National Gallery of Art
A free national collection on the Mall, holding the only Leonardo painting in the Americas and a Pei-designed east wing.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
Andrew Mellon gave his collection and the building to the nation in 1937 on the condition that it not carry his name, so that others would donate too - which worked. John Russell Pope's West Building of 1941 is a domed neoclassical block, still one of the largest marble structures anywhere. The collection's single most notable object is Leonardo's Ginevra de' Benci, the only painting by Leonardo in the Americas. The East Building, I. M. Pei's 1978 answer to an awkward trapezoidal site, is built from two triangles and holds the modern collection; a Calder mobile hangs in its atrium. A sculpture garden with a skating rink in winter sits to the west. Entry is free, always.
What you actually see
- Leonardo's Ginevra de' Benci - the only Leonardo in the Americas.
- Pope's marble West Building - neoclassical, opened 1941.
- Pei's East Building of 1978 - two triangles on a trapezoid site.
- A sculpture garden - with a winter skating rink.
When to go
Year round; free always. Half a day.
Honest expectations
It is two large buildings connected by an underground concourse - plan which one. Some galleries close for rotation. Cherry blossom season crowds the whole Mall. Special exhibitions can require timed passes even though entry is free.
Nearby
The Smithsonian museums line the Mall; the Capitol is east.
What to pack for National Gallery of Art
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.