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

Monster Mash
October 8, 2026

Ongoing
Roof Terrace

 

6:30, 7:15 & 8:00 p.m. / Gallery E404
Art Talk: Christo
Join digital content writer Annie Yi to explore Christo’s Yellow Store Front, a wrapped, life-sized commercial building facade.  

Ongoing / Terrace Café
Snacks & Drinks

 

6:45, 7:30 & 8:15 p.m. / Gallery E214
Art Talk: Hank Willis Thomas
How does Thomas connect to the idea of a homeland? Join interpretation project manager Mel Harper for a discussion. 

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
Play Color Catch on Roblox
Dash through worlds inspired by our artworks in this interactive game of chase—now on the world’s largest gaming platform! Will you protect the National Gallery as a guard? Or will you join the Color Catchers on their mission to capture all the colors in our museum?

Ongoing
Snacks & Drinks

 

7:00, 7:45 & 8:30 p.m. / Library 
Art Talk: Spooky Selections 
Celebrate spooky season with research and program librarian Anne Smith.  

7:00, 7:45 & 8:30 p.m. / Gallery E103
Art Talk: Amedeo Modigliani
Come face to face with the blank, staring eyes of Modigliani’s portraits during a talk led by digital content producer Isabella Bulkeley.

Ongoing / Atrium
DJ Shannel B. 
Dance to her spellbinding mix of thrilling favorites. It’s sure to raise the dead.  

Ongoing / Atrium 
Artmaking: Spooky Still Lifes
Draw what you see—or what you imagine lurking within. Use curious objects and extravagant florals to create a haunting still life. 

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
Our staff invite you to discover what lurks in the stacks.  

 

6:45, 7:30 & 8:15 p.m. / Auditorium
Performance: Oh He Dead
Discover the powerful vocals and sublime instrumentation of this local rock n’ soul band. Their infectious blend of R&B, funk, folk, and modern indie rock is sure to put you in a trance! 

7:00, 7:30, 8:00 & 8:30 p.m. / Small Auditorium   
Trivia: Monster Mash
Team up with your fellow creatures of the night and compete to win prizes. 

Ongoing
Photo Booths
Summon your best Halloween spirit and take home a memento of all the frightful fun. 

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: Make a Mask
Design a mask with wild shapes, weird textures, and fantastical features. Unleash your imagination, and wear your one-of-a-kind creation into the night! 

Ongoing / Cascade Café 
Food & Drinks
 

Menus

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

Snacks

Assorted chips $3.00 
Midnight magic cookie $6.00 

Drinks

Canned water $5.00 
Assorted La Croix $4.35 
Sprite $4.35 
Beer and cider $8.85 
Wine $11.85 
High Noon hard seltzer $11.85 
Absolut Ocean Spray $11.85 
Malibu cocktail $11.85  

Witches’ brew specialty cocktail/mocktail* (Vodka/Sprite, simple syrup, fresh lime) $13.00/$10.00  

*Available only at our bars in the Link and on the Mezzanine. 

 

Snacks

 Midnight magic cookie $6.00 
Pumpkin gelato, single/double scoop $7.20/$12.20  
Gelato, other flavors, single/double scoop (VG, GF available) $7.20/$12.20 
 

Drinks

Bottled water $4.35 
Canned water $5.00   
Assorted La Croix $4.35   
Sprite $4.35   
Beer and Cider $8.85  
Wine $11.85  
High Noon hard seltzer $11.85   
Absolut Ocean Spray $11.85  
Malibu cocktail $11.85  

Please enjoy all food and drinks within the Cascade Café. 

 

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 
Little Monster sliders $13.00 
Mummy dogs $8.00 

 

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 G
Green mac & cheese (V) $7.00 

 

Please enjoy all food within the Cascade Café.

V: Vegetarian 
VG: Vegan 
GF: Gluten free
DF: Dairy Free