National Portrait Gallery
#15 of 100 things to do in Washington DC
The National Portrait Gallery is an historic art museum located at 8th and F Streets NW in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Founded in 1962 and opened to the public in 1968, it is part of the Smithsonian Institution. Wikipedia
Hours: 11:30 am–7:00 pm daily
Address: Eighth and F Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 633-8300
Artwork: Lansdowne portrait, Henry Laurens
Admission: FREE
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tells the history of America through individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives tell the American story.
The National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum—two museums that tell America’s stories through art, history and biography—share a newly renovated National Historic Landmark building in downtown Washington D.C. The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, named in honor of a generous gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, includes the two museums and their special-purpose facilities: the Lunder Conservation Center, the Luce Foundation Center for American Art, the Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium and the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard.
Barrier-free access is available at G Street entrance. All areas of the museum are served by elevators. Wheelchairs are available. Please inquire at the Information Desk.
Suitcases, large umbrellas, and all backpacks are not allowed in the galleries. Bag check is not offered, but free lockers are available for smaller items. Please limit the use of cellular phones when in the galleries. Bags, boxes, and packages may be inspected for security reasons upon entrance or exit.
Handheld photography and video for personal use are permitted in the permanent collection galleries, but not in special exhibitions or in the Lunder Conservation Center. No tripods are allowed. Commercial use must be pre-arranged with the museum’s Public Affairs Office.
Visit the Current Exhibitions page for a listing of current and upcoming special exhibitions.
There are a few parking lots and ramps in the vicinity of the museums.
website: http://www.npg.si.edu/
