List of museums in Washington, D.C. facts for kids

This list of museums in Washington, D.C. encompasses museums defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are university and non-profit art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.

Museums

To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

Name	Image	Smithsonian	Type	Summary/Website
African American Civil War Memorial Museum			African American history	Operated by the National Mall and Memorial Parks, history of the African American soldiers and sailors who fought for the Union in the United States Civil War
American University Museum			Art	Part of American University, regional, national, and international contemporary art
Anacostia Community Museum		Smithsonian Institution	African American history	Local history and culture
Anderson House			Historic house	Headquarters of the Society of the Cincinnati, early 1900s palatial residence with period furnishings, Society artifacts, portraits, armaments, and personal artifacts of Revolutionary War soldiers
Art Museum of the Americas			Art	Founded by the Organization of American States as a museum for modern and contemporary Latin American and Caribbean art
Charles Sumner School			History	One of the first public school buildings erected for the education of Washington's black community
Chinese American Museum DC			American History	website A new museum focused on the history, culture, arts, accomplishments, and contributions of Chinese Americans.
Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office			History	website, apartment where Clara Barton lived throughout the Civil War that was her home base for her work as the "angel of the battlefield." After the war, she ran the Missing Soldiers Office out of this apartment. Barton and her staff received approximately 66,000 letters from families looking for their lost loved ones. They were able to locate approximately 23,000 missing men.
DAR Museum			Art	Owned by Daughters of the American Revolution, features 30 period rooms of decorative arts including furniture, silver, paintings, ceramics, textiles, toys, quilts
Decatur House			Historic house	Early 19th-century house with exhibits about the White House. Currently closed for tours.
Dumbarton House			Historic house	Early 19th century period house, headquarters of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection			Library	Exhibits of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art and European masterpieces from its collections
Folger Shakespeare Library			Library	Exhibits from its collections about William Shakespeare
Ford's Theatre National Historic Site			History	Site of assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, includes theater presentation, Lincoln museum, and Petersen House where he was taken
Freer Gallery of Art		Smithsonian	Art	Asian art including East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Islamic world, the ancient Near East, and ancient Egypt, as well as a significant collection of American art
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site			Historic house	Home and estate of Frederick Douglass, one of the most prominent African Americans of the 19th century
General Federation of Women's Clubs Headquarters			Historic house	Tours of the social clubhouse headquarters, changing exhibits of art, photographs and artifacts from its collections
George Washington University Art Galleries			Art	Two galleries, includes painting, sculpture, and photographs, ranging from rare historic pieces to Washingtoniana and Americana to modern art
Georgetown University Art Galleries			Art	Located in the Walsh building and around the Georgetown campus
German-American Heritage Museum of the USA			Ethnic German American	German-American history and culture, operated by the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA in a Victorian townhouse
Heurich House Museum			Historic house	Gilded Age mansion with early household innovations
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens			Decorative arts	Estate and gardens of Marjorie Merriweather Post, rooms decorated with her collections of 18th- and 19th-century French art, china and art treasures from Imperial Russia
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden		Smithsonian	Art	Contemporary and modern art
Historical Society of Washington, D.C.			History, Library	Exhibits of the city's history from its collections
Howard University Gallery of Art			Art	Located in Childers Hall, home of the Fine Arts Division of the College of Arts and Sciences
Interior Museum			History	Activities of the agencies of the United States Department of the Interior, including the National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, United States Fish and Wildlife Service and United States Geological Survey
International Spy Museum			History	Espionage history, artifacts, famous figures
Kreeger Museum			Art	19th- and 20th-century paintings and sculptures by internationally known artists, works by local Washington artists, traditional west and central African art
Laogai Museum			Human Rights	This museum confronts the tragic legacy of China’s Laogai system of forced labor prisons.
L. Ron Hubbard House			Historic house	Residence of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard from 1955 until 1959
Library of Congress			Library	Exhibits from its collections in American history, culture and art
Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum			Ethnic – Jewish history	History of the local Jewish community; preserves the oldest synagogue building in the Washington, D.C., area; operated by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington
Lincoln Memorial			History	Includes displays about the building of the Memorial and some of Lincoln's phrases
Madame Tussauds Washington D.C.			Wax museum	Wax figures of media celebrities, Presidents, political figures, historical figures, sports stars and more
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site			Historic house	Home of educator and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune
Meridian International Center			Art	Exhibitions of paintings, photographs, sculptures, videos, and crafts that reflect various aspects of American culture to encourage foreign understanding
Museum of Cultures and Heritages of America – MOCHA			Art	Contemporary and heritage artwork exhibitions, focus on culturally diverse, old and newer native born artists, and immigrant artists
Museum of the Bible			Religious	https://www.museumofthebible.org/. Documents the narrative, history and impact of the Bible.
National Deaf Life Museum at Gallaudet University			Culture/history	Permanent and rotating exhibits chronicling deaf culture and history
O Street Museum Foundation			Art	The collection rotates and changes daily and includes art, music, architecture, memorabilia, manuscripts, sculpture and other items that promote exploration of the creative process.
