The Phillips Collection
Dupont Circle—sample rating
National Photo Company Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
About The Phillips Collection
The Phillips Collection, founded in 1921 by Duncan Phillips, is recognized as America's first museum of modern art. Housed in Phillips's own Dupont Circle mansion and later additions, the museum is renowned for masterworks including Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party," alongside works by Rothko, Klee, Bonnard, and O'Keeffe. The museum's intimate scale and rotating special exhibitions make it a favorite among art lovers seeking a less crowded alternative to the National Mall museums. It also hosts a long-running Sunday concert series and educational programs. General admission is ticketed, with free entry for visitors 18 and under and members; the museum offers extended free hours on "Third Thursdays" from 5-8 p.m., and access to the shop, café, courtyard, and first-floor galleries is always free.
Why visit
An intimate, world-renowned modern art collection in a beautiful mansion setting, without the crowds of the National Mall.
Best time to visit
Visit on a Third Thursday evening for free extended hours, or reserve advance tickets for a weekend visit.
Recommended duration
Allow about 1.5 hours (90 minutes).
Opening hours
- Friday
- 10:00-17:00
- Monday
- Closed
- Saturday
- 10:00-17:00
- Sunday
- 11:00-17:00
- Thursday
- 10:00-17:00
- Tuesday
- 10:00-17:00
- Wednesday
- 10:00-17:00
Sunday 10-11am is members-only; first-floor galleries, shop, and café free to public. Free extended hours on Third Thursdays 5-8pm. Closed major holidays.
Information may change — verify details before visiting.
Location
1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
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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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