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    National Portrait Gallery: Tours & Tickets

    3,427 Reviews
    #12 of 462 things to do in Washington DC
    Museums, History Museums, Art Museums
    Closed Now: 11:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
    F Street NW, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, DC 20560
    Open today: 11:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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    All photos (1,831)
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    Certificate of Excellence
    Traveller Overview
    4.53,427 reviews
    • Excellent73%
    • Very good22%
    • Average3%
    • Poor1%
    • Terrible1%
    Travellers talk about
    “american art”(165 reviews)
    “covered courtyard”(52 reviews)
    “famous americans”(50 reviews)
    About
    Visitors can view the portraits of all the U.S. presidents.
    Certificate of Excellence
    Closed Now
    Hours Today: 11:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
    See all hours
    Suggested duration: < 1 hour
    As featured in DC Art Lovers Guide
    Contact
    F Street NW, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, DC 20560
    Downtown / Chinatown
    Website
    +1 202-357-2700
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    Reviews (3,427)
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    Show reviews that mention
    All reviews american art covered courtyard famous americans michelle obama presidents portraits patent office bill clinton third floor historical figures civil war great art permanent collection special exhibit on display couple of hours across the street my favorite
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    1 - 10 of 3,203 reviews
    Reviewed 4 days ago
    Beautiful Gallery and History Lesson

    I was in DC for business and will admit like other reviewers that I only went to the National Portrait Gallery to see the President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama's portraits. Mrs. Obama's portrait was simply beautiful - exceeded my expectations from what I...More

    Date of experience: October 2019
    Thank travelingtips
    Reviewed 1 week ago
    Lots of portraits from each period in American history

    Highlights from my visit: A lovely gallery telling the story of singer Marian Anderson, the truly impressive portrait of President Obama in addition to several other historic presidential portraits, and lots of portraits of 20th century Americans. The building itself is another highlight -- you...More

    Date of experience: October 2019
    Thank VikingVikingViking
    Reviewed 1 week ago
    It's so enjoyable, I've been back 3 times in a year....

    Every time I've been to DC lately it has been with different people. They have each wanted to visit the Museum and as much as I enjoyed it, I certainly could not resist going back with them each time... There's always something to see....

    Date of experience: October 2019
    Thank GinnyNM
    Reviewed 2 weeks ago
    Amazing what you will See

    There were many rooms filled with portraits, sculptures and other works of art. The history of each period of America is wonderfully displayed. The gallery of American Presidential portraits is outstanding with Clinton and Obama quite unusual for a President. Some of the exhibits contain...More

    Date of experience: September 2019
    Thank ljcbh
    Reviewed 2 weeks ago
    Gorgeous building with an impressive collection

    I have to admit that the only reason I came here was to see President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama's portraits. I did see them and they were very impressive. However, I also enjoyed seeing all the other portraits and art pieces here. My...More

    Date of experience: October 2019
    Thank IzzyEdmonton
    Reviewed 2 weeks ago
    Amazing mix of traditional and modern portriats

    I went to the portrait gallery with a friend, unsure how much I was going to enjoy it. I'm glad I didn't voice my objection because it was really cool. There is so much to see- from traditional portraits and art from early Americana and...More

    Date of experience: September 2019
    Thank ChrissieRutter
    Reviewed 2 weeks ago
    So Much More Than I Thought

    I initially thought we would jut pop in for a bit but we actually spent quite a while here. We came to see the Presidential portraits but there was so much more to see. I was very impressed by everything they had.

    Date of experience: August 2019
    1  Thank anthonyjpow
    Reviewed 2 weeks ago
    Building Itself Is a Work of Art

    The mall museums were all overwhelmed with weekend crowds and it was too hot to wait in the long lines. This gallery is a few streets north of the heavily used area around the White House. There was no line to enter. The building is...More

    Date of experience: September 2019
    1  Thank PKPOWELL
    Reviewed 3 weeks ago
    So much to beautiful artwork in one place!

    We should have allocated more time to this wonderful place full of beautiful artwork. The portraits, especially those of patriots done so many years ago are so life like.

    Date of experience: September 2019
    1  Thank LuluEspinoNg
    Reviewed 3 weeks ago
    A fantastic Art Gallery

    We went there to see the portraits of all our presidents. We saw them all, and we loved some, and hated others. There are portraits of famous Americans and paintings from all genres. The central atrium is a wonderful, open space to spend time between...More

    Date of experience: September 2019
    Thank Pat D
    View more reviews
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    Questions & Answers
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    Roving597200
    April 4, 2019|
    AnswerShow all 18 answers
    Response from IntrepidGin | Reviewed this property |
    Take a look at the website and determine what you absolutely don’t want to miss. If you arrive a little before the museum opens, yo should not have an isssue with crowds. The presidential portrait exhibit is excellent. Be... More
    2
    Votes
    heatherwD8225EX
    September 27, 2018|
    AnswerShow all 16 answers
    Response from Beverly D | Reviewed this property |
    No. Its free
    2
    Votes
    Marisie007
    June 22, 2018|
    AnswerShow all 13 answers
    Response from RustonTraveller | Reviewed this property |
    No wait to enter. I’ve seen a 10-15 minute wait to stand in front of President Obama’s portrait (Weekend), Mrs Obama’s portrait was just crowded.
    1
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