Museums & Galleries

Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Department of the Interior
Department of State
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Museum
Folger Shakespeare Library
Holocaust Memorial Museum
International Spy Museum
The National Archives
National Building Museum
National Geographic Society Museum at Explorers Hall
Naval Observatory
Newseum
The Phillips Collection
The Textile Museum

Bureau of Engraving and Printing
The Bureau is responsible for the printing and designing the nation’s currency, U.S. postal stamps, official invitations, and ID cards.  The tour features various steps of currency production, beginning with large, blank sheets of paper, and ending with wallet-ready bills.
Address: 14th and C Streets, SW
Closest Metro Stop: Smithsonian (Blue and Orange lines)
Availability:  Tickets are required for all tours from the first Monday in March through the last Friday in August, on a first-come, first-served basis. The ticket booth is located on Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th Street). Only same day tickets are offered. The Ticket Booth opens at 8:00 a.m. - Monday through Friday, and closes when all tickets have been distributed. Lines form early (some days as early as 5:30 a.m.) and tickets go quickly, most days’ (especially during the first two weeks in April) tickets are gone by 8:30 a.m.  No tickets are required from February to September.
Cost:  Free
More Information:  www.moneyfactory.org

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Corcoran Gallery of Art
Features a number of exhibits in all areas of art.
Address: 500 17th Street, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Farragut West (Blue and Orange lines) or Farragut North (Red line)
Availability: Open on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Closed on Monday and Tuesday
Cost:  Adults - $10; Seniors, Military, and Students - $8; Children (5 and under) - Free
More Information: www.corcoran.org

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Department of the Interior
A tour focusing on the relationship between the Department of Interior and the history of the nation, including surveying equipment, models, dioramas, and natural history specimens.
Address: 1849 C Street, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Farragut West (Blue and Orange lines)
Availability: Open Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Reservations are required two weeks in advance for guided tours or appointments to view the building’s New Deal murals located in a restricted-access area. To make reservations, call (202) 208-4743.
Cost:  Free
More Information:  www.doi.gov

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Department of State
The Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the Department of State, which are used for official functions hosted by the Secretary of State and other high level government officials, are open for pre-arranged tours at no charge. These rooms hold a premier collection of 18th century American furniture, paintings and decorative arts.
Address: 2201 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20520
Closest Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom (Blue and Orange lines)
Availability: Guided tours are available on Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 2:45 p.m.
Tickets:  Reservations are required and should be made approximately 90 days in advance, due to the large volume of requests.
Cost:  Free
Website:  www.receptiontours.state.gov

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Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Museum
The tour will demonstrate how the DEA is fighting drugs via land, air, and water, including exhibits that focus on the impact of drug addictions from the past to the present.
Address: 700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA
Closest Metro Stop: Pentagon City (Blue and Yellow lines)
Availability: Open on Tuesday-Friday from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Cost:  Free
More Information: www.deamuseum.org

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Folger Shakespeare Library
Home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection
Address: 201 East Capitol Street, SE
Closest Metro Stops: Union Station (Red Line) or Capitol South (Blue and Orange Lines)
Availability: Open on Monday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.  Closed on all federal holidays.
Cost: Free
More Information:  www.folger.edu

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Holocaust Memorial Museum
Three floors of history covering from the Nazi’s rise to power to the liberation of the troops.
Address: 14th Street and Raoul Wallenberg Place
Closest Metro Stop: Smithsonian (Orange and Blue Lines)
Availability: Open daily from 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.  Closed on Yom Kippur and Christmas Day.
Tickets:  Passes are required.  These passes, which are issued for a specific time during the day, can be obtained at the museum on a first-come first-served basis on the day of your visit. For your convenience and assurance, the passes may also be obtained online in advance of your visit from www.tickets.com for a small service charge.
Cost: Free
More Information:  www.ushmm.org

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International Spy Museum
The only public museum in the world solely dedicated to the tradecraft, history, and contemporary role of espionage.
Address:  800 F Street, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Gallery Place/Chinatown (Green, Yellow, & Red Lines)
Availability: Hours vary by day.  Click here for more information. Closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Tickets:  Tickets are required.  All tickets are date and time specific. Advance tickets are highly recommended and can be purchased by clicking here.
Cost:  Adults (ages 12-64) - $18; Seniors (65+) and Active Duty Military & Intel Community -$17; Children (ages 5-11) - $12; Children (under 5) - Free.
More Information:  www.spymuseum.org

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The National Archives
Features the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and other national treasures.
Address: 700 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Archives-Navy Memorial (Green and Yellow Lines)
Availability: Open from 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. from March 15-Labor Day.  Open from 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. from the day after Labor Day-March 14.  Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Tickets:  Reservations required at least six weeks in advance.  To make a reservation for a self-guided tour, please contact the Visitor Services Manager at visitorservices@nara.gov.
Cost:  Free
More Information: www.archives.org

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National Building Museum
Exhibits change annually and range from Shakespeare for the 21st Century to years of Domestic Architecture to America’s World’s Fairs.
Address: 401 F St, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Judiciary Square (Red Line)
Availability: The National Building Museum is open to the public on Monday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and on Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM. The Museum is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
Cost: Free, but donations are accepted.
More Information: www.nbm.org

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National Geographic Society Museum at Explorers Hall
The Hall features permanent interactive geography and science exhibits, as well as changing displays to give visitors opportunities to share in recent archaeological finds, the latest in photography, and expositions of exotic cultures.
Address: 1145 17th Street, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Farragut North (Red Line).
Availability: Open on Monday-Saturday from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
More Information: www.nationalgeographic.com

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Naval Observatory
Tours begin with a history and mission of the Observatory and continues with the viewing of development of USNO’s timekeeping responsibilities with a member of the Observatory’s Time Services Department staff and a viewing of celestial objects with an Astronomer if the weather permits.
Address: 34th Street and Massachusetts Ave, NW
Availability: Public tours are offered on alternating Monday evenings from 8:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. and are available by reservation only.  To make reservations click here.
Cost: Free
More Information:  www.usno.navy.mil

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Newseum
An interactive museum featuring information and experiences and how and why the news is made. Visitors can act as reporters, news anchors, and journalists.
Address: Pennsylvania Avenue and 6th Street, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Archives/Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Green and Yellow lines)
Availability: Open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Cost:  Adults (19-64) - $20; Seniors (65 and older), military and students - $18; Youth (7-18) - $13; Children (6 and younger) – Free.  You can click here to purchase tickets.
More Information:  www.newseum.org

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The Phillips Collection
A tour of America’s first museum of modern art and the collection of Duncan Phillips. The collection includes paintings by Cezanne, van Gogh, Picasso, O’Keefe, and Matisse.
Address: 1600 21st Street, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Dupont Circle (Red line)
Availability: Open on Tuesday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. with extended hours on Thursday until 8:30 p.m.  Open on Sunday from 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Cost:  Admission to the permanent collection is by donation on Tuesday-Friday.  On Saturday and Sunday, the permanent collects costs:  Adults (19-61) - $10; Seniors (62 and older) and students - $8; Youth (17 and under)-Free.
More Information:  www.phillipscollection.org

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The Textile Museum
A museum featuring creative achievements in the textile arts. Exhibits feature textile works from all over the world, including Asia, Europe, and America.
Address: 2320 S Street, SW
Closest Metro Stop: Dupont Circle (Red line)
Availability: Open on Tuesday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.  Closed federal holidays and December 24.
Cost:  Free
More Information: www.textilemuseum.org