Washington, DC

National Museum of the American Indian
DESCRIPTION: Opened in 2004, this stunningly beautiful venue is dedicated to the Native peoples of North, South, and Central America; occupying 260,000-square feet, it has the most extensive collection of Native American art and artifacts in the world representing over 10,000 years of history; its galleries include: Our Universes, Our People, Our Lives, Native Modernism, Native American Boat-building; the hallmark of this museum is that exhibitions and programs are presented in the Native American voice and perspective; enter at the east entrance of the museum for the best effect
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-5:30p
ADDRESS: 4th Street & Independence Ave, SW  MAP
PARKING: limited garage parking on premises and on street
TRANSIT: L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station & Federal Center SW Metro Center
PHONE: 202-633-1000
WEBSITE: http://www.nmai.si.edu

Arthur Sackler Gallery
DESCRIPTION: Features Ancient Egyptian, Islamic, Biblical Manuscripts, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian and Himalayan art; the changing special exhibits in Chinese jades, Japanese ceramics and ancient Persian manuscripts are spectacular; one of the best designed museums in DC, but no on-site cafe
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-5:30p; extended summer hours
ADDRESS: 1050 Independence Ave, SW  MAP
PARKING: nearby garages
TRANSIT: Smithsonian Metro Station
PHONE: 202-357-4800
WEBSITE: http://www.asia.si.edu

Freer Gallery of Art
DESCRIPTION: Connected to the Sackler Gallery via underground passage, this museum expands exhibit space for Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Near Eastern, Islamic, Biblical Manuscripts, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian and Himalayan art; in the years ahead, anticipate Indian and Chinese collections from the two most populous nations in the world to grow significantly; no on-site cafe
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-5:30p; extended summer hours
ADDRESS: 12th Street & Jefferson Drive, SW  MAP
PARKING: limited parking on street
TRANSIT: Smithsonian Metro Station
PHONE: 202-357-2700
WEBSITE: http://www.asia.si.edu

Arts & Industries Building
DESCRIPTION: Often called the “Smithsonian Building” because it was the first structure built for what has become a museum empire; changing exhibitions offers Discovery Theater and children's performances
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-5:30p
ADDRESS: 900 Jefferson Drive, SW  MAP
PARKING: limited parking on street
TRANSIT: Smithsonian Metro Station
PHONE: 202-357-2700
WEBSITE: http://www.si.edu/ai

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
DESCRIPTION: No other venue in North America better interprets the Holocaust in Europe where over 5 million Jews and tens of thousands of gypsies and Poles were killed by the Nazis; a number of sobering special exhibitions and an extensive archives that document that period human history; many architectural details of the building allude to elements of the Holocaust experience; due to heavy demand, timed passes are necessary for visiting The Holocaust exhibition — get them at least 1 day in advance
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a–5:30p, except Christmas and Yom Kippur
ADDRESS: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW  MAP
PARKING: limited parking on street
PHONE: 800-400–9373
WEBSITE: http://www.ushmm.org

Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden
DESCRIPTION: 19th and 20th-century paintings and sculpture in an architecturally significant cylindrical museum and adjoining garden; DC’s version of a modern art museum
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-5:30p; longer hours in the summer
ADDRESS: 7th Street & Independence Ave, SW  MAP
PARKING: nearby garages
TRANSIT: L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station
PHONE: 202-357-2700
WEBSITE: http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu

National Archives
DESCRIPTION: This remarkable building is home to the original Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Emancipation Proclamation, Presidential Records and more than 3 billion national records; on a personal level, they provide genealogy records and information to help you recover damaged records and save family treasures
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-5:30p; extended summer hours
ADDRESS: 7th Street and Pennsylvania Ave NW MAP
PARKING: garages nearby
TRANSIT: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metro Station
PHONE: 866-272-6272
WEBSITE: http://www.archives.gov

National Museum of American History
DESCRIPTION: Features over 25,000 objects related to African American contributions in politics, social history, education and sports; an 5/04-5/05 exhibition honors the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, the museum hosts a year-long exhibition exploring the struggle for social justice leading up to and following the Supreme Court ruling; other popular exhibitions include American Presidency, Field to Factory, American Encounters and so much more; its like opening the nation’s scrapbook
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-5:30p; extended summer hours
ADDRESS: 14th Street & Constitution Ave, NW  MAP
PARKING: limited parking on street
TRANSIT: Smithsonian Metro Station
PHONE: 202-357-2700
WEBSITE: http://americanhistory.si.edu

National Gallery of Art
DESCRIPTION: Opened in 1941, the initial paintings and works of sculpture were given by Andrew Mellon to formed a high quality nucleus of art around which the collections have grown; he attracted gifts from others to assemble an astounding collection of European and American paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, decorative arts plus other changing exhibitions of art from around the world
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-5:30p; extended summer hours
ADDRESS: 6th Street & Constitution Ave, NW  MAP
PARKING: limited parking on street
TRANSIT: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metro Station
PHONE: 202-737-4215
WEBSITE: http://www.nga.gov

