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Frequently Asked Questions
When are the American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery open?
Where are the American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery located?
What are the closest Metro stops?
Is there barrier-free access for visitors?
Is there a place to check my coat?
Is photography allowed in the galleries?
Can I bring a picnic into the Courtyard?
Where can I find a list of special exhibitions?
Are there any tours or public programs scheduled during my visit?
How do I arrange a visit for a school field trip or a group tour?
What artworks should I be sure to see when I visit?
Why is the water feature off in the Kogod Courtyard?
Where can I get more information on visiting the Smithsonian?
I would like the Museum to consider acquiring an artwork I own. What should I do?
Is there anything else I need to know about visiting the Smithsonian?
Answers
When are the American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery open?
The American Art Museum is open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. It's branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Both are closed December 25
Admission is free
Where are the American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery located?
The Museum's main building is located in the heart of the Penn Quarter, one of Washington, D.C.'s vibrant downtown neighborhoods, and a few blocks from the National Mall. The main entrance is at 8th and F Streets, N.W. The Renwick Gallery is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street N.W., steps from the White House in the heart of historic federal Washington.
What are the closest Metro stops?
The Museum's main building is conveniently located above the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail station (Red, Yellow and Green lines). The Renwick Gallery is near the Farragut North (Red line) and Farragut West (Blue and Orange lines) Metrorail stations. Metro hours, fare information, and maps are available at www.wmata.com. The DC Circulator also serves the Museum's neighborhoods. Hours, fare information and maps are available at www.dccirculator.com.
There are several paid parking lots and garages near the Museum and the Renwick Gallery, and there is limited on-street parking at meters.
Is there barrier-free access for visitors?
Barrier-free access for the main building is available at the 8th and G Street entrance. Barrier-free access is available at the Renwick Gallery's 17th Street entrance. All areas of the buildings are served by elevators. Wheelchairs are available. Please inquire at the Information Desk.
Please help us protect our artworks by not smoking, eating, or drinking in the galleries. Suitcases, large umbrellas, and large bags and backpacks are not allowed in the galleries. Smaller backpacks and bags are permitted, at the discretion of the Museum’s security officers, if they are hand-carried. These limitations help us protect the artworks from accidental damage. Bag check is not offered, but free lockers are available at the main building only for smaller items. Lockers are not available at the Renwick Gallery. Bags, boxes, and packages may be inspected for security reasons upon entrance or exit. Please limit the use of cellular phones when in the galleries. Additional information is online on our Gallery Guidelines page.
Is there a place to check my coat?
Yes, a self-check coat room located in the F Street Lobby at the main building, and a coat rack is available in the lobby near the Information Desk at the Renwick Gallery. Free lockers are available at the Museum's main building only for smaller items. Lockers are not available at the Renwick Gallery.
Is photography allowed in the galleries?
Handheld photography and video for personal use are permitted in the permanent collection galleries, and in the Luce Foundation Center, 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.
The Courtyard Café is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Occasionally, the café will close early due to a special event. The Renwick Gallery does not have a café.
Can I bring a picnic into the Courtyard?
You may bring your own food into the museum's Kogod Courtyard; food and beverages are not permitted in the galleries. If you choose to eat in the Courtyard, please note that the tables in the Courtyard Café are for café patrons only. You may sit on the planters, at the tables and chairs at the west end of the space, or on the floor. Alcoholic beverages may be consumed only if served by Restaurant Associates in the Courtyard Café. Please make sure that whatever food and/or beverages you bring in, including bottled water, are in sealed containers in a bag.
Visitors to the museum may not hold personal events in the Courtyard, such as birthday parties or group luncheons. Food platters, large coolers, and personal music are not permitted. Information about group sales in the Courtyard Café is available online.
A wide variety of collection-inspired gifts, graphics, books and more are available in the Museum Stores at both the main building and the Renwick Gallery.
Where can I find a list of special exhibitions?
Visit the Current, Upcoming and Traveling Exhibitions page for brief descriptions of what is on view at the Museum's main building and at the Renwick Gallery.
Are there any tours or public programs scheduled during my visit?
Check the Calendar for information on what is happening at the American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery on the day of your visit.
How do I arrange a visit for a school field trip or a group tour?
To schedule a docent-led group tour, including school groups, contact the Tour Scheduler at AmericanArtMuseumTours[at]si.edu or (202) 633-8550. School groups also can download a School Program Reservation Form. Guided tours require one month advance notice. Self-guided visits do not need a reservation, but we do appreciate them for groups larger than 20.
What artworks should I be sure to see when I visit?
Don't miss these works when you visit the Museum's main building:
- Roy Lichtenstein's Modern Head at the corner of 9th and F Streets, N.W.
- Jenny Holzer's For SAAM in the Lincoln Gallery
- Nam June Paik's Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii in the Lincoln Gallery
- Albert Bierstadt's Among the Sierra Nevada, California in the American Art Through 1940 galleries
- David Beck's MVSEVM in the south lobby on the second floor
- James Hampton's The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Asse mbly in the Folk Art galleries
And don't miss these works on display in the second floor permanent collection galleries at the Renwick Gallery:
- Larry Fuente's Game Fish
- Wendell Castle's Ghost Clock
- Beth Lipman's Bancketje (Banquet)
- Kim Schmahmann's Bureau of Bureaucracy
Free public wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi) is available in the Museum's main building, located at 8th and F Streets, N.W., in the Kogod Courtyard and on the third floor in the Luce Foundation Center.
Why is the water feature off in the Kogod Courtyard?
The four shallow pools, or water scrims, in the Kogod Courtyard may be turned off temporarily for maintenance, or to accommodate a special event or public program.
Where can I get more information about visiting the Smithsonian?
Learn more about visiting the American Art Museum, its Renwick Gallery, and other Smithsonian Institution museums on the main Smithsonian Web site.
Smithsonian Information: 202-633-1000
TTY: 202-633-5285
email: info[at]si.edu
The Smithsonian American Art Museum shares its National Historic Landmark building with the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Since October 2005, the two museums and their activities are known collectively as the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, named in honor of a generous gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. The museums’ names remain the same, as does the building that houses the museums.
Contact information for various departments at the Museum is available online. To reach Lost and Found, call (202) 633-5630.
I would like the Museum to consider acquiring an artwork I own. What should I do?
Guidelines for sending information to the Museum's Curatorial Office (by mail only please) is available at the bottom of the New Acquisitions page of the website.
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