National Gallery of Art
The only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Americas, free on the National Mall.
Photo: ajay_suresh · CC BY 4.0
Guide to the national art museum in Washington: the West and East Buildings, Leonardo’s Ginevra de’ Benci, the highlights of the collection, the Sculpture Garden and its ice rink, free entry and tips.
What to expect
Founded with the art collection and the money of financier Andrew Mellon, the gallery opened in 1941 on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Entry is free every day, and unlike the Smithsonian museums nearby, it is a separate institution with its own collection of more than 150,000 works.
The neoclassical West Building, designed by John Russell Pope, holds European and American art from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Its treasure is Ginevra de’ Benci, the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci on public view in the Americas, painted on both sides of a wooden panel. Rooms nearby show works by Raphael, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Monet and Van Gogh.
An underground walkway with a light sculpture leads to the angular East Building by I. M. Pei, opened in 1978, which focuses on modern and contemporary art, from Rothko to a giant Calder mobile in the atrium. Its roof terrace has a view of the Capitol.
Across the street, the Sculpture Garden has works by Louise Bourgeois and Roy Lichtenstein around a fountain that turns into an ice rink in winter.
National Gallery of Art: top things to do
- 1Leonardo’s Ginevra de’ Benci
- 2Vermeer and Rembrandt in the West Building
- 3The Calder mobile in the East Building
- 4Skating in the Sculpture Garden in winter
Best time to visit
All year; weekday mornings are calmest, and winter evenings bring the ice rink.
Insider tips
- Pick up a map of highlights at the entrance; the West Building is huge.
- Use the underground concourse to move between the two buildings.
- Combine it with the Smithsonian museums nearby, all of them free.
Fees, passes and parking
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Entrance | Free |
- Federal park passes such as America the Beautiful are not valid here.
- Entry is free and no ticket is needed; expect a bag check at the door.
- Public transit is the easiest way to get around the center.
Checked Oct 28, 2026. Official prices
Gas and fast charging nearby
572 gas stations within 20 km
- 1.5 km Exxon open 24 hours
- 1.7 km Exxon
- 1.7 km Exxon
- 1.9 km Sunoco open 24 hours · diesel
- 2.0 km BP open 24 hours · diesel
- 2.3 km Mobil open 24 hours
- 1.1 km eVgo Fast chargers (EVgo)
- 2.0 km EV charging station Fast chargers
- 2.1 km Tesla Supercharger Fast chargers (Supercharger)
- 5.0 km Tesla Supercharger Fast chargers (Supercharger)
OpenStreetMap data, Oct 28, 2026.
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