National Air and Space Museum		Smithsonian	Aerospace	History and science of aviation and spaceflight, as well as planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics
National Archives			Archives / History	Exhibits from its collections including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and a copy of the 1297 Magna Carta confirmed by Edward I
National Bonsai and Penjing Museum			Natural history	Located on the campus of the United States National Arboretum, Bonsai and Penjing botanical specimens and displays
National Building Museum			Architecture	Exhibits about architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning
National Children's Museum			Children's
National Gallery of Art			Art	Paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, medals, and decorative arts that trace the development of Western Art from the Middle Ages to the present
National Geographic Museum			Natural history	Operated by the National Geographic Society, changing exhibits of photography, natural history, culture and history
National Guard Memorial Museum			Military	History of the National Guard of the United States from the Revolutionary War era to post-9/11 era
National Law Enforcement Museum			History/ Forensic Science	Dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement by providing visitors a “walk in the shoes” experience. The interactive exhibits and insightful programs are intended to expand and enrich the relationship shared by law enforcement and the community.
National Museum of African American History and Culture		Smithsonian	Ethnic – African American	National museum devoted to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. Opened September 24, 2016.
National Museum of African Art		Smithsonian	Art	African art and culture, includes paintings, musical instruments, sculpture, jewelry, regalia, textiles, pottery
National Museum of American History		Smithsonian	History	American social, political, cultural, scientific and military history
National Museum of the American Indian		Smithsonian	Ethnic – Native American	Life, languages, literature, history and arts of the Native Americans of the Western Hemisphere
National Museum of American Jewish Military History			Ethnic – Jewish – Military – History	Jewish Americans who served in the armed forces
National Museum of Natural History		Smithsonian	Natural history	Galleries include paleontology, geology, mammals, human origins, insects, ocean life, gems and minerals, Western, African and Korean cultures
National Museum of Women in the Arts			Art	Women’s achievements in the visual, performing and literary arts
National Portrait Gallery		Smithsonian	Art – History	Images and history of famous individual Americans
National Postal Museum		Smithsonian	Philately	History of the United States Postal Service and of mail service around the world
The Octagon House			Historic house	Early 19th-century townhouse
Old Korean Legation Museum			Historic house	Late 19th-century townhouse that served as the Korean legation from 1889 to 1905.
Old Stone House			Historic house	Mid 18th century period house
Phillips Collection			Art	American and European impressionist and modern art
President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home			Historic house	Cottage retreat of President Abraham Lincoln and other Presidents
Renwick Gallery		Smithsonian	Decorative arts	American craft and decorative arts from the 19th century to the 21st century
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery		Smithsonian	Art	Include Chinese, Indian, Korean and Japanese paintings, photography, contemporary ceramics from China, 19th- and 20th-century Japanese prints, contemporary Japanese pottery, Persian and Islamic paintings and manuscripts
Saint John Paul II National Shrine			Religion	Life and papacy of Pope John Paul II and the history of Catholic heritage in North America
Salve Regina Gallery			Art	Part of Catholic University of America
Scottish Rite Temple and Supreme Council Library			Masonic	Masonic principles of personal, social and intellectual freedom, artifacts of American history, Masonic regalia and memorabilia
S. Dillon Ripley Center		Smithsonian	Exhibition	Exhibits of art, photography
Sewall–Belmont House and Museum			Historic house – History	U.S. women's suffrage and equal-rights movements
Smithsonian American Art Museum		Smithsonian	Art	American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States
Textile Museum			Textiles	Textiles from around the world including rugs, clothing, located at George Washington University
Tudor Place			Historic house	Mansion with European and American decorative arts including American silver, porcelain, furniture, glassware, sculpture, portraits, prints, and textiles
United States Capitol			Government	Tours of the building
United States Capitol Visitor Center			History	History of the U.S. Capitol and Congress
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum			History	History of the Holocaust in Europe
U.S. Navy Museum			Maritime – Military	History of the U.S. Navy from the American Revolution to the present, naval artifacts, models, documents and fine art
Washington Monument			History
White House			Historic house	Official state residence of the President of the United States, tours by advance reservation
The Wilderness Society Gallery			Photography	Exhibits from its collections, including photos by Ansel Adams
Woman's National Democratic Club Museum			Historic house	website, political memorabilia, artwork, and photographs in the Whittemore House, headquarters of the Woman's National Democratic Club
Woodrow Wilson House			Historic house	Home of President Woodrow Wilson after he left office

Defunct museums

• Army Medical Museum and Library, opened 1862, became the National Museum of Health and Medicine in 1989 and relocated to Silver Spring, Maryland in 2011
• Bead Museum, closed December 2008, museum website
• Black Fashion Museum, founded 1979, moved to Washington in 1994, closed in 2007 and collection donated to the National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Corcoran Gallery of Art, open 1869-2014. Art holdings donated to the National Gallery of Art, building donated to George Washington University.
• Fondo del Sol
• Marine Corps Museum, 1960-2005, collections now part of the National Museum of the Marine Corps
• National Gallery of Caricature and Cartoon Art, open 1994-1997, collections now at the Library of Congress.
• National Jewish Museum, collections now online, trying to establish to new museum
• National Museum of Crime & Punishment, closed in September 2015 and is now operated as Alcatraz East in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
• National Pinball Museum, website, planned move to Baltimore, Maryland
• Newseum, founded 1997 in Rosslyn, Virginia, moved to Washington in 2008, closed December 2019 and is currently seeking new location.
• Washington Doll's House and Toy Museum, founded in 1975, closed 2004.
• Washington Gallery of Modern Art
• USS Barry (DD-933), opened as a museum ship in 1984, closed in 2015