Washington D.C. – Smithsonian Museums

You may be thinking that the Smithsonian is one single museum, wrong. The Smithsonian Museums is a large collection of museums, gardens, galleries, research facilities and even a zoo. There are 17 total sites to explore. 11 of these are around the National Mall and 6 more are scattered around the D.C. area. I should also mention you can find 2 more museums in NYC. But we are going to focus on the D.C. museums since the vast majority are located here.

Things To Know Before You Go…

Before getting to the Smithsonian museums you should download the Smithsonian Mobile app. You can access maps, tours, tips, and much more. This can also help you plan for which museums you really want to see. If you prefer to have an actual map in paper form you can print one off on there website. Just for fun you should also look into some of the other apps they offer like the Smithsonian Channel app and NMAAHC Mobile Stories app.

Most all the Smithsonian museums are open daily from 10 am to 5:30 pm. They are open 364 days a year and close for Christmas day. Side note: the Smithsonian Information Center opens at 8:30 am and is located inside the Smithsonian Castle. You may want to make this your first stop and don’t forget to see James Smithson’s tomb located outside the north entrance. The info center provides you with an overview of what all you will see at each museum.

FREE – FREE – FREE

All of the Smithsonian sites in D.C. are FREE to visit. Yep, FREE! Some of the museums require you to get timed-entry tickets to visit, so be sure to check that out before you go.

Use the metro stations to quickly get to the museums. It is fast, reliable and affordable. Plus, it is really hard to find good parking near the museums by the National Mall. The Smithsonian metro station stop at 12th & Jefferson is just west of the Smithsonian Castle and is available on the blue, orange and silver lines. To quickly get to the east side of the National Mall for those museums use the Archives Metro Station (green and yellow lines) or L’Enfant Metro Station (green, yellow, orange, blue and silver).

To help you make the most of your time at each of the Smithsonian Museums don’t bring large backpacks or lots of stuff. Bring a small bag, like a purse or similar, so that you can fly right through security. Larger items require a search which can delay you from the start. Some of the Smithsonian museums offer lockers for backpacks and coats. You will more than likely have to walk through a metal detector and have your bag screened before you can enter almost all of the museums.

Best times to visit is early in the week. It is also worth mentioning that there is no food or drinks allowed in the museum. They do offer places to grab a bite inside some of the museums. The food trucks outside are usually cheaper than what is served inside the building.

All The Smithsonian Museums – All The Info

The Smithsonian’s collection is more than 150 million objects, art, specimens, animals and artifacts. All that knowledge, creativity, culture and history for FREE. On the National Mall is the Smithsonian Institution Building, a.k.a. The Castle, and it will give you a peek at what all you can find inside all the other buildings. Like I said before, most of the museums you can find on the National Mall which you can easily access by using the Metro. The Smithsonian actual has it’s own stop on the blue and orange lines.

Don’t think you have to visit all the museums. The National Museum of Natural History is a day all unto itself. My suggestion would be to pick which museums you want to see the most and focus on those. You can even focus on specific exhibits you want to see by downloading the app and being prepared. With that said, let’s take a look at the individual museums.

1. The National Museum of Natural History

Opened in 1910, this place is big…HUGE!! About the size of 18 football fields. I suggest if this is top of your list to devote at least a whole day here. There are over 140 million specimens and artifacts contained in this museum. This museum contains some of the most famous artifacts in the world, including the Hope Diamond. The museum also has a lab for your tweens and teens. The fossils hall is by far my favorite. This is what I think when I hear “the museum of natural history”. And there is 31,000 sq. ft. of exhibits.

• Locations: On the National Mall
• Hours: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (extended hours in spring and summer: closing at 7:30 p.m.)
• Admission: FREE
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is the Metro. Take the blue or orange lines to the Smithsonian station and use the Mall exit. If you are coming by bus, take numbers 32, 34, or 36.

2. National Air & Space Museum

The museum opened in 1976. This is one of the most popular museums in the world. It has everything from the beginning of flight to moon rock from space. And you can touch the moon rock! It is pretty cool inside and educates you on the advances of flight. Somethings it contains, in addition to the moon rock, are the 1903 Wright Flyer and Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis. They also have a planetarium and IMAX theater and observatory are on the property.  

