National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery, the other half of the building from the American Art Museum, is the only museum in D.C. devoted entirely to portraits. The majority are focused on individuals that had a role in the United States, but there is a large variety from around the world. Like the American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery is divided into three floors. On one of the floors, there is an extensive set of portraits of every President of the United States. Additionally, there is a growing number of portraits of African Americans and other under represented populations within the United States. The National Portrait Gallery has been very popular recently, as the official portraits of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama just went up last month.

The National Portrait Gallery does not sound tremendously exciting but it is very much worth a trip. I know a number of people, including myself, who discounted the museum because it did not sound too interesting. However, the variety of portrait styles and subjects makes the museum very much worth a trip, especially if you were also planning on visiting the American Art Museum.

Between the two halves of the building is a covered courtyard. This is a beautiful place to sit and have a snack from the cafe or even just relax. It is covered by a roof made of glass and metal, and there are fountains on the floor. If you are looking for a place to do some work, this could be a great place if it is not too crowded (or, if you don’t mind a crowd, even if it was crowded).