The great thing about visiting or living in Washington, DC is the access one has to the arts, thanks to the Smithsonian Institution…all for free! The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum complex that welcomes thirty million visitors annually. It comprises of 19 museums, galleries and the National Zoo.

As an art enthusiast, living in DC is a dream come true! There’s always a new exhibit to check out or a favorite gallery to head to when the weather not too pleasant outside.

THE BEST MUSEUMS IN DC TO VISIT

Below are my top picks of museums in Washington, DC.

1. SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

People visiting the Natural History museum generally go straight to the exhibit on fossils and dinosaur skeletons.  Don’t get me wrong, I can’t begin to imagine a time when dinosaurs roam the earth…plus, they are extremely impressive to look at. But, if you want to experience something different, I definitely recommend the Gem and Mineral Hall. I’ve spent hours looking at the 2,000+ gem and mineral specimens from all around the world which are in varied shapes, sizes and colors.

A favorite in the collection and the most notable being The Hope Diamond aka the most famous diamond in the world! It’s a remarkably unique diamond due to its rare blue color as a result of the presence of boron atoms in the carbon structure. What’s even better is the history of the diamond, how it was originally 115 carats, traveled the seas from India to France to England and everywhere in between. Legend has it that it’s cursed and brought trouble to everyone who’s ever owned it.

My second favorite is the Dom Pedro aquamarine.  The original crystal was found by Brazilian miners in Pedra Azul, Minas Gerais who accidentally dropped it, splitting it into three pieces. The largest of the three was cut, faceted and polished into an obelisk, weighing 10,363 carats which you’ll find on display in the Gem and Mineral Hall. Don’t forget to check out the Gem and Mineral museum shop where you can purchase various stones that you’ve seen on display. I’ve turned a few of them into necklaces and rings!

2. NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART & SCULPTURE GARDEN

The National Gallery of Art houses some of the greatest works of art from Da Vinci to Boticelli to Titian to Calder. I definitely recommend a guided tour — you’ll learn so much from a museum rep and discover new artists.

In the Spring, the Sculpture Garden is lovely to walk through. My favorite sculpture is by the architect Hector Guimard of the Parisian metro (of course!)- brings back memories of my summer study abroad program in France!  Every May, a new season of “Jazz in the Garden” begins which is a free concert every Friday from 5:00pm that features a wide variety of jazz styles. A great way to spend an evening surrounded by the locals, enjoying art and music.

 

3. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Tucked in DC’s Chinatown area, away from the other Smithsonian museums. This isn’t a museum people normally visit, and I suspect it’s because of its location. I happened to stumble into it one rainy, cold winter day and was pleasantly surprised by the art on exhibit. The museum comprises of artists that have shaped American culture.

A permanent exhibit is portraits of the presidents – I highly recommend the one portrait of Bill Clinton by Chuck Close!

 

4. HIRSHHORN MUSEUM

The Hirshhorn is a modern and contemporary art museum featuring work from artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Pollock and Franz Kline.

It was the first museum I visited when I moved to DC and my most noted visit was during Ai Weiwei’s “According to What” exhibit. Ai Weiwei is an incredible contemporary artist and activist; his latest works of art, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, are featured all throughout NYC, which I absolutely love exploring.

5. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY & CULTURE

I have been wanting to check out the museum of African American History since it first opened but was unable to score tickets until a couple of months ago. And, boy was it worth the wait!

The museum does an impressive job at documenting the lives and history of African Americans from the slave trade all the way up to present-day America. For someone not from America (someone like myself), the museum is an immersive experience into the lives, stories, history, and culture of African Americans.

The museum is divided into two sections – the three concourse levels which are underground and cover history from the 1400s to 1968 and beyond. The upper section consists of 4 levels – the heritage hall with entrance and museum store, and Levels 2-4 with various galleries and exhibits. My favorite floor of the museum is Level 4 with the Culture galleries, specifically the Visual Art & the American Experience Art gallery.

FYI, the museum is huge, and definitely not something I could see in one visit, so I’m hoping to go back sometime next month. So if you can reserve tickets for two days, I would highly recommend you do that. If you’re visiting in the off-season months, it’s possible to get Same-day tickets, which is what I ended up getting.

BONUS! NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS

While this is not a Smithsonian museum, it has to be mentioned because it is a gender-specific museum that exhibits works by women artists from all around the world throughout history. Founder Wilhelmina Holladay began collecting works by women in the 60’s with her husband, Wallace, after they found out that women were underrepresented in major art exhibits at the time.

Admission IS NOT FREE but it’s definitely worth the money to support a museum dedicated to showcasing women artists.

Plus, you get to visit a building listed on the US National Register of Historic Places- it used to be a Masonic temple built in the style of the Renaissance revival.

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And there you have it, my absolute favorite museums in Washington, DC. I’m not going to lie, it was tough choosing them! What else would you add to this list?

Note this post was updated on December 1, 2017.

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