Washington DC Museums – A concise, complete list – updated – January 2020

[Update of June 2017 version] Below is the list of all museums (and art galleries) in the District of Columbia. If available a website, twitter account, and online calendar are listed. [Note: libraries with exhibition spaces have not been included, nor have historic sites without exhibits.] [This list is much more accurate than this: https://matthewbgilmore.wordpress.com/2014/06/13/just-how-many-museums-are-there-in-washington-dc/]

There are three sections:

• Museums,
• Art Galleries, and
• Smithsonian Museums

MUSEUMS

African American Civil War Museum | 1925 Vermont Ave, NW Washington, DC 20001

• http://www.afroamcivilwar.org
• @afroamcivilwar
• Calendar: https://afroamcivilwar.org/news-events/upcoming-events.html

American Poetry Museum | 716 Monroe Street NE Studio #25 Washington, DC 20017

• http://americanpoetrymuseum.org
• @AmPoetryMuseum
• Calendar: http://www.apoetmuseum.org/events

Anderson House-Society of the Cincinnati | 2118 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008

• http://societyofthecincinnati.org/
• @AndersonHouse
• Calendar: https://www.societyofthecincinnati.org/events/public

Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives | 1201 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (updated link below-2019)

• http://www.sumnermuseumdc.org/
• @SumnerSchool

Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office | 437 7th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20004

• http://www.clarabartonmuseum.org/
• https://twitter.com/ClaraBartonMSO
• Calendar: http://www.clarabartonmuseum.org/events/

DAR Museum | 1776 D Street NW Washington, D.C. 20006

• http://www.dar.org/museum
• @DARMuseum
• Calendar: http://www.dar.org/museum/education/calendar-events

Decatur House | 1610 H Street, NW

• http://www.whitehousehistory.org/events/tour-the-historic-decatur-house
• @whha

Diplomatic Reception Rooms | U.S. Department of State M/FA, Room 8213 2201 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20520

• https://diplomaticrooms.state.gov/

Dumbarton House, headquarters of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America | 2715 Q Street NW • Washington, DC 20007-3071

• http://dumbartonhouse.org/
• https://twitter.com/DumbartonHouse
• Calendar: http://dumbartonhouse.org/events

Dumbarton Oaks Museum | 1703 32nd Street, NW Washington, DC 20007

• https://www.doaks.org/visit/museum
• @DumbartonOaks
• Calendar: https://www.doaks.org/events/upcoming-events

Ford’s Theatre | 511 10th St, NW, Washington, DC 20004

• https://www.fords.org/visit/historic-site/museum/
• @fordstheatre
• Calendar: http://www.fords.org/home/performances-events

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site | 1411 W St SE, Washington, DC

• https://www.nps.gov/frdo/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm
• @FredDouglassNPS
• Calendar: http://www.nps.gov/frdo/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

National Deaf Life Museum at Gallaudet University (formerly Gallaudet University Museum) | 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002

• https://www.gallaudet.edu/museum
• @GallaudetMuseum

GAHM | German-American Heritage Museum • 719 Sixth Street, NW • Washington, DC 20001

• http://gahmusa.org
• @GAHMuseum
• Events: https://gahmusa.org/events/

Heurich House Museum: 1307 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington, DC 20036

• http://www.heurichhouse.org/
• https://twitter.com/heurichhouse
• Calendar: http://www.heurichhouse.org/

Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens: 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008

• http://http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org
• @HillwoodMuseum
• Calendar: https://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/events

U.S. Department of the Interior Interior Museum | 1849 C Street, NW (MS 1361) Washington, DC 20240

• https://www.doi.gov/interiormuseum/
• @Interior
• Calendar: https://www.doi.gov/interiormuseum/events

International Spy Museum: 700 L’Enfant Plaza, SW  Washington, DC 20024

• https://www.spymuseum.org/
• @IntlSpyMuseum
• Calendar: https://www.spymuseum.org/education-programs/

L. Ron Hubbard – Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC | 1812 19th Street NW Washington, DC

• https://www.lronhubbard.org/landmark-sites/dc.html

Laogai Museum | 1901 18th Street NW Washington DC

• https://laogairesearch.org/contact-us/

Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum (formerly Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum) — Closed for construction of new building

