"I love these murals, but when do we enter the museum?" Me. "These are the museum," my friend. And…read morethis is how I've come to enjoy the DC Alley Museum as the best outdoor-only free museum experience that I've ever had! For the past 10 years, Shaw's Blagden Alley has partnered with the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities to transform its building walls into canvases for local artists to showcase their work. The result is an alleyway filled with a cavalcade of murals big and small, that blend in well with the local businesses within said alleyway. While walking through this vast alleyway I saw so many incredible works of art that I lost track, and the photos that I took barely do justice It's an absolute street art lover's dream! The best part is that you can either walk through it in a quick dose, or you can do so while grabbing coffee at La Colombe, a cocktail at Calico or Death & Co, or even a workout at DC Strength and Nutrition. Checking out the website is a must to learn more about the core mural artists and to find out about events like their Alley-Oop Music and Arts Festival.

Murals galore! They are all different and unique and range in size. How fun to just explore various…read morestreets and find unique art at every turn. Sometimes you can't even tell if it's part of the outdoor museum or part of the storefront of a creative restaurant. Definitely worth checking out. There is a coffee shop, bar, restaurants, and other business nestled within this space. We need more art, less arguing!

This should be named eye street lobby because that is exactly what this is. A lobby area inside a…read moregovernment building. They display some local art in their lobby area. It's not worth going out your way to visit. I was disappointed when I arrived.

The 200 I (Eye) Street Galleries is located inside a government building, and its exhibitions are…read morecurated throughout the year by DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (aka, CAH). I was lucky enough to check out their exhibit, 'A Toast to the Boogie: Art in the Name of Funk(adelic)' - this collection showcased a celebration of Parliament Funkadelic, featuring 20+ artist' original artworks, archival works, and memorabilia. I'd love to see what they exhibit next! This gallery is free and open to the public, and there is security off to the side; unless you have an advanced appointment or access, this area is restricted. Metered street parking is available in the area. +free and open to the public! +metered street parking available

We were taking a walk on the Wharf and came unexpectedly to the Titanic Memorial. I used to read…read moreeverything about the Titanic but I was not aware that this memorial was here, dedicated to the men who sacrificed themselves so the women and children of the Titanic would be saved. Just 10 days after the sinking, a group of women formed a committee to raise money for a memorial. This is a quiet corner of DC (the memorial was moved for the Kennedy Center), and a beautiful tribute.

The Titanic Memorial was organized by influential women of the United States to honor the men who…read moregave their lives by giving up their opportunity for seats on lifeboats to women and children aboard the RMS Titanic that sank after collision with an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912. 531 women and children were on board that day, 70% of which were rescued compared to only 20% of men. If you've seen the 1997 movie entitled 'Titanic," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet then you can better understand the cost paid by many men to preserve the lives of many women and children on board the vessel that day. The memorial is located at the far end of The Wharf between the marina and U.S. Army post, Fort McNair. A true concrete park, the grounds has benches and when the weather is nice, it is a place for strollers, joggers, dog walkers, and picnic goers. This area also entertains people migrating from the marina and The Wharf. You'll often find locals pass through here as the memorial is adjacent to multiple mid- and high-rise housing units. The area isn't the most pristine, however, it is a great place to hang out during great weather as it is along the waterfront and is slightly shaded by trees. Historical Fact: this isn't the memorial's original location. The statue once stood at the current site of The Kennedy Center in Northwest DC. When The Kennedy Center was constructed in the 60s, the statue was removed and eventually relocated to its current home on the Southwest Waterfront. I believe the memorial is due for another relocation as it doesn't seem fitting in its current spot and is overshadowed by the commercial development on the Southwest Waterfront.

Really lovely museum and experience. Beautiful exhibits and super interactive as well. Really…read moreenjoyed being able to learn the origins of words. Good for adults and kids alike. Great for people who love books or are just looking for a nice museum. Store was also very adorable and fun! Free tickets no reservation required. Very clean, new building as well. Good signage everywhere.

One of the really best museums and very close to metro stops. Bring your kids, they will have a ton…read moreof fun, so many interactive installations, karaoke room where you can sing together top hits. Museum is free and they work on donations. You do t have to give anything but suggested amount is $15 per person. I think it's a great suggestion for all the things this museum can offer.

What a lovely gallery! There was so much to see. A nice variety of art. I spent most of my time in…read morethe impressionist galleries. It wasn't crowded at all and it was easy to meander from room to room. The Garden Cafe was decent. They need more staff through. They had one person both clearing tables and serving food. She was working quickly but the wait was long.

They should call this the Butts, Boobs, Balls, and Bare Feet museum. With that being said, they…read morehave some other cool art here for sure... Some Da Vinci stuff, modern art (in the east building), statues, furniture, and paintings galore. Every piece is displayed in a way that brings out the colors and life of them. The lighting people here must keep busy. It's amazing how old they are and how good they look, with zero plastic surgery... although I'm sure there's some restoration happening. This sentence fits the "things you can say about art that you can't say about your partner" category. This was probably the most difficult museum to navigate though. There's no clear way to see every room as you'll be going different directions, through different doors, hitting dead ends, and at certain points, going the wrong way even though there's not logical order to exploring. I used the paper map to make sure I saw everything... and it was a lot of work to do so. One thing that was interesting that for people wearing backpacks, the staff made them wear them on the front like they were human kangaroos... which is brilliant as people are F'ing idiots swinging them around without any care in the world if they're going to hit something (they should do this on airplanes too, BTW). So my advice, leave the backpack in the car or the hotel unless you really need all that crap with you. I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this museum or not, but ended up really appreciating the beauty of some of the artwork. Moreso with the Oil Paintings on the 2nd floor of the middle building. And that Da Vinci painting in person... pics don't do it justice. Italians just do it better, I guess...

