Natalya Krishchuk

Review of Smithsonian National Portrait ...

Beautifully designed museum. Not the closest in lo...

Beautifully designed museum. Not the closest in location to the other famous museums but worth the little detour. Three floors. Long corridors with art and then rooms with more specific exhibits branching off from the main corridors. The portrait gallery was enjoyable, read about USA's history while enjoying different portrait/art styles. It was interesting to see all of the portraits I saw in history books in person. The courtyard is also an experience. There's something about feeling like you are outside while being inside. Really amazing architecture. Also enjoyed some of the more contemporary/abstract pieces on the third floor. Only downside is that I had to rush through it since we had other things to do that day. It definitely deserves a day or two of exploration. Sidenote: this is museum is specific to American painters/art relating to American history. If you want to see impressionists and what not, this will probably not be your first choice, although there is a lot of interesting art here other than the portraits.