• https://capitaljewishmuseum.org/
• https://twitter.com/CapJewishMuseum

Madame Tussauds Washington, D.C | 1001 F Street NW (Corner of 10th and F Street) Washington D.C. 20004

• https://www.madametussauds.com/washington-dc/en/
• @DCWax

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House | 1318 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC

• https://www.nps.gov/mamc/index.htm
• @BethuneNHS

Museum of the Bible | 400 4th St. SW, Washington, DC 20024

• http://www.museumofthebible.org
• @museumofBible

National Archives Museum | Constitution Ave. NW [between 7th & 9th St.] Washington, DC 20408

• https://museum.archives.gov/
• @USNatArchives [National Archives]
• Calendar: https://museum.archives.gov/events

National Bonsai & Penjing Museum | United States National Arboretum 3501 New York Avenue, NE; Washington, D. C. 20002-1958

• https://www.bonsai-nbf.org/
• Calendar: https://www.bonsai-nbf.org/events

National Building Museum: 401 F Street NW Washington, D.C. 20001 – National Building Museum’s exhibitions are temporarily closed until March 2020

• http://www.nbm.org/
• @BuildingMuseum
• Calendar: http://go.nbm.org/site/Calendar/1810746008?view=MonthGrid&Day

National Geographic Museum: 1145 17th Street, NW (17th and M) Washington, DC 20036

• https://www.nationalgeographic.org/events/visit/
• @NatGeoLive

National Guard Memorial Museum: 1 Massachusetts Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20001

• http://www.ngef.org/national-guard-memorial-museum/museum-galleries/
• @NGMuseum

National Museum of American Jewish Military History: 1811 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009

• http://www.nmajmh.org
• https://twitter.com/nmajmh

National Museum of the U.S. Navy | Buildings 70 and 76, Washington Navy Yard, DC Washington, DC 20374-5060

• https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn.html
• @NtlMuseumUSNavy

National Museum of Women in the Arts | 1250 New York Ave NW Washington, D.C. 20005

• http://nmwa.org
• @WomenInTheArts

National Society United States Daughters of 1812 – 1812 Museum | 1463 Rhode Island Avenue, NW

• http://www.usdaughters1812.org/museum.html
• Local DC Chapter: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dcsd1812/

The Octagon Museum | 1799 New York Ave NW

• https://architectsfoundation.org/octagon-museum/
• @OctagonMuseum
• Events: https://www.facebook.com/TheOctagonMuseum

President Lincoln’s Cottage |  intersection of Rock Creek Church Road NW and Upshur Street NW

• http://lincolncottage.org
• @LincolnsCottage
• Events: https://www.lincolncottage.org/public-programs/

House of the Temple – headquarters of the Supreme Council, 33°, Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, USA | 1733 16th St. NW  •  Washington, DC  20009-3103

• http://scottishrite.org/headquarters/museums/
• @MasonicMuseum

Sewall-Belmont House & Museum (Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument) | 144 Constitution Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002-5608

• https://www.nps.gov/bepa/index.htm
• http://www.sewallbelmont.org/
• @SBHMuseum

Tudor Place | 1644 31st Street NW · Washington DC 20007

• https://www.tudorplace.org/
• @TudorPlace
• Calendar: https://www.tudorplace.org/programs/

National Museum of American Diplomacy (was U.S. Diplomacy Center) (opens in 2022)

• https://diplomacy.state.gov/
• @NMADmuseum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW Washington, DC 20024-2126

• http://www.ushmm.org
• @HolocaustMuseum
• Calendar: http://www.ushmm.org/online/calendar/

Woman’s National Democratic Club | 1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW | Washington, DC 20036 (Whittemore house)

• https://democraticwoman.org/museum-gallery/
• @WNDC_1922

Woodrow Wilson House | 2340 S Street, NW · Washington, DC 20008

• http://www.woodrowwilsonhouse.org
• @WWilsonHouse
• Calendar: http://www.woodrowwilsonhouse.org/events

---

ART MUSEUMS

American University Museum (AU Museum at the Katzen Arts Center):  4400 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20016 / 202-885-1300

• http://www.american.edu/cas/museum/index.cfm
• @AUMuseum_Katzen

NEW

• • Alper Initiative for Washington Art

• @AlperInitiative

AMA | Art Museum of the Americas | 201 18th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006

• http://museum.oas.org
• @AMAmuseum
• Calendar: http://museum.oas.org/events.html

Fondo Del Sol | 2112 R St NW Washington DC

• https://fondodelsol.wordpress.com
• @FondoDelSol

George Washington University Art Gallery (Luther W. Brady Art Gallery) 805 21st Street, NW.

