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Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC

Photo: Gryffindor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsFreeRainy-Day PickIconic

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Independence Ave SW at 7th St SW · Washington, DC

Why you should go…

Gordon Bunshaft designed the Hirshhorn as an open cylinder raised on four massive legs, opened in 1974 on the National Mall. Three floors of galleries show modern and contemporary art from a collection of more than 12,000 works, with the focus on the decades since World War II. The 1.3-acre sunken sculpture garden, home to Rodin's The Burghers of Calais, has been redesigned by Hiroshi Sugimoto and is scheduled to reopen on October 31, 2026.

  • #art museum
  • #modern art
  • #smithsonian
  • #sculpture garden
  • #national mall

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 Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sport & Outdoor
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    National Mall

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    Walk the long green lawn from the U.S. Capitol toward the Lincoln Memorial, past monuments, memorials and Smithsonian museums.

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    National Museum of Asian Art

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    Walk two connected Smithsonian galleries of Asian art on the National Mall, including the Peacock Room.

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    Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

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    The Hope Diamond, the Nation's T. rex, and Henry the elephant, the Mall's busiest free museum packs the whole natural world under one green dome.

    0.3 mi awayMore like this

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    United States Botanic Garden

    Free

    Wander a glass conservatory of tropical, desert and orchid rooms beside the U.S. Capitol, then the outdoor gardens.

    0.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor