Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Review

Probably my favorite museum in DC, and the courtyard is easily one of my favorite places in the city. I always really enjoy the exhibits they have on offer and they seem to rotate them at a pretty good rate. There's always something really interesting to explore there. The Diane Arbus exhibit that is there right now is pretty small, but man did it make an impression.

If you're in the city and you haven't gone to have lunch in the courtyard yet, you're really missing out on something.

This is a rare Smithsonian museum that stays open after 5:30 p.m. We were so glad to be able to visit it again, as there is much to see and there are regular changes in the exhibitions. It is a wonderful museum, the staff is helpful, and I highly recommend it as a wonderful stop for art and culture lovers. Check the website for current exhibitions as some of the ones we saw were closing soon.

My wife enjoys art more than i do honestly but each portrait had a small history about that person. I liked being able to learn a little bit more about these people that molded history

Lovely place to visit, it's open later than most museums!

SAAM/NPG is probably my favorite of the Smithsonians. The central courtyard is beautiful. A great place to chill and recharge on a long day of sightseeing.

Absolutely a must see in DC. The Obama portraits are very popular and definitely worth seeing.

Portraits of US Presidents on 2, small galleries on 3 floors. Rotating exhibits of contemporary art and Americana.

Another Smithsonian which means a visit here is completely free. There is a wonderful range of portraits and different exhibits, however the real winner is the Presidential Gallery. Wander through from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln, FDR, Nixon, Bush x2 and the currently featured portrait of Barack Obama.

A real trip through American history in this excellent set of displays.

There's signs that directs you to Michelle Obama's photo, but none for Barack Obama!

Great cafe at the near bar. Very nice gallery, DC art at its greatest.

Wonderful art museum in a beautiful, historical building. Worth seeing over and over.

Beautiful building. Beautiful art. Free admission. What more can you ask for?

Beautiful galleries upon galleries of photos and artwork. Be sure to go in the middle and check out the atrium it's beautiful and serene with waterfalls on the ground. You can also visit a little cafe and get a refreshment if needed. It's so nice to be able to experience so many wonderful museums and not have to pay!!!

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The presidential portraits were very popular with visitors, but there are other pieces too. And the fact that it was part of the Smithsonian Art Museum gave us a chance to see many other interesting art in the same place.

Incredibly cool and definitely worth visiting when you're in D.C.

It s a beautiful art museum. A lot to explore, learn and see. You just need to have a few hours to spent and go through all galleries.

Also there is an indoor cafe and performance area where you can attend different events if available and have a cup of coffee with friends or set and do your work. It s quite and a nice place

Great museum with an unbelievable collection of art.

A stunning array of artistic brilliance awaits the museum visitor. The Smithsonian museums are worth planning an entire vacation around.

Went specifically to see the new Obama portraits and was easily able to find them. There were even signs pointing the way to Mrs. Obama's.

Great collection, and more than just portraits. Some amazing historical exhibits and Americana. Don't miss the fantastic portrait of Obama.

My happy place to enjoy beautiful and amazing work created by super talented artists.

Very cool place. Lots of amazing works of art here!

This is an awesome art museum! The presidential portrait gallery really is amazing! It s right by the gallery place metro stop and is by china town which has lots of great eating options for before/after.

It also has extended Smithsonian hours and is open later.

If you re visiting DC or just need a quiet place to study the portrait gallery is a great stop!

Crowded on weekends but a must visit if you are in DC - check out the new Obama portrait

Incredible free museum with beautiful spaces, a decent Cafe, atrium, and outstanding collection

The portrait half of this building is great and entertaining but the other half of American art is a must for any visit in DC the variety and diversity specially the contemporary artists are amazing.

Wonderful museum and lots of interesting art work to discover. You will always see something new and unique.

Great exhibits and the staff is very friendly and helpful

Went to see the Obama portraits on a weekend and surprisingly, it was not as crowded as I thought it would be!

I loved our visit to the portrait gallery. It is very well done even for a group on 12 girl Scouts. The only downfall was that apparently nobody could give us a map and clear directions where we could find specific portraits (aside from the presidents in their dedicated hall).

Set aside at least 3 hours. I was able to go alone and really enjoy portraits of presidents and Everyday people created by amazing arists.

DO NOT MISS THIS MUSEUM. must see!! Then afterwards go into china town and visit this amazing noodle shop (sorry don t know the name or location)

Great museum. A ton of art. If you want to see everything plan on being there 2 plus hours. It 3 full floors plus a half fourth floor.

Incredible museum. With a awesome collection of items,pics,monuments and much more...

It's a Smithsonian museum. Go and check out the art for free! Metro exit (gallery pl.-chinatown) is on the museum's corner. Love the inclosed atrium to sit and have coffee or a meal.

It is essential to visit it.
In this opportunity there was also a precious exhibition of orchids

The National Portrait Gallery is part of the Smithsonian suite of museums and is also a subset of the American Art Museum. Technically, the Portrait Gallery only displays portraits, but occasionally the curators place contextual artifacts to flesh out the stories of the lives of the famous Americans whose portraits are on view. I really like the portrait Kehinde Wiley s painting of President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. You can find it among all the official portraits of U. S. Presidents. Also, check out the First Ladies portraits - like Jackie O. and Michelle Obama. Pro Tip: the gallery is open from 11:30 to 7:00 P.M. every day. The Gallery is not on the Mall. Access the building on F Street (or G Street). The closest Metrorail station is Gallery Place-Chinatown on the Yellow, Green, and Red lines.

Free admission. The collection is large but there is a descriptive and logical grouping of portraits so the experience was not too overwhelming. It s tempting to just focus on familiar names but if you have the time and patience, check out the portraits of otherwise unknown personalities who have made significant contributions to their industry and society. We stayed for 3 hours, skipping the art and other non-portrait galleries.

We visited just days after the portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama were unveiled. The two selfie lines for viewing the portraits were insanely long. Unless you re desperate for a selfie, you can skip the lines and just hover around the area where the portraits are and still get a good view and equally good photos. The former President s portrait is at the America s Presidents gallery at the second level. Mrs. Obama s is at the ground level near the entrance.

It's a gallery of the president's and a little more. What did you expect

I visited this gallery when I traveled to DC for the first time in March 2018. I was in town for an academic conference, and I had some downtime, so I chose to visit the gallery. Truly, I was blown away by all the portraits, especially the varying styles of the presidential portraits, but one of my favorite exhibits was the "Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii" (1995) by Nam June Paik. It was mesmerizing, and I felt that the video installations chosen were still relatable even to someone born in the year that it was created. I would love to get lost in this museum/gallery for hours if I could.

It's free. If you are going to wear a backpack, Guard will kindly tell you to put your bag forward or listen. But is this the original art museum manners ??? It does not look much from the outside, but if you go inside, you will see a lot of things. haha

Great place to view exhibits. I saw the Sites Unseen by Trevor Paglen last weekend and it's really interesting.

Amazing indoor atrium with good wifi, seating, and cafe.

Places to see mainly protraits but there are also some collections in the museum

I liked the President's portrait gallery but I really enjoyed their 1968 exhibit too.

Beautiful everything, my first great experience in a museum with such recognition

Pretty great collections showcasing art and history simultanously

Awesome art huge place could literally get lost in.

Helpful friendly staff, the atrium is WOW, very nice layout

Great experience but be prepared for lines and crowds to see the Obama portraits.

The president's portraits are the draw, but there is much more there.

The Gallery currently has Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence on display and it is very good!!

Amazing collection of art will worth checking out. A nice change from some of the more crowded museums near the mall.