Museums

MUSEUMS

OPENING

National Museum of American History

14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. 202/357-2700.

• “The Beatles! Backstage and Behind the Scenes.” Jan. 16-June 16.

Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture

1901 Fort Place SE. 202/287-3306.

• “Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats.” Through Feb. 29.

Baltimore Museum of Art

Art Museum Drive, off the 3100 block of North Charles Street, Baltimore. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday, major holidays. $5-$7. Free on the first Thursday (open until 8 p.m.) of every month. 410/396-7100.

• “Haunting Visions of Poe: Illustrations by Manet, Matisse and Gaugin.” Through Jan. 11.

• “A Grand Legacy: Five Centuries of European Art.” Permanent wing reopens Jan. 12.

The Bead Museum

400 Seventh St. NW. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday; noon-5 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday. 202/624-4500

• “Naga Tribal Adornment: Signature of Status and Self.” Through Aug. 29.

City Museum of Washington

801 K St. NW. New museum dedicated to the history of the District. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. third Thursday of every month. Library 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. $5-$7. 202/383-1800. Metro: Gallery Place-Chinatown or Mount Vernon Square.

• “From Sandlots to Stadiums: A History of Sports in D.C.” Through 2004.

• “Images from the Albert Small Collection.” Through 2004.

• “Washington Perspectives.” Permanent exhibit.

• “Washington Stories.” Permanent multimedia show.

Corcoran Gallery of Art

17th Street and New York Avenue NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, until 9 p.m. Thursday. Closed Tuesday. $3-$5, $8 family; free after 5 p.m. Thursday. Metro: Farragut West. 202/639-1700.

• “The Impressionist Tradition in America.” Through late March.

• “Atomic Time: Pure Science and Seduction.” Through Jan. 26.

Decatur House

748 Jackson Place NW. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; noon-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed holidays. $2.50-$4. 202/842-0920.

• Tours of the 1819 house, which once belonged to naval war hero Commodore Stephen Decatur.

Department of the Interior Museum

1849 C St. NW. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday except holidays; 1-4 p.m. the third Saturday of each month. 202/208-4743.

• “American Indian Sculpture Garden.” On permanent display.

Drug Enforcement Administration Museum

700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. 202/307-3463.

• “Illegal Drugs in America: A Modern History.” On permanent display.

Dumbarton House

2715 Q St. NW. Headquarters of the Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Guided tours 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday except holidays. 202/337-2288.

• American furniture and decorative and fine arts of the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Fells Point Maritime Museum

1724 Thames St., Baltimore. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Monday. $4, $3 for students, children and seniors, free for children 12 and under. 410/732-0278.

Fire Museum of Maryland

1301 York Road, Lutherville, Md. 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Weekday tours by appointment. Closed holidays. $3, discounts for firefighters, seniors and children. 410/321-7500.

• Hand-drawn, horse-drawn and self-propelled fire trucks.

Frederick Douglass Historic Site

1411 W St. SE. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except holidays. 202/426-5961.

• Guided tours of the first and second floors. $3.

Freer Gallery of Art

Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Closed holidays. Metro: Smithsonian. 202/357-2700.

• “Mr. Whistler’s Galleries: Avant-Garde in Victorian London.” Through April 4.

• “Guardians of the Law: Chinese Luohan Painting.” Through May 3.

• “The Religious Art of Japan.” Through Dec. 12, 2004.

• “Whistler’s Greatest Etchings: The 1889 Amsterdam Set.” Through Feb. 1.

Hillwood Museum and Gardens

4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday by reservation. ID required. Reservation deposit of $5-$10 will be refunded (or can be donated) after visit. 202/686-8500.

• Revitalized estate of visionary collector, philanthropist and businesswoman Marjorie Merriweather Post, reopened after three-year renovation. Most comprehensive collections of 18th- and 19th-century Russian imperial art outside Russia and 18th-century French decorative arts.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Metro: L’Enfant Plaza. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Closed holidays. Free walk-in tours noon Monday-Friday; noon-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 202/357-2700.

