Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection Reviews

This is ones of the finest, most interesting and intimate of DC destinations for the arts. Exquisite collection

A pleasant museum and a beautiful park (even in February). Accidentally got on two free tours - in the museum and in the park. Having learned that I am from Russia, the guide said that Russian music was also playing in the music room, and brought some more facts connecting this place with Russia. The strongest impressions: the ceiling of the music room, furniture with perspective , a modern room for exhibits related to the history of the native population of America (the building itself is interesting), and, of course, the park.

This place is stunning. Perfect for a nice little walk or in my case Photogropher s looking for nice scenery.

Randomly ran into this museum and it's definitely worth a visit. It's free and they have all kinds of ancient artifacts displayed in a very unique set up. The museum was designed by a famous architect (can't remember who) and it's a unique design with a lot of windows.

beautiful art wonderful layout and friendly guards a great overall experience a must see if your in the naborhood

I didn't get a chance to see the gardens but the house had some classic pieces.

The gardens are lovely. The museum is worth seeing.

The current exhibit is fascinating. Highly recommended.

Beautiful top-tier collection of Byzantine and Pre-Colonial artwork and artifacts displayed in a very inviting and educational way. Security guards and personnel were also extremely kind and welcoming, only adding to the experience. A must-visit!

Beautiful small museum exhibiting Byzantine, pre-Columbian American, and medieval art and artifacts. Grounds also are exquisite, especially in springtime. Middle of a week day we found ample on-street parking nearby, and there are commercial garages within a ten-minute walk.

One of America's most engaging private gardens, beautifully designed with dozens of formal outdoor "rooms" and dramatic elevation changes. Breathtaking in spring, especially during cherry blossom time, but fascinating and rewarding every season of the year.

The quality of the collection is incredible. The Byzantine collection is one of the best I've ever seen; the icons are absolutely stunning. Also, the pre-Columbian pieces are housed in an amazing building that makes you feel like you're walking through a garden.

Stay away if you are dressed up, they will kick you out. I went there last week with my parents and it was a nice garden, so I took my cousins who came from out of town. They came directly after church meeting on a Sunday and they were on a dress(short-casual) and suit with tie. We were kick out by the security in the front entrance saying that we cannot come in because of the way they are dressed. He thought we are going to take photos. We are not professional photographers. I told him we already read all the policy on the website and we are not doing anything that is against the policy. He told us that its a new policy of the dress code and we saw nothing like that on the website nor anywhere. He was very rude saying 'You got to get out'. He then called the supervisor and when he came he asked us is this is an even photography. We said No. He said we still cannot come in because of the suit and tie, we told him okay, we can take the suit jacket and tie off but he kept changing his wording. He said we cannot take a photo of the garden as a background. It didn't make any sense to me since all other people were taking photos and had better cameras than I do. All four of us were really frustrated because we drove over an hour to get there, we thought if this is some kind of racist thing since we were all Asian, and we were dressed up too nice. Seriously, awful awful experience.

A fun, free, historic place to visit in Georgetown. The property is a former rich resident s collection of books, art, and treasures. There are some fun exhibits with unique items, and I enjoyed exploring the grounds. The staff here is incredibly friendly and helpful as well. I recommend getting a guided tour. The music room is historic, as the room where the idea of the United Nations was first floated. You truly feel like you re going back in time as you wander the halls.

A place for all moods. Explore or relax. Appreciate Art, History, and/or Nature in any combination in heart of Georgetown. Well worth the afternoon or three.

Was there last night for an "opening event" but not much at all the ground/garden was open. Hundreds of guests were crowded in a small tent which I think could be an safety issue. We quickly left there. We just moved to the neighborhood a month ago and thought it could be a place to enjoy. What a disappointment!

Very nice museum with African art and things you don't find other places. It's newly renovated and the staff are very professional.

I love visiting Dumbarton Oaks. The museum is free admission but there is an admission fee to the gardens in the warmer months. But the free museum is definitely worth a visit--stunning collection of Byzantine and Precolumbian artifacts. It's always a treat to stop in even if it is not terribly easy to find. Watch out for their peculiar hours.

