Museums

There are museums throughout Washington, DC., and you are likely to find at least one that will interest you. I have included a short description of some of the exhibits that you will find at each, along with hours of operations and admission information. For museums that specialize in art, visit the Art and Art Museums section on this site. For the museums of the Smithsonian, visit the Smithsonian page.  Please use these links to find out more about museum offerings in and around D.C.

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum 
(202) 628-1776
1776 D Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006

Hours and Admission
9:30am-4pm Monday-Friday
9am-5pm Saturday
Closed Sundays
No admission charged

Self-guided and guided tours available in this 1910 Beaux Arts building, which emphasizes the role of women throughout American history. Exhibits include everyday items out of America's past (generally up to 1840), including a four-sided mousetrap that guillotines its captures. A Touch Area is available for children. You can also tour period rooms. The DAR also has searchable databases in its library, including records of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

Drug Enforcement Administration Museum & Visitors Center
(202) 307-3463
700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202

Hours and Admission
10am-4pm Tuesday-Saturday 
Closed Federal Holidays
No admission charged

Opened in 1989, the Drug Enforcement Administration Museum and Visitors Center opened to highlight the history of the DEA. The museum tells the story of the DEA's critical role in the history of drugs and drug law enforcement of the United States.

Ford's Theatre/Petersen House 
(202) 426-6924
511 10th Street, NW (between E and F Streets), Washington, DC 20004 

Hours for Ford's Theatre and museum
9am-5pm daily, closed December 25 

Hours for Petersen House
Petersen House 9:30am-5:30pm daily
Closed December 25

Ford's Theatre offers a limited number of free, same-day tickets at the Ford’s Theatre Box Office beginning at 8:30 a.m. These daily tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance individual tickets may be obtained $3.00 through the Ford's Theatre website.

Admission charged for play performances.

The theatre offers a number of different tours for visitors include self-guided tours of the museum, guided tours by National Park Service Rangers. One popular tour, offered from March-October, is the "History on Foot" tour which recreates the investigation led by Washington Metropolitan Police Detective James McDevitt in the hours just after the assassination of President Lincoln.

The site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April of 1865 has been open to the public since 1968. The building itself has a colorful history, having started as a Baptist church. After Lincoln’s assassination, the theatre was closed, but served intermittently as a museum, office space and storage facility. A restoration effort started in 1954 brought the theatre back, and theatrical events still performed on its stage. At the museum located in the theatre, you will find artifacts related to the assassination, including the gun and knife used by John Wilkes Booth in the attack.

The Petersen House, where the mortally-wounded Lincoln was taken after the attack and later died, is located directly across the street from the Theatre.

Gadsby's Tavern Museum
(703) 838-4242
134 N. Royal Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Hours and Admission
November-March: 11am-4pm, Wednesday-Saturday Sunday 1-4pm Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
April-October: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm Sunday and Monday 1-5 pm
Closed January 1, Thanksgiving, December 25 Admission charged

Visitors will get a “slice of life” picture of what life was like for everyday early Americans. The Gadsby’s Tavern Museum consists of two buildings, a 1785 tavern and the 1792 City Hotel. George Washington’s Birthnight Ball and an inaugural banquet for Thomas Jefferson were held at the location, which is now a National Historic Landmark in Old Town Alexandria.

National Textile Museum
(202) 994-5200
701 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052

Hours and Admission
11:30am-6:30pm Monday, Wednesday–Friday
10am-5pm Saturday; 1-5pm Sunday Closed Tuesday and university holidays

No admission charged but donation of $8 is suggested.

Originally established in 1925 by renowned collector George Hewitt Meyers to promote awareness and appreciation for textiles, the Textile Museum houses more than 20,000 different works spanning over five millennia and five continents. The collection, recently acquired by and moved to the George Washington University, includes pieces from the Middle East, Africa, as well as the indigenous people of the Americas. Also included in the museum is the 20,000 volume Arthur D. Jenkins Library of Textile Arts, one of the most important resources pertaining to the study of textiles.

