Visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Hours and Location
Wednesday through Sunday 11:30 a.m.–7 p.m.
Holiday Hours: Closed September 6 and December 25, 2021
8th and G Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20004
SAAM is located at 8th and G streets NW, 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.
Planning Your Visit
We ask that all visitors, including those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, follow these safety measures to protect everyone’s health. Visitors who do not adhere to safety policies and guidelines may be asked to leave.
All visitors ages two (2) and older are required to wear a mask while visiting Smithsonian museums and indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status. Face coverings must be worn over the nose and mouth. Face shields or any kind of face covering or mask with an exhalation valve are not permitted.
We encourage visitors to maintain a safe social distance of six feet or more between households or groups.
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.
As a health and safety precaution, we are not offering printed floor plans at this time. To find your way around you may use the museum’s free Wi-Fi to access a digital Smithsonian American Art Museum Map [PDF].
The museum stores are open for in-person shopping, and our stores are always open online!
The Courtyard Café is open from 11:30 a.m. to 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.
Know Before You Go: Guidelines for Visiting
Personal Belongings
We encourage you to limit the number of personal belongings and bags you bring to SAAM and the Renwick Gallery. 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.
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
All visitors ages two (2) and older are required to wear a mask while visiting Smithsonian museums and indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status. Face coverings must be worn over the nose and mouth. Face shields or any kind of face covering or mask with an exhalation valve are not permitted.
Exhibitions at SAAM
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Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea
Ideas about the American West, both in popular culture and in commonly accepted historical narratives, are often based on a past that never was, and fail to take into account important events that actually occurred. The exhibition Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea examines the perspectives of 48 modern and contemporary artists who offer a broader and more inclusive view of this region, which too often has been dominated by romanticized myths and Euro-American historical accounts. -
Welcome Home: A Portrait of East Baltimore, 1975-1980
July 16, 2021 — January 17, 2022Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and G Streets, NW)Welcome Home: A Portrait of East Baltimore, 1975-1980 captures a cross-section of East Baltimore residents and businesses in the 1970s, documenting the community’s history and diversity. These photographs by Elinor Cahn, Joan Clark Netherwood, and Linda Rich were taken as part of a program of photography surveys sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts to celebrate the bicentennial of founding of the United States. -
¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now
May 14, 2021 — August 8, 2021Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and G Streets, NW)In the 1960s, activist Chicano artists forged a remarkable history of printmaking that remains vital today. Many artists came of age during the civil rights, labor, anti-war, feminist and LGBTQ+ movements and channeled the period’s social activism into assertive aesthetic statements that announced a new political and cultural consciousness among people of Mexican descent in the United States. ¡Printing the Revolution! explores the rise of Chicano graphics within these early social movements and the ways in which Chicanx artists since then have advanced innovative printmaking practices attuned to social justice.
Visiting with Young Children
All visitors ages two (2) and older are required to wear a mask while visiting Smithsonian museums and indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
For activities for all ages, see Family Activities. There are elevators and ramps throughout the museum to accommodate strollers. Changing stations are available in all of the museum’s restrooms.
Accessibility
An access ramp is located at the museum’s G Street entrance. All visitors will be directed to enter and exit through this entrance at 8th and G Streets NW. The museum’s F Street entrance is closed. 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.
Service Animals
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. Pets are not permitted.
Aira
SAAM is an Aira access site. Visitors who are blind or low-vision can download the Aira app free of charge onto a smart phone. The Aira app uses the phone’s camera to take in the user’s surroundings, and a live Aira agent will describe the environment, including reading of exhibition labels and instructions. This service is free of charge on the museum premises. Visit Aira Access.
Telephone Numbers
Museum Information (recorded): (202) 633-7970
General Smithsonian Visitor Information: (202) 633-1000
COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that is believed to mainly spread by person-to-person contact. The Smithsonian is doing its part to mitigate transmission, and we ask you, our visitors, to do the same and help us reduce the spread of COVID-19. Despite our best efforts, the risk of contracting COVID-19 could increase by visiting the Smithsonian. By visiting the Smithsonian, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.
The Smithsonian reserves the right to modify its hours of operations, capacity, or visitor guidelines as circumstances require and to deny entry or access to any person who fails to follow these guidelines or whose conduct puts Smithsonian staff, visitors, or property at risk.