• First Friday Talks. 12:30 p.m. Meet at the information desk.

International Spy Museum

800 F St. NW. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. $10-$13. Tickets available through Ticketmaster. 202/393-7798.

• Museum dedicated to espionage.

Kreeger Museum

2401 Foxhall Road NW. Guided tours 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday except holidays. $5 suggested donation, reservations required. 202/338-3552.

• Permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century paintings and sculptures.

Library of Congress

First Street and Independence Avenue SE. 202/707-4604.

Madison Gallery, Madison Foyer and Current Events Corridor, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Thomas Jefferson Building exhibition area, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Other exhibition areas, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Closed Sunday and holidays. Metro: Capitol South.

• Public tours. 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Group tours available upon request.

Lyceum

201 S. Washington St., Alexandria. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed holidays. 703/838-4994.

• “Building a Community: Alexandria Past to Present.” On permanent display.

Marine Corps Museum

Marine Corps Historical Center, Navy Yard, Ninth and M streets SE. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; noon-5 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday and holidays. Metro: Navy Yard. 202/433-3267.

National Postal Museum

2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily except Christmas. Metro: Union Station. 202/357-2700.

• “The Art of the Stamp.” Through February.

Maryland Science Center

Light Street and Key Highway at the Inner Harbor, Baltimore. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday. Closed holidays. Imax Theater and exhibits. $12-$15.50. 410/685-5225.

• Imax: “The Lion King,” “The Human Body,” “Bears,” “Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man,” “Space Station 3-D,” “Journey Into Amazing Caves,” “Ghosts of the Abyss.” Call for times.

• Planetarium shows: “The Sky Live,” “Live From the Sun,” “Star Bazaar” and “The Sky Above Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Call for times.

• “Dino Digs.” A simulated dig with real dinosaur fossils and the footprint of a sauropod.

• “Outer Space Place.” More than 20 original hands- and minds-on activities, videos, thermal imaging, 3-D models and high-resolution images from the land beyond.

Meridian International Center

1624 Crescent Place NW. 202/939-5568. 2-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday except holidays.

• “Cuba Oriente: Contemporary Painting from Eastern Cuba.” Through Jan. 18.

Montpelier

11407 Constitution Highway, Montpelier Station, Va. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily except holidays. 540/672-2728.

• “Discovering Madison.” Video, audio tour, photographs and more about James Madison’s life. Continues indefinitely.

National Air and Space Museum

Independence Avenue and Sixth Street SW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Closed Dec. 25. Metro: L’Enfant Plaza. 202/357-2700. Imax theater schedule: 202/357-1686.

• Lockheed Martin Imax shows: “Space Station 3-D,” 11:10 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:55 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. daily; “To Fly,” 1:15 p.m. daily; “Straight Up: Helicopters in Action,” 10:15 a.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. daily. $6-$7.50.

• “Voyage: A Journey Through Our Solar System.” Outdoor exhibition model. Running indefinitely.

• “The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age.” Continues indefinitely.

National Building Museum

401 F St. NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day. Metro: Judiciary Square. 202/272-2448.

• “Rowhouse Redux: Washington Architects Renew City Living.” Through Jan. 18.

• “Masonry Variations.” Through April 4.

• “Elevators, Escalators and Moving Sidewalks.” Through April 18.

National Firearms Museum

11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax. 703/267-1600. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily; closed holidays.

• The largest firearms collection in the country includes rare weapons and firearms of famous people.

National Gallery of Art

Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Closed Christmas and New Year’s Day. Metro: Judiciary Square or Archives-Navy Memorial. 202/737-4215.

• “Colorful Impressions: The Printmaking Revolution in Eighteenth-Century France.” Through Feb. 16.

• “Picasso: The Cubist Portraits of Fernande Olivier.” Through Jan. 18.

• “The Age of Watteau, Chardin and Fragonard: Masterpieces of the French Genre Painting.” Through Jan. 11.

