This is a definitive list of free museums in DC and some that are almost free.
With a little bit of planning, you can take advantage of first-class attractions that offer free days or name your own price admission on certain days of the month.
For a full list of all the free things to do in DC, read our post here.
And remember, our self-guided tours of DC are always free and our DC walking tours operate as name-your-own-price walks!
Jump down to see ALL the museums organized by type (art, cultural, government)
Smithsonian Museums
The Smithsonian Institute consists of almost 20 museums and the National Zoo... and all are free to visit.
The most popular museums are on the National Mall: American History, Natural History, Air and Space Museum.
We offer small group private guided tours of each of these if you don't want to wander your way through the numerous exhibits.
If you have time and means to get out of the city, the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Annex is a highlight for aviation lovers. (It's about a 35-minute drive from downtown DC)
The National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum are the only Smithsonian museums open late year-round (both close at 7 pm) and is located in Chinatown.
There are a number of other museums that are part of the Smithsonian, read more in our Guide to the Smithsonian.
National Gallery of Art
This incredible art museum isn't actually part of the Smithsonian Institution, but it is often grouped in because it is free and located on the National Mall.
There are two wings - one for more traditional art and a modern art wing.
Connected with an illuminated tunnel and indoor waterfall, you can avoid going outside to get between the two buildings.
An Instagram favorite is to get onto the roof of the East Wing (contemporary art) for a great view of the Capitol and a photo with the giant blue rooster.
The National Gallery of Art features the only Leonardo da Vinci painting on permanent display in the Americas!
Find out more about the museum in our National Gallery of Art guide.
US Holocaust Memorial Museum
This museum is technically free, but advanced reservations if you want to visit the permanent exhibit.
There are still a number of smaller exhibits and events you can explore if you do not get tickets.
The USHMM explores in chronological order the events leading up to, during, and the aftermath of the Holocaust.
It is an intensely moving experience and if you have younger kids, you may want to skip the permanent exhibit and explore the children geared Daniel's Story exhibit instead (no tickets required)
We explain how to get tickets and what exhibits you can visit in our Guide to the USHMM.
Planet Word Museum
A museum full of interactive exhibits about words and language.
This is a suggested donation museum and its well worth whatever you can spare for admission.
Find out more about this museum...
African American Civil War Museum (closed until 2023)
Located just off the historic U Street Corridor once known as Black Broadway, the African American Civil War Museum honors the 209, 125 members of the United States Colored Troops who fought during the American Civil War.
The museum is always free for individuals and groups and we recommend spending at least an hour.
Be sure to go across the street to visit the African American Civil War Memorial.
Find out more about this museum on their website.
Free Days at Private Museums
Washington DC has enough always-free museums to keep you occupied for weeks.
But, but if you're interested in some of the small specialty museums, you may want to find out how to save on admission costs to these.
- National Museum of Women in the Arts: Admission is free on Community Day, the first Sunday of every month - CLOSED UNTIL FALL 2023
- Phillips Collection: Tuesday–Friday the Museum Collection is by donation. Tickets are pay what you wish for the first entry time of each hour, based on a first come, first serve basis
- Heurich House (Brewmasters Castle) - free if you're attending one of the many events they offer
- National Cathedral: free on Sundays
Each summer you can visit 5 of the smaller private museums in the Dupont Circle neighborhood during the Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk.
Anderson House, Dumbarton House, National Museum of American Jewish Military History, The Phillips Collection, and the President Woodrow Wilson House are all free of charge during this two-day event.
Ford's Theatre
Ford's Theatre Museum and Education Center do require tickets.
While these are free on a same-day basis, they are limited and go quickly. An advanced reservation is only $3 per person and well worth supporting the museum.
A visit to Ford's Theatre is enhanced by attending our popular Lincoln Assassination Walking Tour.
The museum houses the gun used by John Wilkes Booth, the coat and top hat President Lincoln was wearing, and more.
You may also have the chance to walk through or attend a Ranger Talk in the actual theatre.
Across the street is the House Where Lincoln Died and a multi-story exhibit about the aftermath of Lincoln's assassination.
Read more about getting tickets and visiting Ford's Theatre.
White House Visitor Center
While you can tour the White House on Public Tour, it requires a lot of prep work and luck to get in.
