Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
4
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
About
Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the Hirshorn Museum features an exciting collection of 20th-century art and its companion scultpture garden is not to be missed.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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How to get there
  • L'Enfant Plaza • 4 min walk
  • Smithsonian • 7 min walk
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See what travelers are saying
  • BRUCE H
    Green Valley, Arizona722 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Are we suckers?
    I find very little about "modern art" to be worthwhile, and much of it to be easily mocked. The most interesting exhibit to me was about women in art -- which, if expanded, gets at the underlying politics of what gets hyped and sold as "good" art. I understand pushing boundaries, but I question the value of public art that is so far removed from what one might display at home that it leads me to question whether some of this "art" is actually playing the viewer for a sucker. As an introduction to modern art, though, a visit to the Hirshhorn might be worthwhile if quickly followed by reading critical reviews.
    Visited March 2023
    Written April 1, 2023
  • Rachel
    Washington DC, District of Columbia23 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Weird and wonderful
    The Hirshhorn offers exhibitions that are a bit “other” but always inspire. I’ve seen the best new media art shows here and the building is the coolest. Walk for a long time and end up in the same place. #life!
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 20, 2023
  • Scott H
    11 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice if you have extra time and nothing else to do, worth a stop in.
    Been to DC many many times, but never went till this week. Had some times as my tickets were not right time for Air and Space center, so this was near it and I went. Mostly modern art and Asian photography and art in there. There's some sculpture outside. Outside not that pretty compared to most other museums and the building is a bit of an eye sore if you ask me, but the art was decent. You won't find European masterworks here etc but this is more contemplative art. A couple special exhibits were impactful. I think you could do this museum in an hour. Two if you are realllly into it. It's not a huge museum. Two floors is all I think it was.
    Visited June 2023
    Written June 14, 2023
  • Peace Girl
    Saint Augustine Beach, Florida18 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A lovely museum.
    This was smaller than I expected, but the trip advisor suggested time for the visit was exactly right. There were several exhibits that were designed for the space that were really fascinating. The round design of the building lends itself to function as it makes it very logical to travel thru the exhibits. And don't forget to check out the sculptures around the entrance.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written October 1, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles912 reviews
Excellent
430
Very good
272
Average
121
Poor
52
Terrible
37

Steve H
Boynton Beach, FL120 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
Our timed tickets for the One with Eternity exhibit were for 2+ hours after we arrived at 10am. There were two other exhibits inside the Hirshhorn. The Marcel Duchamp exhibit on the third floor was incredibly Boring. All were small items spread out through the large rooms. Each was well documented, if you were interested in the piece. The multimedia art of Laurie Anderson on the second floor was exceptional. We then enjoyed the limited but interesting sculpture gardens outside.

The restaurant was closed and the small bar inside does not serve carbonated beverages or sandwiches. Just costly specialty drinks. Seating was limited inside, maybe seating for twenty, where we spent another hour waiting to get in.

When we finally went downstairs to the Yayoi Kusana exhibit, we found ourselves in a line for the eternity mirror room which allows two adults with two children max into the mirrored room for thirty seconds. With entry and exit time, it would have taken 90 minutes before we were in the adorable Dalmatian mirror room. Being handicap, standing for that long in a single file line with no seating available was not an option. But at least it was possible to slip by this exhibit, but the next line wound through a single door that we couldn’t squeeze by. At this point, we turned around and left. What a waste of our time. They needed better crowd control with 75% less people to make it enjoyable.

Some art doesn’t lend itself to mass exhibitions and this was certainly one. It would be worth a short wait, but spending 2+ hours in line to see one exhibit reflected poorly on SI.EDU.
Written April 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Herb B
Anchorage, AK1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
I hesitate to write a negative review about a museum that is free, hut in this case I think it is warranted. The museum is undergoing massive renovations. Only a tiny fraction of their permanent collection is on display. The problem s that none of that is disclosed on their website. Going there is mostly a waste of time.

My wife and I fortunately are going to be staying in Washington long enough to see everything that we want. But anyone who goes to this museum at the sacrifice of doing other things will have been severely cheated.
Written February 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LolaGo1
Washington DC, DC6,452 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I started my visit by going around the Building and looking at the outside exhibits. The CAR with a big brown stuff over it is interesting. The rest are boring!

Inside the Museum, I started at the Third Floor, visiting each room and hallways. There are very few exhibits that did not peak my interest. The Picket Fence Exhibit (around the walls) is colorful but some sections are peeling off!

The above is true at the Second Floor, few and amateur-looking exhibits. Overall, I finished my visit here in 10 minutes. Felt like I wasted my time here!
Written January 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Doug M
Chesterfield, MO796 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
As this is a Smithsonian modern art museum, most all of it is pretty trippy. But it's also pretty high quality, and well worth the visit if you take the time to immerse yourself. Another smaller museum that wasn't very crowded, so you can take your time and relax. The sculpture garden has famous artist's pieces such as the artist Rodin.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ASK Annie
2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020
There is always something interesting to see or see again at the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden. There are many little paths to take with unexpected pieces of art to be found. It is generally a peaceful place to think and reflect.
Written November 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Les M
Cincinnati, OH476 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
The Hirshhorn looks like a very cool place - the architecture sets it apart from all the other museums on the mall. Unfortunately, its under construction right now and there's just not that much to see inside. i spent less than an hour there and saw what there was to see.

I actually enjoyed the sculpture garden outside the museum more than the museum itself.
Written September 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eugene
11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Family
We went as a family of 5 because of the Kusama exhibit and it was well worth it. Great museum that isn't too large and can easily be managed. Friendly staff helps with questions. The sculpture garden is wonderful and very enjoyable.
Written December 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AggieJoe79
Haymarket, VA1,003 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
We've been in the DC area over five years now, visited many of the great Smithsonian museums, but somehow never made it here before. My son went to school at the Savannah College of Art and Design, so his visit was natural. I expected a variety of unique art on posted on the walls, but did not anticipate there would be huge colors taking over major sections. I did not know how much China's art would take a large role. The areas that took the most attention were huge 'movies' of painting on a wide range of topics. This will be worth more trips.
Written December 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alejandro B
Ottawa, Canada971 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Solo
Technically, the sculpture garden outside of the Hirshhorn is part of the modern art museum. For me, however, they feel like two different places, as the outdoor collection of statues are my favourite part of the museum by far. While I found the exhibits inside the museum to be uneven, I throughly enjoyed all of the sculptures in the garden. Overall, the garden is a wonderful place to enjoy art and go for a short stroll.
Written December 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dcrobert1
Washington DC9 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
Another disappointing visit to the Hirschhorn. This museum has an amazing collection of modern and contemporary art that includes major artists of the 20th century. Problem: they’re NEVER on view. This is not a recent issue; it precedes the pandemic. Where is the permanent collection and why is it never displayed? I realize that everything can’t be displayed, but it would be great to at least see some of the major highlights. If you want to see contemporary/modern art in DC, skip this place and head over to the East Building of the National Gallery of Art, the Kreeger, or the Philips Collection.
Written March 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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