Best Free Museums in Washington, D.C.: Ultimate 2024 Guide

Are you looking to save money on your next vacation? Washington, D.C., home to more than 30 world-class museums with FREE admission should be high on your list of places to visit. While you still must pay for transportation, lodging, and food, eliminating admission fees will keep oodles of money in your pocket. Here are some fascinating no-admission fee museums in the District that will appeal to solo travelers, couples, and families.

With 19 unique museums located mostly on the National Mall which runs from the Washington Monument to the U.S. Capitol, this is where most people begin their exploration of the Nation’s Capital. The Smithsonian also encompasses several art galleries and the National Zoo. Our list includes many of our favorite Smithsonian museums and galleries, and some non-affiliated places that deserve your attention.

United States Botanic Garden – Established by an act of Congress in 1820, George Washington first envisioned the garden. The oldest continuously operating public garden in the country is a museum of living plants that includes the gated outdoor “National Garden”, the Bartholdi Fountain & Gardens open dawn to dusk, and rotating exhibits in the Conservatory.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – Learn about one of the worst human tragedies in recent world history, the Nazi genocide during World War II that killed more than 6 million Jews, as well as gypsies, gay people, disabled people, Afro-Germans, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. The memory of these innocent victims and those who somehow survived is powerfully presented with exhibits, movies, and memorabilia.

Air & Space Museum – One of the most popular destinations in all of Washington with eight (8) million annual visitors, this incredible and always changing facility requires visitors to obtain a timed-entry pass prior to entry. (FREE and available on-line.) Exhibits range from the birth of flight and the Wright Brothers to the beginning of commercial aviation, military aircraft, space flight and moon exploration, and general aviation including aerobatic flying. Learn about the planets and so much at the IMAX theater and Planetarium.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center – Located by necessity in Chantilly, VA nearby Dulles International Airport, gigantic hangars house a collection of flying machines like you have never seen before. See the space shuttle Discovery, a Concorde supersonic jet, World War I biplanes, fighter jets, small propeller trainers, and early-day vintage commercial propeller aircraft. There is also a simulator to check out, plenty of interactive exhibits, and the Airbus IMAX Theater features exciting films.

National Museum of African American History & Culture – This is a one-of-a-kind national museum dedicated to documenting the African American life in America. Learn about contributions made in the arts, sciences, sports, and politically by African Americans who have triumphed over centuries of racial discrimination.

National Museum of the American Indian – Native American cultures are detailed throughout this special museum, with ancestral objects, photos, and unique artworks highlighting centuries-old traditions of our predecessors in the Indigenous communities are displayed throughout. This is one of the largest collections of Native artifacts in the Western Hemisphere.

National Gallery of Art – It takes a campus to house the multiple collections at this world-renowned museum. From masterworks to those from lesser known artists, more than 150,000 prints, drawings, photographs, decorative pieces, and paintings comprise the National Gallery of Art’s permanent collection. The west building opened in 1941 on the Mall, with the east building following in 1978. Clearly, there is an enormous amount to see here, so we highly recommend making a plan before arriving. You also will not want to miss the 6.1-acre Sculpture Garden with large modern pieces displayed by artists such as Marc Chagall, Roy Lichenstein, and Louise Bourgeois. Fans of Alexander Calder will find a 76 x 30 foot mobile hanging the four-story atrium of the East Building.

National Museum of American History - At nearly 800,000-square-feet in the heart of the National Mall, this incredible facility is one of the most popular Smithsonian museums with millions of annual visitors. The story of the United States from birth in colonial times to the 21st century is detailed throughout with more than three (3) million historical pieces including the original copy of the Star-Spangled Banner, the nation’s anthem. Other widely popular items displayed here include George Washington’s military uniform, Thomas Jefferson’s lap desk, even the ruby slippers worn by Dorothy in the film “The Wizard of Oz”. With scores of interactive exhibits, this is a museum that you will not want to miss.

National Archives Museum – A short stroll from the National Mall, the National Archives Museum is home to what are called the Charters of Freedom, including originals of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Do not miss the Faulkner Murals on the curved walls of the rotunda which depict fictional scenes by artist Barry Faulkner of the Declaration of Independence and U. S. Constitution being presented to the American people. At 37.5 x 14 feet, each is the size of a city bus!

