The National Gallery of Art is one of the top art museums in DC, but it isn't the only one.
There are contemporary art galleries, art museums focused on women, African art, Asian art and much more.
I've been a licensed tour guide in Washington DC for nearly 15 years, leading tours of the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Art.
I spent a lot of time in art museums thanks to homeschooling my two elementary aged kids who are obsessed with art.
Some art museums in DC are free, while others are ticketed but look below for advice for how to get discounts or visit with no admission.
Hours listed below are subject to change, check the museum’s website for availability before visiting!
- Top 10 Art Museums in DC
- Free Art Museums in DC
- Is there a Modern Art Museum in DC?
- Lesser Known & Underrated Art Galleries you should visit
Top 10 Art Museums in DC
- National Gallery of Art
- Kreeger Museum
- Phillips Collection
- Hirshhorn Museum
- Museum of Asian Art
- National Museum of Women in the Arts
- National Portrait Gallery
- American Art Museum
- Renwick Gallery
- National Museum of African Art
Art is subjective, so these are in no particular order.
While some of these museums are free, others have ticketed admission - and they are all worth it.
But, in case its not in your budget, we've included some ways to experience the museums at a discounted rate where possible.
National Gallery of Art (free)
The National Gallery of Art is the largest and most visited art museum in DC and the top rated.
While its not technically a Smithsonian, it is free and open to the public with no tickets required.
The NGA is separated in two buildings, the East Wing, which is contemporary and modern art, and the West Wing, where you'll find more traditional artwork.
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm | (Closed on December 25 and January 01)
The National Gallery of Art is located on the National Mall, between the Natural History Museum and United States Capitol, and across from the Air and Space Museum.
There is an entrance on Constitution Ave NW around 5th Street NW and one on the National Mall side.
The closest Metro to the National Gallery of Art is Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Station on the Green and Yellow lines.
The station is on Pennsylvania Ave and 7th Street, just so make your way toward the Capitol and you'll find the NGA on your right.
Tours of the National Gallery of Art
If you're interested in guided tours of the National Gallery of Art, there are daily docent led tours to focus on specific galleries or themes.
For specific pieces, there are Gallery Talks scheduled on a daily basis. These are usually about 50 minutes long.
If you can't find a tour time that works for you, they also offer free Self Guided tours of the National Gallery of Art.
There are also audio tours. You can borrow a free audio player at the information desk, download the free app.
National Gallery of Art Artworks
The most well known artwork is Ginevra de' Benci, the only Leonardo Da Vinci on permanent display in the Americas.
You'll also be able to view Van Gogh's self portrait and Monet's Japanese Footbridge.
In the contemporary art wing, there is a giant Alexander Calder mobile and a Jackson Pollock.
Kreeger Museum (suggested donation)
A personal favorite, the Kreeger Museum is a small gallery and out of the way enough that you won't have to deal with the crowds.
This was the home of David and Carmen Kreeger, commissioned by architect/artist Phillip Johnson (one of a few residences he designed).
During their life, as patrons and musical director of the Kennedy Center, they amassed a vast collection of art and their home has now been turned into a museum to display this work.
Hours & Tickets
Guided public tours of the collection are offered at 2 pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays, depending on guide availability.
Adult tickets are $15. Seniors, students, educators, and military are $10. Collection members and children are free.
The Kreeger Museum is a bit out of the way and public transportation options are limited.
There is some free parking on the museum grounds, but it is a lovely drive through a wealthy residential neighborhood if you choose to take Uber/Lyft.
Artwork & Exhibitions
The Kreeger Museum has some big names such as Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, as well as a unique outdoor sculpture garden.
In addition to the artwork, a visit to see the architecture of the house is a must.
There are rotating exhibits in the lower level.
Phillips Collection (ticketed)
The Phillips Collection is America's first modern art museum and, like the Kreeger, started out as a private collection in someone's home.
Today, the red brick row house in Dupont Circle has been expanded to fit the collection of contemporary artwork.
Hours, Tickets & Tours
10 am - 5 pm. Every third Thursday is 10 am - 8 pm.
There is an admission price to see the Exhibitions: Adults $20 / Students $10 & Seniors (62+) $15 / Under 18 Free
Tickets are pay-what-you-wish 4 pm - close. The first hour on Sundays is members-only admission.
