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Anacostia Museum
1901 Fort Place SE Closed for renovation to Fall 2001. |
One of the more unique Smithsonian museums, the Anacostia focuses on the significance of community in the experience of minorities here in D.C. Exhibits examine the historical and cultural traditions of Africans and Latinos. Other aspects include showcase galleries of photographs, memorabilia and artwork ranging from the talents of children to the serious creations of African American Muslims. |
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Arts and Industries Building
900 Jefferson Dr SW Open Daily 10am to 5:30pm |
The Arts and Industries building houses a re-creation of the 1881 Exposition for which it is named. The original U.S. National Museum, this architectural wonder once held many specimens (such as the Spirit of St. Louis) that are now on display in other Smithsonian museums. Presently, the museum features exhibition spaces and galleries that host historical artifacts and displays, along with a Discovery theater for educational programs. |
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Freer Gallery of Art
12th St. & Jefferson Drive SW Open Daily 10am to 5:30pm (Until 8pm on Thursdays during summer). |
The Freer gallery contains a vast collection of Asian and American artwork. Founded by Charles Lang Freer, the building includes paintings, ceramics, manuscripts and sculptures from areas of China, India, Japan and Persia. The Freer is also home to the largest collection of works by James McNeill Whistler. |
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Hirshhorn Museum And Sculpture Garden
7th St. and Independence Ave. SW Open Daily 10am to 5:30pm (open Thursday evenings until 8pm through August 31, 2001) |
A beautifully designed circular building with a fountain of concentric circles, the Hirshorn is based upon the extensive 11,000-piece modern art collection of Joseph Hirshhorn. The collection includes art by Picasso, Matisse, Warhol, O'Keefe and Rodin. A sculpture garden outside compliments the museum. |
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International Gallery
1100 Jefferson Dr. SW Open Daily 10am to 5:30pm |
Located in the S. Dillon Ripley Center, the International Gallery consistently hosts displays on significant topics in varying field and cultures. This educational site has many interactive exhibits for visitors to learn with. Please consult the webpage to see the current exhibition. |
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National Air & Space Museum
6th St. and Independence Ave. SW Open Daily |
Perhaps the most famous, and definitely one of the most popular, of the Smithsonian Museums, the Air & Space Museum displays artifacts and airplanes that dangle from the ceiling that date from the earliest times of aviation to space exploration. See Charles A. Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, Voyager, John Glenn's Mercury spacecraft, WWII fighter planes, the Apollo Lunar Module, and the 4-billion-year-old shard of lunar rock brought back by Apollo 17 astronauts. Offered daily are films in its IMAX theater and planetarium. |
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The National Museum Of African Art
950 Independence Ave. SW Open Daily 10am to 5:30pm (open Thursday evenings until 8pm through August 31, 2001) |
The museum's extensive collection consists of 7,000 African artworks in wood, metal, ceramic, cloth, and ivory. On long term loan is an exhibition titled "The Ancient Nubian City of Kerma, 2500-1500 BC." which consists of 40 pieces, including ceramics, jewelry and a variety of small ivory animal inlays. |
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Smithsonian American Art Museum
8th and G Streets, N.W. Closed for renovation until 2004 |
The National Museum of American Art (NMAA) houses the largest permanent collection of American art in the world, including the works of artists Thomas Cole, Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper and Georgia O'Keeffe, among others. The museum reflects the nation's ethnic, geographic, cultural and religious diversity. Enjoy curator and artist gallery talks, concerts and films. Free walk-in tours are provided at noon weekdays, and at 2 p.m. weekends. For group tours or special exhibition tours, call (202)357-3111. |
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National Museum Of American History
14th St. & Constitution Ave. NW Open Daily |
The National Museum of American History?s self described goal is to "collect, preserve, and interpret artifacts as a special class of historical evidence and as principal expressions of human creativity." The museum is principally focused on in how objects are made and used and "how they influence society and the lives of individuals." The museum contains thousands of historical objects as well as oral histories, prints, photographs, objects uniquely Americana, including trade literature and engineering drawings. The museum also has an impressive research library of rare books on the history of science and technology. |
