Free Museums Cheat Sheet

The Smithsonian Institution runs 17 museums in DC plus the National Zoo — all free, every day, funded by Congress. The big ones cluster on the National Mall:

• National Museum of American History — the Star-Spangled Banner, Julia Child's kitchen, Dorothy's ruby slippers. • National Museum of Natural History — Hope Diamond, dinosaurs, the giant blue whale. • National Air and Space Museum — Wright Flyer, Apollo 11 command module. (Currently undergoing renovation — many galleries are open, others are not.) • National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) — opened 2016. Free timed-entry pass required in peak season — book on their website weeks in advance. • National Museum of the American Indian — also stunning architecture and one of the best museum cafes in DC.

• National Gallery of Art — separate institution, also free. Don't miss the East Building (Calder, Rothko) and the Sculpture Garden (free outdoor jazz on Friday evenings in summer). • National Archives — see the actual Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Free, but lines can be long; reserve a timed entry. • Library of Congress (Jefferson Building) — possibly the most beautiful interior in DC. Free tours. • National Building Museum — paid, but the soaring atrium alone is worth it. • Renwick Gallery — Smithsonian craft museum next to the White House. Frequently the most photographed museum in DC because of its rotating installations.

• International Spy Museum (L'Enfant Plaza) — interactive, fun for all ages. • Planet Word (in the historic Franklin School near Metro Center) — a love letter to language. Free but reservations strongly recommended. • Phillips Collection (Dupont) — America's first museum of modern art. Renoir's *Luncheon of the Boating Party* lives here. • National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) — the only major museum in the world devoted exclusively to women artists.

Most Smithsonians close at 5:30pm, year-round. Plan two museums per day, max — pick one big one and one smaller one. Take a real lunch break (the museum cafes are surprisingly good — try the Mitsitam Cafe at the Indian Museum).

Air & Space's overflow campus, the Udvar-Hazy Center, is in Chantilly, VA near Dulles — that's where the Space Shuttle Discovery, the SR-71 Blackbird, and the Concorde live. Worth a half-day if you have a car.

• Most museums are nearly empty in the first hour after opening (10am). • Friday evenings: National Gallery Sculpture Garden has free Jazz in the Garden (May–August). • Hirshhorn often has late-night programs (After Hours). • If a special exhibit is sold out, walk in for the permanent collection — those are always free and never timed.