• National Gallery Sculpture Garden. Garden of canopy trees, flowering trees, shrubs, ground cover and perennials contains the works of Alexander Archipenko, Joan Miro, Isamu Noguchi, more. Open all year.

National Geographic Society

17th and M streets NW. Metro: Farragut North. Explorers Hall open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. 202/857-7588.

National Guard Memorial Museum

1 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free. 202/789-0031.

• The nation’s only museum devoted to the National Guard.

National Museum of American History

14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. 202/357-2700.

• “America on the Move.” Runs indefinitely.

• “Bon Appetit! Julia Child’s Kitchen at the Smithsonian.” Runs indefinitely.

• “History in the News: Ensuring the Safety of Millions.” Runs indefinitely.

• “Disability Rights Movement.” Pen President George H.W. Bush used to sign Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, one of first ultralight wheelchairs, other objects examining the history of the movement in America. Running indefinitely.

• “Communities in a Changing Nation: The Promise of 19th-Century America.” Objects and photos depicting 19th-century factory workers in Bridgeport, Conn., Jewish immigrants in Cincinnati and blacks in the South Carolina Low Country region around Charleston. On permanent display.

• “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.” Nearly 1,000 objects related to the presidents. Runs indefinitely.

National Museum of the American Indian

Heye Center, on the Mall between Third and Fourth streets SW. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 202/287-2020.

• Visitor center with information on design and exhibits for the museum scheduled to open Sept. 21

• “Legends of Our Times: Native Ranching and Rodeo Life on the Plains and the Plateau.” Through March 7.

National Museum of Civil War Medicine

48 E. Patrick St., Frederick. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. $4.50-$6.50. 301/695-1864.

• Exhibits focusing on all aspects of Civil War medicine: The story of care, healing and devotion during the conflict.

• “The Art of Embalming the Dead During the American Civil War.” New permanent exhibit.

• “To Bind up the Nation’s Wounds.” Civil War medicine as told through artifacts, photographs, illustrations, tools, specimens and first-person accounts. On permanent display.

National Museum of Health and Medicine

Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Ave. NW. 202/782-2200. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily.

• “Human Body, Human Being.” Medical artifacts and anatomy displays on the body and illness. Runs indefinitely.

National Museum of Natural History

10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. daily through summer; occasional closings at 5:30 p.m. Metro: Federal Triangle. 202/357-2700.

• “The Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals.” On permanent display.

• “Looking Both Ways: Heritage and Identity of the Alutiiq People.” Through Jan. 9.

• Samuel Johnson Imax Theater: “Bugs (3-D),” 10:20 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 3:10 p.m. daily; “T-Rex (3-D): Back to the Cretaceous,” 11:15 a.m., 1:10 p.m., 2:10 p.m., 4:05 p.m. and 5 p.m. daily; “Pulse: A STOMP Odyssey,” 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. daily; “Cirque du Soleil (3-D),” 7 p.m. daily.

• Imax and Jazz Cafe. 5:30-10 p.m. Friday.

• “El Nino’s Powerful Reach.” Running indefinitely.

• “Burgess Shale: Evolution’s Big Bang.” Through March 7.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

New York Avenue and 13th Street NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Metro: Metro Center. $3-$5. Free first Sunday and Wednesday. 202/783-5000.

• “Passionate Observer: Photographs by Eudora Welty.” Through Feb. 29.

• “Enterprising Women: 250 Years of American Business.” Through Feb. 29.

National Portrait Gallery

Eighth and F streets NW. 202/357-2700.

• Closed for renovations.

Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center

Pennsylvania Avenue NW between Seventh and Ninth streets. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed holidays. Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial. 202/737-2300.

• Free screenings of the film “At Sea” at various times during the week.

Navy Museum

Building 76, Washington Navy Yard, Ninth and M streets SE. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Metro: Navy Yard. 202/433-4882.

• Open only by appointment.

• “In Harm’s Way: The U.S. Navy in World War II.” Running indefinitely.