U.S. National Arboretum – For a refreshing change of pace during the warm weather months in D.C., a visit to this 451-acre lush, forested green space in the northeast quadrant of the city is well worth your time. Nearly 750,000 visitors tour the grounds annually, for FREE, taking in a wonderful view of the nearby U.S. Capitol from Mt. Hamilton, one of the city’s highest points. Display gardens include American landscapes from various regions of the country, an Asian collection, rolling meadows, and North American native plants in the wooded areas. Visitors marvel at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum which is located within the arboretum and, you guessed it, also free. Explore up to nine miles of winding roads and dozens of connecting walking paths in a truly tranquil setting at this beautiful arboretum.

U.S. Capitol + Visitor Center – Before or after taking a free guided tour of the U.S. Capitol, spend some time in the Visitor Center which is packed with historical information about Congress and the Capitol itself. To avoid long lines especially in the spring and fall, reserve your spot and tour time online in advance. If you interested in seeing more, while the House and Senate galleries are not open to the public, you can take a separate guided tour of the Halls of Senate, offered twice daily Monday – Friday. Again, reserve in advance to ensure your space is saved.

White House Visitor Center – Tours of the White House must be arranged by the office of a Member of Congress, but the White House Visitor Center is open to everyone without making reservations. Nearly 100 artifacts are displayed here, and there are many fascinating exhibits about the history of the building. Check out the interactive White House touchscreen tour and view the 14-minute “White House: Reflections from Within” film. The White House Historical Association maintains the visitor center’s retail store where you can find everything you ever wanted to know about the White House, and more, to take home.

National Museum of Natural History – One of the most visited of the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall with more than 4 million annual guests, there is so much here to explore that you can be here all day. Some of the “must-do” experiences include seeing the Hope Diamond in the Hall of Geology, the coral reef fish tank, megalodon jaws, and touring the Hall of Human Origins. Other exhibits we have enjoyed range from the ecology of the African Bush Elephant, the Hall of Fossils which traces time back to the dinosaurs and the beginning of human existence, and Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt which features four mummies that are more than 2,000 years old. This is the most visited natural history museum in the world. The museum’s incredible “Deep Time” exhibit is a 31,000-square-foot experience that takes visitors back millions of years where they can learn about mass extinctions, and the subsequent evolution of life with beginnings in the earth’s oceans.

Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park – Kids of all ages love the zoo, and what’s not to like about a FREE zoo in our nation’s capital? Primates, reptiles, Amazonia, the Bird House, American Trail, Elephant Trail, Asia Trail, Small Mammal Trail, Claw & Paws Pathway, Great Cats, and an interactive Kids’ Farm are home to some of the most interesting creatures on earth. More than two million people visit the 163-acre zoo annually, with its NW Washington location being easily accessible from any direction. More than 2,200 animals from over 400 species live at the zoo. We especially love the clouded leopard and siamang, but we are sure you have your own personal favorites, too.

National Museum of African Art – Described by the Washington Post as the “most important research facility for African art in America”, this Smithsonian museum houses 9,000 pieces of historical and modern African art. Both North Africa and the sub-Saharan regions are well represented with more 300,000 photos and 50,000 library books.

Visitors will be fascinated by the religious artifacts, textiles, ancient Egyptian carvings, and musical instruments representing the continent over the centuries.

National Museum of Asian Art - combined home of the Freer Gallery and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the museum’s building is widely considered one of the beautiful in all of Washington, D. C. The Freer Gallery was the first Smithsonian solely exhibiting art when it first opened in May of 1923. The Italian Renaissance-style structure is located on the south side of the National Mall. The Sackler Gallery, opened in 1987, was partially funded by the governments of Japan and South Korea. The two galleries combined house over 46,000 objects dating from thousands of years ago to the 21st century. Countries and areas represented include China, Korea, Japan, South Asia, Southeast Asia, as well as the Middle East.

There are just too many museum options in Washington, D.C., and every traveler has their personal areas of interest. Listed below are some other interesting FREE museums you may want to consider:

Glenstone Museum, Potomac MD, art/architecture/landscape

Smithsonian American Art Museum, U.S. art from colonial times to today

Hirshhorn Museum, modern art museum and sculpture garden

Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, the history of mail and postage

National Museum of Women in the Arts, the world’s only museum focused on exhibiting work by women artists

In addition to the incredible museums highlighted in this article, Washington, D.C. is a museum itself, with astonishing historical sites such as the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, the Library of Congress, Supreme Court, and the Pentagon.