International Spy Museum 
(202) 393-7798
700 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20024

Hours and Admission
Generally 9am-6pm but may vary depending on season and for special events.
Check Spy Museum's website for today's hours.
Closed January 1, Thanksgiving Day, December 25
Admission charged

The International Spy Museum puts its visitors into the shadowy world of espionage with exhibits and programs about the role that spies have played in history. Interactive exhibits invite visitors to try their hand at spycraft; displays give context and understanding to spy activities.

Marian Koshland Science Museum (National Academies of Science)
(202) 334-1201
6th and E Streets, NW, Washington, DC 20001

Hours and Admission
10am-6pm daily
Closed Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, December 25
Admission charged

Museum highlights the role of science in our daily lives using interactive displays. Current exhibits include infectious diseases, global warming, scientific research and DNA sequencing. This museum is recommended for those 13 years and older.

National Building Museum
(202) 272-2448
401 F Street, NW, Washington, DC

Hours and Admission
Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 11am-5pm
Closed Thanksgiving, December 25
Admission charged

The National Building Museum opened in 1985 with a mission to celebrate architecture, design, engineering, construction and urban planning.

National Firearms Museum
(703) 267-1600
11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA

Hours and Admission
Open daily 9:30am-5pm
Closed December 25
No admission charged

Located in Fairfax, Virginia, this museum is focused on America’s heritage of firearms. Its exhibits include artifacts that date back to the Pilgrims landing in America. The various galleries throughout the museum trace the history of firearms through the New World, the exploration of the West, the wars in which America has fought and modern times.

National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall 
(202) 857-7700
1145 17th Street, NW (17th and M Street, NW), Washington, DC 20036

Hours and Admission
Open daily 10am-6pm
Closed Thanksgiving, December 25
Admission charged.

The National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall brings past and current expeditions, adventures and scientific research to life for its visitors. Exhibits cover weather, geography, astronomy, space exploration and much more. Children will enjoy a visit to this entertaining, high-tech museum.

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Visitors Center
(202) 737-3213
400 7th Street, NW, (Corner of 7th And D Street, NW) Washington, DC 20004 

Hours and Admission
Monday-Friday 9 am to 5 pm
Saturday 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday 12 noon to 5 pm
No admission charged

Note: The National Law Enforcement memorial is located three blocks from the Visitors Center on E Street between 4th and 5th Streets, NW.

Somber memorial that honors all of our country’s law enforcement personnel. Wall contains the names of the more than 17,500 officers who have killed in the line of duty beginning in 1792. At an annual candlelight vigil held each year during National Police Week in May, the names of officers who have fallen in the last year are added. Visitors Center highlights the Memorial and contains more than 30 exhibits and an interactive video kiosk. Also display cases with mementos left at the Memorial.

National Museum of the United States Navy
(202) 433-4882
Building 76, 805 Kidder Breese SE, Washington, DC 20374-5060

Hours and Admission
Monday-Friday: 9am-4pm
Weekends 10am-5pm Closed Thanksgiving, December 24, 25, January 1.
No admission charged, but appointment required

Located at the Washington Navy Yard, contains displays on Navy ships, submarines, and various wars in which the Navy has played a role. Artifacts from Admiral Richard Byrd’s Polar Expedition, uniforms and weapons. For safety reasons, please do not use public transportation to get to the Museum; plenty of parking is available inside the Navy Yard.

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
(202) 488-0400
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024

Hours and Admission
10am-5:30pm daily
Closed Yom Kippur and December 25
Free timed tickets are required and are available on-site. Advance tickets can be purchased online for a small transaction fee.

During World War II, approximately six million Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. The Holocaust Museum is America's memorial to those who were killed. Its goal is to stimulate visitors to confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity and strengthen democracy. Carefully-crafted exhibits carry stark reminders of what happened during the Holocaust. While this is a somber museum, it is an educational and personal experience that is unforgettable. Children's programs are available, along with a special exhibit directed at younger visitors.

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