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National Portrait Gallery

F Street NW, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, DC 20560 (Downtown / Chinatown)
202 357 2700
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Ranked #14 of 228 attractions in Washington DC
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Type: Art Museums, History Museums
Activities: Group tours/walking tour
Traveler Description: The National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum share space in a National Historic Landmark building in Washington DC The... more »
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622 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    154
    30
    1
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Date Rating
Las Vegas, Nevada
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2013 NEW

Don't get up early they open at 11:30 for civilized folk who need to sleep in and have breakfast. Spend the whole day. Don't overlook the upper floors with more modern and avant garde art as well as a center for art conserving. Fascinating. Enjoy a lovey little lunch in the courtyard cafe. And, at the end of the day... More

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See 3 more reviews by CapricornSister for Washington DC
Wellington, Florida
Senior Contributor
41 reviews 41 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 17, 2013 NEW via mobile

With so many sights and attractions to see and visit in Washington, it could be very easy to overlook this museum. But don't....as it is truly a hidden gem. As frequent visitors to Washington, we are often challenged to see/do something new and today we discovered the National Portrait Gallery. What a great discovery! Actually, you get free admission to... More

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See 2 more reviews by MissMoorea for Washington DC
Rockville, Maryland
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
8 attraction reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 15, 2013 NEW

Virginia - our docent - gave us a one hour tour and took us to an exhibit of art that occurs only once every 3 years. Over 3,000 submissions voted down to 48 and all 48 are on display. Those chosen as first, second and third wouldn't have gotten my vote but they were all fascinating. The Portrait Gallery should... More

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See 2 more reviews by DRPMI for Washington DC
Ottawa, Canada
Senior Contributor
39 reviews 39 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
23 helpful votes 23 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2013 NEW

A reglarly scheduled tour (about 1 hour long) greatly helped understand some of the history and context of the portraits. The special exhibit for contemporary portraits on the top floor was interesting to see how portrature continues today.

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See 7 more reviews by TrinketTravels for Washington DC
Walnut Creek, California
Senior Contributor
30 reviews 30 reviews
21 attraction reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2013 NEW

We had the greatest experience here with the children and yes I have been here many many times. The artwork is amazing and yes our kids had a blast seeing everything all over the place.

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See 8 more reviews by 92Mike92 for Washington DC
Detroit MI
Senior Contributor
38 reviews 38 reviews
8 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2013 NEW

I enjoyed the Portraits of all the Presidents and the narrative with each portrait does a good job of explaining all the trials and tribulations the president had during his term.

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See 8 more reviews by Mike E for Washington DC
columbia
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 13, 2013

This was one of my favorite museums in DC. It is nice to get away from all the school tour groups and look at some fantastic art. They have an amazing collection of some great historical pieces of art. The only draw back is much of the exhibits were closed off for cleaning/remolding. Definitely worth a visit when in DC.

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See 2 more reviews by matt1829 for Washington DC
Alexandria, VA
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2013

Wonderful selection and they have evening concerts. I particularly like the second floor rooms. There is a lot to explore and I need to go back on a more regular basis.

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Richmond, Virginia
Top Contributor
68 reviews 68 reviews
11 attraction reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2013

This is really a special place with wonderful portraiture and excellent guided tour information. I liked everything about it, but particularly the American political and military portraits.

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See 8 more reviews by Freddyt64 for Washington DC
California
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
10 attraction reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 8, 2013

I especially enjoyed the hall of the presidents. This museum is combined with the American Art Museum so there is lots to see. I enjoyed seeing some fine American artists paint America.

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See 13 more reviews by AprilFool27 for Washington DC

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