Visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum

This is an image inside the Lincoln Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Address and Hours

SAAM and NPG building

Admission is Always Free

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

Getting Here

Two museums in one historic location. Sharing its space with the National Portrait Gallery,  SAAM is a twenty-five minute walk from the Renwick Gallery, which is near the White House. SAAM is a fifteen minute walk from the Smithsonian Castle on 9th Street NW, directly north of the National Mall.

Public Transit

Access ramps are located on both sides of the 8th and G Streets NW entrance. The museum is above the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail station, which is served by the Green, Yellow, and Red Metro lines.

Parking

There is limited on-street parking at meters; several paid parking garages are available in the neighborhood.

Common FAQs

Frequently asked and answered questions about visiting the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

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

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

SAAM is located at Eighth and G streets NW in the Penn Quarter neighborhood in Washington, DC. The museum is above the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail station, which is served by the Green, Yellow, and Red Metro lines

All on-site public tours are currently suspended. See our calendar of events for upcoming in-person programs.

Read Visitor Guidelines

Accessibility

Learn More

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

Access ramps are located on both sides of the museum’s 8th and G Streets NW entrance. All visitors may 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.  If you are using MetroAccess Paratransit, please use 800 G Street NW as the address for our building. Barrier-free access and restrooms are available. View more information on accessibility at the museums.

Accessible restrooms are located on all floors of SAAM.

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. 

Highlights

Three floors of the Luce Center are shown with crowds of people moving around
Luce Center

The innovative Luce Foundation Center for American Art allows visitors to browse thousands of artworks from SAAM's collection.  

A woman reads in the Kogod Courtyard sitting nearby other visitors
Kogod Courtyard

The glass-enclosed Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard is one of the most magnificent gathering spaces in Washington, DC.

A conservator restores a painting with a paintbrush
Lunder Conservation Center

The Lunder Conservation Center with its floor-to-ceiling glass walls allows visitors to see into the laboratories where conservators preserve artworks.

Current Exhibitions at SAAM

View All Current Exhibitions
Media - 2016.38.43R-V - SAAM-2016.38.43R-V_2 - 126225
We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection
July 1, 2022–March 26, 2023
Smithsonian American Art Museum
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.
Media - 1967.129 - SAAM-1967.129_1 - 65164
Artist to Artist
October 1, 2021–September 3, 2023
Smithsonian American Art Museum
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.
Media - 1970.353.1-.116 - SAAM-1970.353.1-.116_9 - 127238
Galleries for Folk and Self-Taught Art
Temporarily Closed
Smithsonian American Art Museum
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.

Upcoming Events at SAAM

Shopping and Dining

a cheese plate with almonds and olives
Courtyard Café

The light-filled Courtyard Café offers a selection of baked goods, sandwiches, salads, desserts, and beverages. 

A museum store filled with bookshelves and tables of souvenirs
SAAM Store

Visit the SAAM Museum Store for an inspiring array of art-inspired objects and books.  

Support SAAM

Donate

Ensure that American art is available to all with a gift to fund research, exhibitions, and programs at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery. 

Space Rentals

Host your next event at one of our two elegant and dazzling museum venues. Let us make your event unforgettable!