Connected by a subterranean tunnel of lights and people movers, the National Gallery of Art includes the classically Washingtonian, Roman-inspired “West Building” and a thoroughly modern I.M. Pei-designed “East Building,” plus a sculpture and fountain garden. In the West, the Gallery explores furniture, photographs, prints, drawings, sculptures, and decorative works that end in the early 1900s, while the East includes both a permanent collection of modern and contemporary art, and revolving exhibition spaces spotlighting paintings, sculptures, photos, media arts, and works on paper. Entirely free, the spaces collectively benefit from five or more hours of exploration time, and could easily consume an entire day including visits to the three on-site cafes and three gift shops, which sell some of the best and most thoughtfully curated souvenirs in all of DC.
National Gallery of Art – DC
Two impressive gallery buildings and a sculpture garden, connected by a tunnel of lights
