Washington DC is a city that is famous for its world-class museums.
Locals and out-of-towners alike have access to a wealth of knowledge and beauty, all within
a relatively small footprint.
The museums found in the District of Columbia house everything from modern art installations
to enormous dinosaur fossils to iconic works of art from some of history's greats.
With the wide assortment of museums to choose from, there's always something fun and informative
to do when visiting DC.
Regardless of what you're into, you're sure to find a museum that's up your alley.
There's even the original Starship Enterprise on display – so you know even Trekkies have
something to look forward to.
Most Of DC’s most iconic museums are all located within walking distance of the Smithsonian
Metro exit, but some of the best hidden gems lie just beyond the beaten path.
DC has dozens of galleries and unique museums nestled around town in its various neighborhoods,
so if you’re planning on doing a museum crawl, expect to feel a lot like running a
marathon.
Throughout your journey, you’ll find some truly fantastic museums in places like Chinatown,
Dupont Circle, Judiciary Square, and even up in the historic, hilly streets of Georgetown.
With so many fantastic options to explore, you might be looking for a few pointers as
to where to get started.
Join us as we take you on a little tour of some of the best museums in the nation's capital.
Viewcation Presents: Best Museums in Washington, D.C.
National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery's aim is to portray the iconic figures who've accomplished
remarkable feats and helped shape the nation's history and culture.
These influential public figures' likenesses have been immortalized in paintings completed
by various artists, and they're all stored together in one of the oldest buildings in
Washington.
Aside from the White House, this gallery is home to the only complete collection of presidential
portraits in DC.
Additionally, there are numerous depictions of famous and groundbreaking writers, artists,
politicians, and activists.
There are even a few pieces on display that give you a glimpse at some of history's most
notorious villains.
A few of the most noteworthy portraits on display include the ones of Edith Wharton,
George Washington, Frida Kahlo, and Barack and Michelle Obama.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
This museum has been drawing in large crowds ever since it was added to the National Mall
back in 2016.
It occupies a space of 400,000 square feet, so visitors can easily spend hours learning
all about the many contributions that African Americans have made throughout the country's
history.
The four stories above street level only represent about half of the museum as there are an additional
four below-ground floors that provide guests with a ton of other information about the
historic moments and events that have shaped African Americans' history in the United States.
The museum also offers an extensive online collection that allows you to search through
all of the artifacts and exhibits on display.
If you’re searching for something in particular, this might be a good place to start planning
your visit.
National Museum of Asian Art
Even though this museum occupies two buildings in a prime location on the Mall, it's strangely
often overlooked.
After stepping inside, however, you'll quickly discover an outstanding variety of Asian art
and artifacts.
The museum was previously known as the Freer and Sackler Galleries.
It got its start as Charles Lang Freer's private art collection, and its most famous feature
is The Peacock Room – an opulent dining room decorated by James McNeill Whistler.
The room is jam-packed and full of beautiful and priceless porcelain.
The remainder of the collection includes Chinese, Indian, and Japanese masterpieces.
National Museum of the American Indian
This museum is dedicated to America's indigenous and historically mistreated people.
The National Museum of the American Indian was added to the Mall in 2004.
It contains a delightfully insightful collection of Native American artifacts in addition to
a world-renowned cafeteria called The Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe.
Where else in DC can you sample dishes inspired by indigenous cuisine?
The building that the museum is housed in is just as much part of the package as the
exhibits.
The detail work is exquisite.
The museum’s entrance plaza displays plotted star configurations from November 28, 1989.
This was the date that federal legislation was first introduced to aid in the museum’s
creation.
The remainder of the museum is curated with works produced in a variety of mediums from
a wide range of indigenous American nations.
Pieces on display include paintings, pottery, photography, woodworking, textiles, and films.
Planet World
This museum describes itself as a place where language comes to life.
That means that it’s not really a museum that is focused on artifacts or a collection
in the traditional sense.
Instead, it’s a place that is all about the useful yet fleeting words and phrases
that we use in our everyday lives to express ourselves and communicate.
While that might seem like a pretty niche focus, it’s one that linguists, English
majors, educators, foreign language students, and book lovers will easily get lost in.
The museum was founded by former teacher Ann Friedman.
It’s her hope that Planet World can spark conversations and inspire an increased appreciation
for literacy.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
At the Hirshhorn Museum, nothing is off-limits.
The facility features a massive permanent collection that features a wide array of sculptures,
photographs, videos, digital media, performance-based pieces, and more from some of the 21st century’s
most pioneering and innovative minds.
The museum is housed in this spectacular, ultra-modern cylindrical building that stands
in sharp contrast with the mostly neoclassical architecture featured elsewhere throughout
the Mall.
