Visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Hours and Location
Open Daily 11:30 A.M.–7:00 P.M.
Open 364 days a year. Closed December 25.
Free Admission
8th and F Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Planning Your Visit
SAAM is located at Eighth and F streets N.W., above the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail station and is accessible from Green, Yellow, and Red metro lines. At SAAM, ramps are located on both sides of the 8th and G Streets NW entrance.
There is limited on-street parking at meters; several paid parking garages are available in the neighborhood.
Exhibitions at SAAM
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American Myth & Memory: David Levinthal Photographs
June 7, 2019 — October 14, 2019Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, NW)Populated with toy cowboys and cavalry, Barbie dolls and baseball players, David Levinthal’s photographs reference iconic images and events that shaped postwar American society. Despite their playful veneer, Levinthal’s images provide a lens through which to examine the myths and stereotypes lurking within our most beloved pastimes and enduring heroes. In doing so, Levinthal encourages us to consider the stories we tell about ourselves—what it means to be strong, beautiful, masculine, feminine, and ultimately, American.
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Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975
March 15, 2019–August 18, 2019Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, NW)Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975 makes vivid an era in which artists endeavored to respond to the turbulent times and openly questioned issues central to American civic life.
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Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past Is Prologue
March 15, 2019–September 2, 2019Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, NW)Through maps, videos, and paintings that highlight the voices and stories of former Vietnamese refugees, Tiffany Chung probes the legacies of the Vietnam War and its aftermath. -
Sculpture Down to Scale: Models for Public Art at Federal Buildings, 1974–1985
May 31, 2019 - June 6, 2020Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, NW)Artists used preliminary models—or maquettes—to communicate their ideas. Varied in scale, format, and level of finish, the nine models in this exhibition offer windows into the creative process, with work by Jackie Ferrara, Sol LeWitt, Claes Oldenburg, and Beverly Pepper, among others.
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Galleries for Folk and Self-Taught Art
On View IndefinitelySmithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, NW)SAAM’s collection of folk and self-taught art represents the powerful vision of America’s untrained and vernacular artists. Represented in the museum’s collection are pieces that draw on tradition—such as quilts—as well as artworks that reveal a more personal vision.
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Direct Carving
On View IndefinitelySmithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, NW)Spontaneous! Truthful! Liberating! Direct carvers often used such words to describe their unconventional method of sculpting, in which an artist works directly on a piece of stone or wood as opposed to with a model, cast, or preconceived design.
Today's Events
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Smithsonian American Art Museum Special Exhibitions Highlights Tour
Friday, July 19, 2019, 4 – 5pm EDTFree; walk-in
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Smithsonian American Art Museum Highlights Tour
Saturday, July 20, 2019, 12:30 – 1:30pm EDTFree; walk-in
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Visiting with Young Children
For activities for all ages, see Family Activities. There are elevators and ramps throughout the museum to accomodate strollers. Changing stations are available in all of the museum’s restrooms.
The museum café has a limited children’s menu. The museum store has a variety of educational toys, children’s books, and supplies for young artists.
Accessibility
Barrier-free access and restrooms are available at both buildings. At SAAM, ramps are located on both sides of the 8th and G Streets NW entrance. Service animals are welcome. The Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium contains wheelchair spaces available during performances and lectures, and the auditorium is equipped with an induction hearing loop and T-coil infrared assistive listening system. If you are using MetroAccess Paratransit, please use 800 G Street NW as the address for our building. More information on accessibility at the museums
Telephone Numbers
Museum Information (recorded): (202) 633-7970
General Smithsonian Visitor Information: (202) 633-1000
