Washington can also be called the capital of museums. Many don’t know, but there are plenty of museums in the US capital, which are almost all free and located „in one place”! I’ll present Washington’s 10 best museums that you should definitely visit!
Most of Washington’s museums are managed by the Smithsonian Institution, making it the world’s largest museum complex. It oversees a total of 19 museums, galleries, gardens, and the zoo. The institution’s headquarters with its lacy building on the National Mall has become known in common parlance as „The Castle”.
Detailed descriptions of the institutions can be found on the Smithsonian website! Admission to all museums is free!
Table of Contents
Best Museums in Washington
National Air and Space Museum
One of the world’s most visited museums is the most significant showcase of military, civilian, and space flight history.
Numerous tools and artifacts can be seen that were defining in aviation and space exploration. These include the Wright brothers’ first airplane, the lunar module, the Apollo 11 command module, and the Air France Concorde supersonic aircraft. A special attraction is the moon rock, which visitors can touch.
In addition, an IMAX theater, planetarium, and interactive exhibitions await visitors.
National Museum of Natural History
The world’s most visited natural history museum has more than 140 million specimens and exhibition items.
Its most famous exhibitions include the 45-carat blue Hope Diamond, the monumental African elephant in the rotunda, and the impressive dinosaur skeleton collection. Also popular are its exhibition halls on earth and mineral sciences, ocean wildlife, and mammalian life and development.
Its effectiveness lies in presenting animals in their original size.
National Gallery of Art
Along with New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art, it is considered the most significant art museum in the USA.
The museum consists of two parts: the classical-style West Wing and the modern East Wing designed by I.M. Pei. The gallery also includes a beautiful sculpture garden that functions as an ice skating rink in winter.
The collection encompasses several centuries of European and American art, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso can be found here. The museum boasts the only Leonardo painting exhibited in America.
National Museum of American History
It presents the social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history of the United States from its beginnings to the present day.
In the three-story exhibition space, six symbolic historical objects help with orientation. The museum also features interactive exhibitions, such as „America on the Move” which demonstrates the development of transportation and technology.
Among its most famous attractions is the 200-year-old flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem. In addition, Thomas Jefferson’s desk, on which he wrote the Declaration of Independence, is also there. The First Ladies collection presents the dresses of presidents’ wives, including Michelle Obama’s iconic inaugural gown.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
It was established as the United States’ museum of contemporary and modern art, focusing primarily on the post-World War II period.
The exterior of the cylindrical building itself signals the modern era. Those who appreciate abstract, expressionist works will enjoy it! It was created from the donation of art collector Joseph H. Hirshhorn, who offered his own collection to the United States.
The museum houses nearly 12,000 artworks, including paintings, sculptures, and photographs from the late 19th century to the present day. The collection is particularly strong in sculpture, representing artists such as Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, and Alberto Giacometti.
American Art Museum
The museum abbreviated as SAAM, together with the Renwick Gallery, houses one of the world’s largest art collections from colonial times to the present day.
More than 7,000 artists are represented in the collection, covering all regions and art movements found in the United States. It has significant collections from 19th-century landscape painting, the Art Deco period, and contemporary art.
Its exhibitions feature early American art, photography, African American art, New Deal Art, and modern folk art.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
One of Washington D.C.’s newest and most important institutions opened in 2016 on the National Mall.
The museum provides a comprehensive view of African American history, from slavery through civil rights movements to the present day. It houses more than 40,000 objects, including Muhammad Ali’s gloves, Rosa Parks’ seat, and Barack Obama’s inauguration memorabilia.
The iconic bronze-colored building itself is a symbol of Black culture. The exhibitions are moving but pay worthy tribute to the African American community’s contribution to American history.
National Museum of the American Indian
The museum presents the history, culture, and art of the indigenous peoples of America.
During the design of the building, the museum was developed in close cooperation with indigenous communities and opened its doors in 2004. The organic forms of the building and its golden Kasota limestone cladding evoke natural rock formations.
The museum has a collection of more than 800,000 objects covering the entire Western Hemisphere, from the North Pole to Tierra del Fuego.
International Spy Museum
The only public institution in the United States dedicated exclusively to the history and practice of espionage.
It preserves more than 7,000 espionage-related items, of which about 1,000 are exhibited to the public. The collection presents the history of espionage from ancient times to the present day, including the Cold War period and modern cyber activities.
The museum also offers an interactive experience for visitors: at the „Briefing Center” each guest receives a cover identity and an RFID-based badge that tracks their spy skills during various missions.
Library of Congress
The national library of the United States of America, located in four buildings behind the Capitol.
The fundamental task of the library is to assist legislators and to provide, select the necessary books and other documents for this purpose.
This is the world’s largest library both in terms of physical size and the number of books and documents stored. Its collection contains nearly 62 million items! Among its most famous artifacts are the Gutenberg Bible and the first world map.
Although the library is open to the public, as visitors, we cannot look into the books. But it’s worth visiting even without this!
All information can be found here!
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