Washington, DC, is the nation’s capital and absolutely the pinnacle of American historical past. If it has occurred, you’ll be able to guess that there’s an ode to it in Washington, DC, and this fixation and centrality inside American historical past is what provides town its unbelievable museums. Washington, DC, has among the most visited museums in the US.
Together with your cultural cravings prepared and ready, choices just like the Spy Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Smithsonian’s Pure Historical past Museum assure you a unbelievable museum itinerary.
High Museums in Washington DC
This information has compiled all the very best of Washington DC’s museums into one extra-convenient listing. Get a style of Washington’s infamous museum scene with these prime 10 museums in Washington, DC.
1. Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past
The Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past is likely one of the most visited museums in Washington, DC. It’s the solely nationwide museum devoted to documenting the African American expertise in the US, and in case you are prepared for highly effective reveals and greater than 40,000 artifacts, that is the museum to spend a morning at. The museum founder is Lonnie G. Bunch III – an esteemed historian and the primary ever African American to function head of the Smithsonian Establishment.
Lonnie has pioneered an absolute icon within the Washington museum scene. Guests can study every part from the civil rights motion to the proficient artists all through the ages on the museum’s separate African artwork museum. There are even non permanent reveals like Afrofuturism – a creative envisioning of ‘liberated futures for Black life’ – to flick through.
The Museum of African American Historical past is true in the midst of Washington, DC, the right addition to a busy day of sightseeing. Logistically it is sensible to squeeze this museum onto your itinerary. Since it’s free to enter, it’s gentle on the price range, too – win-win.
2. Nationwide Constructing Museum
- Opening occasions: 10 am till 4 pm Thursday till Monday
- Price: $10 per grownup
The Nationwide Constructing Museum may sound like a randomly themed museum. Nonetheless, it is likely one of the most fascinating choices in Washington, DC. Draw your thoughts away from Bob the Builder-style scenes and as a substitute envision a Corinthian-columned constructing with an enormous grand corridor.
Would you actually anticipate something much less from a museum devoted to structure, engineering, and design? The Constructing Museum is gorgeous. Guests wander by means of rooms upon rooms of distinctive scenes – from the Harry Potter-style grand corridor to a room of (barely bizarre-looking) blue spikes.
The museum curiously shows that we spend ‘near 90% of our lives inside’, presenting the concept we must always pay extra consideration to inside design and its affect on our well-being. Situated only a brief stroll from the nation’s capital, the museum is probably the most enjoyable place to query and discover the human relationship with design.
3. Worldwide Spy Museum
- Opening occasions: 9 am till 7 pm Monday to Thursday, 9 am till 8 pm Friday to Sunday
- Price: $26
Okay, it doesn’t get a lot cooler than an Worldwide Spy Museum. The spy museum is an interesting haven for all issues spy-related, be its interactive reveals, artifacts like previous spy gadgets, and a few fascinating tales. Whereas it’s family-friendly, the Worldwide Spy Museum caters to folks throughout the board.
And regardless of its barely steeper entrance costs, it stays top-of-the-line museums to go to in Washington, DC. Its interactive promise is fulfilled with codes and challenges to crack all through your expertise. Whilst you additionally get insights into previous spies, with American historical past, worldwide tales, and spy figures.
The Spy Museum is situated close to the Smithsonian Establishment’s assortment of museums, together with the Nationwide Museum of Pure Historical past and the Nationwide Air and Area Museum of the Smithsonian Establishment. It’s a unbelievable attraction to mix with one in all these museums, and additionally it is scenically situated close by the Washington Channel – good for river views.
4. Smithsonian Nationwide Air and Area Museum
Smithsonian Nationwide Air and Area Museum is dreamy. Your complete venue is flight-themed, and also you stroll beneath suspended planes and early flight contraptions. The completely different reveals create an fulfilling feeling of sensory overload, with one thing on show in any respect ranges and areas.
There are round 8 rooms, and the entire expertise at Smithsonian Nationwide Air and Area Museum takes not less than a couple of hours. The museum paperwork every part from the Apollo missions to the early planes and even a solitary tardis to enterprise into fictional flight historical past. This spot is likely one of the prime museums in Washington, DC – a private suggestion and sensible attraction in your pockets. Additionally it is one of many iconic Smithsonian museums.
