Dumbarton Oaks

About Dumbarton Oaks

Dumbarton Oaks is a research institute of Harvard University set on the former estate of philanthropists Robert and Mildred Bliss in Georgetown. Its sixteen acres of terraced gardens, designed by landscape architect Beatrix Farrand starting in 1921, are considered among the finest examples of early-20th-century American garden design, with themed rooms, fountains, orchards, and woodland paths. The museum houses world-class collections of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art in galleries including the Philip Johnson-designed Pre-Columbian Pavilion, along with a historic music room used for chamber concerts and the 1944 Dumbarton Oaks Conference that helped shape the United Nations. The gardens charge admission during the regular season (March–October) and require timed tickets purchased online in advance, as garden passes often sell out; the museum galleries have separate, generally free, entry.

Location

1703 32nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

Nearby attractions

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  National Mall

  A vast open-air national park stretching between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, lined with iconic monuments and Smithsonian museums.

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  Washington Monument

  A 555-foot marble obelisk honoring George Washington, offering sweeping views of DC from its observation level.

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  Thomas Jefferson Memorial

  A domed neoclassical monument on the Tidal Basin honoring Thomas Jefferson, surrounded by famous cherry blossom trees.

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  Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

  A granite memorial on the Tidal Basin featuring a colossal carved likeness of Dr. King emerging from a 'Stone of Hope.'

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  Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

  A sprawling outdoor memorial along the Tidal Basin divided into four outdoor 'rooms' representing FDR's four terms in office.

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  Vietnam Veterans Memorial

  A stark black granite wall inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 U.S. service members who died or went missing in the Vietnam War.

Nearby restaurants

• Zaytinya

  Mediterranean · $$$ · Downtown / Penn Quarter

• Ben's Chili Bowl

  American / Comfort Food · $ · U Street

• Mi Vida

  Mexican · $$ · Navy Yard / Waterfront

• Ambar Capitol Hill

  Balkan · $$ · Capitol Hill

• Centrolina

  Italian · $$$ · Downtown / Penn Quarter

• Maketto

  Cambodian / Taiwanese · $$ · Capitol Hill