Skip to content
BusinessesGrow
Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, DC

Photo: Boucher, Jack E. (as "creator" of the work), National Park Service, US Department of the Interior., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsHistory BuffDate NightFree

Dumbarton Oaks

1703 32nd St NW · Washington, DC

Why you should go…

Dumbarton Oaks is a Georgetown estate that Robert and Mildred Bliss bought in 1920 and gave to Harvard University in 1940. The museum shows specialized collections of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art and needs no ticket. The terraced gardens, designed by landscape architect Beatrix Farrand with Mildred Bliss, are entered separately at 31st and R Streets with a garden ticket. In 1944 diplomats met here for the talks that led to the United Nations Charter.

  • #art museum
  • #historic garden
  • #byzantine art
  • #pre-columbian art
  • #georgetown

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Dumbarton Oaks, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Free

    Georgetown

    Free

    Stroll cobblestone side streets, shop and eat along M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, and follow the C&O Canal down to the Potomac waterfront.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Embassy Row

    Free

    Stroll Massachusetts Avenue past Gilded Age mansions turned embassies, with flags and statues of world figures on the way.

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Key Bridge Boathouse

    Under $25

    A Georgetown boathouse on the Potomac renting kayaks, canoes and paddleboards with guided tours available.

    0.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Museums
    Date Night

    The Phillips Collection

    Under $25

    See Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party and the Rothko Room in a Dupont Circle house museum.

    0.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Renwick Gallery

    Free

    See American craft and decorative art in a National Historic Landmark building steps from the White House.

    1.7 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Free

    A powerful journey through African American history and culture, from the slave trade galleries to Motown and beyond.

    2.3 mi awayMore like this