The building was completed in 1974 and was originally meant to house the collection of
Wall Street wiz Joseph Hirshhorn, a self-made millionaire who enjoyed collecting 20th-Century
paintings and sculptures.
Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum
This museum is revered for its quality interactive hands-on exhibits and large-scale modern art
pieces.
In 2015, the museum received a massive overall when it was given a $30 million renovation.
Before then, it wasn't really much to speak of.
Its biggest draw is arguably its 2015 "Wonder" exhibit, which celebrates craft and design
in our modern digital age.
Another excellent exhibit is called "Murder is Her Hobby".
Here visitors can see a collection of macabre doll houses used to help detectives with hard-to-solve
crime scenes.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
While the topic of the Holocaust is certainly a very heavy and solemn one, this museum does
an excellent job honoring the victims of this horrific event in human history.
The museum might be a little much for younger visitors.
As such, it’s recommended for people 11 and older.
There are three floors within the permanent exhibition that tell the tragic tale of the
events and ideals that led up to the deadliest genocide of the 20th century.
From there, it moves through the horrors that happened during the Holocaust before discussing
its aftermath.
While this isn’t really the kind of place that you should come to expect a fun weekend
escape, we all have the obligation to avoid repeating the past’s mistakes by contemplatively
reflecting on them and confronting them as the horrors that they were.
If you do visit, please show the utmost respect.
This isn’t a place where you should come wearing clothing with offensive slogans or
anything like that.
In fact, some recommend treating it as you would if you were visiting a place of worship.
National Museum of Natural History
This museum is among the most iconic on the Mall.
It boasts longtime favorite displays such as the Hope Diamond, which has been drawing
in large crowds for more than six decades.
There are also top-notch state-of-the-art exhibits, such as the Hall of Mammals and
the recently revamped Hall of Fossils.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
While we already discussed the National Portrait Gallery, we should probably take a moment
to tell you about the other museum housed in the same building.
The Smithsonian Art Museum houses some of the most famous works by American artists
such as Georgia O’Keefe and Edward Hopper.
In between the dual museums, there is an open-air courtyard.
In our opinion, this is one of the most peaceful places in DC to enjoy a bite to eat or read
a book.
If you’ve been on your feet all day, do yourself a favor and take a pit stop here
to rest up on a bench and enjoy the scenery.
National Gallery Of Art
This museum is housed inside of two separate buildings that are connected by an underground
moving walkway like the kind you find at airports.
It's a world-class art museum that features pieces from all around the planet.
The West Building is devoted to European and American art from the 13th to 20th centuries.
There are also a few works from Spanish, French, German, Dutch, and Flemish artists from the
17th century.
Perhaps the most famous piece in the collection is Da Vinci’s portrait of Ginevra de’Benci,
the only work from the esteemed artist that is on display in the Western Hemisphere.
The East Building focuses on more modern pieces.
Notably, there’s a 32-foot-long still mobile by Alexander Calder that’s housed in a skylit
atrium.
International Spy Museum
In 2019, the world of Washington DC's for-profit museums was shaken up quite dramatically when
the Newseum closed, and the International Spy Museum moved in to fill its vacant spot
in L'Enfant Plaza.
While a visit can feel a lot more like strolling through the sort of ‘infortainment’ that
you might be used to seeing on the History channel these days, it’s incredibly fun
for those who don’t normally feel drawn to traditional museums.
The museum features a large array of spy gadgetry, including KGB poison pellet shooting umbrellas
and German wristwatch cameras.
If you're a big fan of 007 films, this is one museum that you'll want to spend all day
exploring.
You can even see the actual silver Aston Martin that bond drove in 1964s Goldfinger.
National Children’s Museum
Over on Pennsylvania Ave., just a few blocks down from the National Mall, the kiddos get
a fun-filled and educational museum all to themselves.
The National Children’s Museum was designed to appeal to toddlers up to children of Elementary
school age.
It opened its doors in its current form in February 2020, right when the COVID pandemic
first really started rearing its ugly head.
Fortunately, after months of lockdowns and health mandates, it's since reopened for the
young and young at heart to enjoy.
While we're just about out of time, we wanted to give a shout out to a few DC-museum honorable
mentions.
Architecture buffs will appreciate the phenomenal National Building Museum, while the Postal
Museum will appeal to those that enjoy learning the obscure yet fascinating history of the
nation's mail system.
A couple other DC-area museums worth checking out include the National Air & Space Museum
and the National Museum of American History.
What are a few of your favorite DC museums?
If you haven’t gotten the chance to visit the nation’s capital yet, which museums
are you most excited to see?
Let us know in the comments down below.