National Gallery of Art
National Mall—sample rating
AgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
About National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art, opened in 1941, houses one of the world's finest collections of Western art spanning the Middle Ages to the present, split between the classical West Building and I. M. Pei's modernist East Building. The West Building's collection includes the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci on public display in the Americas, Ginevra de' Benci, along with works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Monet, and El Greco. The East Building, opened in 1978 and renovated in 2016, focuses on modern and contemporary art, including a large Alexander Calder mobile in its atrium and a rooftop terrace with outdoor sculpture. The outdoor Sculpture Garden between the two buildings offers a shaded, fountain-centered public space with modern sculpture and, in summer, evening jazz events. Unlike the Smithsonian, the National Gallery is not part of that institution but is likewise fully free, with no tickets or passes required for general admission.
Why visit
It's one of the world's great art museums, free to enter, with masterpieces spanning centuries in two architecturally distinct buildings.
Best time to visit
Visit on a weekday and start in the West Building's Main Floor galleries early to see highlights before crowds build.
Recommended duration
Allow about 2 hours (120 minutes).
Opening hours
- Every day
- 10:00-17:00
Free; no tickets needed; Sculpture Garden open until 8pm on select evenings in summer; closed Dec 25 and Jan 1.
Information may change — verify details before visiting.
Location
Constitution Ave NW, between 3rd and 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20565
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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
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
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