Newseum
DESCRIPTION: Opened in 2008, this 250,000-square-foot museum offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with current technology and captivating interactive exhibits.; permanent exhibits include Surrounded by the Flow of Information, The Story of News, Chronicling an Attack on America, Getting the News Electronically, Award-Winning Images and Photographers Who Took Them, A Barrier That Couldn't Block Information, 45 Words of Freedom, News and Press Freedoms Around the Globe, and every morning more than 600 newspapers from every U.S. state and from countries around the world submit their front pages to the Newseum via the Internet to be part of the Front Pages From Across America and Around the World; also see OBAMA MAKES HISTORY: 700+ newspaper front pages on November 5, 2008
ADMISSION: $20 Adults, ages 65+, $18 military and students, $13 ages 7 to 18, ages 6 and under Free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 9a-5p
ADDRESS: 555 Pennsylvania Ave, NW  MAP
PARKING: public garages nearby; rates vary
TRANSIT: Archives/Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metro Station
PHONE: 888-639-7386
WEBSITE: http://www.newseum.org

International Spy Museum
DESCRIPTION: Dedicated to the trade craft, history, and contemporary role of espionage; features the largest and most fascinating collection of international spy-related museum artifacts and exhibits from across the globe; for a bonus look at old DC, consider the historic buildings comprising museum were constructed between 1875 to 1892
ADMISSION: $15 Adults, $12 ages 5-11, ages 4 and under Free
DAYS & HOURS: typically 10 am to 6 pm with last admission at 4p; special events stay open longer
ADDRESS: 800 F Street, NW  MAP
PARKING: garages nearby
TRANSIT: Gallery Plaza-Chinatown Metro Station
PHONE: 202-393-7798
WEBSITE: http://www.spymuseum.org

Smithsonian American Art Museum
DESCRIPTION: part of the Donald W. Reynolds Center and presents an exciting array of special exhibitions and free public programs; located in D.C.'s vibrant new downtown, it boasts 40,000 pieces of Colonial portraiture, nineteenth-century landscape, American impressionism, twentieth-century realism and abstraction, New Deal projects, sculpture, photography, prints and drawings, contemporary crafts, African American art, Latino art, and folk art in the collection -- more than 7,000 American artists are represented; Free Wi-Fi is available in the Kogod Courtyard; Courtyard Café offers offers a seasonal menu of American-inspired dishes, using local, organic or sustainable ingredients and gourmet desserts while serving until 4p
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 11:30a-7p
ADDRESS: 8th and F Streets, NW  MAP
PARKING: garages nearby
TRANSIT: Gallery Place Metro Station
PHONE: 202-633-1000
WEBSITE: http://americanart.si.edu

Renwick Gallery
DESCRIPTION: A Smithsonian Institution and National Historic Landmark, was designed by James Renwick, Jr., the same architect who designed the Smithsonian Building, and erected between 1859 and 1861 by William Wilson Corcoran as an gallery for his collection of paintings and sculpture; during the Civil War, the gallery was seized by the U.S. Army for use as a storage warehouse by the Quarter Master; after the Civil War, control of the gallery was returned to Corcoran, restored over several years and opened to the public in 1874; the collection outgrew its building and in 1897, moved to a larger building on 17th Street where it remains today; in 1965, the Secretary of the Smithsonian requested that the building be turned over to the Smithsonian for use as a gallery of art, crafts and design; after another restoration to Smithsonian standards, the building reopened as the Renwick Gallery in 1972
ADMISSION: free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-5:30p
ADDRESS: 17 Street and Pennsylvania Ave, NW  MAP
PARKING: garages nearby
TRANSIT: Farragut West Metro Station
PHONE: 202-633-7970
WEBSITE: http://americanart.si.edu/renwick

National Building Museum
DESCRIPTION: Designed by Army Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs in 1881 and constructed by 1887; it housed the U.S. Pension Bureau to award Union veterans; Meigs, an innovator in building technology, designed this building to provide natural air-conditioning by using air vents in the exterior walls where hot air escaped through skylights in the roof -- the upward flow of air would draw in fresh air through the exterior wall openings near the bottom; from the time it was built, it was criticized for not fitting in with Washington's architectural scheme; now acknowledged as an engineering marvel, and designated as the National Building Museum in 1978; as America's premier cultural institution celebrating architecture, engineering and urban planning it’s a great place to take kids and adults who like to build things; guided tours are available and photography is permitted in the Great Hall only; features a small bakery and coffee cafe
ADMISSION: free, $5 donation suggested
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Sat 10a-5p, Sun 11a-5p
ADDRESS: 401 F Street, NW  MAP
PARKING: limited parking on street; nearby garages
TRANSIT: Judiciary Square Metro Station
PHONE: 202-272-2448>
WEBSITE: http://www.nbm.org