The Hirshhorn offers a distinct contrast to the National Gallery of Art, and its rotating exhibits…read morehelp keep each visit feeling fresh. Some of the outdoor sculptures were visible, though a few pieces were either being relocated or blocked off. There were not many, so it made for a quick walk around the circular exterior. Upon entering, we went through security, which led into the main lobby where there is also a café. The coffee was both expensive and underwhelming, so I would recommend grabbing a drink elsewhere. The museum has three floors, and I found it easiest to start at the top and work your way down. *Laurie Anderson Four Talks: one of my favorite exhibits. The installation was fully immersive, covering the entire room. The writing and drawings across all four walls really brought the concept together. *Adam Pendleton Love Queen: a visually striking exhibit that transitions into a black and white video. While the artwork itself did not resonate with me as much, the video left both me and other visitors in a quiet, reflective state. *Revolutions Art from the Hirshhorn Collection: more traditional in style and subject matter. I did wish there was more context provided for some of the pieces, especially the sculptures, as a few lacked historical explanation. *Basquiat x Banksy: a more modern collection that reflects themes of racial and class divide. The bold colors and strong perspectives made this one of the more engaging sections. *Big Things For Big Rooms: a bit too literal for my taste, as it largely consisted of oversized objects without much added depth. *Mark Bradford Pickett's Charge: an older but well maintained exhibit. The circular layout of the museum complemented the work nicely. The textures and use of color were particularly compelling. The gift shop offered a wide range of items, including pieces inspired by past exhibitions and collaborations. I especially liked the Basquiat and Banksy merchandise, though it was nice to see representation from other collections as well. Overall, this is an easy museum to explore in one visit. I wish I could have seen the updated sculpture garden, but the rotating exhibits alone make it worth coming back.

This is a pretty cool museum, but they REALLY overhyped the Basquiat x Banksy collaboration. There…read morewas one piece of Banksy art which was a take on a Basquiat piece. The Basquiat collection was also pretty sparse. Mr. Smithsonian should be ashamed. I hope he's looking up and reading this. The museum's upper floors are 2 concentric circles so I'd recommend doing 2 loops around to avoid missing anything. There were displays with videos, lights, paint, and other media. I enjoyed exploring. The sculpture garden was closed when I was there, so I was unable to see anything there. I also don't know what was on the ground floor besides the entrance and the cafe. Seemed like something else should have been there. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It's worth a visit for sure and I enjoyed my time. But I was drawn in by the false hype.

I visited Culture house for a DC FRAY event. It was so beautiful and I honestly loved the space…read more They had a few games outside for patrons to play, the bartender was super sweet and the drinks were pretty good. A bit over priced, but I'm assuming people want to make their money back from Covid. I would love to see an exhibit here or something like that. I feel like it would be such a dope experience. But, I def had fun none the less. Parking was super easy to find and it was a pretty cool turnout. It's an amazing place to take photos. I'd def come again, just for that alone.

Free admission. Parking is located on the street. There is a parking lot behind the building, but…read morenot sure if it's free. This was my 1st time coming here. Always passes thru the building but never been inside. Coming inside, be ready to immerse yourself in art. There is 2 levels inside the building. It's very cool to walk around the different exhibits. Upstairs has this really cool stage with a nice backdrop. The building has a very retro appearance, but the art inside is really diverse with many different art. There is at least 1 staff present inside the building, but they are mostly there to answer any of your questions. If you come here, please know that photography is fine to be taken here. Not sure about private events / photo shoots. If you come here, it takes about an hour to see everything unless you move faster around the exhibits.

I am so glad that this theatre is still in operation…read more Also contains a first rate museum in the basement that includes the gun used to kill Lincoln and a pillow that still has dried blood on it So glad that I went!

The famous for theater has become more of a museum nowadays than an active theater, but it still…read moreholds some performances today. It's the historic theater that Lincoln was shot. There's plenty of memorabilia to Lincoln's life and life back then within the theater. It's a very cool historic site that is worth the ticket to admission! Being in the same room and looking up at the box that Lincoln sat in where he was assassinated was a very interesting and also somber experience !

Came here on Tuesday which is a free day for the museum…read more We wanted to do the highlights tour that begins at 1130. When planning your visit, Tuesday is the only day that you can reserve highlight tour tickets before hand. Every other day is first come first served. We didn't realize this and ended up not getting tickets. Plan ahead! Other than that the museum was great with no issues. The staff were super helpful and friendly during our entire visit. The museum itself was super clean and well maintained! Will return for other exhibits at a separate time.

OUTSTANDING experience!! I truly wish we had an entire day…read moreto explore, but even though our time was cut short, we had a wonderful time. We went during Dead Sea Scrolls... how cool!! Every single employee was friendly, helpful and definitely loved their job. Milk & Honey Cafe was good! Some things were a little expensive but other things were very reasonable. Recommended! Manna Restaurant was delicious, clean & the prices were also a mix of expensive and reasonable. Recommended! Tip: plan for 2-3 days to experience the whole museum thoroughly.

I came here with my two young cousins who are 17 and 12 years old. They loved the museum. It's very…read moreinteractive and they had plenty of ways to keep kids engaged. For instance, everyone comes in with a disguise, which was fun. We also checked out another new exhibit where you had to find all the animals in a photo and was about camouflage and disguise. With the right group, I would definitely come back here again

Never met a museum we didn't like and the Spy Museum delivers…read more We had a private tour and the docent(s) were 5*. Be prepared to spend many hours here, it's that big and detailed.