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

There are actually two sites that house the Air & Space Museum, the other is the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (located close to Dulles Airport). The two buildings combined contain the largest collection of aviation artifacts in the world.

• Location: On the National Mall
• Hours: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Admission: FREE (reserved timed-entry tickets are necessary)
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is the Metro. Take the blue, green, orange, silver and yellow lines to the L’Enfant Plaza station. If you are coming by bus, take numbers 32, 34 or 36.

The Udvar-Hazy Center is larger and is still FREE to visit. Opened in 2003 and housed inside 2 hangers, you can get a look at the Space Shuttle Discovery, a Blackbird SR-71 and a Concorde. This was my youngest child’s favorite site. They also have an observation deck where you can see restoration taking place, an IMAX theater, simulator ride and a virtual reality experience. 

• Location: 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA
• Hours: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Admission: FREE (parking is $15)
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is probably to take a ride share or taxi, if you didn’t drive yourself to D.C. But you can use public transportation, although depending upon where you depart from, you may need to use a combination of metro and bus routes. From the Museums on the National Mall: Use the L’Enfant Plaza or Smithsonian Metro stations and take the silver line to Innovation Center station, then transfer to Fairfax Connector Bus #983. Buses run approximately ever 25 minutes. Get off at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center stop. The trip time is about 1 hour 30 minutes.

3. National Museum of American History

A comprehensive look at our country’s history through research and exhibits. With more than 3 million artifacts over 750,000 sq. ft., the museum has a little bit for everyone to enjoy. Some of the stuff you can see are Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the Star-Spangled Banner Flag (yep, the one from the War of 1812) and Abraham Lincoln’s top hat. They also have a First Ladies exhibit that displays gowns and fine china. And don’t miss the American transportation exhibit.

• Location: On the National Mall
• Hours: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Admission: FREE
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is the Metro. Take the blue, orange or silver lines to the Smithsonian Station stop. If you are coming by bus, take number 32, 34 or 36.

4. National Zoo

While not a museum, the National Zoo is still part of the Smithsonian Museums family. Over 1,500 animals call this 163 acre park home. 25% of the resident animals are endangered. You’ll get to see lions, tiger, elephants, pandas, and giraffes, to name a few. Check out the website for a map of the zoo.

• Location: 3001 Connecticut Avenue
• Hours: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (with extended seasonal hours)
• Admission: FREE (there is a charge for parking and you do need reserved tickets)
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is either a ride share or taxi. If you use the Metro, take the red line. If you are coming by bus, take the L1 or L2 bus.

5. National Museum of African American History & Culture

This museum opened in 2016 and is the newest addition to the Smithsonian collection. With 4-levels and a beautifully crafted architectural building, it is the only national museum devoted to African American history and culture. They have many interactive exhibits, which are really cool. This museum covers slavery, with 1st person accounts, and civil rights, but it also has art, of course music and athletics. Make sure you see the Queen Victoria shawl given to Harriet Tubman.

• Location: On the National Mall
• Hours: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Monday: 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)
• Admission:
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is by Metro. Take the blue, orange or silver lines to the Federal Triangle stop. If you are using the bus, use the DC Circulator’s National Mall route.

6. American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery

Three centuries of American art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum is one of the largest collections of American art in the world. The museum collections represent thousands of artists back to the 17th century. The museum has classic works, abstract, realism and contemporary art collections. You can also see African American and Latino art here. The National Portrait Gallery is also in the same building, making it easy to check two museums off your list with ease.

• Location: 8th and F Streets
• Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Admission: FREE
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is the Metro. Take the green, yellow or red lines to Gallery Place/Chinatown station. If you are coming by bus, the number 70 and 74 should get you there, but the best way is the Metrorail.

The Renwick Gallery is part of the American Art Museum. It is located just steps from the White House. Its home is state-of-the-art and is more on the contemporary side. The do have some amazing interactive exhibits.

• Location: Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street
• Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Admission: FREE
• Closed Decmeber 25th
• Getting there: Best way is by Metro. Take the blue, orange or sliver lines to the Farragut West station or the red line to the Farragut North station.