There are daily “Spotlight Talks” on individual pieces daily at 1 pm and 1:30 pm.
While there are no docent tours, there are a number of ways to learn more during your visit, including a cell phone tour, an app, and a Discovery Pack for kids.
The Phillips Collection is a short walk from the Dupont Circle Metro Station (red line) North entrance. You can enter the museum on 21st St NW at Q St NW.
Artwork & Exhibitions
The best known piece in the collection is Renior's Luncheon of the Boating Party.
But, you'll also find an entire room dedicated to Mark Rothko, and Jacob Lawrence's The Migration Series.
These popular pieces are part of the Museum Collection and can be visited by donation Tuesday-Friday.
Hirshhorn Museum (free)
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden are part of the Smithsonian Institution and are filled with international contemporary art pieces.
Outside is a sunken sculpture garden that parallels the National Gallery of Art sculpture garden, which is on the opposite side of the National Mall.
Hours, Tickets, & Tours
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-5:30 pm, Monday 12 pm-5:30 pm (except December 25).
There is no admission price to visit the Hirshhorn.
Like most Smithsonian Museums, there are docent led tours on a daily basis.
They run at 1230pm and 330pm every day and last about 45 minutes.
The Hirshhorn Museum is located on the National Mall between the Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Castle on the Independence Ave side.
The building is shaped like a donut so it is pretty easy to find!
The closest Metro to the Hirshhorn is L'Enfant Plaza (Green, Yellow, Blue, Orange, Silver)
Artwork & Exhibitions
The exhibits at the Hirshhorn are continuously rotating featuring well known international artists and lesser known works.
The collection highlights include works from Picasso, Matisse, Gorky, de Kooning, among others.
The Sculpture Garden features two pieces by Rodin (known for The Thinker) and Yoko Ono's Wish Tree for Washington.
National Museum of Asian Art (free)
These two galleries focus on Asian Art across the continent and across time.
The art includes paintings but also sculpture, pottery and jewelry which provides an historical view of the cultures around Asia.
In addition to Asian Art, the Freer Gallery has a collection of American Art, especially works by James Whistler.
Hours, Tickets & Tours
Daily 10am-530pm (except December 25). There is no admission price to visit the galleries.
There are several docent-led tours everyday from 12 pm to 4 pm
The Galleries are located on the National Mall on the Independence Ave side, just behind the Smithsonian Castle.
The closest Metro stop is Smithsonian (Blue, Orange, Silver), and the museum is right across the street.
Artwork & Exhibitions
The highlight of the Freer Gallery is the Peacock Room, a London dining room that was painted by James Whistler in an opulent Peacock motif.
In the Sackler Gallery, you'll find a large collection of Chinese jade and bronze, as well as a renowned grouping of Persian books.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
An art museum dedicated specifically to the work of female artists, the NMWA has works from as early as 1580 to present day.
It has over 5,000 items from more than 1,000 women artists over the centuries.
Hours, Tickets & Tours
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am - 5 pm.
There is an admission price to see the Exhibitions: Adults $16 / DC Residents & Seniors $13 / Under 21 Free
To visit the National Museum of Women in the Arts for free, it is open at no cost on the first Sunday of every month.
There are 30 minute docent led talks that highlight two pieces offered on most days at 2pm.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts is located on New York Ave NW at H St NW.
The closest Metro station is Metro Center (Blue, Orange, Silver, Red).
Artwork & Exhibitions
Collection highlights of the NMWA include Frida Kahlo, Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Elaine de Kooning, Rosa Bonheur among others.
National Portrait Gallery & American Art Museum (free)
The National Portrait Gallery is a favorite among tour guides.
While the building technically houses two museums, the National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum, you'll often here people only refer to it as NPG.
The beautiful Old Patent Office building has been turned into a Smithsonian Art Museum.
This particular art museum is the only place to find all the presidential portraits outside the White House.
It's a glimpse into what lesser known presidents looked like, or even some more well known ones.
See if you can find out which president looked like Tommy Lee Jones.
You'll also find portraits or sports stars, musicians, artists and more.
Hours, Tickets, & Tours
Daily, 1130am-7pm (closed December 25). There is no admission to visit the National Portrait Gallery.
Docent led tours are offered at daily at noon and 2:30 p.m. Please visit our calendar to verify times.
