Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Museum

Address: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Ave & 7th St SW, Washington, DC 20560, USA

Website: https://hirshhorn.si.edu/

Hours: Tue-Sun 10am-5:30pm, closed Mondays (check site for special hours)

Admission: Free (Smithsonian museum)

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is a Smithsonian Institution museum in Washington, D.C., devoted to modern and contemporary art. The site combines an indoor museum building with an outdoor sculpture garden on the National Mall.

The museum’s cylindrical gallery building houses changing exhibitions, installations and works from its permanent collection, while the adjacent Sculpture Garden displays outdoor works set in a landscaped plaza. The institution emphasizes contemporary sculpture, installation art and experimental media.

Founded through the gift of collector Joseph H. Hirshhorn, the museum serves as a national center for modern art exhibitions and research and has hosted numerous major temporary shows and commissions.

The museum sits on the National Mall near the southeast section of the Mall, within walking distance of other Smithsonian museums and federal landmarks.

• Collection focus: The museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution and specializes in modern and contemporary art, including rotating temporary exhibitions and a permanent collection.

What to See#

• Main museum building: The Hirshhorn’s circular main building, a distinctive concrete cylinder that contains rotating galleries of modern and contemporary art.
• Sculpture Garden: The adjacent Sculpture Garden on the National Mall that displays outdoor works and site-specific installations in a landscaped setting.

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Independence Avenue near 7th Street SW. Take the Washington Metro to Smithsonian station (Blue/Orange/Silver lines) or L’Enfant Plaza (multiple lines) and walk about 5-10 minutes across the Mall to the museum.

• Admission to the Hirshhorn and its Sculpture Garden is free (part of the Smithsonian); visiting on a weekday morning minimizes crowds.
• Don't skip the outdoor Sculpture Garden on the Mall-its works and layout are often less busy than the galleries and are accessible directly from the Mall walkway.
• Check the museum's website before you go for temporary installations or evening programs that can change the flow and crowding inside the cylindrical building.