These museums do not require tickets. Thirteen museums and galleries, most of which are located on the National Mall. Hundreds of exhibits covering a wide spectrum of art forms and traditions, natural history, American history, and much more.
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Smithsonian Information Center at "The Castle"
Location: 1000 Jefferson Drive, SW
Description: The Castle is a great place to start out a day on the Mall if you don't know what you want to see. There is information there about all the Smithsonian museums and about Washington, D.C. in general.
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily - *All Smithsonian museums closed Christmas day
Phone: (202) 357-2020
Closest Metro Station: Smithsonian
Location: 600 Independence Avenue, SW
Description: A Washington, D.C. favorite shows the history of American aviation, including the Wright Brothers' plane, Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" and the Apollo 11 unar Excursion Module. Check out the IMAX theater.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
Phone: (202) 357-1387
Closest Metro Station: L'Enfant Plaza
National Museum of Natural History
Location: 10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Description: See the 45.5-carat Hope Diamond, a 12-ton stuffed elephant, and the insect zoo. Exhibits on dinosaurs, astronomy, geology, anatomy, ancient civilizations and much more.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.
Phone: (202) 357-2700
Closest Metro Station: Smithsonian, Federal Triangle
National Museum of American HistoryLocation: 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Description: See artifacts from American history and culture -- from the original 42-foot Star Spangled Banner to Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Phone: (202) 357-2700
Closest Metro Station: Smithsonian, Federal Triangle
Location: between Third and Ninth Streets at Constitution Avenue, NW
Description: The National Gallery of Art is divided into two buildings, the East and West buildings. The West Building contains European paintings and sculpture, from the thirteenth through the nineteenth centuries, and American art. Modern and contemporary art and a changing series of special exhibitions are shown in the East Building. Come to the West Building and see the only da Vinci painting in the United States. Or, see the impressive collection of Picasso's works in the East Building.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. - *All Smithsonian museums closed Christmas Day
Phone: (202) 737-4215
Closest Metro Station: Smithsonian
Location: 900 Jefferson Drive, SW
Description: See a recreation of the Centennial Celebration of 1876. This beautiful Victorian building houses a quaint gift shop.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. daily
Phone: (202) 357-2020
Closest Metro Station: Smithsonian
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Location: 7th Street and Independence Avenue, SW
Description: Home of the magnificent Joseph Hirshhorn collection of 19th and 20th century American and European art, including works by Rodin and Picasso. The Sculpture Garden features creations by Henry Moore, Alexander Calder and David Smith.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
Phone: (202) 357-1300 for more information
Closest Metro Stations: Smithsonian, L'Enfant Plaza
Location: 1050 Independence Avenue, SW - Map
Description: This underground gallery offers exhibits of Asian and Near Eastern art, including jade figures, paintings and lacquerware.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
Phone: (202) 357-4880
Closest Metro Station: Smithsonian
National Museum of African Art
Location: 950 Independence Avenue, SW
Description: Celebrating the arts and culture of sub-Saharan Africa, it includes 6,000 works in wood, metal, fired clay, ivory and fiber.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
Phone: (202) 357-1300
Closest Metro Station: Smithsonian
Freer Gallery of ArtLocation: 12th Street and Jefferson Drive, SW - Map
Description: See Far Eastern and Near Eastern art, including jade, ceramics and manuscripts, and the works of American painter Whistler.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
Phone: (202) 357-1300
Closest Metro Station: Smithsonian
National Museum of American Art
Location: 8th and G Streets, NW
Description: American paintings, sculpture, graphics, folk art and photography now housed in the former U.S. Patent Office.
Closest Metro Station: Gallery Pl - Chinatown
National Portrait GalleryLocation: 8th and F Streets, NW
Description: Portraits of Presidents, Vice Presidents and other outstanding Americans, by American artists.
Closest Metro Station: Gallery Pl - Chinatown
Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American ArtLocation: 17th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Description: Exhibits of American crafts from 1900 to the present.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
Phone: (202) 357-1445
Closest Metro stops: Farragut North, Farragut West
Anacostia MuseumLocation: 1901 Fort Place, SE - Map
Description: Celebrates the history and culture of African Americans, focusing on the historic Anacostia neighborhood.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Phone: (202) 357-1300
Closest Metro Station: Anacostia
The National ZooLocation: 3000 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Description: See two pandas, rare white tigers and hundreds of other creatures populate this 168-acre park.
Hours: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily
Phone: (202) 673-4800
Closest Metro Stations: Woodley Park Zoo/Adams Morgan, Cleveland Park - * Insider's Tip The Cleveland Park metro stop is a better choice since it's closer and you can walk downhill to the Zoo.