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Visit SAAM

The entrance of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery

SAAM is located at the heart of a vibrant downtown cultural district and presents American art from the colonial period to present.

Smithsonian American Art Museum
8th and G Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Hours
Mon - Sun:
11:30 am‑7:00 pm

Visit Renwick

The entrance of the Renwick Gallery

The Renwick Gallery is located near the White House and presents craft and decorative art from the Museum’s collection.

Renwick Gallery
Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Hours
Mon - Sun:
10:00 am‑5:30 pm

Prepare for Your Visit

We are happy to welcome visitors to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery seven days a week. Visitor guidelines will keep you and the art safe.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (except December 25)

The Renwick Gallery, SAAM's separate branch museum for contemporary craft, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (except December 25).

Yes! We have free audio guides available in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, ASL, and Descriptive Audio. You can start using them by navigating to our Audio Guide page.

No, tickets are not required to visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum or its Renwick Gallery. 

There is no coat check or bag storage at the museums and the small lockers in each lobby are not available at this time.     

We encourage you to limit the number of personal belongings and bags you bring into our facilities. Suitcases, large umbrellas, and backpacks are not allowed in the galleries. Security officers may ask you to hand-carry smaller backpacks, or wear them on your front, to protect the artworks. Strollers are permitted in the galleries.  

Yes, smaller backpacks are permitted although we have limitations to protect the artwork. Suitcases, large umbrellas, and large backpacks are not allowed in the galleries. Security officers will ask visitors to hand-carry smaller backpacks, or wear them on the front of their bodies. Please note that we do not offer coat or bag storage. 

Beginning February 2023, visitors are required to pass through screening at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as part of the effort to standardize security throughout the Smithsonian Institution. Check the Smithsonian's security policy for the most up-to-date information.

 

Visitors are required to walk through a metal detector; those who cannot go through the metal detector will be hand-screened with an electronic wand by security personnel. Help speed your entry by limiting the number and size of personal belongings and bags brought on-site. 

 

Security officers are located throughout the building to protect the Museum, its collections, and most importantly, our visitors. Please feel free to ask them for assistance. A Security Desk is located by the Museum entrance/exit at the G Street and F Street entrances.

Accessibility

The Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery welcomes all visitors and is committed to making its services accessible to everyone. We offer a range of programs for both adults and children with disabilities.

Barrier-free access to both SAAM’s main building and its Renwick Gallery are available.

At SAAM, ramps are located on both sides of the 8th and G Streets NW entrance. If you are using MetroAccess Paratransit, please use 800 G Street NW as the address for our building.

At the Renwick Gallery, a ramp at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW leads to an accessible entrance.

The bathrooms and high-touch areas, such as doors, will be cleaned more frequently throughout each day.

Service animals are welcome at Smithsonian museums. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. 

Featured Exhibitions

Media - 1967.59.1146 - SAAM-1967.59.1146_2 - 141130
Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice
March 8, 2024September 8, 2024
William H. Johnson's Fighters for Freedom series from the mid-1940s is a tribute to African American activists, scientists, teachers, and performers as well as international heads of state working to bring peace to the world.
Tour Dates
  • 1
    Smithsonian American Art Museum
    Washington, DC
    March 8, 2024September 8, 2024
  • 2
    Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum
    Miami, FL
    September 28, 2024January 5, 2025
A close up image of a white orchid in a multicolored container featuring an abstract design with purple, blue, yellow, pink and white colors. In the background are green plants held in matching multicolored containers featuring an abstract design in pink, white, purple and gold colors.
The Future of Orchids: Conservation and Collaboration
January 27, 2024April 28, 2024
This exhibition from Smithsonian Gardens features 200 varieties of orchids alongside works by contemporary multimedia artist Phaan Howng.
Media - 2023.9A-G - SAAM-2023.9A-G_1 - 147614
Carrie Mae Weems: Looking Forward, Looking Back
September 22, 2023 — July 72024 
This focused exhibition pairs two projects by Carrie Mae Weems—a major multimedia installation and a series of photographs—that revisit moments from history.
Media - 1978.40.3 - SAAM-1978.40.3_2 - 137737
Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas
September 15, 2023June 2, 2024
The exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas provides an intimate view of Alma Thomas’ evolving artistic practices during her most prolific period from 1959 to her death in 1978.
Tour Dates
  • 1
    Denver Art Museum
    Denver, CO
    September 8, 2024January 12, 2025
J. P. Ball, Unidentified sitter, 1858–60, daguerreotype
J. P. Ball and Robert S. Duncanson: An African American Artistic Collaboration
September 15, 2023March 24, 2024
This focused exhibition pairs artwork by two Black artists working in the mid-nineteenth century—photographer J. P. Ball and painter Robert S. Duncanson.
Artist Lily Hope with an ornamental headdress
Sharing Honors and Burdens: Renwick Invitational 2023
May 26, 2023-March 312024 
Artists Joe Feddersen (Arrow Lakes/Okanagan), Lily Hope (Tlingit), Ursala Hudson (Tlingit), Erica Lord (Athabaskan/Iñupiat), Geo Neptune (Passamaquoddy), and Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe) present a fresh and nuanced vision of Native American art.

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