If you weren't able to do so or you just don't have the time, you can explore the White House Visitor Center which is always open to the public for free without tickets.
The White House Visitor Center has recently been updated so you'll find hands-on exhibits, an orientation film, and artifacts from the White House.
Visit our post on the White House Visitor Center to see what else they have on display.
US Capitol Visitor Center
Similar to the White House, you need tickets to enter the actual Capitol Building - but these are relatively easy to come by and are included on our Capitol Hill Walking Tour.
But you do not need tickets to enter the free Visitor Center which houses an interactive and video filled education center.
If you want to view the House or Senate Gallery, passes are required. These are still free but require contacting your congressperson or the International Visitors Desk to get them.
Find out more about how to get tickets to the US Capitol.
Free with a Tourist Pass
Some of our favorite museums have an admission fee.
If you end up finding that many of the things you want to explore have tickets, you may want to look into a tourist discount pass.
There are a few different options on the type of pass you can get and how you can bundle attractions to save, we go over all of them here.
Museums included on a Tourist Discount Pass
- International Spy Museum
- National Building Museum
- National Geographic Museum
Other Free Attractions
This list could continue depending on what you consider a museum.
As the Nation's capital, Washington DC has numerous free options to tour government buildings, like the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and the National Archives.
There are also historic homes that are now National Park sites, like Frederick Douglass, Mary McLeod Bethune, and the Sewall-Belmont House.
Our guided walking tours take advantage of the number of free sites in DC - the memorials on the National Mall and Tidal Basin, Arlington National Cemetery, Embassy Row, and other historic neighborhoods, like Georgetown.
MUSEUMS BY TYPE
- Art Museums
- Botanical Gardens and Zoos
- Public Building Tours
- Cultural & History Museums
- Historic House Museums
- Religious Centers
ART MUSEUMS
ALWAYS FREE:
SOMETIMES FREE:
- National Museum of Women in the Arts: Admission is free on Community Day, the first Sunday of every month
- Phillips Collection: Tuesday–Friday the Museum Collection is by donation. Tickets are pay what you wish for the first entry time of each hour, based on a first come, first serve basis
- Rubell Museum: Free for DC residents
BOTANICAL GARDENS AND ZOOS
ALWAYS FREE:
- National Arboretum
- United States Botanical Garden
- National Zoo
- White House Garden Tours
- Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
- Brookside Gardens: Technically in Wheaton, MD it is accessible by public transportation.
SOMETIMES FREE:
- Dumbarton Oaks: Garden admission is free during the winter season (November 1 through March 14)
- Almost Free: Tudor Place Self Guided Garden Tour is only $3 a person, free for under 6.
CULTURAL AND HISTORY MUSEUMS
ALWAYS FREE
- Holocaust Memorial Museum
- National Museum of American History
- Natural History Museum
- Historical Society of Washington DC
- Air & Space Museum
- National Building Museum (admission required for most exhibits)
- Smithsonian Castle
- Planet Word
HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUMS
- Anderson House: Society of the Cincinnati - learn about this building on our Embassy Row tours!
- Frederick Douglass House
SOMETIMES FREE:
- You can visit the Heurich House (Brewmasters Castle) to attend one of the many events for free. You won't get a full tour of the house but you can get a sneak peek. (Though the public tours only have a suggested donation of $5, they are worth it!)
PUBLIC BUILDINGS
The government and public buildings below are open to the public, though some require advance reservations or tickets at certain times of the year.
Click on the link for a comprehensive guide on how to visit each site.
And don't forget, many of our walking tours include these buildings!
Learn more about the history of Ford's Theatre on our Lincoln Assassination tour.
Our Capitol Hill & Library of Congress tour visits inside the Library and includes tickets for touring the Capitol Building.
ALWAYS FREE:
- Library of Congress
- Supreme Court
- Ford's Theatre
- Folger's Shakespeare Library
- Embassies: Every year in May, many Embassies open their tours for Embassy Week where you can visit. Or learn about these buildings on our Embassy Row Tours.
- Pentagon
- White House
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- National Archives
- FBI Building
- US Capitol Visitor Center
RELIGIOUS CENTERS
ALWAYS FREE:
- Basilica of the National Shrine
- Franciscan Monastery
- St. Matthew's Cathedral
- Saint John Paul II National Shrine
SOMETIMES FREE:
- National Cathedral: free on Sundays
