Best Museums in Gaithersburg

"The National Gallery of Art is a large campus with two buildings and the 6-acre Sculpture Garden. The museum’s West Building is easily recognizable thanks to its Roman-style architecture, while the East Building is more modern in appearance. You’ll find thousands of paintings, sculptures, photographs, and prints inside the museum, including the only original painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Western Hemisphere."

"National Gallery of Art | The permanent collection compromises of pieces from the Middle Ages to the present day. Highlights include: Rogier van der Weyden, Portrait of a Lady, Leonardo da Vinci, Ginevra de’ Benci, Rembrandt van Rijn, Self-Portrait and Vincent van Gogh, Self-portrait."

"It's easy to spend a full day at the National Gallery of Art, which showcases a whole range of artworks and masterpieces from the 11th century to the... Top ChoiceMonument in National Mall"

"The most popular museum on the mall is packed with exciting exhibits that trace the development of flight from the first Wright Brothers plane to SpaceShipOne, the first private piloted vehicle to reach space. Lots of exhibits are interactive (some even encourage climbing aboard), while sky shows at the Albert Einstein Planetarium and a 5-story high IMAX movie theater add to the attractions. Special family activities are offered regularly, including the chance to look through the museum’s giant telescopes; for young visitors, children’s storytimes and the film, One World One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure, shown free in the Einstein Planetarium on selected days."

"The National Air and Space Museum boasts the world’s largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft, including Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the Wright brothers’ original 1903 flyer, astronaut space suits and a lunar rock sample. In fact, the collection has grown so large that there's a dedicated annex, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Va."

"The National Air and Space Museum contains the world’s largest collection of aviation and space artifacts. The museum was first founded in 1876 and welcomes about eight million people annually. The museum features 23 main exhibition galleries and sits in an ideal location with the Capitol Building just a few blocks away."

"The most popular are the Air and Space Museum, Natural History Museum, and American History Museum. Choose the museum that interests you most and spend a few hours exploring. At the National Air and Space Museum, see the original Wright 1903 Flyer, the "Spirit of St. Louis," and the Apollo 11 command module. At the National Museum of Natural History, take a look at the Hope Diamond and other gems and minerals, examine the massive fossil collection, visit the 23,000-square-foot Ocean Hall, see a life-size replica of a North Atlantic whale and a 1,800-gallon-tank display of coral reef."

"The most visited museum of its kind in the world, the Museum of Natural History features a collection of exhibits and galleries that explore our natural surroundings. Learn about dinosaurs, discover the story of man, the importance of the world’s oceans and view the famous Hope Diamond through the museum’s interactive displays."

"Address: 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20560Phone: (202) 633-1000Website. This top-pick among Smithsonian museums has remained a crowd favorite."

"The Smithsonian American Art Museum shares space with the National Portrait Gallery in a historic Greek Revival building that is one of the oldest public buildings in Washington, D.C. The American Art Museum is home to one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world. More than 7,000 artists are represented in the collection, including major masters such as John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper, Joseph Cornell, Jacob Lawrence, Helen Frankenthaler, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Lee Friedlander, Roy Lichtenstein, Nam June Paik, Irving Penn, Martin Puryear, Robert Rauschenberg and Bill Viola. Be sure to visit the National Portrait Gallery and see the only complete collection of presidential portraits outside of the White House."

"National Mall Open Wednesday-Sunday, 11:30am-7pm Permanent exhibits at the NPG include America's Presidents, the nation's only complete collection of presidential portraits outside of the White House. You can also check out portraits of creative geniuses, from P.T. Barnum to Elvis; and Champions, a mix of legendary figures from the world of sports."

"It houses tens of thousands of pieces, seen by over 2 million visitors a year, within a Greek Revival frame. The gallery’s indoor courtyard is also one of D.C.’s most beautiful interiors."

