happyly approved

The National Portrait Gallery

8th St and F St NW, Washington, DC 20001

11:30am - 7pm daily

$

indoor-activities, museums

The National Portrait Gallery has more kid-friendly activities than one would think. 

At first glance, the National Portrait Gallery, which is located slightly off The Mall in the Chinatown/Penn Quarter neighborhood, may not seem like a kid-friendly museum option. Trust us! This museum has so much to offer for a fun family outing.  This museum tends to be less crowded than many of the other Smithsonian institutions, in part because of its location.  

For new walkers, it can be a great place to practice those steps down corridors and across the Kogod Courtyard.  Located on the ground level, the Kogod Courtyard houses a café and is a nice place to take a break and let your kids stretch their legs under the beautiful glass-canopy. While the museum mainly houses portraiture art, if you head to the third floor, there are some interesting and visually arresting sculptures and three-dimensional pieces that can capture the imagination of kids.  The museum also houses the nation's only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House, which may be interesting for older children learning about U.S. history.  

For hands-on fun, the museum offers an Open Studio for budding artists on Fridays from 1 pm to 5 pm (not in session June 28th to August 30th), where the museum provides all of the materials for your child to create an original artwork inspired by the museum’s collection. We have found that this activity is usually geared towards older children ages 7 and up, but the docent on hand was happy to adjust the project to my four year old’s abilities.  

The other activity we have really enjoyed (available on the weekends only) is the Portrait Discovery Kits, which can be checked out from the Education Center. The Discovery Kits include “Historian Guides,” “Seek and Find” cards, and a “Compare and Contrast” activity and are appropriate for kids ages 4-14.  Finally, the museum also offers storytime for families in its Explore! Family Space and Portrait Story Days in the Education Center – check the website’s “For Families” page for dates and times.

For a casual meal or to grab a bite to go Shake Shack F Street and Jetties Penn Quarter are a short walk from the museum, and to sit down The Hamilton is a great spot. If a sweet treat is what you seek, make your way over to Rita's Italian Ices and Frozen Custard just a few minutes away!

 

Features

Restrooms Good for young kids Good for older kids Admission Free Has Food
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