The National Gallery of Art was America’s most popular art museum last year. It beat its main competitor, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, for the first time since 2008.
The National Gallery surpassed the Met with 3.3 million visits compared to 3.2 million visits at the Met’s main building.
These statistics hide the decline in museum visits. Since the pandemic, NGA visits are down by 20% and the Met by 35%.
Both museums are historical institutions in tourist hub cities. Except New York City is over 4x larger than DC.
So why are they so close in numbers?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art tickets are $30 for anyone over 12. A $200 museum visit is a drawback for the average family.
But you can visit the NGA for free and see over 150,000 pieces of art. Add on the other 21 free Smithsonian Museums surrounding the NGA, making a family visit to Washington, DC, even more compelling.
When you decide to visit this year, we recommend visiting these exhibitions:
- Looking Up: Studies for Ceilings
- Drawing in Britain, 1700-1900
- The Impressionist paintings in the East Wing
- Daniel in the Lion’s Den in Gallery 45
- Multiverse above the moving walkway between the East and West buildings
The National Gallery of Art is open 10 am to 5 pm daily. Visit their website for current exhibitions, maps, and more.
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