7. National Museum of the American Indian

The museum is one of the world’s largest collections of Native American artifacts. The interactive exhibits use Native voices to breathe life into these artifacts. The building itself was designed by Native architects and is absolutely stunning. With curved walls and limestone material you can easily tell that it resembles rock shaped by nature. The collection represents more than 12,000 years of history for the indigenous people of the Americas. The artifacts range from religious to historical. Don’t forget to see the National Native American Veterans Memorial, located on the museum grounds.

• Location: On the National Mall
• Hours: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Admission: FREE
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is by Metro. Take the blue, orange, sliver, green or yellow lines to the L’Enfant Plaza stop and exit through the Maryland Avenue/Smithsonian Museums exit. If you are coming by bus, take the number 30, 32, 34 or 36 route. You can also use the DC Circulator’s National Mall route.

8. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Displaying modern and contemporary art, the museum was founded in 1974, and has over 12,000 pieces. Inside the museum the exhibits rotate out the artwork. So you could visit today and see a totally different museum the following year. The exhibits are always edgy and creative. Outside the museum is 197,000 sq. ft. of art space. The Sculpture Garden is sunk 6-14 feet below street level and is very easy to navigate.

• Location: On the National Mall
• Hours: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Admission: FREE
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is by Metro. Take the blue, orange, silver lines to the Smithsonian stop. If you are coming by bus, take the number 32, 34 or 36 route.

9. National Portrait Gallery

Whether you are a history buff, lover of the arts or a pop culture guru, the gallery has a little for everyone. Somethings you might see are actors, poets and presidents. There is a wonderful American Origins exhibit, which is a series of portraits that take you on a journey through our history.

• Location: Inside the same building as the Smithsonian American Art Museum
• Hours: 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Admission: FREE
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is the Metro. Take the red line to the Gallery Place/Chinatown stop. If you are coming by bus, use the DC Circulator Georgetown-Union Station route.

10. National Museum of Asian Art

Opened in 1987, the museum contains more than 26,000 pieces over 6,000 years of history. Side note, the Freer Gallery is also part of the museum. There is a wide variety of Asian art from lots of regions. The museum includes Islamic, Chinese, ancient Near Eastern and South and Southeast Asia works. Make sure you see the Enid A. Haupt Garden located just outside the galleries. It is 4 acres of fountains and gardens.

• Location: On the National Mall
• Hours: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Admission: FREE
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is the Metro. Take the orange, blue and silver lines to the Smithsonian stop. If you are coming by bus, take the number 32, 34 or 36 route. You can also use the DC Circulator’s National Mall route.

11. National Postal Museum

The museum opened in 1993 inside the historic City Post Office Building. It is more than stamp collections also, to be honest, it is a really cool museum. They do have a very large collection of stamps but, it also has really neat artifacts and interactive exhibits. It takes you through the history of how we used the mail system and how stamps are made and designed.

• Location: Next to Union Station
• Hours: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Admission: FREE
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is to drive and park at Union Station. If you are coming by Metrorail take the red line to Union Station stop. The DC Circulator National Mall route is another way.

12. National Museum of African Art

This Smithsonian museum is easy to miss because it is located right behind the castle. It has the largest publicly held collection of African art in the United States with around 12,000 objects. The museum has everything from ancient to contemporary works that include wooden statues and vivid colors.

• Location: On the National Mall
• Hours: 10 a.m. -5:30 p.m.
• Admission: FREE
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is the Metro. Take the blue, orange, silver, green or yellow line to L’Enfant Plaza stop and exit through the Maryland Avenue/Smithsonian Museums exit. If you are coming by bus, take number 30, 32, 34 or 36 routes. You can also use the DC Circulator’s National Mall route.

13. Anacostia Community Museum

Opened in 1967, this is a local community museum that interprets the impact of historical and social issues on the urban life communities. This is definitely a locally-focused museum on the largely black neighborhoods. It has a rotation of exhibits that focus on human stories. It tells quite a story.

• Location: Anacostia neighborhood at 1901 Fort PL SE
• Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Admission: FREE
• Closed December 25th
• Getting there: Best way is by ride share or taxi. The Metrorail green line stop at Anacostia is about a mile from the museum. In the summer they offer a free round-trip shuttle from the National Mall to the Anacostia Metro station.

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