It’s a rare opportunity that I have a chance to walk around DC during the day but when I do visiting museums is a treat. Luckily I got to walk around the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museums which are located in the same building in Chinatown.
Here are a few of my photos from visiting the National Portrait Gallery & American Art Museum in Washington DC.
Visiting the portrait gallery & American art museums is free, making the trip essential if you’re ever near Chinatown. Plus it’s one of my favorite places in DC to photograph.
American Art Museum
One of the most unique exhibits is the “Electronic Superhighway” which consists of wall of TV screens portraying the USA. The one detail I love is DC’s screen shows of a video feed of where you’re standing.
I also love the grand hall on the west side of the building. It’s fun to try to capture it from different angles since you can visit all the floors.
Kogod Courtyard
In the center of the building is the Kogod Courtyard which has a unique wavy grid roof.
It’s a great spot to sit and relax to capture the light coming through the roof.
The floor of the courtyard also has a water feature that you can capture reflections in.
National Portrait Gallery
The museums are full of vintage grand hallways waiting to be explored.
I hope you enjoyed my photos from the National Portrait Gallery / Smithsonian American Art Museum.
The museum is well worth a visit and it’s too far from the National Mall. Since it’s free it’s easy to spend as much time as you’d like exploring the museum.