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National Museum Of Natural History
10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW |
Some of the artifacts in this collection include a life size model of a blue whale, an enormous prehistoric white shark, an 80-foot dinosaur skeleton and no less a treasure than the Hope Diamond, a 45-and-a-half carat jewel known in some circles as the eighth wonder of the world. The Discovery Room works well for parents with young children and there?s a costume room where youngsters can try on clothes from around the globe. |
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The National Portrait Gallery
8th and F St NW Closed for renovation until 2004. |
Housed in one of the oldest government structures in Washington - the Old Patent Office Building - the Portrait Gallery was established by Congress as "a free public museum for the exhibition and study of portraiture and statuary depicting men and women who have made significant contributions to the history, development, and culture of the people of the United States, and the artists who created such portraiture and statuary." The museum has literally dozens of galleries, each with a specific theme. Some higlights include: Champions of American Sport; The Hall of Presidents; Galleries of Notable Americans; Colonial America; Native Americans; The American Revolution; Science and Invention. |
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The National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave. NE Open daily 10am to 5:30pm. |
Drawing on its vast postal history and philatelic collection, the museum includes six major exhibition galleries touching on a range of topics, from the earliest history of the post office to the art of letter writing and the history of stamp collecting. An impressive atrium features three suspended airmail planes and is one of five exhibit galleries. The museum also has a library and research center, which includes a rare book reading room, an audiovisual room, and a workroom for viewing items from the collection. Educational programs include a Discovery Center for children. |
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National Zoo
3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Open Daily |
Located conveniently between Woodley Park and Cleveland Park in D.C.'s Northwest, the National Zoo allows you to see the first Komodo dragons to breed in the western world, gaze at golden lion tamarins, and witness orangutans swing and make their own transportation system rivaling the Metro. It also hosts (among many other animals) lions, cheetahs, tigers, elephants, rhinoceroses, bears, giraffes and a reptile and insect house. The zoo borders part of lush Rock Creek Parkway and is a treat for eyes sore from seeing too many alabaster monuments. |
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Renwick Gallery
17th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Open Daily 10am - 5:30pm |
Just a stone's throw away from the White House, this majestic building houses U.S. crafts designed from clay, glass, wood, fiber and metal; both past and present. Two rooms are furnished in the styles of the 1860s and the 1870s; the rest of the building is devoted to exhibitions about the diversity of this country's heritage in design, crafts and decorative arts. |
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Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
1050 Independence Ave. SW. Open Daily 10am to 5:30pm (Open Thursdays until 8pm in summer.) |
Containing over 1000 works of Asian art, the Sackler is renown for its Chinese Bronzes and jades. In 1987, the gallery added the Vever collection; a series of Islamic arts from the 11th to the 19th century. The museum connects with the Freer Gallery of Art, which houses 19th and 20th American art, by an underground exhibition space. |
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Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)
1000 Jefferson Dr SW Open Daily |
Known as "The Castle", and built in 1855, the Smithsonian Institution Building is the orginal Smithsonian building. It houses the administrative offices, information for visitors, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and even James Smithson's crypt. |
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The S. Dillon Ripley Center
1100 Jefferson Drive, SW
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Located beneath a dramatic copper domed kiosk in the heart of the Mall, the S. Dillon Ripley Center contains a number of the Smithsonian?s administrative offices, as well as exhibits and programs open to the public, including: The International Gallery, The Smithsonian Without Walls program (formerly known as the Environmental Awareness Program), and The Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Services [SITES]. The Ripley Center also contains a small conference center and meeting rooms. The Dillon Center is accessible from the Quadrangle Building, and can be entered at Jefferson Drive, or through the Sackler Gallery or the National Museum of African Art. |