Coming to the Hilltop for the first time, I was beyond excited to check out the museums in Washington, D.C. The famous Smithsonian museums on the National Mall hold impressive collections, tell epic stories, and above all, are free! However, after about a month, I had already seen all the greats. The Hope Diamond in the Natural History Museum, Michelle Obama’s portrait in the National Portrait Gallery, and Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 space suit at the National Air and Space Museum were no doubt impressive, but I found myself longing for a path less traveled. Luckily, D.C. has many other museums that offer a more niche, obscure experience. Drawing on my own experience of museum-hopping in the District, as well as additional input from my dear friends at The Georgetown Voice, I have compiled a list of hidden gems that our lovely city has to offer.
1. Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens – $10
Located in the Forest Hills neighborhood of northwest D.C. is Marjorie Merriweather Post’s former mansion, now renovated into a luxurious museum that houses her extensive collection of imperial French and Russian fine art. I came here on a field trip with my Russian class, and I was astounded by how such a beautiful place had flown under the radar in conversations about D.C.’s greatest museums. Plus, it is the only museum in the district with two authentic Fabergé eggs! My favorite part of the museum, however, is the Japanese-style garden with its beautiful fountains, landscaping, and Japanese red maple trees. The admission fee for students is $10, but if you contact Professor Anna Pechnikova in the Department of Slavic Languages, she may be able to provide you with a ticket free of charge as part of the Russian class field trip to the museum!
2. The DC Alley Museum – Free
Tucked into Blagden Alley in Shaw, the DC Alley Museum features vibrant murals sharing the story of D.C. and the people who live here. The murals are painted on garage doors, wooden siding, and brick, mixing materials and colors to tell a variety of stories. Georgetown students should make sure to seek out Billy Colbert’s “Respect: John Thompson” mural featuring the iconic Georgetown basketball coach who broke barriers across the NCAA and the U.S. Voice editor-in-chief Sydney Carroll (CAS ’27) came here on a field trip with her freshman seminar, “Race and Class in D.C.,” and recommends going with a friend—it’s always better to be able to discuss public art with someone else! Like any other museum, no two visits will be the same; while many of the murals are long-term installations, others in the community share art in the alley via stickers placed on water pipes, posters wheatpasted to walls, and graffiti affixed to nearby surfaces.
3. National Museum of Women in the Arts – Free for 21 and under
This trailblazing museum was once the Masonic Temple in Downtown D.C.—which, ironically, did not allow women—before becoming the city’s premier collection of women’s art in 1987. The museum features works by influential women artists like Frida Kahlo, Stephanie Tafoya, and Lavinia Fontana. My fellow Leisure editor, Quinn Ross (CAS ’29), frequented this institution during his first semester of college for his studio art class, and he highly recommends this museum to art lovers everywhere. Prospective visitors should check out the works of Remedios Varo, the Spanish surrealist painter whose works like “La llamada” will certainly leave you with a newfound appreciation for the diverse art of immigrant communities in Mexico City who worked alongside the founders of the Latin American Boom.
4. Anacostia Community Museum – Free
While it is technically a Smithsonian museum, the mission of the Anacostia Community Museum since 1967 has been to bring a Smithsonian institution to a local community outside of the busy National Mall. Anacostia has a rich history: its name comes from its original inhabitants, the Nacotchtank people, who stewarded the land and nearby river for thousands of years. Today, the area is home to a vibrant Black community, and notable residents have included abolitionist Frederick Douglass, former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, and Georgiana Simpson, the first Black woman to graduate with a Ph.D. The museum features artifacts and artworks from D.C.’s Black community, which has played an integral role in defining the city’s culture, despite these contributions being ignored and erased in many discussions of D.C.’s creative history. My favorite exhibition in the museum is the collection of African American quilts, which reflect the resiliency, joy, and strength of D.C.’s Black community in the form of colorful, magnificent masterpieces.
5. National Building Museum – $18.95
I have passed by this museum so many times while in Penn Quarter, discouraged from entering solely because of its name. After all, what exactly constitutes the history of “building?” To be honest, I couldn’t imagine the museum being anything more than a boring collection of hammers, measuring tape, and nail guns. One day I finally decided to put my biases aside and check it out, and I was so glad that I did. Upon entering, you are greeted by a large inner courtyard named “The Playroom,” decorated with gargantuan Corinthian-style pillars made of brick, skillfully painted to resemble marble. If this isn’t enough to entice you, the museum also hosts a large collection of architectural models of D.C.’s most famous monuments and buildings; therein lies its namesake! If you are interested in architecture, design, or photography, this museum should definitely be on your radar.