"Couple in Rock Creek Park - Free Outdoor Activities in Washington, DC. Walk, jog or bike with your love through the rustic expanse of 2,100 acres that comprise Rock Creek Park. The historic park also includes attractions such as Peirce Mill and the Old Stone House, as well as a nature center, riding stables, tennis courts, a golf course, picnic areas and playing fields."

"Take a deep breath in crisp, clear air when you visit Rock Creek Park. It’s one of the most beautiful places to go in Washington, DC, and thanks to careful conservation efforts by the community, it’s also one of the best sites for escaping the smog of the city. Water glides over the rocks in cold, clear streams."

"Rock Creek Park is near the National Zoo, Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens. If you are interested in visiting any or all of these places, it might be worth renting a room in the area and then either driving into DC or taking the Metro. Rock Creek Park is a national park with 1,754 acres to explore."

"With an astounding collection of over 3,000 artworks, The Phillips Collection was the first museum of modern art to open in the United States. This impressive space is home to works by classic masters such as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, alongside Modern marvels Paul Klee, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz, and Ellsworth Kelly. One of the space’s most renowned features is the ‘Rothko Room’ – a separate space designed in collaboration with the artist himself in which visitors may observe four of Rothko’s hypnotic paintings."

"The first Thursday of the month, the country’s earliest museum of modern art hosts a cocktail party with food and live music. The stunning collection of Impressionist and modern artists features works by Cezanne, Matisse and El Greco as well as Picasso and O’Keefe. Couples have been known to pop the question while viewing the collection’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” by Renoir."

"The Phillips Collectionis all about contemporary organic furnishings. Not a single tree is cut while preparing the items from their Origins Collection. The pieces are designed by artists and prepared by artisans from all over the word."

"DC's best mecca of modern art The Hirshhorn is a favorite for fans of modern art and sculpture. Guests can view an exhibition "Art and Commodity in the 1980s," and the mind-bending art of "What Absence is Made Of." Past showcases gave a platform for Ai Weiwei, Yoko Ono, and the insanely popular Infinity Mirrors display. An exhibit on Baselitz will open in June and run through September 2018."

"The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum dedicated to contemporary culture and art. Located near the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum offers tours, a cafe, exhibits, monthly events, and a museum shop for people of all ages and all interests. They also have a storytime event for children (ages 6 and younger) that features book readings, arts, and crafts."

"A cylinder with a hollowed out middle, the Hirshhorn Museum is a visually stunning building from the outside as well as the inside. Its location set amidst a number of more traditional buildings makes it stand out even more. The structure, housing an incredible modern art collection, should be on your list of places to see."

"Duration: 2 to 4 hou. Hillwood was the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post, a pioneering businesswoman, engaged citizen, generous philanthropist, and distinguished collector. As the heir to the Postum Cereal Company, later General Foods, Marjorie (1887-1973) was among the wealthiest women of her time."

"This beautiful museum and estate offers a collection of 18th and 19th century French art and art treasures from Imperial Russia. There are also lovely gardens that should offer a scenic area for kissing. Don't pick the flowers, though!"

"Hillwood Estate is a heritage and decorative arts museum which opened in 1973. It was the former residence of Marjorie Merriweather Post."

"You can be forgiven for assuming that the Heurich House Museum is some grand palace built for long-forgotten aristocracy. Its Victorian-style architecture includes stone archways, wide windows, spire-topped towers and all of the stairs and alcoves that you’d expect from a gothic building. The truth, however, is that the Heurich House Museum was built by a European immigrant in the 1890s."

"This residence-turned-museum is known as the “Brewmaster’s Castle.” It is a lesser-known building that once housed the world’s oldest brewer, known as Christian Heurich. Heurich is recognized as the city’s most successful brewer. During his life, he was D.C.’s second largest landowner and largest non-governmental employer."

"Built from 1892 to 1894, this uniquely intact Victorian mansion was the home of German-American philanthropist and beer magnate Christian Heurich. Considered the world's oldest brewmaster, he ran the Christian Heurich Brewery on the site where the..."