National Museum of the American Indian

About National Museum of the American Indian

The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is a Smithsonian Institution museum devoted to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere. Its curving limestone building, designed in consultation with Native communities, sits on the south side of the National Mall between the National Air and Space Museum and the U.S. Botanic Garden. Exhibitions include "Americans," which explores the pervasive presence of Indigenous images in American culture, and rotating displays of art, textiles, and artifacts drawn from one of the world's most extensive collections of Native American objects. The museum also features the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe, which serves dishes inspired by Indigenous foodways across the Americas. Admission is always free and no timed tickets are required, making it an easy stop while exploring the Mall. The museum also has extensive educational resources, an activity center for families, and outdoor landscaping planted with native species that reflects traditional land use.

Location

Fourth Street & Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560

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