This museum is situated inside the neighborhood of most different Smithsonian museums. It’s accessible through public transport and simply slotted into your Washington, DC, itinerary. Hold this as one in all your greatest choices for anybody wanting an perception into area and flight historical past.
5. Nationwide Mall
- Opening occasions: 24/7
- Price: Free
This free museum is likely one of the most unusual choices on this information. Quite than being a conventional constructing with drab banners and measly reveals right here and there, the Nationwide Mall covers over 300 acres of monuments and American historical past. The completely different monuments and landmarks are linked by a community of mountain climbing trails. If you are able to do one factor in Washington DC, we advise you cease by Nationwide Mall to sightsee. In truth, the Nationwide Mall has among the better of Washington DC’s monuments and landmarks.
The park has over 100 monuments and memorials. It’s a image of not solely the guts of Washington, DC but in addition the US. You’ll be able to go to the Washington Monument, Martin Luther King JR Memorial, and the dramatic waterfront Lincoln Memorial. It’s a complete dream to go to with a digicam.
And in case you like historical past and aesthetic locations, you’ll be in for an actual deal with with this mix. The Nationwide Mall additionally helps you to see lots in a short while, as it’s house to lots of the main landmark sights in Washington, DC.
6. Nationwide Gallery of Artwork
Washington, DC, does artwork galleries, and it does them effectively. For those who fancy looking up to date artwork reveals, then the Nationwide Gallery of Artwork is your selection by default. The Nationwide Gallery of Artwork is house to trendy and up to date artwork in numerous codecs – from an exquisite sculpture backyard to elegant wood-paneled corridors of gold-framed portrait after portrait. If you’re an artwork fanatic, that is the type of place the place desires are made from. The Nationwide Gallery of Artwork is elegant to its core, with columns, atriums, domed ceilings, and elongated hall after hall. You could possibly simply spend hours right here. The entire place is a bit of artwork in itself.
Quite than that eclectic trendy artwork museum inside, the Nationwide Gallery of Artwork is tremendous luxurious and extra of a timeless, basic museum. Hold this in thoughts when selecting between Washington DC’s artwork galleries.
7. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The Holocaust is likely one of the saddest historic occasions of our time, and to pay your respects whereas studying extra, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum is a sobering place to go to. The USA Holocaust Museum opens 7 days per week and gives free timed entry slots staggered from 10 am till 5:30 pm. The museum is a not-for-profit and dwelling memorial to the occasions of the Holocaust and those that skilled it.
The principle exhibition spreads over three flooring and accommodates eyewitness testimonies, historic artifacts, movie, and pictures. If you wish to know extra about Holocaust, plan to spend a few hours on this part, because it particulars every part from the rise of the Nazi occasion to the liberation of the camps in 1945.
There are then additional exhibitions on completely different flooring – together with one devoted to the ‘People and the Holocaust’ and an alternate perception into genocide with an exhibition on ‘Burma’s Path to Genocide’. Most hauntingly, there are two exhibitions, one devoted to the kids of the Holocaust and one known as ‘One Thousand and Seventy-eight Blue Skies’ – a photographic exhibition with particular person photographs of the skies above each focus camp in Europe.
The USA Holocaust Museum is a strong and necessary museum to go to. It’s situated only a brief stroll from the Washington Monument and ideally mixed with a go to to the Nationwide Mall.
8. Hirshhorn Museum
- Opening occasions: 10 am till 5:30 pm
- Price: Free
Hirshhorn Museum is an absolute testomony to the fascinating phenomenon of recent artwork. The museum is about in a somewhat bizarre-looking doughnut-shaped constructing – a direct nod to its outlandish, quirky character if we ever did see one. Hirshhorn Museum has a continuing conveyor belt of nonstop exhibitions. In only a few months in 2023, reveals are devoted to up to date Chinese language images and Baseera Khan. The identical goes for occasions, too, and you may at all times try the rammed exercise schedule after the exercise. These non permanent occasions are nice for households wanting low-cost youngsters’ leisure. Whereas completely, Hirshhorn Museum has over 12,000 items of art work to gawp at and analyze.
