Visit the Museums
SAAM
Hours: 11:30 a.m.–7 p.m.
Now Open 7 Days a Week
Renwick Gallery
Hours: 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Now Open 7 Days a Week
At a Glance: Guidelines for Visiting
Personal Belongings
Please limit the number of personal belongings and bags you bring to SAAM and the Renwick Gallery. Coat check and bag storage are not available.
If Sick, Stay Home
We’re asking all visitors who are sick or feel unwell to please stay home. If you are at increased risk of severe illness, you may also want to consider staying home.
Face Coverings
Masks are not required while visiting the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery.
Planning Your Visit
We are delighted to welcome visitors back into our galleries. Masks are not required while visiting the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Visitors may choose to wear a mask during their visit or while participating in a program or event.
Social distancing continues to be encouraged and we ask people who do not feel well to stay home.
Updated information about Smithsonian COVID-19 guidelines and safety measures are online. Visitors who do not adhere to safety policies and guidelines may be asked to leave.The Smithsonian reserves the right to modify its hours of operation, capacity, and visitor guidelines as circumstances require.
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. Please note that we do not offer coat check or bag storage at this time. Strollers are permitted in the galleries.
Currently, we are not offering printed floor plans. To find your way around you may use the museum’s free Wi-Fi to access a digital Smithsonian American Art Museum Map [PDF] and a digital Renwick Gallery Map [PDF].
All children (under the age of 18) must be accompanied by an adult chaperone. At least one (1) adult chaperone is required to accompany up to five (5) children.
The Courtyard Café in SAAM's main building is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but is open Wednesday-Sunday from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Visitors are permitted to bring in food and beverages to be consumed in designated spaces in the Kogod Courtyard only; alcoholic beverages and food for groups is not permitted. Outside food is not permitted at the Renwick Gallery, except for bottled water that may be consumed in designated areas.
The SAAM Museum Store and the Renwick Gallery Store are open for in-person shopping, and our stores are always open online!
Our Locations
The Smithsonian American Art Museum shares its collections, programs, and exhibitions in two locations in Washington, DC. SAAM’s main building is located at the heart of a vibrant downtown cultural district, while its branch museum for contemporary craft and decorative art, the Renwick Gallery, is located nine blocks west, near the White House.
Enter SAAM's main building using either the entrance located at 8th and G Streets NW or the entrance located at 8th and F Streets NW. Access ramps are located on both sides of the 8th and G Streets NW entrance.
More on Visiting SAAM
American art museum featuring works from the colonial era to the present
8th and G Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20004
More on Visiting Renwick
Branch museum featuring contemporary craft and decorative arts
Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Exhibitions at SAAM
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We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection
July 1, 2022 — March 26, 2023Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and G Streets, NW)We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection traces the rise of self-taught artists in the twentieth century and examines how, despite wide-ranging societal, racial, and gender-based obstacles, their creativity and bold self-definition became major forces in American art. The exhibition features recent gifts to the museum from two generations of collectors, Margaret Z. Robson and Douglas O. Robson.
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Artist to Artist
October 1, 2021 — September 3, 2023Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and G Streets, NW)Artist to Artist features paired artworks, each representing two figures whose trajectories intersected at a creatively crucial moment, whether as student and teacher, professional allies, or friends. -
The Automobile and American Art
OngoingSmithsonian American Art Museum (8th and G Streets, NW)Take a road trip through SAAM’s collection to find links between automobiles and American art, inspired by Albert H. Small’s gift of model cars.
Exhibitions at Renwick
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This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World
May 13, 2022 — April 2, 2023Renwick Gallery (Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW)This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World showcases the dynamic landscape of American craft today. The exhibition highlights the role that artists play in our world to spark essential conversations, stories of resilience, and methods of activism—showing us a more relational and empathetic world. It centers more expansive definitions and acknowledgments of often-overlooked histories and contributions of women, people of color, and other marginalized communities.
FAQ
No, tickets are not required to visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum or its Renwick Gallery.
No, tickets are not required to visit the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Masks are not required for visitors to the Smithsonian American Art Museum or its Renwick Gallery. Visitors may choose to wear a mask during their visit.
Yes. Admission to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery is free.
No. Staff will not be taking guests’ temperatures at this time. If you feel unwell, please stay home.
We encourage visitors to maintain a safe social distance of six feet or more between households or groups. At higher capacities, it is difficult to enforce social distancing and some spaces in the museum may be crowded. We encourage visitors to take this into consideration when planning their visit.
The bathrooms and high-touch areas, such as doors, will be cleaned more frequently throughout each day.
Bathrooms are open throughout the museum for you to wash your hands. Sanitizing stations are strategically placed throughout the museum at frequently touched areas. We also encourage guests to bring their own hand sanitizer for personal use throughout the museum.