Guide to Smithsonian Museums in D.C.

The Smithsonian Institution has numerous museums throughout Washington, D.C. and the best part is they are all free! They are also open every day except for Christmas Day. These museums are always at the top of people’s list when they go to D.C. and they certainly were on mine! This post will give you information you need to know about these museums and what they have to offer.

Many of the Smithsonian museums rotate their exhibits so there is always a lot to see! I have been to D.C. twice in the same year and saw different exhibits at the same museum. If you want to see what exhibits are at each museum ahead of time, visit the Smithsonian website and click on the museum you want to see, scroll down and you’ll see the current collections, exhibits and events available.

I have not been to all of what the Smithsonian Institute has to offer, but the ones I have been to are the more popular museums.

All blue text is a clickable link for your convenience

National Museum of Natural History

Location: National Mall
Hours: 10am-5:30pm

One of the most popular museums in D.C. and one of my favorites! This “museum is larger than 18 football fields and is home to the largest natural history collection in the world.” This place can get crowded! I suggest going here first thing when they open to try and beat some of the crowd and to ensure you have enough time to see everything you want to see.

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At this museum you are greeted by Henry, an 11-ton and 13 foot tall African elephant that has been in the museum rotunda since 1959! You can see displays in this museum that include dinosaur fossils, mummies, ocean animals, land animals, insects, rocks and jewels (including the hope diamond), the origins of humans exhibit, and more.

National Air and Space Museum

Location: National Mall
Hours: 10am-5:30pm

Definitely another one of my favorites and another very popular museum. “Launch into the history of flight by surrounding yourself with icons of air and space travel.” This museum also gets very crowded so this is another one where you might want to go earlier or later in the day. The last time I was here, some of the museum exhibits were closed off due to renovations taking place. It was a bummer but there was still plenty to see!

Here you can see exhibits on aircraft, space craft, rockets and missiles! Some of the more popular exhibits include: Neil Armstrong’s space suit (until 2022), the Spirit of St. Louis (first solo nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris in 1927), the Wright Brothers, Lunar Exploration Vehicles, Learn How Things Fly, and more.

National Museum of American History

Location: National Mall
Hours: 10am-5:30pm

I honestly think that this is my favorite Smithsonian museum because it is all about the country I love, U.S.A! This museum is HUGE (contains more than 3 million historical objects) and took me a long time to get through all of the exhibits, so plan to be here a while. “Devoted to the scientific, cultural, social, technological, and political development of the United States, the museum traces the American experience from colonial times to the present.”

There is just so much to see at this museum so I will list a few of my favorites: Dorothy’s Ruby Red Slippers (through 2020), Lincoln’s Top Hat, George Washington’s Uniform, a Life Vest from the Titanic, the Batmobile, Many Voices, One Nation exhibit, my favorite the Star Spangled Banner, and much much more!

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Location: National Mall
Hours: 10am-5:30pm

One of the coolest buildings on the National Mall and museum with a lot of modern touches that I love is the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This museum is “a place where all Americans can learn about the richness and diversity of the African American experience, what it means to their lives, and how it helped us shape this nation.”

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With 5 floors, there is a lot to see here with exhibits including: Slavery and Freedom, Defending Freedom and Defining Freedom, Taking the Stage, The African American Experience in World War I, A Changing America, Cultural Expressions, Sports: Leveling the Playing Field (which I really enjoyed looking at) , and more!

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Location: National Mall
Hours: 10am-5:30pm

The Hirshhorn Museum is the white circular building on the National Mall and features modern and contemporary art. “The museum is a leading voice for contemporary art and culture and provides a national platform for the art and artists of our time.” Going here does not take up too much time because it is not as large as some of the others. It also has exhibits that rotate a lot, so it is worth a see!

I don’t know too much about art, but I appreciate the time it takes and the great creativity! Current exhibitions include: Marcel Duchamp: The Barbara and Aaron Levine Collection, Pat Steir: Color Wheel, Lee Ufan: Open Dimension, Mark Bradford: Pickett’s Charge (one of my favorites), and more.

