Arts & Culture
1
The National Gallery of Art, the United States’ national art museum on the National Mall, was established in 1937 after Congress accepted Andrew W. Mellon’s art collection and funds for a public museum. Built on the former site of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, it opened its neoclassical West Building in 1941 and expanded with I. M. Pei’s modern East Building in 1978 and a Sculpture Garden in 1999. Its collections, strengthened by major private gifts, span Western art from the Middle Ages to the present. With free admission, worldwide exhibitions, and nearly 4 million visitors in 2024, it ranks among the nation’s most visited art museums.
Hear stories like this as you drive
ExploreHere reads historical markers out loud as you pass them: over 325,000 stories across the US. No account needed.
4.7 · 800+ ratings · Free
FIND IT
Washington, District of Columbia · United States