Museum first rate.....impossible to enter garden as long lines and a slow credit card machine took over an hour....no one in charge, no line for a cash solution...you really put the dumb back into Dumbarton. Never got into the garden at all...a very disappointing long journey. 5 stars for museum....zero for unseen garden on a beautiful day.

The museum is interesting - particularly the cool design of the pre-Columbian exhibit space (note the echos if you stand right in the center of one of the circular areas), but the gardens are really what makes it special. We went on 11/3/19, and the admission was free (starting 11/1). So that is maybe a good time to go - there is still a lot of color in the gardens. It is magnificent. There are numerous terraces, hidden nooks, old stone benches, fountains, vegetable and flower gardens, winding stone or gravel paths, etc. Just a beautiful, beautiful place. Will definitely be back.

A beautiful location and a haven of botanical literature, the museum offers a free indoor experience and a paid outdoors one, enabling visitors to stroll around the park. A must see for Georgetown tourists.

Kind of a hidden gem. Lovely small museum with interesting things to see. i really enjoy it

Great, well curated collection. Excellent displays. Can't believe I haven't visited before!

Only drawback is that it is rather small.

Phenomenal private museum with a fascinating collection spanning European antiquity and ancient mesoamerica artifacts.

Great and small museum in a house that has very interesting architecture. Very friendly and knowledgeable host. We spent about 1.5 hours as the pre-columbian exhibit was breathtaking. Looking forward to coming back in 2018 after they finish the gardens' renovation!

The museum flows very well, love all the pre-columbian works of art. Also visited the gardens which were wonderful!

Great museum to experience artifacts from various cultures. A unique experience in which I would recommend. My favorite exhibits were the pre-Colombian Mesoamerican hall with Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, Zapotec, and other cultural pieces here. Very cool!

Beautiful 16 acres of gardens on former private estate! So many levels and varieties to explore! Hidden gem in upper Georgetown!! Highly recommend a visit!!!

great scenery and a peaceful garden to stroll around on a lazy Sun afternoon. Not stroller friendly though - as first timers, it wasn't wise of us to use our stroller. We should have gone with a baby carrier. As the guard pointed out at the entrance, it was difficult to plough through the gravel of the main lane and our access to the most of the wonderful gardens was limited due to steps everywhere.

A great collection of religious iconography from the Byzantine empire. I love the music room too. I would like to catch a recital there one of these days.

Great exhibit on the Middle Ages. Interesting because it keys off the legend of the juggler who performed in front of a statue in Notre Dame Cathedral. It traces how that story turned up years later in children's lit, and on radio and TV. There are film clips from TV in the exhibit. Also shows influences of Middle Ages architecture and literature when interest in them revived in the 19th Century.

Really lovely location. And when you take into account the neighborhood setting, it is really is a delightful place to explore.

Wow - lived in the DC area for 5 years without even realizing this existed. But these grounds are beautiful and really well-kept. The quiet atmosphere really feels like an escape from the city without even leaving Georgetown. Free admission in the Fall - highly recommend the visit.

Exhibits are ALWAYS well curated. Art space is like a museum. With the exception of current exhibits, most permanent items are more than 500 years old. Helpful and knowledgeable docents. Worth a special trip. European travelers to DC will appreciate this space.

Concerts with talented performers are held on a regular basis, but pricey for a family to attend ($100 plus for a family of four).

The gardens are one of a kind! Spectacular! You are one and one-half blocks from busy, very urban Wisconsin Avenue, and you think you are 25 miles outside of DC in the country. The trees cover the skyline of DC and the neighborhood. Completely! Only green foliage and the sky. All tranquility - and then you hear a fire truck. Grounds are easily navigable in an hour. Formal gardens are great for adults; probably less interesting for children under 12 years old - more look, don't touch-type of gardens.

