National Gallery Nights: What You Need to Know

Follow these tips to make the most of your National Gallery Nights experience.

Tips

  • Join the lottery and reserve free passes.

    Free registration is required to get into the East Building. Join the lottery for registration the week before the event; we’ll let you know the Friday before if you’re selected to register. You can reserve up to two passes.

     

    Don’t have a pass? Get to the East Building by 5:30 p.m. the night of the event to claim a limited number of walk-up passes available first-come, first-served. 

  • Dress up!

    There's no dress code for National Gallery Nights, but you can have fun interpreting the evening’s theme. If you’re dressing in costume, please leave any large accessories, greater than 17" x 26", and full-cover facemasks at home; these are not allowed inside our buildings.

  • Read the map.

    When you arrive, grab a printed map and see where pop-up activities, bars, and other experiences are located. There’s so much to see and do—and be sure to note special performance times if that’s on your list.

  • Take a culinary tour.

    Pop-up bars are located inside the building. Our Cascade Café and our Espresso & Gelato Bar on the Concourse have a larger menu. Complimentary water is available on the Ground Floor, near the Library entrance. 

Schedule

American Icons
September 10, 2026

Ongoing
Roof Terrace

Ongoing / Terrace Café
Snacks & Drinks
 

6:45, 7:30 & 8:15 p.m. / Gallery E214
Art Talk: Guadalupe Maravilla
Reflect on how the artist connects to the idea of a homeland with senior educator Liz Diament. 

Ongoing / Gallery E214
Exhibition: Homelands
What does it mean to have a “homeland” when it’s shaped by movement, memory, and change? Modern and contemporary artists use their own experiences and United States history to explore how people relate to place.

Ongoing
Snacks & Drinks
 

7:00, 7:45 & 8:30 p.m. / Library 
Art Talk: Reimagining America by Design
Gabi Maldonado, cocurator of this In the Library exhibition and student at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design (George Washington University), shares her experience researching the Index of American Design. The exhibition presents student discoveries and peeks behind the curtain at their methods. 


7:00, 7:45 & 8:30 p.m. / Gallery E106 
Art Talk: Rockwell Kent
Explore the American landscape in Kent’s Adirondacks with curatorial assistant Emily Wehby. 


Ongoing / Atrium
DJ RBI
Groove with us to his high-energy blend of iconic music! 

Ongoing / Atrium 
Artmaking: Collaborative Mural Frames
Choose a frame designed by local artist Trap Bob, and use it to create a scene inspired by the people, places, and symbols that tell your story. Then meet Trap Bob on the Concourse to add your frame to the collaborative mural.

Ongoing / Library
Exhibition: Reimagining America by Design 
See the Great Depression–era Index of American Design through the eyes of today’s college students.

Ongoing / Library
Browse the Library & Archives 
Explore American art and memory through Library resources and chat with Archives staff about National Gallery history.
 

6:30, 7:15 & 8:00 p.m. / Gallery E28 
Art Talk: Dorothea Lange
Join senior educator Nathalie Ryan to examine how this photographer captured a poignant moment in American history.

6:45, 7:30 & 8:15 p.m. / Auditorium
Performance: Big Cricket String Band
This five-piece band from Baltimore brings irreverent, traditional Appalachian music to the stage. Don’t miss their raucous, rollicking energy!

7:00, 7:30, 8:00 & 8:30 p.m. / Small Auditorium   
Trivia: American Icons
Test your knowledge and win prizes.

Ongoing
Collaborative Mural
Meet local artist Trap Bob, choose a frame she designed, and use it to create a scene inspired by the people, places, and symbols that tell your story. Then add your frame to the collaborative mural.

Ongoing
Exhibition: American Icon: The US Flag in Art
Across generations, the Stars and Stripes has inspired pride, protest, and profound artistic expression. From battlefields to modern cultural movements, our flag's journey through art reveals a nation constantly redefining itself.
 

Ongoing / Cascade Café 
Artmaking: Paper Portraits
Make a paper self-portrait that highlights your most iconic traits. 

Ongoing / Cascade Café 
Food & Drinks
 

Menus

Find complimentary water on the Ground Floor, near the Library entrance.

Snacks

Assorted Chips (V) $3.00
Assorted cookies $4.75

Drinks

Bottled water $4.35
Assorted La Croix $4.35
Sprite $4.35
Beer $8.85
Wine $11.85
High Noon hard seltzer $11.85
Absolut Ocean Spray $11.85
Malibu cocktail $11.85

Liberty lemonade specialty cocktail/mocktail* $13.00/$10.00

*Available only at our bars on the Concourse and the Mezzanine.

 

Snacks

Assorted cookies $4.75 
New Orleans salted beignet, powdered sugar $9.00 
Gelato, single/double scoop (VG, GF available) $7.20/$12.20 
 

Drinks

Bottled water $4.35  
La Croix $4.35  
Sprite $4.35  
Beer $8.85 
Wine $11.85 
High Noon hard seltzer $11.85  
Absolut Ocean Spray $11.85 
Malibu cocktail $11.85 

 

Grill Station

Seasoned French fries (VG, GF) $6.85
Pickle fries, ranch dressing (V) $7.50
Hand-crafted burger $10.15
Hand-crafted cheeseburger $11.50
Grilled chicken sandwich $11.50
Falafel sandwich (VG, DF) $12.00
Chicken tender basket with French fries $13.00
Nashville hot chicken sandwich with French fries $14.00

 

Pizza & Mains Station

Formaggio pizza slice (V) $7.85
Pepperoni pizza slice $9.50
Ratatouille pizza slice (V) $9.00
Panko-crusted baked mac and cheese (V) $9.00
Wisconsin cheese curds, marinara sauce (V) $9.00
St. Louis toasted cheese ravioli, marinara sauce (V) $11.00
New Orleans salted beignet, powdered sugar (V) $9.00

 

Salad Station

Texas BBQ brisket sandwich, coleslaw $14.00

Please enjoy all food within the Cascade Café.

V: Vegetarian 
VG: Vegan 
GF: Gluten free