Exploring the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

This past month, we headed over to the National Portrait Gallery, officially checking the sixth Smithsonian Museum off my list! One of the best parts about this museum (besides the art) is that it’s completely free to enter and doesn’t require a timed reservation.

In my opinion, the museum is quite large, but doable. While we didn’t see every single gallery on this trip, we managed to cover a lot of ground!

First Stop: Bites at The Courtyard Cafe

Before diving into the art, we stopped by the Courtyard Cafe for a quick bite and a much-needed caffeine fix. We shared a ham and cheese croissant and a latte. We sat in the atrium for a bit, enjoying the people watching and taking in the beautiful architecture of the building.

Exploring the Galleries

After fueling up, we dropped our bags at the free coat check and started exploring. We spent a lot of time in the galleries featuring portraits of key figures from the American Revolution and past presidents.

One of my personal favorites was the famous “Lansdowne” portrait of George Washington. The security guard in the room mentioned that this version is an original, though there’s always a fun debate since another version hangs in the White House! Regardless, seeing it in person was beautiful.