• “Korea 1950-1953: The Navy in the Forgotten War.” Running indefinitely.

The Octagon

The museum of the American Architectural Foundation. 1799 New York Ave. NW. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday except holidays. $5, $3 seniors and students. 202/638-3221.

• “Design Excellence: Public Patronage of Architecture and Art.” Through March 31.

William Paca House and Garden

186 Prince George St., Annapolis. 410/263-5553. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Monday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Closed holidays. $5 house, $2 garden.

The Phillips Collection

1600 21st St. NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed holidays. Weekend admission $4-$7.50. Weekdays by contribution. Metro: Dupont Circle. 202/387-2151.

• “Surrealism and Modernism: 20th Century Masterpieces from the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.” Through Jan. 18.

Pope John Paul II Cultural Center

3900 Harewood Road NE. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission free. Donation requested. 202/635-5400.

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

1050 Independence Ave. SW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Metro: Smithsonian. 202/357-4880.

• “Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure.” Through Jan. 11.

• “Faith and Form: Selected Calligraphy and Painting from Japanese Religious Traditions.” Through Feb. 8.

• “Love and Yearning: Mystical and Moral Themes in Persian Poetry and Paintings.” Through Feb. 22.

Sewall-Belmont House

144 Constitution Ave. NE. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; noon-4 p.m. Saturday. Closed holidays. 202/546-3989.

• A collection of women’s-suffrage memorabilia in an early American home.

Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum

701 Third St. NW. Metro: Judiciary Square. Noon-4 p.m. Sunday-Thursday except major Jewish and federal holidays. 202/789-0900.

• Tours of the first Adas Israel synagogue.

• “Power Lunches: Milton S. Kronheim Sr.’s Washington.” Running indefinitely.

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Renwick Gallery, 17th and Pennsylvania Avenues, NW. 202/357-2700.

• “The Jewelry of Robert Ebendorf: A Retrospective of Forty Years.” Through Jan. 19.

• “Jewels & Gems.” Through Feb. 8.

Cal-Event:Smithsonian Institution

Arts and Industries Building, 900 Jefferson Drive SW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. 202/357-4500. #

Smithsonian Institution

The Castle, Constitution Avenue and 10th Street NW. 202/357-2700.

• “West Wing: A Chronology.” New permanent exhibit.

Smithsonian Institution

S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. 202/357-2700.

• “A Brush with History: Paintings from the National Portrait Gallery.” Through Feb. 8.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

• “Balloonmania.” On permanent display.

The Textile Museum

2320 S St. NW. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed holidays. $5 voluntary donation. 202/667-0441.

• “African American Quilts from the Robert and Helen Cargo Collection.” Through Feb. 29.

Tudor Place

1644 31st St. NW. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday except holidays. 202/965-0400.

• Tours of this historic house, which belonged to Martha Washington’s granddaughter, at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and on the hour 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Reservations suggested for individuals, required for groups. $6 for docent-led tours.

USDA Forest Service Information Center

14th Street and Independence Avenue NW. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. 703/205-1680.

• Rustic lodge hosts videos and hands-on displays. On permanent display.

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW (near 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW). 202/488-0400. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Metro: Smithsonian. Certain attractions, such as “Daniel’s Story: Remember the Children,” do not require special passes. Entrance to the museum’s permanent exhibition is by timed entry passes, available at the museum (free) or through ProTix ($4.50 service charge), 800/400-9373.

• “Life in the Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust.” Through May 12.

Walters Art Museum

600 N. Charles St., Baltimore. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. the first Thursday of each month. $5-$8. 410/547-9000.

• “Eternal Egypt.” Through Jan. 18.

Woman’s National Democratic Club

At the Historic Whittemore House. 1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW. 202/232-7363.

• Antique furnishings and presidential memorabilia, including rotating art exhibits. Call for tours.

Women in Military Service for America Memorial

Memorial Drive, Arlington. 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Metro: Arlington Cemetery. 703/892-2606.

• “In Defense of a Nation” film runs every 10 minutes.