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National Gallery of ArtvsNational Air and Space Museum
Both are recommended by those who travel for a living. On balance, National Gallery of Art ranks marginally higher than Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. National Gallery of Art comes in at #12 in Washington DC with positive reviews from 6 reviewers like Michelin Guide, concierge.com and Fodor's.
National Gallery of Art
Fodor's
Concierge
Lonely Planet
Travel + Leisure Fodor's Fodor's
Michelin Guide
Where Where
U.S. News & World Report Show All Reviews
West Building, Constitution Avenue and 6th Avenue, Washington DC, DC 20002
From $0/night
Fodor's "The East Building opened in 1978 in response to the changing needs of the National Gallery, especially to house a growing collection of modern art."
Concierge "Rodin sculptures; masterpieces acquired from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia; three French and Italian period rooms; and a selection of drawings from da Vinci."
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Visit on a weekday morning to avoid the densest crowds.
Lonely PlanetTop choice
"Set in two massive buildings, the National Gallery of Art houses a staggering art collection (over 100,000 objects), spanning the Middle Ages to the present." Full review
Travel + Leisure "The two architecturally opposed buildings that make up this museum jointly contain one of the world’s most extraordinary art collections." Full review
Fodor's "The two buildings of the National Gallery hold one of the world's foremost art collections, with paintings, sculptures, and graphics that date from the 13th to the 21st centuries." Full review
Fodor's "The East Building opened in 1978 in response to the changing needs of the National Gallery, especially to house a growing collection of modern art." Full review
Michelin Guide 3 Stars
"The National Gallery's world-class collection of masterpieces traces the development of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present." Full review
Where "Newly renovated with 12,250 square feet of additional public space, featuring skylight tower galleries highlighting works by Alexander Calder and Mark Rothko." Full review
Where "This elegant building contains one of the world’s finest collections of American and European paintings and sculpture dating from the 13th century, including this hemisphere’s only da Vinci painting." Full review
U.S. News & World Report6.0
"Composed of the East Building, which houses the gallery's more modern works...and the West Building, which contains the collection's older works (from Sandro Botticelli to Claude Monet)." Full review
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If you're any kind of art connoisseur, you should make a stop at the National Gallery of Art
National Air and Space Museum
Frommer's Travel + Leisure
Time Out Michelin Guide Where U.S. News & World Report Fodor's Frommer's Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
6th and Independence Ave., SW, Washington DC, DC 20560
From $0/night
Frommer's "The museum, now in its 36th year, chronicles the story of the mastery of flight, from Kitty Hawk to outer space." Full review
Travel + Leisure "The world's most-visited museum is heavenly for adults and a must for kids." Full review
Time Out "The imposing Tennessee marble modernist block, by Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, incorporates three skylit, double-height galleries, which house missiles, aircraft and space stations." Full review
Michelin Guide 3 Stars
"This fascinating museum welcomes more than nine million visitors annually, making it one of Washington's and the world's most popular." Full review
Where "World’s largest collection of aircraft and space vehicles (Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, Bell X-1, 1903 Wright Flyer). " Full review
U.S. News & World Report4.0
"The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum contains a trove of celebrated aircraft." Full review
Fodor's "This is the one of the country's most visited museums." Full review
Frommer's "This is among America’s favorite museums...it does so in a multi-layered fashion, mixing extraordinary artifacts with IMAX movies, videos, and hands-on exploration of displayed equipment." Full review
Travel + Leisure "One of Washington’s most popular destinations, the museum features the largest collection of aviation and space artifacts in the world"
15 Best Museums in Washington, D.C.
March 20, 2023
Travel + Leisure "With eight new exhibition spaces housing aviation artifacts. If that's not enough, you can head to the affiliated Udvar-Hazy Center to peruse legendary aircraft like the Discovery space shuttle"
32 Best Things to Do in Washington, D.C., From Must-see National Landmarks to Renowned Museums
July 31, 2023
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Keep in mind that the Air and Space Museum in D.C. needs a timed entry pass, so book yours well in advance, especially if you're visiting on a weekend.
