iNational Museum of Asian Art
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art brings together two connected buildings on the National Mall: the Freer Gallery of Art, opened in 1923 in a pink-granite Italian Renaissance palazzo by Charles A. Platt, and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, opened in 1987 and reached underground. Together they hold some 45,000 objects spanning Neolithic jades, Chinese and Japanese painting, Korean ceramics, Islamic manuscripts and South Asian sculpture. The Freer also keeps the world's largest collection of works by James McNeill Whistler, including his shimmering blue-and-gold Peacock Room, installed permanently and never lent. Admission is always free and no tickets are needed.
More in Washington, DC
What's On
Do Ho Suh: Public Figures
On the Freer plaza facing the National Mall, a monumental empty plinth held aloft by hundreds of small striding figures, questioning who monuments are for.
Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun
The Uzbek artist's first major US solo show: video works and photographs tracing Central Asia's landscapes, oral histories and Soviet-era ruins.
A Museum in the Making
How Charles Lang Freer used his Detroit home as a proving ground for what became the first national art museum of the United States.
From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art
Twenty-six Islamic masterpieces from the Louvre, from Spain to India and the 7th to 19th centuries, including the Mamluk basin known as the Baptistery of Saint Louis.
Adorned in Gold: Japanese Lacquer from the Jacqueline Avant Collection
Edo-period maki-e lacquer from the collection of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant: gold-on-black hairpins, combs, boxes and a princess's litter.
Permanent Collections
Beyond Rumi: Sufi Art and Practice
An ongoing display looking past the popular image of Rumi to the wider visual and devotional culture of Sufism across the Islamic world.
The Peacock Room in Blue and White
Whistler's greatest interior, its blue-green-and-gold peacocks filling the room, re-hung with the Kangxi-period Chinese blue-and-white porcelain it was designed to frame.
Japanese Art from the Collection
A rotating display drawn from the Freer's Japanese holdings, from folding screens and ink painting to Buddhist sculpture, ceramics and lacquer.
The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room
An immersive shrine of more than 250 bronzes, thangkas, silk hangings and ritual objects from Alice S. Kandell's gift, lit like butter lamps and filled with monastic chant.
Plan Your Visit
Getting there
1050 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20560, United States
Nearest station: Smithsonian (Metro, Blue/Orange/Silver lines) - steps from the museum, L'Enfant Plaza (Metro, Blue/Orange/Silver/Green/Yellow lines) and Federal Center SW (Metro, Blue/Orange/Silver lines)
Show on mapHours
| Mon | 10:00–17:30 |
| Tue | 10:00–17:30 |
| Wed | 10:00–17:30 |
| Thu | 10:00–17:30 |
| Fri | 10:00–17:30 |
| SatToday | 10:00–17:30 |
| Sun | 10:00–17:30 |
Admission
Free
Always free. No tickets needed for entry.
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Visitor Information
- Is National Museum of Asian Art free to visit?
- Yes, general admission to National Museum of Asian Art is free. Always free. No tickets needed for entry.. Some special exhibitions may charge a separate ticket, so check the museum's website before visiting.
- What are the opening hours of National Museum of Asian Art?
- National Museum of Asian Art is open Open daily 10am-5:30pm. Closed 25 December.. Holiday hours can vary, so check the museum's website before you go.
- Where is National Museum of Asian Art?
- National Museum of Asian Art is located at 1050 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20560, United States, in the National Mall area of Washington, DC. The nearest stations are Smithsonian (Metro, Blue/Orange/Silver lines) - steps from the museum, L'Enfant Plaza (Metro, Blue/Orange/Silver/Green/Yellow lines) and Federal Center SW (Metro, Blue/Orange/Silver lines).
- What can I see at National Museum of Asian Art?
- Whistler's gilded Peacock Room and 45,000 works of Asian art, free to all, in twin Smithsonian galleries on the National Mall. Current highlights include Beyond Rumi: Sufi Art and Practice, Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun and The Peacock Room in Blue and White.
- Do I need to book National Museum of Asian Art in advance?
- National Museum of Asian Art is free to enter and most days you can walk in. Always free. No tickets needed for entry.. For special exhibitions, weekends, and school holidays, booking a timed slot can help you skip queues. Check the museum's website for current requirements.
- When is the best time to visit National Museum of Asian Art?
- Weekday mornings shortly after opening are typically the quietest, especially mid-week. Late afternoons can also be calmer. Weekends, school holidays, and the lunch rush are the busiest periods.
Image credits
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- National Museum of Asian ArtDifference engine, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Peacock Room in Blue and WhiteFreer Gallery of Art, via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
- Japanese Art from the CollectionFreer Gallery of Art, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- A Museum in the MakingAndrew Jameson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
- From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic ArtCourtesy of National Museum of Asian Art
- The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine RoomDaderot / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture GardenGryffindor, via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
- National Museum of Natural Historyajay_suresh via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
- National Museum of American HistoryCarol M. Highsmith / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
- International Spy MuseumFarragutful, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0