Our other sites
Get A Free World Heritage Guide »
SeatGuru
Family Vacation Critic
Cruise Critic
BookingBuddy
We recommend:
We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly.
We support the following browsers: Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox. Mac: Safari.

Washington DC

Free Newsletter

Interested in Washington DC?

We'll send you updates with the latest deals, reviews and articles for Washington DC each week.

  • Save National Portrait Gallery
  • E-mail this page

National Portrait Gallery


TripAdvisor Traveler Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
TripAdvisor Popularity Index: #18 of 279 attractions in Washington DC
Traveler Description: The National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum welcome home their treasured collections to a newly restored historic building... more »
Know about National Portrait Gallery? Share your expertise with other travelers. Add to this description now.
Attraction type: Art museum, History museum, Art gallery
Activities: Group tours/walking tour
Address: F Street NW
Smithsonian Institution Washington DC, DC 20560
Tel: 202 357 2700

Reviews you can trust

[ Date ] [ Rating ]
Save Review
4 of 5 stars
mariettaseller   24 contributions
New England
Dec 11, 2009

Free (donations appreciated) and definitely worth a few hours of your time. Centrally located this is a great museum to plan a morning or afternoon at. Certainly there's more to see than that but spending 3 hours or so there was our max. If you have a young crowd I recommend starting on the top floor where the contemporary art... more

Save Review
5 of 5 stars
fawn3620   69 contributions
baltimore, md
Nov 22, 2009

An art aficionado I am not. So I was not expecting much when I entered this newly renovated museum. I mainly came to see the presidential portraits for myself and to infuse a sense of presidential history into my middle school aged son. But were we surprised. What a great museum! I wished I had spent more time to read... more

Save Review
5 of 5 stars
patio53   22 contributions
Steilacoom,WA
Nov 8, 2009

My D.C.-dwelling nephews rated this one of their favorite places and now I agree. I actually visited this museum twice and then used it as a meeting point for a third. The three floors are filled with fascinating exhibits and you come to appreciate the job the curators did in making this fresh and relevant. Because they have taken the... more

Save Review
4 of 5 stars
FoodTramp   28 contributions
St.Petersburg, FL
May 30, 2009

Truthfully, I thought I'd be bored. Once there I found several paintings that made the visit worthwhile. Additionally, the building was beautiful and I enjoyed trying to imagine what it must have looked like when it was the patent office...were offices nestled between the large columns? The gallery was also a pleasant respite from the noisy overcrowded museums on the... more

Save Review
5 of 5 stars
Lestersmommy   50 contributions
Upstate, NY
Dec 5, 2008

This is an amazing gallery. There are pictures of all of the Presidents upstairs. I highly recommend it. Take the Metro to the China town area and walk the few blocks more

Save Review
5 of 5 stars
Asatis   33 contributions
Miami, FL
Oct 21, 2008
1
person found this review helpful

When we knew we were coming to DC, we wanted to visit the Smithsonian Museums. With the time that we had, we could only do 4 museums and the National Portrait Gallery/ American Art Museum ( They're in one building) was our favorite. They have really nice paintings and photographies. Informations on each item were easy to understand. The museum... more

Save Review
5 of 5 stars
Ausmos4999   17 contributions
Grove City, OH
Aug 20, 2008

Our visit to the Portrait Gallery was one of the highlights of our trip to DC! I only wish I would have known how much was in it. We had to cut our visit here short because we had not planned to spend so much time here. more

Save Review
5 of 5 stars
snowman83   25 contributions
New Jersey/Maryland
Dec 27, 2007
5
people found this review helpful

This is far and away the most interesting art museum, even for those who are not usually into art. Personally, I'm not all that into art (especially not that "abstract" stuff where they splash paint onto a canvas and call it art), but this place keeps me coming back. There are themed collections that tell stories, historic collections of important... more

Save Review
5 of 5 stars
Pnemiller   289 contributions
Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Jul 11, 2006
14
people found this review helpful

The American Museum of Art/National Portrait Gallery share the same wonderful old Patent Office Building and recently reopened after many years of renovations. The building itself is magnificent and the art work and portrait should not be missed. The building is north of the mall, but only a few blocks walk (or bus or Metro ride) north up 7th Street.... more

Travelers Who Viewed This Attraction Also Viewed
No photo provided
Price not available
No photo provided
Location: Washington DC, DC
Price not available
No photo provided
Location: Washington DC, DC
Price not available
Write Your Own Attraction Review

Been to National Portrait Gallery? Share your experiences!

Write a Review
Add Photos
Add Videos

National Portrait Gallery: Management Resources

TripAdvisor has free and easy resources to help you enhance your listing and promote your property.

  • Start Here - Visit Your Owners' Center
  • Add Photo
  • Add Video

National Portrait Gallery Address

F Street NW, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, DC 20560
Tel: 202 357 2700