Everything financially is well-kept up - space, lighting, staff, historical rooms, terraces, gardens and security. Refreshing in these challenging times for many small museums.

Nice hidden gem we'd heard about while looking for fun places to stop by in Georgetown. The staff was very friendly and the exhibitions were beautiful.

A treasure chest full of the treasures of Byzantine art. Personally I came to admire a plaque-medallion of the emperor Giovanni Comneno brought in those parts from the Venetian lagoon. But the whole collection and also the place are admirable. Stravinsky has played there several times. There is also a beautiful garden that I unfortunately could not visit. AND EVERYTHING IS FREE as well as in all of Washington. To visit absolutely!

This place is spectacular architecturally, aesthetically, culturally, and horticulturally. I always describe the garden as a small piece of Versailles here in DC. They could really do with an online ticketing service though because the line to get in was around the block during peak bloom of the cherry blossoms. Aside from that, the gardens are magical and romantic spot.

Free to go in to the garden during the winter. Had a nice stroll around. I can imagine how gorgeous this place is during the summer. Was neat to see the museum portion - unfortunately it just so happened that some parts of it was closed when we were there.

Free museum. Nice collection of bizantine and precolumbian art. Very short on information. The gardens are the highlight of the place, though. They are beautifully constructed and maintoned. We took the free tour and it really added to our enjoyment and undetstanding of the gardens.

stunning, relaxing, and just plain beautiful. museum is also highly recommended for a quick stop before Georgetown. good date spot.

It's a great place to visit during the spring. Loved it.

We had a great experience. Even though the museum is relatively small when looked at compared to the Smithsonian's etc., you can still spend several hours here. Very interesting.

Always deeply educational and inspiring, with an amazing Pre-Colombian collection.

Great little museum. Free! Interesting collection. Great museum shop.

Little gem of a museum! Very nice classical pieces, and the music room is beautiful and interesting. Bit of a hike to the nearest Metro station.

Great place to walk around and enjoy the scenery. Don t forget your student ID if you have one! Good place to probably bring a book and chill for some time too.

The gardens were beautiful. I would love to take my wife back.

There is something about its "lived-in" atmosphere that makes it more enjoyable than a pristine, palatial estate. Definitely want to spend more time in the gardens.

As a staff member I can tell you that this isn't only one exceptional organization to work for but also one ravishing oasis of intellectual life, culture and natural beauty. Very much a hidden treasure of a place in every sense of the word.

Precolumbian and Byzantine art collections are marvelous

A local news story recently featured a police officer weeping when learning the story of a man who stole bread to feed his nephew or niece (it was unclear which). One can assume many of the people reading or hearing about this story may have had a similar reaction, albeit in the comfort of their own home or while staring at the screen of their smartphones on their evening commute home. One can only assume such stories serve not only a social function but also a personal one, operating at the very nexus of the political and individual.

While online news articles may be the preeminent art form of our time, this has not always been the case. This museum is good reminder that prior to our ability to leave pithy emojis via venmo, pictures of people were often engraved on currency during the Roman empire and that sometimes the zodiac was woven into tapestries prior to Gemini season memes.

That's not nothing.

One of Washington's most beautiful corners for those who love gardens and a real Paradise Library for Byzantine, Medieval and American scholars before Christ. Columbus.

The museum has several types of collections all of which have exquisite pieces.

Finally scratched this visit off my bucket list, after 2 decades since I worked with Burley Marx wanna be Cornell landscape architect. I built gardens for 9yrs. I was eager to see this notoriously infamous garden. Established shrubs and trees are magnificent with timely settled hardscapes.
I really wish to return seeing D.O. in different seasons.
I met a friendly Bunny in the cabbage garden & want to know what the policy is of the garden with "pests" moles, rabbits, etc. As well as insecticides.
Summer 2019; There are contaminated boxwoods along one walkway where signs are not yeilding enough to plant enthusiasts.
The museum is intensely focused for being a moderately small size.

They don't have much on display, but what they have is simply amazing beyond belief.