Hirshhorn Museum is about inside the little bubble of Smithsonian Establishment museums. It’s simple to entry by public transport or on foot. As we talked about, it’s the excellent place for household actions. Hirshhorn Museum attracts the extra outgoing, action-loving artwork lover. So if you wish to keep away from the elegant however barely stuffy grandeur of among the extra formal galleries in Washington DC, Hirshhorn Museum is your greatest guess.
9. Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of Pure Historical past
Whenever you consider pure historical past, what do you consider? In all probability David Attenborough and dinosaur fossils. Effectively, any further, you’ll be able to add the Smithsonian’s Nationwide Museum of Pure Historical past to that listing. Each metropolis wants a pure historical past museum, and the Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of Pure Historical past is likely one of the greatest museums in Washington, DC. It takes a selected caliber to be the capital’s pure historical past museum, so that you greatest imagine that this museum is the highest.
Guests can glimpse among the world’s rarest gems and stand up near not one however dozens of dinosaur skeletons and fossils. And moreover all that, there are additionally stuffed animal species and different organic examples all through the museum. Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of Pure Historical past is likely one of the most complete examples of pure historical past preservation in the US. We suggest paying a go to.
10. Nationwide Museum of Asian Artwork
- Opening occasions: 10 am till 5:30 pm
- Price: Free
This gorgeous Asian artwork museum is well one in all Washington DC’s prime galleries, which, as you now know, is saying one thing. The museum is a unbelievable ode to Asian art work from quite a few completely different international locations. You’ll discover Center Jap, Korean, Indian, and Japanese artwork, to call a couple of. There’s stunning Arabic calligraphy to admire, Indian sculptures and pottery work, and chic Japanese silk works. There are over 46,000 works to admire and flooring and flooring of reveals to soak up. The agency favourite room is the Peacock Room – so look ahead to that.
The Nationwide Museum offers a extra numerous perception into historic artwork than many trendy artwork galleries in Washington, DC. If you’re an fanatic keen on Asian artwork or simply wish to go to one of many specialist artwork museums, then the Nationwide Museum is a unbelievable choice. It’s in and amongst all of the Smithsonian museums, so that you’ll discover it simple to squeeze into your sightseeing.
11. Smithsonian American Artwork Museum
The Smithsonian American Artwork Museum is likely one of the prime museums in Washington, DC. So far as Smithsonian museums go, American artwork is likely one of the most particular however least uncommon museum classes. For any artwork fanatic, having such an in depth assortment of 1 sort of artwork in a single place is useful.
And the Smithsonian American Artwork Museum prides itself on being one in all its largest, most inclusive collections worldwide. The art work dates again to the colonial interval, however you’ll additionally see a couple of items from as we speak. You’ll be able to tour independently or benefit from a complimentary strolling tour that’s run every day.
Kogod Courtyard is an architectural characteristic of the museum itself that guests love – a considerable glass-enclosed courtyard with tropical vegetation and tons of pure lighting. It’s value noting that the Smithsonian American Artwork Museum can be located within the third-oldest federal constructing in Washington, DC. And as soon as you’re executed, you’ll be able to simply mix it with a visit subsequent door to the Nationwide Portrait Gallery.
12. Museum of the Bible
The Museum of the Bible is likely one of the most non secular Washington DC museums, if not probably the most non secular Washington DC museum. It has an entire assortment of extremely prized sacred relics and reveals, together with historic scrolls and ‘uncommon Bibles’. The constructing is superbly designed with stained glass home windows and church-like decor all through, and since it’s cut up throughout six flooring, you will have a great deal of sights to get by means of. It isn’t simply traditionally precious with its reveals; there are immersive alternatives within the Museum of the Bible. You could possibly catch an Outdated or New Testomony present and take a look at sculpture scenes just like the Jesus Nazareth scene.
The museum pioneers and funds large quantities of analysis. Its museum shows cowl over 4,000 years of historical past, and due to this, it’s a actually energetic level of analysis. It’s value checking in to see what talks and occasions can be found, because the museum attracts some actual business specialists.
13. Planet Phrase
- Opening occasions: 10 am till 5 pm Wednesday to Friday, then 10 am till 6 pm Saturday to Monday, and closed Tuesday.
- Price: Instructed donation of $10-15
Planet Phrase is a whole museum dedicated to the spoken phrase. The museum circles across the ideas of language and phrases, with every part from karaoke to Scrabble. As guests, you take pleasure in visiting exhibit corridor after corridor of word-themed sights – from phrase timber open air to elegant libraries inside.
