Exploring museums isn’t just for bad weather days. They offer a glimpse into different corners of the world at different moments in time. They provide an opportunity to learn visually and interactively and preserve history, art, culture, and stories of the people who came before us. Museums often have educational, preservation, and research programs crucial for everything from civil rights to environmental science to art history. They inspire future pilots, archaeologists, painters, and doctors. They make learning fun and present information in digestible yet impactful ways.

Washington, D.C. has a lot to offer, including more than 116 museums, 56 of which are free. The National Mall alone is home to 11 museums, many of which are the most popular among visitors, such as the Air & Space and Natural History Museums. Some museums are more niche but no less impactful, such as the Freedom House Museum, Portrait Gallery, and Holocaust Museum. Others are simply plain good fun, like the International Spy Museum. If you haven’t been to Washington, D.C, or need a few suggestions for the next visit, we’ve compiled a list of 15 museums to consider the next time you’re in town.

*The Cafe at the National Gallery of Art*

Folger Shakespeare Library

While not a museum, the Folger Shakespeare Library deserves a spot on this list for its dedication to preserving significant literary works. The Library has the largest collection of William Shakespeare’s work, including the First Folios and books, manuscripts, and art from the Renaissance. The building includes an Elizabethan-style Folger Theatre to provide as authentic an experience as possible for play performances.

Freedom House Museum

Across the Potomac in Alexandria, the Freedom House Museum is located in “what remains of a large complex dedicated to trafficking thousands of Black men, women, and children from 1828 - 1861.” The museum is dedicated to sharing America’s Black history and the Black experience in America. Browse through documentation and photography along with other artifacts and items that tell the stories of the individuals who lived through these moments in time.

International Spy Museum

Do you have what it takes to pull off a successful international mission? The Internatio n al Spy Museum (SPY) is a fun way to learn about the history of espionage and its role in pop culture. According to the website, “the Museum lifts the veil of secrecy on the hidden world of intelligence, exploring its successes and failures, challenges, and controversies.” The only public museum dedicated to espionage, SPY is a great experience for anyone who’s ever enjoyed mystery and suspense and wondered what the life of a spy would look like.

National Air & Space Museum

The National Air & Space Museum is a kid favorite, with its big airplanes and interactive exhibits. Learn about the history of aviation and spaceflight, enjoy a film on the IMAX screen, observe the Sun and planets in the observatory, or see a planetarium show. A few exhibits to note include “The Legacy of Aerial Smuggling,” challenges of communication in space, women in aviation, and more.

National Gallery of Art

For a wide collection of art from every period, media, and artist, visit the National Gallery of Art. The collection includes around 4,000 paintings, 3,000 sculptures, 70,000 prints, 31,000 drawings, and 15,000 photos. See work from Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Degas, Cézanne, van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Picasso, and Matisse, among others. Enjoy the sculpture garden before or after touring the museum and have lunch at the Pavilion Cafe. The Cafe is located within a garden next to the museum and has a Metro sign designed after Metro entrances in Paris.

National Museum of African American History & Culture

The National Museum of African American History & Culture is “devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history and culture” and the only national museum to do just that. Exhibits and collections include everything from clothing African Americans have worn over the centuries to musical instruments, photography, and military documentation. Explore the Civil Rights movements from over the years, religion, life in the South and West, and much more.

National Museum of African Art

The National Museum of African Art strictly focuses on African art and culture. According to its website, the museum “initially focused on the traditional arts of sub-Saharan Africa….but broadened its scope after 1987 to include both modern and contemporary artwork.” It was the first US museum to do so. The museum has collections of everything from paintings to mosaics, sculptures, and architectural treasures.

National Museum of American History

Ever wondered what it would be like to stand in Julia Child’s home kitchen? The National Museum of American History gives a close look. Exhibitions dive into American’s Food History, African American History, Science & Mathematics, Culture, and more. Tour Julia Child’s kitchen from Cambridge while learning about nutrition and culinary traditions over the years in the U.S. Visit the First Ladies exhibit with items on display including gowns, china, and photographs telling the stories of the women. Take a look at pop culture through the years in the Hall of Music, which has Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, among other cultural treasures.

National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a vast collection of historical, religious, artistic, and anthropological artifacts from Native American tribes throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The exhibits feature everything from religious artifacts to everyday items dating back thousands of years. In addition to ancient artifacts, the museum also curates collections of modern and contemporary artistry.

National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum of Natural History is the spot to go for wooly mammoths, dinosaur bones, and bugs. According to the website, “Museum explorers travel to ocean depths, the peaks of the Andes, Africa’s Rift Valley, the rainforests of South America, and the deserts of Central Asia.” The Museum covers areas of study such as anthropology, botany, entomology, mineral sciences, paleobiology, and zoology. Browse collections all about African Elephants, Ancient Egypt including four mummies, Human Origins, a live Coral Reef, Mammals, gems including the Hope Diamond, and an Insect Zoo.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is a museum dedicated entirely to women artists. The collection includes over 5,000 works by more than a thousand artists, dating from the 16th century to today. The museum boasts five floors of galleries in a building that used to be owned by an organization that didn’t allow women members – a fitting location to dedicate to women in art. Notable artists featured include Mary Cassatt, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Amy Sherald.

National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery features portraits and portrait collections of activists, artists, athletes, presidents, political figures, and other influential figures in American culture. The website states, “through the visual arts, performing arts, and new media, the Portrait Gallery presents poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives form our national identity.” See portraits of Frank Sinatra, Harriet Tubman, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, and Michael Jordan.

Phillips Collection

The Phillips Collection has more than 4,000 pieces of artwork from French impressionism, American modernism, and contemporary art. Enjoy masterpieces from Cézanne, Picasso, van Gogh, Georgia O’Keeffe, Degas, and more. The museum also has a collection of over 1,000 photographs. It’s a much smaller and intimate space compared to many of the Smithsonian museums D.C. is known for and less likely to be overrun by groups if you’d like a quieter art viewing experience.

*The National Gallery of Art is one of eleven museums located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.*

Smithsonian American Art Museum

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is comprised entirely of American art and is home to collections that span the last three hundred years. The museum has an eclectic and vast collection of work, from photography to African American art to video games. Browse collections dedicated to Native and Indigenous Art, Folk and Self-Taught Art, Time-Based Media, Sculpture, Latinx Art, and more.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a sobering experience that takes guests through a tour of the tragedy, sharing the experience many people endured from beginning to end. The exhibits include personal stories and photographs showcasing the horrors of the genocide. The leading exhibition takes guests through the rise of the Nazi party to its dismantling from the Allied victory and tells the stories of survivors. Tickets are free, but reserving them in advance is advised since this is such a popular site to visit.

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