Walking Guide to the Best Museums in Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C., is an incredibly walkable city filled with world-class museums! While the Smithsonian operates 17 museums and galleries, the city is also home to many other fascinating museums worth exploring. If your schedule is tight but you’d still like to see some of the highlights on foot, this walking guide is perfect for you.
We’ve created a 3- to 4-mile walking loop that we love to follow when visiting. It’s an easy way to experience some of the city’s must-see museums while enjoying a scenic stroll.
Where we start walking from
We enjoy staying at Hilton properties and have stayed at a few locations that are within easy distance to the museums. The Hilton Washington DC National Mall /The Wharf is a great location for starting this walk. The Capital Hilton is another wonderful hotel because of its proximity to the museums.
The other great thing about D.C. is its Metro system. You can exit the Metro Station at the Smithsonian (Mall exit) and start walking from there.
Step 1. The Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is a research organization with an amazing complex of museums.
The museums featured in this guide are in close proximity to the National Mall.
Admission to these museums is free.
We love the Smithsonian Castle as it is such a beautiful structure. You can easily recognize this location because of its unique design. The gardens surrounding the Castle are stunning as well. This is where we will start our walk.
Step 2. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
As you leave the Castle and start walking East towards the Capitol, you will next come to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
This museum hosts modern and contemporary art and culture.
You can visit their website here to see what is currently on view and what is coming up next, along with a host of other information.
As you continue your walk, still heading East toward the Capitol, the next museum is one of our favorites!
Step 3. National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum is one of our favorite museums to visit because we love the history of travel!
If you get time to tour this museum it is advisable to reserve your free passes. You can reserve free passes on the website by clicking here.
This museum has events, exhibitions, programs, camp offerings, and so many things to do.
The next museum is located to the East as you continue walking towards the Capitol.
Step 4. National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is next on the walk.
This museum is housed in a unique building, which we find to be quite an impressive design.
Make sure to enjoy the National Native American Veterans Memorial located directly outside this building. Listen closely when you are in this area.
The next part of the walk takes you past the James A. Garfield Memorial. Just be cautious of traffic if you try to get up close to this Memorial for a picture.
If you have time, extend your walk up around the Capitol. We also recommend touring the Capitol building if you have the opportunity. We have a goal of visiting all the Capitol buildings in the United States and our nation’s capitol was a wonderful visit that we marked off the list.
Located between the Capitol Reflecting Pool and the Capitol building is the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial.
Now you’ll turn the corner and start heading West down the National Mall and towards the Washington Monument which is the 555-foot tall obelisk that is hard to miss. We have not yet had the opportunity to go to the top of this monument to take in the view, but it will be done on one of our future visits! That’s a promise.
Step 5. National Gallery of Art
The next museum on the walk is the National Gallery of Art.
Visit here to see a performance, listen to a talk, or participate in one of the family programs where the philosophy is one of slowing down, focusing on one work of art, developing observation and thinking skills, inspiring curiosity and wonder, and fostering collaboration between children and adults.
The next museum will require us to walk over one street to Constitution Ave. This is where the National Archives Museum is located and is a definite must for a visit!
Step 6. National Archives Museum
The National Archives Museum is another must for visiting in our opinion because this museum contains our nation’s wonderful history.
See the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights at this museum.
We love thinking about the hands that have touched these documents. It just gives you shivers when you take this all in.
From the Archives of the United States, we will walk back to the National Mall to take in the next museum.
Step 7. National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is located in a massive building which houses some massive displays.
The mission of this museum is to inspire people of all ages to better understand the natural world and our place in it.
Natural History holds the key to Earth’s future. The museum’s collections tell the story of the planet.
Continuing West on your walk, you will quickly come to the next museum.
Step 8. National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History houses some of our nations national treasures.
These collections help tell the story of our complex history.
This building might not look as impressive in design, but it makes up for it in size. Plus, the beauty is contained within.
The next museum in our walk is an impressive gold building with a unique design. This building will catch your eye.
Step 9. National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is an incredible building with an incredible mission: Our museum captures and shares the unvarnished truth of African American history and culture. We connect stories, scholarship, art, and artifacts from the past and present to illuminate the contributions, struggles, and triumphs that have shaped our nation. We forge new and compelling avenues for audiences to experience the arc of living history.
Now it’s time to walk back across the National Mall to finish the walk. There are a couple of options at this point. You can see the Washington Monument is within close distance from this last museum, so you could expand your loop and walk up to soak in the view, or you could walk back towards the Castle where we started the walk.
So many museums!
The are so many incredible museums in Washington D.C.
If you are staying at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall you will find the Spy Museum right there.
Note: There is a cost for visiting this museum, but doesn’t that sound intriguing?!?
Most likely you will want to schedule multiple trips to visit this wonderful city!
There is a wonderful map of the Smithsonian Museums that you can access here.
Conclusion: Walking the Museums of Washington D.C.
We hope you enjoy exploring the museums in Washington, D.C., and that your travels allow you to spend time in each one! If your schedule doesn’t allow it on this trip, don’t worry, there’s always a next visit to discover more!
If you enjoyed this walking guide, we also welcome you to read our step-by-step guide for walking to 10 of Washington D.C.’s memorials, which you can read by clicking here.
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