There are interactive actions, like a recording studio and a room instructing you easy methods to create advert copy. Planet Phrase is unbelievable for anybody with youngsters or younger adults keen on a writing, journalistic, and musical profession. It’s someplace to enterprise for an hour or two for some thought-provoking leisure.
The museum is located in a Nineteenth-century constructing with Victorian-style structure and is definitely set within the historic Franklin Faculty. The Franklin Faculty has Nationwide Historic Landmark standing as a result of it was the primary public training college in the US as an impartial nation. So it’s becoming to see that its legacy has continued with Planet Phrase – a museum dedicated to studying and language.
14. White Home
- Opening occasions: 7:30 am till 4 pm
- Price: Free
Do you know that the White Home is definitely a totally functioning museum? With capped numbers and restricted hours, after all. This iconic museum boasts a few of American historical past’s most well-known scenes. And in case you submit your tour requests with loads of warning- which is at least 21 days and as much as three months upfront – then you’ll be able to spend a couple of hours treading the identical carpets because the Obamas and Trumps. You can too cease by the White Home Customer Middle, which has over 90 completely different White Home artifacts and a 14-minute movie. There are various interactive reveals, archives, and even a museum store on the finish so that you can splurge in.
Visiting the White Home from the skin is thrilling sufficient. Simply peering by means of the gates is a bucket listing attraction for a lot of. Nonetheless, touring the within and having the White Home museum expertise takes the cookie. We’d suggest this wholeheartedly to anybody with a die-hard curiosity in American historical past and politics.
15. Smithsonian’s Nationwide Postal Museum
- Opening occasions: 10 am till 5:30 pm
- Price: Free
Smithsonian’s Nationwide Postal Museum is likely one of the most uncommon museums in Washington D.C. Consider it or not, the postal story in the US is definitely fascinating. The method started with the Pony Specific, a brigade of horseback riders who ran America’s postal system for round 18 months. It’s famed for being a monetary shambles, however the entire thing makes an ideal story. Then after that, the primary transcontinental telegraph system halted the service in 1861, and commonplace mail service started as we all know it.
The Nationwide Postal Museum is one other Smithsonian museum in your listing – located in that acquainted bubble of Smithsonian Establishment museums. The museum paperwork every part from the creation of postal stationery to the early autos that used to ship mail. The museum tells a unbelievable story of each facet of American postal historical past and gives a high-quality assortment of memorabilia. There’s even a Nineteen Twenties-style put up workplace the place you’ll be able to choose up free stamps to start out your stamp-collecting passion.
The Smithsonian’s Nationwide Postal Museum is situated within the East Finish, comparatively centrally in Washington, DC. It’s effectively mixed with a go to to the US Capitol and DC Fireplace and EMS Museum (which is our ‘honorable point out’ since we couldn’t squeeze it onto this listing).
16. Nationwide Archives Museum
Let’s end with a bang; Nationwide Archives Museum has among the most traditionally important artifacts in the US. The esteemed museum’s assortment contains the unique Declaration of Independence, Structure, and Invoice of Rights. If you’re visiting Washington DC, you’re undoubtedly accustomed to and even planning your journey round embracing American historical past, so don’t miss this pivotal spot. The Nationwide Archives Museum is the place to stand up shut and private with early American historical past.
Other than the founding paperwork of the US (how cool is that to say?), the Nationwide Archives Museum additionally has a collection of smaller reveals. These embrace an space devoted to the Suffrage Motion and filled with civil rights letters and petitioning. The Nationwide Archives Museum is a superb place to get a bitesize however intense introduction to American Historical past and Washington DC’s expertise.
Enjoyable Museums in Washington DC
Which of those greatest museums in Washington, DC, do you assume most accurately fits you and your itinerary? Washington, DC, actually comes into its personal with artwork galleries and historical past museums, however the selection is countless. In any case, who’d have thought you can go to the Nationwide Constructing Museum, Museum of the Bible, Worldwide Spy Museum, and the White Home multi functional metropolis?
Take a look at presidential portraits, European and American artwork, dinosaur fossils, and extra. Have a beautiful time museum buying in top-of-the-line locations for reveals on the planet.