• http://www.gwu.edu/~bradyart/brady/about.html
• @BradyGallery

Georgetown University Art Galleries

• https://art.georgetown.edu/galleries
• @GUartgallery
• Calendar: https://art.georgetown.edu/galleries/current

Howard University Gallery of Art *

• http://www.galleryofart.howard.edu/

The Kreeger Museum:

• https://www.kreegermuseum.org
• @KreegerMuseum
• Calendar: https://www.kreegermuseum.org — click programs

National Gallery of Art

• http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb.html
• @ngadc
• Calendar: http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/calendar.html?

The Phillips Collection: 1600 21st St NW Washington, DC

• http://www.phillipscollection.org
• @phillipsmuseum
• Calendar: http://www.phillipscollection.org/events

---

SMITHSONIAN MUSEUMS
African American History and Culture Museum — opens September 24, 2016

• http://nmaahc.si.edu
• @NMAAHC

African Art Museum | 950 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20560

• http://africa.si.edu
• @NMAfA

Air and Space Museum | Independence Ave at 6th St, SW Washington, DC 20560

• http://airandspace.si.edu
• @airandspace
• http://airandspace.si.edu/events/calendar/

American Art Museum | 8th and F Streets, NW Washington, DC 20004

• http://americanart.si.edu
• @americanart
• Calendar: http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/

American Art Museum – Renwick Museum | Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20006 – Reopens November 13, 2015

• http://americanart.si.edu/renwick/
• @americanart

American History Museum | 1400 Constitution Ave., NW Washington, DC

• http://americanhistory.si.edu
• @amhistorymuseum
• Calendar: http://americanhistory.si.edu/events

American Indian Museum | 4th Street & Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, DC 20560

• http://americanindian.si.edu
• Calendar: http://americanindian.si.edu/calendar/

Anacostia Community Museum | 1901 Fort Place, SE Washington, DC

• http://anacostia.si.edu
• @AnacostiaMuseum
• http://anacostia.si.edu/Events

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery | 1050 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC

• http://www.asia.si.edu
• @FreerSackler
• http://www.asia.si.edu/events/default.asp

Freer Gallery of Art – Freer Gallery of Art will be closed to the public from January 2016 until summer 2017

• http://www.asia.si.edu
• @FreerSackler

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden | Independence Ave. at 7th St., SW Washington, DC

• http://hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/visit/#collection=visit
• @hirshhorn
• http://hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/visit/#collection=programs-calendar

Natural History Museum | 10th St. and Constitution Ave., NW Washington, DC

• http://naturalhistory.si.edu
• @NMNH
• http://naturalhistory.si.edu/calendar.asp

Portrait Gallery | 8th and F Sts., NW Washington, DC

• http://www.npg.si.edu
• @NPG
• http://www.npg.si.edu/event/currentevents.html

Postal Museum | 2 Massachusetts Ave., NE Washington, DC

• http://postalmuseum.si.edu
• @PostalMuseum
• http://postalmuseum.si.edu/visit/calendar.html

Renwick Gallery – see American Art Museum – Renwick Museum

Smithsonian Institution Building, The Castle | 1000 Jefferson Drive, SW Washington, DC

• http://www.si.edu/Events/Calendar/?trumbaEmbed=filter3%3D_17047_&filterfield3%3D11223

 

CLOSED

• Frederick Douglass Museum: 320 A Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20002
• Marian Koshland Science Museum: 525 E Street, NW Washington, DC  20001
  • Now online as https://labx.org/
• Newseum — Newseum closed its doors on Pennsylvania Avenue on Dec. 31, 2019. The Freedom Forum hopes to find a suitable location to serve as the Newseum’s next home but that process will take time.