National Portrait Gallery, American Art Museum, & Archives of American Art

Location: 8th and F Streets, NW (0.5 mile walk from Natural History Museum)
Hours: 11:30am-7pm

I put these together because they are in the same building. This Museum is NOT on the National Mall and a little bit of a walk (0.5 mile walk), but I still think its worth going to see. This museum was not as crowded when I went because it is away from the mall and because I went later in the day around 6pm. This is a great museum to head to after all of the other museums are closed (at 5:30pm).

The Archives of American Art “is the world’s largest and most widely used resource dedicated to collecting and preserving the papers and primary records of the visual arts in America.”

The American Art Museum contains “the nation’s first collection of American art” and “offers an unparalleled record of the American experience, capturing the aspirations, character and imagination of the American people throughout three centuries.”

The National Portrait Gallery “introduces you to the people who have shaped the country—poets, presidents, actors, activists, visionaries, villains…and everyone in between.”

Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)

Location: National Mall
Hours: 8:30am-5:30pm

I had no idea you could go into this place until we tried! It’s basically a visitor’s center inside of a Castle with 19th-Century architecture where you can talk to their experts and get a grasp of what to see and do. This is a good place to learn more about the Smithsonian museums and see highlights and artifacts from each of their museums. They also have indoor restrooms and a dinning area if you need it!

National Air and Space Musuem, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Location: 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway Chantilly, VA
Hours: 10am-5:30pm

Bet you didn’t know there were TWO National Air and Space Museums! This one is near D.C. in Virginia but it its AMAZING and a hidden gem. I will do an entire separate post about this one, but just wanted you to be aware of this one too!

Museums I have not had the chance to see yet:

National Museum of the American Indian

Location: National Mall
Hours: 10am-5:30pm

Description: “The National Museum of the American Indian cares for one of the world’s most expansive collections of Native objects, photographs, and media, covering the entire Western Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.”

National Museum of African Art

Location: National Mall
Hours: 10am-5:30pm

Description: “The National Museum of African Art is the only national museum in the United States dedicated to the collection, exhibition, conservation, and study of the arts of Africa. On exhibit are the finest examples of traditional and contemporary art from the entire continent of Africa.”

Freer Gallery of Art

Location: National Mall
Hours: 10am-5:30pm

Description: “The Freer Gallery houses one of the premier collections of Asian art, with objects dating from Neolithic times to the early 20th century, as well as the world’s most important collection of works by James McNeill Whistler.”

Arts and Industries Building

Location: National Mall
Currently Closed for Renovation

Description: “The Arts and Industries Building has a special role among Smithsonian buildings as the first United States National Museum opened in 1881.”

National Postal Museum

Location: 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Washington D.C. (north of Capitol bldg) Hours: 10am-5:30pm

Description: “Located in the historic D.C. City Post Office next to the restored Union Station, the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum showcases the largest and most comprehensive collection of stamps and philatelic material in the world—including postal stationery, vehicles used to transport the mail, mailboxes, meters, cards and letters, and postal materials that predate the use of stamps.”

Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Location: 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (close to the White House)
Hours: 10am-5:30pm

Description: “Branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum dedicated to exhibiting American contemporary craft, celebrating makers taking both innovative and time-honored approaches to their work.”

Anacostia Community Museum

Location: 1901 Fort Place, SE Washington, DC
Hours: 10am-5pm

Description: “Located in the Anacostia neighborhood, this museum examines, documents, and interprets the impact of historical and contemporary social issues on urban communities.”

The National Zoo

Location: 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, DC
Hours: Grounds: 8am-5pm (7pm summer), Buildings: 9am-4pm (6pm summer)

They also have a free Zoo! “Always free of charge and open 364 days a year, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo sits on 163 acres in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park. Founded in 1889, the Zoo is currently home to more than 2,700 animals representing more than 390 species.”

Social Distancing Tip: You can learn more about the Smithsonian Exhibits and even view some of them from your computer on the Smithsonian Website!

Reference: All quotations were copied from the Smithsonian Museums Website.