Museums
It's no surprise that Washington, DC has been named the best museum destination in the world many times. From world-class art to some of the country’s most inspiring artifacts, it would take months to explore all our museums have to offer.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Visit nearly 20 Smithsonian museums -- and the National Zoo -- here in Washington, DC.
From historical aircrafts to ziplining and even a trapeze school, soar to new heights in DC.
DC is packed with educational experiences for kids of all ages.
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- African-American Culture(3 listings)
- Art Museums(18 listings)
- Family-Friendly(63 listings)
- Government(1 listing)
- Historic Places & Districts(22 listings)
- Military History & Culture(2 listings)
- National Museums(3 listings)
- Religion(5 listings)
- Science & Aviation(3 listings)
- Smithsonian Museums(18 listings)
DC Travel Inspiration
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Pictured: National Building Museum
Built to house the U.S. Pension offices after the Civil War, this building has been home to the National Building Museum since 1980. Exhibits cover engineering, urban planning, architecture and even LEGO.
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Pictured: Great Hall of the National Building Museum
The columns inside the National Building Museum are among the tallest in the world. At its tallest point, the museum is approximately 15 stories high.
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Pictured: National Building Museum
The National Building Museum is located just a few blocks away from the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC.
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Pictured: Frieze outside the National Building Museum
The National Building Museum's terra-cotta exterior frieze is 1,200 feet long and 3 feet high. Designed by Bohemian-born sculptor Caspar Buberl, it features a parade of Civil War military units. - Photo by F. Harlan Hambright
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Pictured: National Building Museum
The Fifth Street entrance of the National Building Museum features a modest lawn and walkway.
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Pictured: National Museum of American History
Collecting, preserving and displaying the heritage of the United States, the National Museum of American History boasts some of the Smithsonian's most beloved objects, including President Lincoln's top hat and Dorothy's ruby slippers.
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Pictured: Julia Child's kitchen in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History boasts some of the Smithsonian's most beloved objects, including Julia Child's kitchen from her home in Cambridge, Ma.
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Pictured: National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History boasts objects from popular culture, presidential and military and engineering history - like this trolley car.
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Pictured: Amelia Earhart Vega at the National Air and Space Museum
Amelia Earhart set world records in her "Little Red Bus," a Lockheed 5B Vega on display in the Pioneers of Flight gallery.
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Pictured: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum holds the world's largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft. To display so many treasures, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center opened in 2003 in Chantilly, VA.
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Pictured: 1903 Wright Flyer
A model of the first manned aircraft, the Wright Flyer built by two bicycle enthusiasts from Dayton, Ohio, is one of the get-up-close wonders at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
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Pictured: National Museum of the American Indian
The undulating exterior of the National Museum of the American Indian, a living memorial to Native Americans and their traditions, is meant to suggest rock shaped over eons by wind and water.
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Pictured: Simulated wetlands outside the National Museum of the American Indian
One of the microclimates surrounding the National Museum of the American Indian pays tribute to people indigenous to America's wetlands.
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Pictured: Waterfall at the National Museum of the American Indian
Opened in 2004, the National Museum of the American Indian is home to more than 800,000 objects and more than 125,000 images. The museum does not tell a linear story of indigenous peoples; rather, its focus is on living culture.
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Pictured: Exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian
Opened in 2004, the National Museum of the American Indian is home to more than 800,000 objects and more than 125,000 images. The museum focuses on living cultures.
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Pictured: Exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is home to more than 800,000 objects and a photo archive of more than 125,000 images.
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Pictured: Anacostia Community Museum
The Anacostia Community Museum, one of 15 Smithsonian Institution museums, focuses on the urban African American experience, such as the once-segregated baseball teams in DC.
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Pictured: Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery and School of Art is the oldest and largest privately funded cultural institution in D.C. Among its works are pieces by Edward Hopper and Andy Warhol.
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Pictured: Freer Gallery of Art's Peacock Room
The dining room of a British shipowner exquisitely decorated by James McNeill Whistler was purchased and reassembled by Charles Freer Lang to display ceramics. It is among the jewels at the Freer Gallery of Art.
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Pictured: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has received more than 30 million visitors since opening near the National Mall in 1993. The building was designed by Holocaust survivor and architect James Ingo Freed.
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Pictured: Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The underbelly of the concrete "doughnut" shows off the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden's groovy side. The severity of the design was initially criticized, but it remains the biggest piece of abstract art in DC.
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Pictured: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Monumental pieces of art by the likes of Auguste Rodin and Roy Lichtenstein stud the Hirshhorn Museum's sculpture garden, one of two on the National Mall.
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Pictured: National Gallery of Art East Building
The East Building of the National Gallery of Art houses the modern and contemporary pieces in the mammoth collection. A mobile the size of a jet by Alexander Caulder hangs inside the atrium.
