free. With 23 years experience as a docent, our guide, Cristina, made the museum come alive. We were the only 2 people on the tour, so we had a private experience. Built by Mr. Corcoran in the late 1800’s, it functioned as a museum for years, but then was closed for years. In the 1970’s, there was talk of demolishing the building, but Jackie Kennedy came to the rescue. The museum opened four years ago with a special exhibit called Wonder. One of the light installations remains in the veranda. Part of the permanent collection is objects celebrating crafts as art, and Cristina gave us great background on the artists featured. My favorite piece was by Lino Tagliapietra, a master glass blower from Murano, Italy. His piece, Mandara, was an exquisite piece akin to a large vase. It was a special technique that fused glass bubbles to create a distinctive work that I swear shimmered. There are changing exhibits, and the two that were there when we visited were terrific. Ginny Ruffner is a glass artist who had superimposed augmented reality technology onto her barren sculptures. The effect is wild...you either download an app to your phone, or use on their the museum’s devices that look like at etch a sketch. You aim this at the sculpture and a flower springs to life....it was so cool! Michael Sherrill, a potter from North Carolina, started his career doing whimsical teapots, but his work morphs into sculptures of botanical wonders, creating shadow silhouettes on the walls like a Calder sculpture. Both of these exhibits run until Jan. 5, 2020.
9. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,543 reviews
The Smithsonian American Art Museum shares its collections, programs, and exhibitions in two locations in Washington, DC. SAAM’s main building is located at the heart of a vibrant downtown cultural district.
Reviewed By oliviayoung99 - Columbus, United States
I absolutely LOVED this museum, and could have stayed here for an entire day! The art they have on display is absolutely amazing and truly unique! The best piece in my opinion is the Electronic Superhighway: Continental USA-- completely amazing and different, I could have stayed and stared at it for hours! The portrait museum that's attached is equally outstanding-- between the two one could easily spend a solid day or two looking at everything. This is probably my favorite Smithsonian, and I guarantee that there is something here for everybody to enjoy!
10. Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 35 reviews
This former U.S. Patent Office houses the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Reviewed By H5152PVrobertd
This historic building is a treasure trove of American art and portraiture. I love their annual exhibit, "One Life", which devotes a room to one famous person. This year it is Marian Anderson. They have an excellent exhibit on the suffragists who fought for "Votes for Women" as we prepare to celebrate the centenary of the 19th Amendment. As this museum is located off the National Mall in Penn Quarter, it is open later than the other Smithsonian museums. Enjoy the museum and then have dinner in Penn Quarter.
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