Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
National Mall—sample rating
AgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
About Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, opened in 1974, is the Smithsonian Institution's museum of modern and contemporary art, built around the founding gift of financier Joseph H. Hirshhorn. Its striking cylindrical, drum-shaped building, designed by Gordon Bunshaft, stands out among the National Mall's classical architecture and houses rotating exhibitions alongside a permanent collection of works by artists such as Alexander Calder, Willem de Kooning, and Yayoi Kusama. The adjacent sunken Sculpture Garden displays large-scale outdoor works by artists including Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore, offering a quiet, shaded space just off the Mall's main path. Admission is free and no tickets are required for general entry, consistent with other Smithsonian museums.
Why visit
Its bold circular architecture and strong modern/contemporary art collection offer a change of pace from the Mall's historical museums.
Best time to visit
Visit on a weekday afternoon; the Sculpture Garden is especially pleasant in spring and fall.
Recommended duration
Allow about 1.3 hours (75 minutes).
Opening hours
- Every day
- 10:00-17:30
Free; no tickets needed; closed December 25.
Information may change — verify details before visiting.
Location
700 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20560
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Nearby attractions
National Mall
A vast open-air national park stretching between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, lined with iconic monuments and Smithsonian museums.
Washington Monument
A 555-foot marble obelisk honoring George Washington, offering sweeping views of DC from its observation level.
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
A domed neoclassical monument on the Tidal Basin honoring Thomas Jefferson, surrounded by famous cherry blossom trees.
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.'
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
A sprawling outdoor memorial along the Tidal Basin divided into four outdoor 'rooms' representing FDR's four terms in office.
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
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Mi Vida
Mexican · $$ · Navy Yard / Waterfront
Ambar Capitol Hill
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Centrolina
Italian · $$$ · Downtown / Penn Quarter
Maketto
Cambodian / Taiwanese · $$ · Capitol Hill
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