The National Portrait Gallery is located in Chinatown, with entrances on F and G Streets NW between 7th and 9th St NW.
The closest Metro is Gallery Place-Chinatown (Red, Green, Yellow).
Artwork & Exhibitions
The most well known piece is the Lansdowne Portrait of George Washington.
You'll also find self portraits of Paul Cezanne and John Singleton Copely, a daguerreotype of Frederick Douglass, and recent portraits of Spike Lee and Madeline Albright.
You are likely going to wander through the building and not realize you've left one museum and entered the other.
The collection at the American Art Museum is broad in scope - paintings, video art, photography, spanning centuries and locations across the country.
The museum has the largest New Deal murals and artwork in the country.
There are exhibits dedicated to Latino, African American artists as well as folk art.
Nam June Paik, Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii
Renwick Gallery (free)
The Renwick Gallery is an extension of the Smithsonian American Art Museum housed in a majestic red brick building just across the street from the White House.
The Renwick focuses on contemporary craft work.
Hours, Tickets & Tours
Daily 10am-530pm. There is no admission to enter the Renwick Gallery.
Collection Highlights tours are offered Monday thru Saturday at 12pm (except the second Tuesdays of each month and all federal holidays).
The Renwick Gallery is at the corner of Pennsylvania Ave NW and 17th Street NW, just across the street from the White House.
The closest Metro station is Farragut West (Blue, Orange, Silver)
Artwork & Exhibitions
The main exhibits at the Renwick rotate every few months and focus on unique crafts rather than framed paintings.
Sometimes the work takes up the entire room or is an immersive experience and others it is a work in minute detail.
National Museum of African Art (free)
Another Smithsonian museum, the National Museum of African Art spans historic and contemporary art from sub0-saharan and Arab North Africa.
It is the largest (and first) collection of African Art in the United States.
Hours, Tickets & Tours
Daily 10am-530pm. There is no admission to enter the National Museum of African Art.
Docent led tours are offered most days at 1030am, 12pm and 2pm.
The museum located on the National Mall on the Independence Ave side, just behind the Smithsonian Castle.
The closest Metro to the National Museum of African Art is the Smithsonian (Blur, Orange, Silver).
Artwork & Exhibitions
The Museum currently has 11,861 objects. 10,746 are traditional and 1,115 contemporary.
There is a rare Akan gold pendant and African masks from the 1400s, as well as modern photographs from South Africa.
Free Art Museums in DC
- National Gallery of Art
- Kreeger Museum (suggested donation)
- Phillips Collection (select days and times)
- Hirshhorn Museum
- Museum of Asian Art
- National Museum of Women in the Arts (first Sunday of every month)
- National Portrait Gallery
- American Art Museum
- Renwick Gallery
- National Museum of African Art
- First Friday Dupont Circle
- Cultural House DC
- Glenstone Museum
Modern Art Museum in DC
There is no official Modern Art Museum in Washington, DC (like the MoMa in NYC).
However, with the number of contemporary art galleries, there are a number of options that will satisfy your hunt for modern art in DC.
Some of the art museums above in our Top 10 are focused on contemporary and modern art, while there are some unique galleries to visit as well.
Lesser Known & Underrated Art Galleries you should visit
- Dupont Underground
Dupont Underground repurposed old underground trolley station underneath Dupont Circle into an art space and gallery.
It is open Friday through Sunday 11am-5pm with a $5 suggested donation.
- Culture House DC
The Culture House Gallery is open only on Saturdays from 11 am to 2 pm.
In addition to unique and incredible exhibits, the building is a must see.
The historic 1886 Friendship Baptist Church retains it Victorian architecture but is painted with vibrant colors and scenes.
- First Friday Dupont Circle
The First Friday of each month, select galleries and museums plus historic homes and embassies coordinate to open late (usually 6pm-8pm).
This is a self guided tour that allows you to peek into some often inaccessible places.
- Glenstone Art Museum
This museum is open Thursday-Sunday 10 am – 5 pm and is free to visit but please note - no kids allowed!
Glenstone combines art, architecture, and nature, allowing visitors to engage with its extensive collection of post-World War II artworks in an intimate setting.
The museum's pavilions and outdoor sculptures invite reflection and discovery, while the surrounding landscape provides a tranquil escape from the bustling city.
With its commitment to sustainability and education, Glenstone offers a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of art and the natural world.
