National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (must see)
If you're an art enthusiast and touring D.C. for a day or two, you wouldn't want to miss The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. for the world!
Curiously enough, this national center of visual art and culture was founded as a private gift to the nation. In 1936, Andrew W. Mellon, a true philanthropist at heart, offered to fund the Gallery and donate his entire, and rather substantial, personal art collection to get it started. Sadly, he himself died before the gallery got underway.
When the National Gallery of Art opened for the first time in 1941, its collection consisted solely of Mellon’s artworks, including 126 paintings and 26 sculptures. Today, the Gallery is home to more than 150,000 works by more than 13,000 artists, including paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photographs, prints, and drawings, spanning the history of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present, and showcasing some of the triumphs of human creativity!
For the breadth, scope, and magnitude of its collections, the National Gallery is widely considered to be one of the greatest museums in the country, often ranking alongside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Unlike other top art museums in the U.S., however, the Gallery in Washington D.C. does not charge admission fee.
National Gallery of Art is where you find the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the entire western hemisphere! - The portrait of the poet Ginevra de Benci. The Gallery is also home to the only sculpture ever exhibited by the French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas in his life, called Little Dancer.
You can also see the largest mobile ever created, by Alexander Calder. In fact, this is the last Calder in existence, as he died one year before the finished mobile was hung at the Gallery.
If you come early, make sure to climb upstairs to the central atrium for the best photos of the amazing space with massive columns and fountain under a Pantheonic dome. When in need of fresh air, check out the Gallery’s sculpture garden next door!
The National Gallery of Art has THE BEST gift shops in all of DC. Highly recommended!
There are four dining options on site, but if you’re fighting museum fatigue, check out the gelato in the lower level cafe.
There are audio guides and tours available free of charge.
Curiously enough, this national center of visual art and culture was founded as a private gift to the nation. In 1936, Andrew W. Mellon, a true philanthropist at heart, offered to fund the Gallery and donate his entire, and rather substantial, personal art collection to get it started. Sadly, he himself died before the gallery got underway.
When the National Gallery of Art opened for the first time in 1941, its collection consisted solely of Mellon’s artworks, including 126 paintings and 26 sculptures. Today, the Gallery is home to more than 150,000 works by more than 13,000 artists, including paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photographs, prints, and drawings, spanning the history of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present, and showcasing some of the triumphs of human creativity!
For the breadth, scope, and magnitude of its collections, the National Gallery is widely considered to be one of the greatest museums in the country, often ranking alongside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Unlike other top art museums in the U.S., however, the Gallery in Washington D.C. does not charge admission fee.
National Gallery of Art is where you find the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the entire western hemisphere! - The portrait of the poet Ginevra de Benci. The Gallery is also home to the only sculpture ever exhibited by the French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas in his life, called Little Dancer.
You can also see the largest mobile ever created, by Alexander Calder. In fact, this is the last Calder in existence, as he died one year before the finished mobile was hung at the Gallery.
If you come early, make sure to climb upstairs to the central atrium for the best photos of the amazing space with massive columns and fountain under a Pantheonic dome. When in need of fresh air, check out the Gallery’s sculpture garden next door!
The National Gallery of Art has THE BEST gift shops in all of DC. Highly recommended!
There are four dining options on site, but if you’re fighting museum fatigue, check out the gelato in the lower level cafe.
There are audio guides and tours available free of charge.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Washington D.C.. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The GPSmyCity App
National Gallery of Art on Map
Sight Name: National Gallery of Art
Sight Location: Washington D.C., USA (See walking tours in Washington D.C.)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Washington D.C., USA (See walking tours in Washington D.C.)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Washington D.C., USA
Create Your Own Walk in Washington D.C.
Creating your own self-guided walk in Washington D.C. is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Arlington National Cemetery Tour
"The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example," a distinguished politician of the 19th century said once.
The historic military necropolis – the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – is the final resting place for many of America's heroes, whose willingness to sacrifice for their country has earned them the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
The historic military necropolis – the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – is the final resting place for many of America's heroes, whose willingness to sacrifice for their country has earned them the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
DC Monuments and Memorials Walking Tour
"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years," goes the famous quote by Abraham Lincoln.
Indeed, those remembered in Washington, D.C. – the renowned statesmen, politicians, fallen soldiers, and other distinguished persons – had their years filled with life to the brim. What they left behind is a great legacy manifested in historic... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Indeed, those remembered in Washington, D.C. – the renowned statesmen, politicians, fallen soldiers, and other distinguished persons – had their years filled with life to the brim. What they left behind is a great legacy manifested in historic... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Georgetown Walking Tour
Georgetown is a historic neighborhood situated in the northwest quadrant of Washington, DC. Despite its proximity to downtown, this former port area has preserved much of its distinct character. In Georgetown, "old-world charm meets modern allure," they say. Those poetically inclined tend to compare it to "a tapestry of cobblestone dreams and timeless grace."
The... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
The... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
Georgetown University Walking Tour
Georgetown University, established in 1789, is America's oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution. Spanning four campuses in Washington, DC, its main undergraduate campus in Georgetown features fifty-four buildings across 104 acres.
With its Gothic and Georgian architecture, serene green spaces, and Jesuit traditions, the university promotes academic excellence and global engagement. For... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
With its Gothic and Georgian architecture, serene green spaces, and Jesuit traditions, the university promotes academic excellence and global engagement. For... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Federal Buildings Walking Tour
The capital of the United States is home to several notable federal buildings that hold significant historical, architectural, and governmental value.
Among the stately “emblems of authority” in Washington D.C. perhaps the most prominent is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States – The White House. This resplendent mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
Among the stately “emblems of authority” in Washington D.C. perhaps the most prominent is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States – The White House. This resplendent mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
Washington D.C. Introduction Walking Tour
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia or simply The District, is the capital of the United States and, in many senses, America’s front yard. After the American Revolution, the need for the newly independent nation's federal government to have authority over a capital city and not rely on any state for its maintenance and safety, came in the wake of the Pennsylvania Mutiny of... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
Traveler's Guide to Washington DC: 16 Souvenirs to Bring Home
The capital of the United States is an attraction in its own right and many things that have originated here or in the nearby areas are of great cultural and historic significance. To decide which of them can make for an ideal souvenir for you to bring home, check out the proposed list of local...
10 Chocolate Destinations in Washington D.C.
Let’s be honest, you hear the words "Washington, D.C." and you think politics, history, museums, etc. You can’t take five steps in the city without being surrounded by history. As important as all that culture is, it’s also a bit overwhelming. Make it fun by exploring Washington,...
10 Unusual Things to Do in Washington DC
You might be inclined to think that the capital of the United States consists solely of museums and monuments, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. As a local, I’ve found that there are so many more things to do in this city than just the main tourist highlights. Read on to learn 10 of...