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Pictured: National Gallery of Art West Building
The collection at the National Gallery of Art has grown so large that it is displayed in two galleries, the neoclassical West Building and the modern East Building, plus a six-acre sculpture garden.
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Pictured: National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
Claus Oldenburg's monumental typewriter eraser leaves an indelible impression on visitors to the National Gallery of Art's six-acre sculpture garden. The fountain inside the garden is transformed into an ice-skating rink come winter.
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Pictured: Newseum
Up-to-the-minute interactivity makes the Newseum an exciting place for families to mull over the role of the free press - from newspapers to Twitter feeds - in American society. - Photo by Newseum
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Pictured: Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall
The Smithsonian Castle was the first of the Smithsonian museums and is a great starting point for newcomers. In addition to artifacts, the Castle features an overview movie (starring Ben Stiller) and a map of the Smithsonians.
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Pictured: International Spy Museum
The International Spy Museum showcases the secret side of Washington. Interactive exhibits and specialty tours throughout the city give visitors a glimpse into a life of espionage.
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Pictured: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
The elephant in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History's rotunda is one of the largest land mammals on record. Visitors may walk around the platform and tune in to a savannah soundscape. Listen for the hiss!
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Pictured: National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum - Photo by Eric Long
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Pictured: Apollo 11 Capsule at the National Air and Space Museum
Apollo 11 Capsule at the National Air and Space Museum
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Pictured: Elephant at the National Museum of Natural History
The elephant in the National Museum of Natural History's rotunda is one of the largest land mammals on record.
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Pictured: National Building Museum
National Building Museum
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Pictured: International Spy Museum
Aspiring James Bonds and Jason Bournes will find the International Spy Museum (800 F St. NW) a must-visit.
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Pictured: International Spy Museum
International Spy Museum
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Pictured: Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery
Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery - Photo by Foster and Partners, Nigel Young
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Pictured: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum - Photo by Timothy Hursley
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Pictured: Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum - Photo by Timothy Hursley
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Pictured: The Newseum
The 250,000-square-foot museum of news offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. - Photo by James P. Blair
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Pictured: The Phillips Collection
Founded by Duncan Phillips in 1921, The Phillips Collection in the Dupont Circle neighborhood is America's first museum of modern art.
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Pictured: Phillips Collection
Children especially love Gene Davis's colorful painting at the Phillips Collection, where admission to its permanent collection is free Tuesdays through Fridays.
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Pictured: National Geographic Museum
National Geographic Museum
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Pictured: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Pictured: The Star Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
The flag that inspired Francis Scott Key is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in a display case specially designed to prevent damage from light or humidity.
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Pictured: Freer & Sackler Gallery
The Freer & Sackler Gallery features ancient and contemporary art from Asia, including luxury metalwork from Iran and ceramics from China dating back to the 10th century.
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Pictured: National Museum of African Art
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art celebrates the visual art of Africa, including both modern and traditional ceramics, along with mosaics and a large collection of unique works.
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Pictured: HP New Media Gallery at the Newseum
The Newseum allows visitors to experience how and why news is created throughout its state-of-the-art, seven-level facility. The HP New Media Gallery uses digital technology to create an enthralling 3-D social network. - Photo by Sam Kittner
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Pictured: International Spy Museum
The International Spy Museum is the only museum in the U.S. solely dedicated to espionage, and it boasts the largest collection of espionage artifacts. The museum has a store with thousands of gadgets and other souvenirs.
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Trip Ideas
Arts, education and diplomacy merge to create engaging attractions and cultural events here.
Head across the Anacostia River to see little known historic sites without the crowds.
Engage your mind with historic landmarks, a formidable art museum and world class entertainment
Whether an adventurer or historian, you'll find both outdoor activities and private, world-class museums in Georgetown.
Visit Gallaudet University, the National Postal Museum and Union Station for a chance to learn about their little known importance and roles.
A dozen free museums flank the National Mall between the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument. It’s impossible to pick one highlight in this walkable treasure map of art, science and history. No two visits (and no two visitors) are alike.
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Washington, DC is full of attractions which combine learning with fun. Find ones for your family.
Explore the world-renowned museum and research complex of 15 museums and the National Zoo in DC.
Make these must-dos part of your to-do list and hit the highlights of the nation's capital.
Help your kids discover the city's history in two history-altering eras.
Get tips from local GLBT families on Washington, DC's sights from a different perspective.
Discover the cultural side of Washington, DC, in its museums, theaters, restaurants and nightlife.
Home to dozens of museums and galleries (many of them free), DC has an exhibit for every art lover.
Explore the monuments, memorials and museums of the National Mall, and have fun off the Mall, too.
A hot three-day itinerary designed to hit up DC's coolest summertime spots.
