Reopening: West Building and Sculpture Garden

Welcome Back!

We are delighted to welcome you back to the National Gallery of Art! The well-being of our visitors and staff is our top priority, and we have adjusted our visitor experience to meet new health and safety guidelines.

Current Hours 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. daily

West Building: OPEN, Select Main Floor galleries, Timed Passes Required
Sculpture Garden: OPEN, No Timed Passes Required
East Building: Currently CLOSED

Free, timed passes are required for entry.

Please note: The National Gallery of Art will be closed to the public on the following dates:

November 26, 2020 (Thanksgiving Day)
December 24, 2020
December 25, 2020 (Christmas Day)
January 1, 2021 (New Year's Day)
January 20, 2021 (Inauguration Day)

Visitor Guidelines and Safety Measures

Free, Timed Passes Required for West Building Entry

Passes are released in one week increments each Monday at 10:00 a.m.
Advanced reservations required for ages 2 and up

Face Coverings Required

All visitors ages 2 and up to Gallery premises, including the Sculpture Garden, must wear a face covering (e.g. mask, bandana-type covering) per CDC guidance.

Practice Social Distancing

Practice social distancing during your visit by staying at least 6 feet from anyone not in your household group. Groups should remain together. Children must stay with adults at all times.

Credit Cards Only

Credit or debit cards are required to purchase food, beverages, or retail items. Cash will not be accepted.

Enhanced Cleaning Measures In Place

The Gallery is conducting enhanced cleanings of high-touch areas, including dining furniture. (Other communal outdoor seating is not included in the enhanced cleaning routine; please use at your discretion.) Hand sanitizer is available throughout the campus.

Stay Home If You Are Sick or Have a Fever

View more of our visitor policies.

Plan Your Visit to the West Building

Main Floor galleries are currently open. The entrance is on the Main Floor at 6th Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW. Exits are at 6th Street NW, 4th Street NW, and the doors facing the National Mall of the Main Floor.

Get Directions

West Building Floorplan

See all open galleries and amenities. Select Main Floor galleries are open, showcasing Italian Renaissance, Dutch and Flemish, French Impressionist, American, British, and Spanish masterpieces.

Espresso & Gelato Bar

The Espresso & Gelato Bar on the Concourse offers a selection of sandwiches, salads, bottled beverages, and coffee beverages.

Gallery Shops

An array of merchandise from the Gallery Shops is available on the Concourse and Ground Floor. A Shops associate is available for assistance in purchasing items seen elsewhere or not on view.

On arrival, visitors will pass through a metal detector. Visitors, as well as their backpacks, coolers, purses, packages, and other containers may be subject to inspection.

Coat check is available at the 6th Street entrance, but we recommend bringing as little as possible. Items larger than 17 × 26 inches (43 × 66 centimeters) are not permitted in the checkrooms or galleries.

A limited number of wheelchairs and strollers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To use them during your visit, please notify Gallery staff upon arrival.

Drinking fountains are turned off, but visitors may bring in water bottles but no other beverages. Glass containers are not permitted.

Plan Your Visit to the Sculpture Garden

Visitor capacity is limited to allow social distancing, and entrance is first come, first served.
Located along Constitution Avenue NW between 7th and 9th Streets NW
The entrance is at 7th Street and Madison Drive NW.

Get Directions

Getting Here

The entrance is at 7th Street and Madison Drive NW. The exit is at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.

Pavilion Café

The Pavilion Café offers indoor and outdoor food service with a selection of prepackaged freshly made sandwiches, salads, and bottled beverages.

Sculpture Garden Tour

Be your own guide and explore our Sculpture Garden tour on your mobile device.

Unless otherwise indicated, please do not touch the art.

Alcoholic beverages brought from outside are prohibited and are subject to confiscation.

Picnics are permitted

The drinking fountains in the Sculpture Garden are turned off, but visitors may bring bottled water.

Do not use skates and skateboards or ride bicycles in the Sculpture Garden. (Walk beside your bicycle or secure it at one of the hitching posts located near the Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive entrances.)

Only service animals are allowed.

Additional Visitor Guidelines and Safety Measures

The National Gallery of Art has implemented enhanced health and safety measures, but we cannot guarantee that any visitor will not contract COVID-19 while on Gallery premises. An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place. Visitors to the Gallery voluntarily assume all risks related to COVID-19 exposure.

All visitors to the District of Columbia must follow Mayor Bowser’s Order 2020-081, which requires travelers to the District of Columbia from certain high-risk areas to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. The information about states requiring quarantine is updated regularly, so please be sure to check prior to planning your visit. We do hope you will be able to visit the Gallery.

Visitors agree to abide by the guidelines on the Gallery’s website and by all instructions posted at the Gallery or provided by staff during the visit. If a visitor or a member of their party fails to follow the Gallery’s guidelines and instructions, they may be denied entry or required to leave the premises.

Each of us plays a role in a successful and safe reopening. Thank you for your patience and commitment to honoring our new safety protocols.

National Gallery of Art